First day in USA!

So this one has been long overdue and after today's Debrief of the trip, I think its a perfect way to bring it to a close... (Though I don't think I want closure just yet...it was just too good :) )

23rd February 2008:

Of course it started of as a usual travel day starts off...I run around picking up and packing last minute items, I get ready in a rush and make it with just a second to spare before the cab driver shows up at the doorstep. We made it to the airport with loads and loads of time to spare (Thanks Amruta :)). After checking-in in a relaxed mood (my first time at that), we made our way to the café to grab a heavenly and much needed breakfast with conversations revolving around our past vacations and places we have stayed in. I spent the remaining time making an unsuccessful attempt at finding a gift for my cousin and browsing around the bookstore – Times Network at Changi Airport. What an awesome way to start a trip.

Our flight to San Francisco with a stopover at Tokyo Narita was food fun. Though I slept through it (thanks to the childhood conditioning by Mom Dad to stop me from throwing up on flights). We landed into SFO on 23rd itself at 9:30 a.m. (Thanks to the time difference...For the first time it was on my side). San Francisco is exactly how I had pictured it...Wide streets...little houses and 2 storey buildings...the Inns on the way...Taco Bell and Sears at regular intervals...Motels with neon lightly...it was just perfect.

Our next stop...Motel 6. Our haven for the next 3 days. It was like any regular clean cozy motel so I wont bore you with these details. After a quick check-in, we headed to La Salsa - A cozy Mexican Restaurant. Of course I don't need to start about the burritos I had there (read A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!) and then we walked around for a bit. Of course Amruta brought her "compulsive shopping disorder" with her all the way from Singapore and she just had to buy the pair of Boots...had to!! Lol.

The rest of the afternoon we spent relaxing and watching Seinfeld (these are episodes I haven't watched...Life is Beautiful) and warming our hands in front of the heater. The evening was again filled with some more walking around, a visit to Rasputin Music and Books stores (I like that about USA...they have book stores at regular intervals) and then of course dinner at an Italian Pizza place...Oregano. But please note that they serve Oregano only on request!! :)

In the night Vamsi, Manu, Gagan, Amruta and I went to downtown Palo Alto and had an amazing amazing time. The highlight of the evening of course was when spotted the office of "facebook"...lol...I still maintain that facebook is a big waste of time. But none-the-less I was excited. It felt like our little adventure out in the city. We encountered a big scary looking guy who was very helpful, we ran through the underground subway cause Amruta was convinced that there was a man there waiting to MUG us (:-)) All these movies really screw her head), we entered the Apple Store and yes my eyes lit up, we clicked pictures in front of the Cheesecake factory but didn't enter it, browsed through books and music at Borders Store, had a heavenly scoop of brownie gelato at Michael's Gelato and Cafe and took pictures with an odd looking EGG sculpture that had images from all over the world!! And then called a cab to get us home...and our luck he was a Sardarji who was kind enough to let 5 people travel in a cab. So all in all...an AMAZING and FUN first day in USA!