The last 48 hours from Phuket to Waikiki has been a surreal experience with more to come. Starting with passing new years in the airport watching the Thai coverage was awful. At midnight the monks started chanting and it didnt stop until I put in my headphones and drowned it out. Boarded the 1am flight and yet wasnt able to pull more than an hour of sleep before arriving in Seoul.
It is cold in Seoul in the winter. It had clearly just snowed and started on again off again throughout the day. I had prepared all my cold weather gear for the trip, but the greatest problem was that I just didnt have that much. And my weak spot was the toes. Jacket was ok. Beard protected the face. But crocs and socks do not cut it in slushy conditions. It was hovering right around freezing, just warm enough to melt snow and get my socks wet. Between the cold, lack of sleep and it being new years day and everything closed, I did not venture far from the train station where the airport express dropped me off. I had some wok rice bowl and coffee and then headed back to the airport. After a couple hours it was time to head off on the flight to Honolulu.
From the airport I was able to get my bicycle without a problem and headed out to get a taxi. While I had been told that any car can be a taxi, I was picked up by a stretch limo. Somewhat dated as there was a vhs player still in it, but still was strange to be driven in a limo to a hostel.
And finally there was the first apartment that I went to see. I knew it was going to be strange from the email address, cosmiclovebroker@whatever, but I wanted to start getting an idea of what there is. I went to meet, lets call her Mary, a 50-60 year old woman in a nice building near my hostel. Finding the place was easy enough and she met me in the hallway while chattting with two younger kids who live in the building. Started normal enough. Then it got strange. First the apartment was a joke. I am really hoping it is not indicative of things to come. The room was a tiny with a single bed on the floor. The living room a converted office with no space as two cluttered desk somehow managed to dominate the space. Finally we came to the "master" suite which was offered and then the extra sales pitch. She started telling me how the last roommate and her had something of friends with benefits that evolved naturally out of living together. Then mentioned that she also does alternative massage and some kind of healing as well as real estate. Finally, she added that she is also into tantra and ... I started tuning out and trying to keep my $6 steak and eggs down. Before leaving she insisted that I see another unit that I could rent the one bedroom, but there was someone else living on the couch. I humored her and then made a quick exit as soon as possible. As I write I am getting emails from her.
I really hope this is not an indicator of what Hawaii is going to be like.
It is cold in Seoul in the winter. It had clearly just snowed and started on again off again throughout the day. I had prepared all my cold weather gear for the trip, but the greatest problem was that I just didnt have that much. And my weak spot was the toes. Jacket was ok. Beard protected the face. But crocs and socks do not cut it in slushy conditions. It was hovering right around freezing, just warm enough to melt snow and get my socks wet. Between the cold, lack of sleep and it being new years day and everything closed, I did not venture far from the train station where the airport express dropped me off. I had some wok rice bowl and coffee and then headed back to the airport. After a couple hours it was time to head off on the flight to Honolulu.
From the airport I was able to get my bicycle without a problem and headed out to get a taxi. While I had been told that any car can be a taxi, I was picked up by a stretch limo. Somewhat dated as there was a vhs player still in it, but still was strange to be driven in a limo to a hostel.
And finally there was the first apartment that I went to see. I knew it was going to be strange from the email address, cosmiclovebroker@whatever, but I wanted to start getting an idea of what there is. I went to meet, lets call her Mary, a 50-60 year old woman in a nice building near my hostel. Finding the place was easy enough and she met me in the hallway while chattting with two younger kids who live in the building. Started normal enough. Then it got strange. First the apartment was a joke. I am really hoping it is not indicative of things to come. The room was a tiny with a single bed on the floor. The living room a converted office with no space as two cluttered desk somehow managed to dominate the space. Finally we came to the "master" suite which was offered and then the extra sales pitch. She started telling me how the last roommate and her had something of friends with benefits that evolved naturally out of living together. Then mentioned that she also does alternative massage and some kind of healing as well as real estate. Finally, she added that she is also into tantra and ... I started tuning out and trying to keep my $6 steak and eggs down. Before leaving she insisted that I see another unit that I could rent the one bedroom, but there was someone else living on the couch. I humored her and then made a quick exit as soon as possible. As I write I am getting emails from her.
I really hope this is not an indicator of what Hawaii is going to be like.
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