My sister was supposed to be picking me up from Manchester Airport this morning but due to work commitments, her boyfriend came instead. The only trouble was that I’d never actually met him before. The pouring rain meant that I was easy to spot by virtue of being the only idiot standing outside of the terminal, getting soaked!
And that was it. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to go on such an amazing trip. Thanks to my family for looking after my flat and coming to see me, my mates for keeping in touch, my work for allowing me to have the time off. Amazingly this blog has had 2000 views. Hopefully it hasn't gone overboard on the narcissism! Special thanks to the people who have presumably accidentally found their way here from Germany, Ireland and Sri Lanka. I'm not aware about having any long lost friends in these countries.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Friday 18th July 2014
I was originally planning to travel back on Saturday but due to being my Mum’s birthday I instead headed home on Friday. The rest of the family thought that seeing me would be a nice surprise so I hadn't told her. The flight home was via New York JFK Airport for what would be the thirty-second and thirty-third I'd been on a plane since Christmas. We were slightly late getting away from JFK to due to the co-pilot being stuck in traffic. I’ve never heard that excuse for a delayed flight before but I suppose that the honesty of American Airlines should be commended as a change to the somewhat feeble excuses you are usually fed.
Thursday 17th July 2014
For my last full day I wanted to get up early and out and about in Boston. This resulted in a rather surreal experience. I awoke at around 7.30am to see a girl asleep on the floor wearing shoes, a jacket and nothing else. As in no underwear! Hearing me pottering about must have woke the young lady up. She then proceed to walk up and down the narrow room and past me at least three times, presumably looking for the aforementioned undies. I didn’t know where to look! To try and pretend that I hadn’t noticed what was going I spotted that a travel plug was in the socket next to my bed. I attempted to unplug this, only to touch some exposed metal and get electrocuted by a huge spark (with an accompanying bang). Naturally I looked around at the naked girl with an expression of, “Did you see that?” Eventually she found a towel to protect her modesty and left the room. I was slightly worried about whether she was OK but within five minutes there was a knock at the door. It was her again, this time fully clothed. On this occasion my presence was acknowledged. As though we’d never met she said, “Hi. I’ve just come to see my friend,” as though the previous events never occurred! I’d expect a bit more decorum in one of the world’s most expensive hostels.
After the tingly of my fingers' nerve endings had stopped from the electric shock I walked a bit of the Freedom Trail. This is essentially some cobbles on the pavement to guide tourists around a lot of Boston’s historical sights. I then headed over to the tour of the self-proclaimed, “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” or Fenway Park as most people call it. It’s pronounced “Be-loved” rather than “Be-loved-ed” and this title was mentioned so often to a point of being arrogant. However it is a classic ballpark, on-par with the wonderful Wrigley Field in Chicago. Some of the seating dates back to 1934 and while there is some nostalgic merit to this, the leg room is awful. Presumably people in the 1930s were much smaller back then.
After the tour I walked past the iconic Citgo sign that has become a symbol of Boston over years due to it being backdrop to the ballpark. From here it was across the river into Cambridge for a pleasant evening stroll around the Harvard area.
After the tingly of my fingers' nerve endings had stopped from the electric shock I walked a bit of the Freedom Trail. This is essentially some cobbles on the pavement to guide tourists around a lot of Boston’s historical sights. I then headed over to the tour of the self-proclaimed, “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” or Fenway Park as most people call it. It’s pronounced “Be-loved” rather than “Be-loved-ed” and this title was mentioned so often to a point of being arrogant. However it is a classic ballpark, on-par with the wonderful Wrigley Field in Chicago. Some of the seating dates back to 1934 and while there is some nostalgic merit to this, the leg room is awful. Presumably people in the 1930s were much smaller back then.
After the tour I walked past the iconic Citgo sign that has become a symbol of Boston over years due to it being backdrop to the ballpark. From here it was across the river into Cambridge for a pleasant evening stroll around the Harvard area.
Wednesdays 16th July 2014
Portland has probably the nicest bus station that I’ve passed through in the US. Passengers get free coffee and much like the city itself, the station is really clean and friendly. I was getting the bus to my final destination of the trip, Boston. At almost £40 per night, The Boston Hosteling International was comfortably the most expensive hostel that I’ve stayed in all year. Although it’s nice, it’s not that nice.
Without having a go at the vulnerable and downtrodden in society, it soon became noticeable that Boston has by far the most aggressive homeless people I’ve seen on my travels. New York and San Francisco have reputations for having major homeless issues but most people there seem to be relaxed hobo types.
Without having a go at the vulnerable and downtrodden in society, it soon became noticeable that Boston has by far the most aggressive homeless people I’ve seen on my travels. New York and San Francisco have reputations for having major homeless issues but most people there seem to be relaxed hobo types.
Tuesday 15th July 2014
Matt was at work for most of the day so I was left to my own devices to look around. Portland has a great waterfront, a nice old cobbled-streeted port area, and plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes, galleries and bars. It would be a nice place to live if you can put up with bars closing at 1am. Portland has kind of a small-town feel without some of the potential negative aspects such as narrow-mindedness or there being nowt to do. It shares many similar traits to its namesake in Oregon - loads of brew and gastro pubs, a progressive social attitude, plenty of artsy-fartsy stuff and almost everyone under 25 having at least 25% of their body covered in tattoos. Portland has a a cool vibe happening without straying into the realm of pretentiousness.
Matt and Rachel being at work provided a good opportunity to get some washing done. I was only half-listening to the directions to their apartment block's communal laundry facilities and instead of finding the laundry room I accidentally wandered through the back door and into a neighbour’s apartment. Luckily they didn’t notice, especially with it being in a country where such trespassing is liable to get you shot.
Later I met up with Matt and in a bar where they had a pub quiz on iPads. You could play against others in the establishment as well as people around the country who happen to be in bars at 4pm. The standard of competition seemed pretty good for afternoon degenerate drunks although us two foreigners weren't doing particularly well with the Americancentric questions until Rachel turned up later.
Matt and Rachel being at work provided a good opportunity to get some washing done. I was only half-listening to the directions to their apartment block's communal laundry facilities and instead of finding the laundry room I accidentally wandered through the back door and into a neighbour’s apartment. Luckily they didn’t notice, especially with it being in a country where such trespassing is liable to get you shot.
Later I met up with Matt and in a bar where they had a pub quiz on iPads. You could play against others in the establishment as well as people around the country who happen to be in bars at 4pm. The standard of competition seemed pretty good for afternoon degenerate drunks although us two foreigners weren't doing particularly well with the Americancentric questions until Rachel turned up later.
Monday 14th July 2014
After Matt finished work we headed (or more like ran) to the harbour, with its squawking seagulls and overbearing smell of fish. We arrived just in time for the Mail Boat trip which carries freight, mail and passengers to the islands surrounding Portland. Nice weather always helps when going on a boat and it was a beautiful morning, although at a couple of points out at sea there was a strange mist where the temperature noticeably dropped as we sailed into it. We passed a couple of those iconic New England lighthouses, as seen on the cover of the guidebooks. Half of the Portland population seem to have a boat, canoe or some sort of craft to sail around the beautiful bay. What a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
We then went for a drive up the coast and had a walk along the beach. It wasn’t a particularly sandy beach, more rugged and rocky, although still alluring. Then it was off for some New England food. The clam chowder was nice although I could feel it clogging my arteries as I ate. Being in Portland I felt obliged to eat the local delicacy, lobster. Not in the form of a sandwich but a full real lobster which was a first for me. Eating the thing was a bit of an ordeal. It’s not for the squeamish with plenty of guts and other sorts of insides to root through in order to find the meaty bits. I also realised that it takes plenty of hand washing over a fair few hours to get rid of the smell after disemboweling a lobster. The authentic New England experience was completed with a visit to an Irish Pub. Despite it being 4pm there were a fair few drunks who seemingly wanted to talk to us. They were harmless enough, pub bore types.
We then went for a drive up the coast and had a walk along the beach. It wasn’t a particularly sandy beach, more rugged and rocky, although still alluring. Then it was off for some New England food. The clam chowder was nice although I could feel it clogging my arteries as I ate. Being in Portland I felt obliged to eat the local delicacy, lobster. Not in the form of a sandwich but a full real lobster which was a first for me. Eating the thing was a bit of an ordeal. It’s not for the squeamish with plenty of guts and other sorts of insides to root through in order to find the meaty bits. I also realised that it takes plenty of hand washing over a fair few hours to get rid of the smell after disemboweling a lobster. The authentic New England experience was completed with a visit to an Irish Pub. Despite it being 4pm there were a fair few drunks who seemingly wanted to talk to us. They were harmless enough, pub bore types.
Sunday 13th July 2014
Today I was off to the original Portland in Maine. Not to be confused with Portland, Oregon where I spent some time a few months ago. For a start they are on opposite coasts of America. Portland, Maine is also further from NY than I thought. I wanted to arrive before the start of the World Cup Final but even the 8am bus wasn't due to arrive in Portland until 3.10, just after kickoff. My mate Matt picked me up we were in the pub watching the game at 3.20. Despite every German I’d met on my travels telling me that they had absolutely no chance of winning the World Cup, they only went and pulled it off.
It was nice to stay in an apartment after months of sleeping in hotels, hostels, airports, trains and so on. Matt and his wife, Rachel, have rabbits living indoors as the Maine winter is too cold for them to live outside. They do practise good pet etiquette though and I didn't get bitten, chewed, jumped over, covered in hair or pooed on! The main household conversation topic was the return of LeBron James to Rachel’s basketball team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following his controversial transfer a few years ago, LeBron was Public Enemy Number One in Cleveland. Nowadays Rachel wears her “I Hate LeBron” t-shirt in an ironic way.
It was nice to stay in an apartment after months of sleeping in hotels, hostels, airports, trains and so on. Matt and his wife, Rachel, have rabbits living indoors as the Maine winter is too cold for them to live outside. They do practise good pet etiquette though and I didn't get bitten, chewed, jumped over, covered in hair or pooed on! The main household conversation topic was the return of LeBron James to Rachel’s basketball team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Following his controversial transfer a few years ago, LeBron was Public Enemy Number One in Cleveland. Nowadays Rachel wears her “I Hate LeBron” t-shirt in an ironic way.
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