JHB to Aspen

I have posted a whole load of photos from Aspen on my flickr account, which you can get to on the link up above this, so check them out to see a bit of where I am at. There will be better photos coming once it stops snowing and the sun comes out and I can get up one of these mountains a bit higher.

Ok so, some of the more interesting experiences I have had up until now:

1. Got bumped up to business class on my flight to London, thanks very much to BA who overbooked their plane, and didn't even give me a seat number until I boarded the plane! Made for a very comfortable flight. The flight was also delayed by an hour becuase of all the chaos in the terminal at JHB International.

2. Arrived in London late and had to run to catch my flight to New York. Turns out that the NYC flight got delayed as well because some fool didn't show up for the flight and they had to off load everybody's luggage, search for his, then reload it all. Bought Italian espresso in the airport, not a good idea when you have to keep still on a 10 hour flight.

3. Arrive in New York, surprisingly no trouble with immigration and didn't get searched thank goodness. I obviously don't look threatening. It was cold and rainy, about 35 degrees F. Couldn't work out how to use the phones, eventually got hold of my hotel to ask them to pick me up. Got lost in JFK which is enormous, eventually found my bus pick-up point and then waited for an hour in the cold to get my shuttle. I didn't get to spend any time in Manhatten which really sucks, just didn't have the time in the afternoon before it got dark, also had to organise accomodation etc in Aspen.

4. Nearly miss my flight to Denver from JFK the next morning, because I got so absorbed in my book on the Google story and didnt hear the boarding call. They made me take just about all my clothes off when I went through security, everything down to my base layer, including shoes. They are paranoid. The aeroplane was cool, lots of legroom (fly on Jetblue if you can) and about 40 TV channels on board. There was this guy sitting in front of me that looked like he came out of an MTV hip-hip video, complete with enough bling to keep him firmly on earth should gravity ever go AWOL.

5. Bus from Denver to Aspen. The journey was amazing, we went right over the Rockies, and sometimes through tunnels under it. We passed through this huge canyon on the way which was beautiful. It was pretty hairy at times when the snow was dumping and the road icy. The Rockies are absolutely beautiful mountains.. Also saw snow fall for the first time, I felt like a small child discovering a brand new toy under the Christmas tree!

6. Arrive in Aspen in the dark, check into my hostel after 3 days in transit. Wake up at 4am the next morning because my body clock is stuffed. Spend the whole of the next 2 days searching for a job and a house. It turns out to be really difficult to find both, which is not what I was told before leaving SA, and the days were really stressful.

7. Find a cool job at a very very expensive hotel here, which came with a manager who rocks! He found me a place to stay so now I am chilled out and ready to party! Went out to a couple of bars and a club here, which are pretty cool. I have met some awesome people already including tons of South Africans, from Rhodes as well!!! And lots of Aussies and Brazilians. Now I am ready to shop for a snowboard and get up that mountain and start boarding which is why I am here in the first place!

posted by Cat Murray @ 20:34