Travel Diary

Orlando

Well I'm now in the hostel in Toronto, more on that later though. Headed off last thursday 29th I think by train (Amtrak) to Orlando. The train was ridiculously huge and comfortable and cheap, but just like British Rail was late, it left on time and you could check your baggage in advance but it still got to Orlando almost two hours late!

So got to the Hotel OK (Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista, nice enough for the money - and before you say anything Alex, I had to get a hotel as there's no hostel in Orlando, and transport costs there are ridiculous). Sarah came by about 10 (she'd just got back from Chicago) with her friend Ashley (who had a car with a personalised licence plate - I believe Sarah refers to her as a princess). We then headed back to where Sarah and Disney employees live before heading onto Pleasure Island which is a sort of multi club place with eight clubs in total, quite pricy and all the music played was accompanied with a video. Left at two, Sarahs other friend Alex who'd driven us there had cleared off so she tried to get us a lift with a Puerto Rican, but we decided not to as he was very drunk (despite insisting he was a racing driver so that made it OK). So we walked back to my hotel, which is something Americans just plain don't do whatsoever. About 3:20 we got to my room.

Up at ten the next morning we got a bus to MGM and did a few attractions: Indiana Jones live show, Muppets 3D, Terror Tower (superb), Rock and Roll rollercoaster, I did the Star Wars ride (which was enjoyable if riddled with inaccuracies - spod mode on 1. Star Wars doesn't have Warp drives, 2. How can you have R2D2 as a navigator on a tour ship when you're following Lukes X-Wing blowing up the first death star???? and there were some other problems there as well). We also took part in the Who wants to be a millionaire game, which is a replica of the TV show where anyone in the audience can end up in the hotseat. Now how to make a fool of yourself, play such a game with a friend who has an English Lit Degree, forget this fact, when a question about alliteration comes up, try and act smug and whisper to them what it means.

After MGM we headed over to Epcot where Sarah works, went on what purports to be a ride and got a free ecard with our photo on it, went round a few other bits before going round the World Showcase (sarah works on the English bit). Watched the Beatles tribute act, and a french mime artist/balloon blower who was very very funny. Then went round a few other bits before watching the fireworks at the end of the night (with an old American behind us who kept hollering, oh yeah, thats it, thats what I'm talking about).

I spent the next day by the pool at the hotel and in the evening headed out with Sarah, Ashley and some South American who was a bit of a ropey driver to downtown Orlando, where we all got in free to a club called Tabu (except Sarah as she'd forgotten her ID, so had to pay). This really was a great club except for the fact that it lived up to every stereotype of an American club I've seen in a film (I think it may have been that every song was a rip off of some European Trance and there was some fool with a Mike walking round, shouting Ooh yeah, everybody in the house make some noise - repeatedly - and yeah lets all get drunk).

Sunday went to Kennedy Space Center which was a whole day of interest, definitely worth going to for the 3D imax film on the International Space Station and some other nice little touches here and there (although the rockets with the exception of the Moon ones are smaller than I imagined). Went out Sunday night to a house party where Sarah lives, and had a nice conversation about the royal family on the way home with the taxi driver.

Saturn V Rocket Hall

Space Shuttle

Lots of Rockets

Monday I went to International Drive which is basically a collection of malls, attractions and hotels, all joined by a bus called the trolley which is a hop on/off affair that costs 75cents a ride. Visited Ripleys Believe or Not, (an odditorium) which was a very amusing museum. I've subsequently discovered there was also a shooting range (the sort that lets you shoot big guns) just close to where the shuttle from the hotel dropped/picked me up, but I still had a good day.

Tuesday I went out to Downtown Disney, which is lots of shops and restaurants (and also where Pleasure Island is), there wasn't that much to see/do so I decided to watch a film (XMen 2). I then spent the rest of my afternoon looking round all the disney shops parents wish didn't exist (like the all year round christmas shop). Then in the evening went over to the Disney boardwalk, which is a hotel resort, where I met Sarah in Jellyrolls, which is quite a funky little bar, even if there is a $7 cover (for non-disney employees I might add!). Basically cheap large cocktails and two pianists playing some great songs: Sweet Home Alabama, American Pie, Summer of 69 to name a few, as well as Don't Stop Believin' by Journey and a nice take on Livin' on A Prayer by Bon Jovi.

Caught the train back to Miami on Wednesday, only 15 minutes late this time. Then caught the plane up today to Toronto, for those who haven't been to the States since Richard Reid was arrested, I kid you not, you now have to remove the shoes you are wearing at the x-ray machine and put them through.

And I should also add the greatest reason for going to Miami International Airport: the Glockenspiel walkway. After you've arrived at Miami or are going out you have to pass through a walkway, where each pane of glass has a number of differently coloured perspex pieces attached to it so the incoming light is all nicely coloured. But then between each pane (of glass) is a motion sensor that triggers sounds when someone passes through it. So when you have a load of people coming back and forth across the tramalators it's great, it's also quite spooky when there's very few people about. And according to the placard it was created by a man who likes Jazz (which probably explains why I've felt the need to tell you all about it). I'm going to have to hit the hay now, but I'll keep you all up to date on what's going on in Toronto (pub crawl on Sunday or Wednesday for sure).

Posted by Alexis at June 6, 2003 12:14 AM