The Longest Way to Hong Kong

During the transatlantic flight, between two movies, I've thought at a way to improve my list of top busiest airport visited... the good thing with "involuntary changes", is that the validating carrier has to get you to your destination, whatever the mean, so once landed in LHR, I've used matrix to look for options of travel between LHR and HKG, leaving after Monday 10h and arriving in HKG before my flight back to NCE via LHR, scheduled at 23h30 Tuesday.
My initial plan was a LHR-AMS-DOH-PVG(or PEK)-HKG, but this wasn't possible, so I've removed the AMS stop. It would have been in theory possible, but arriving at 20h the Tuesday, reducing drastically the margin, thus I've focused on a LHR-DOH-HKG (Qatar Airways is now part of Oneworld, and the objective was still to gain as many miles as possible).
There were 3 flights LHR-DOH, and I saw the last one was operated with a 787... golden opportunity to fly this aircraft, even if it means a 1h15 connection in Doha.

The BA agents stared at me with eyes wide opened when I told them I'd like to change my route, but they were keen enough to call their AA colleagues on T3 (I fear I had to get to T3 to do it myself).

So be it, AA approved the rerouting: to come back to NCE from Chicago, my itinerary would be 33'000 kms in 3 days:

The only thing is I had to collect my bags in LHR T5 and check them in T4 (Qatar Airways). The BA Agent, at 8h00, told me to get down within 30 minutes, the time to pull the bags out of the system. I didn't want to leave too early the lounge, so I took a shower, browsed the internet for a while...
At 12h00 (the take off with Qatar was scheduled at 15h05), I went down to collect my bags: bad surprise, they weren't ready as understood. It took BA staff 1 hour to pull one bag out of the two checked in, I and started to feel the pressure to not be on time for my flight...
I decided to pick only one bag, telling the BA staff I'd like to have my second bag flying with me on the way back from HKG 48hours later (second stare with eyes wide open : "I'm sorry sir, do you fly TO or OUT of HKG?" "both").
In hurry, I took only few minutes to enjoy the Skyteam lounge in T4 (one of the best lounge I've ever been): for Oneworld top tiers, Qatar do not open its lounge (reserved for QR pax flying F or J), but partners with Skyteam.
Arriving in the 787 was a punch in the face: there is a feeling of space as never experienced before, the crew was keen enough to allow my scooter as hand luggage and cherry on the cake, the flight was scarcely 50% full.

IFE is dual screen, even if not neither yet super reliable (at one point, I couldn't switch off my light, but a very nice FA was able to do it for me from the galley)

The landing at DOH from the North is really impressive, you have the feeling you could touch the skyline with your fingers.

The new terminal isn't open yet, so every flight has to use buses to get from'to the terminal (but jet bridges should be ready before EoY 2013). Free wifi compensate this, but I made the connection only due to my scooter, which allowed me to ride thru the terminal.


Second flight was 95+% full, so I slept most of the time. I'm now in HK, waiting to check in with BA on the way back to NCE.

The Second Failure, or How I learned to stop worrying and love disruption

Alarm clock: 6h30 to take a cab to Logan Square, then the blue line to Chicago O'Hare. Checkin-security-lounge blablabla.

I board the plane to Shangai (en route to Hong Kong), realizing that all the texts (exit, lavatories...) in the American Airline 777-200 is also in Chinese... this "massive" tourism from China will be a tidal wave, with impacts not yet fully understood.

25 minutes delay at the gate because a routne check wasn't performed on the previous flight, 20 minutes taxiing to get aligned to the runway, full throttle (feeling the vibrations and the sound of the two enormous engines you realize the gap between this 20 years old aircraft and a brand new A380...) for about 200 meters, then spoilers, engine noise going down... aborted take off, first time in my life (anyway, on a twin engine, it's better now than after lift off...).


Going back to the gate after this technical failure, the flight is cancelled, we disembark and while a HUGE storm falls on the airport

I manage to get rerouted via Toronto to HK, then finally via London to HK.... It means I will be doing a circumnavigation... :-) so in case of involuntary change, it's really good to have with you a way to find yourself the best (for you) alternative route, instead of the one proposed by the airline...

The flight to Heathrow took of at 18h, 12 hours after the wake up...

The (Bright) Windy City

A very nice colleague from Amadeus Chicago hosted me, so I could enjoy the city nicknamed as the Windy City.
Having only one day here, I took my reliable foldable scooter and the Metro to the Loop, where the very specific sound of this train makes it a landmark by itself:

First stop, the Millenium Park, with the iconic Cloud Gate, a giant "bean" shaped mirror, very nice even if the weather wasn't good in the morning (and it wasn't going to get better):

This park also host a very nice open air concert place, a statue from Jaume (the very same as the one who created the statue in Antibes)... all of this would have been even better with a bright blue sky... anyway...

After shooting few pictures in this amazing city which doesn't need the sun light to be bright

I've headed to an architecture cruise along the Chicago River, river which was turn upside down so the water was no longer going to the Lake Michigan, but from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi. Despite freezing with the wind (the city's nickname is not stolen), this tour was very nice and educational.

The afternoon was spent in the Chicago Cultural Centre, a very pleasant place with free exhibitions of modern art, wifi, and cosy sofa.

17h, the weather gets worse and it's already really dark outside, I head back to my colleague's place without climbing on top of the Willis tower, the highest second highest building in USA (few days ago, the council of US buildings officially awarded to NYC's One Trade Center the title of highest building in the USA (because of a 60 meters antenna), toping Chicago's Willis. The Chicago's mayor reacted :"If it looks like an antenna and acts like an antenna, then, guess what? it's an antenna")

The city which could have been skipped

Atlanta
(I haven't said the airport...)

first I nearly missed my flight (sleeping at 1h30 and having a wake up planned at 5h30 is not reasonable), I didn't hear my phone until 6h17..., I was hopefully parked few blocks from the airport, so I've RUSHED to the terminal (Memphis Car rental facility has NO damned trolley...), but I made it on time for my 7h30 flight to ATL via Houston Hobby.

I've slept most of the time of these two flights, and arrive with 20 minutes prior to ETA in ATLANTA airport, world's busiest...

I was very pleased to have American airline accepting to check my bags 9 hours before my flight, AND allow me my scooter as hand baggage...
It means I could take it to Visit Atlanta city for a couple of hours with my scooter.
Now is the worst part of the day: Atlanta city...

not exciting, the two (land)marks are brands:
CNN (the tour of the news netword from their HQis hardly interesting, except a 70 inch surface tablet for the weather forecast, I'd over all rank it 1 or 1.5 out of 5)

News, Hardened

the World of Coca Cola: Disney world, the same attractions, the same concept, but the star  is not a mouse but a drink... if as me you don't like this beverage, this "museum" is a joke. I'd still give it 1 or 1.5 out of 5 as well because of the working copy of a coca factory makes you see the inside, but that's it)

The only minute maid they had was the US version, the "0% fruit" one...

Back to ATL airport 3 hours before my flight, the Lounge was pleaseant (and riding my scooter in ATL and the destination airport Chicago O'Hare ORD, travelling on nice flat terminals is just a dream, passing all other passengers ahah), and the flight attendant was as cute as the drunk couple in the row ahead speaking loud...
The fly over Chicago at night was the cherry on the cake:

The ways Americans come together

Yes, black and white people in the Memphis area don't mix all the time, but on this 14th of Nov, I've noticed several ways on how all Americans can come together, whatever their color:
-Graceland, first stop of the day, after a night in the car 60 miles South of Memphis (-2C outside, 7C in the car).

Sur la route de Memphis... (merci Eddie)

Situated on the well named Elvis Presley Boulevard, this super kitsch Mansion holds a lot of personal object from the king, from bling bling costumes to private jets (which had to be sliced to be towed from the airport to the home of "Elvis Presely Entreprises", ruled by Elvis' daughter).

Who can say E.P.doesn't look gay ?

It looks like Disneyland, and the license plates on the 10USD car park tells you the King still lives in many American heart.
- Shooting, whatever their gender, social/racial origins, Americans shoot (I've witnessed the whole American society in the shooting range, from white collar to black woman speaking with a terrible southern accent), a lot: "The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) in the United States is 101.05^{3 1} firearms per 100 people", so I wanted to know if one would like to lend me a gun for a couple of hours, in order to celebrate the soon 50th birthday of Kennedy's death... (THIS IS A JOKE). I've googled "shooting range memphis" and found one not that far: for less than 100 bucks, I've been able to test a pistol and a semi automatic with 150 rounds, without showing my passport... My hands smelt gun powder for hours, but this didn't ring alarm in airport dust detector...

50 rounds later

Very weird feeling, the most disturbing thing is the sound, so loud, even with earplugs (and no, they hadn't target not with human silhouette...). This is my 6th stay in the US, and the first time I had the opportunity to go to a shooting range.
- like every one (black and white) I've crossed the Mississippi on a steel bridge

- I've meet as well the whole American society along the mighty river (who was walking the dog, jogging, walking with kids...), while strolling on my scooter to take gorgeous pictures of the sunset

- The Memphis Rock'n Rill museum explains how the farmers, black and white, were made redundant with mechanization after WWII, and how Memphis gathered these people who had few but their rural songs with them, and how it catalyzed the creation of Jazz, blues, Rock'n'roll

- 19h00, it's time for the Basket ball game in the Fedex-sponsored stadium, and the whole city population gather around its team:

with this Typical US mix of food & entertainment.

The Memphis Tigers won 95 56:)
- I was starving, so I joined the BB King Blues Club in the famous bar&restaurant street for a nice Salad with a live band... AWESOME

-they both have gated communities... ok, not the same: for white with nice little fountains with spectacular view on the Mississippi (imagine Wysteria Lane... ok, that's it), the black in the suburb close to the Memphis Airport (Home airport of Fedex, the National Guard C17's and served by several commercial carriers... noisy...). I've finished to pack my stuff at 1h30, slept in a car close to the airport, for a flight to ATL at 7h30 in the morning, but that's another story...

The trip to the past

6 hours of sleep, a very cold wake up (it was +4C this morning when I left New Orleans, before each bridge there is a warning about possible ice...) and gogogo for 3 hours of driving North, first Stop = Natchez. I use the car to its full extent, and the built-in 110 V plug is used to charge the laptop while I listen to the Sat Radio (Sirius something... I wonder what is their economical model, as there is no ad and 200 different radios available without having to change the frequency... it's really nice to have such accessory when driving long distance in the USA). As I'm alone, I can't play while driving with the HDMI port nor the 4 USB sockets (yes we are in a car...) to play a movie on the back screen than can be unfolded from the ceiling...

In Natchez, I stop by the bridge over the mighty river

its old mansions, not affected by the war (this North/South thing is really accurate and vivid here, as fates really have changed with the US Civil war (it can be sometimes funny like this rich Confederate (=South) guy who went in Florida to fight, and his mum provided him with a slave so he would not have to take care of the daily chores... Few months later, he flipped side, and fought for the Union (North), this time without a slave...).

I don't have much time to spend in Natchez, I want to get by Vicksburg (2h30 North) before the closure of the National Park. The journey is going thru the Natchez National Parkway, a road made out of a path created by cattle then used by Native Americans over 400 miles to Nashville. I don't have any picture, but close your eyes, remember "the Dukes of Hazzard" and you will experience what I've seen... Too bad, Daisy wasn't there ;-)

I arrived in Vicksburg (the "key to the South" where a a long siege occurred) just before the Sunset, so I took some nice pictures:

8000 soldiers died in Vicksburg, out of 110'000

USS Cairo, steam boat battle ship sunk by a mine in the Mississippi (Liberty ship before its time, 7 were built in 100 days)

my tank :)

The story about the memorials by each state, worth reading

I'm driving North to Memphis, uploading pictures... from a McDonald's !! :D (I was reasonable: only a side salad without dressing and small French Fries)

More pictures are available HERE

The Old South (Night & Day)

Wow, what a night ! 3 new friends, a 1.25USD stroll in a cable car to the French Quarter, a walk in the Old NO, a funny delicious dinner with a first timer waiter (Jumbo Shrimp salad with mango and avocado),

some drinks in a bar with live music (Sweet Home Alabama, Hotel California...),

avoid some dodgy strip clubs, and a taxi back to India House Hostel, chat to plan the next day, sleep (4h in the morning, New Orleans Time, it means I've started my day 26 hours ago...)

This morning (10h00), with 3 other backpackers, we drove to a swamp tour, to visit the bayou on a boat:
Aligators (they are going to hibernate soon so way less impressive than in Southern Florida, but still)

Chatty guide & Fun

Old bridge

Calm bayou

then a nice lunch with old south cuisine (thin Catfish), followed by a nice sunset in Lafayette State Park

Tonight, Home Made Pasta (yummy), cookie ice cream and photo sharing session
Tomorrow: I'll leave early from the Hostel to Natchez / Vicksburg.

The day I flew 19 hours

MEL-LAX-DFW DAL-MSY

Everything went perfectly,
The A380 stopped on time

no issue at all at the LAX custom (except a huge queue, but I read my book for 15 minutes and finally it was good).
I've been put on standby on the previous flight LAX-DFW, and I got a (middle) seat > I've slept for 2 hours during this flight, but woke up on the American Airline home airport:

New and Old livery

The 1Above drink, which taste more or less some lime juice. is actually efficient as I've been able to be awake at the right times during this journey.
Transfering from DFW to DAL (Dallas Love Field, the old Dallas Airport, now used for low cost flights) was with a shared shuttle, dropping off first another customer in the opposite direction... the spare hour was mandatory to spend on the Texas road :-)

The Lone Star State

The SouthWest experience was a breeze: very very pleasant from A to Z

Love Field, peaceful and quiet airport

I'm now at a hostel in New Orleans, with a pretty nice Chrysler Town and Country, and will probably eat in the French quarter tonight.