Topic: North America
I innocuously mentioned that I wouldn't mind driving Route 66 a few years ago over breakfast. My mate Chris was there, and after a year of nagging over further breakfasts I gave in and told him if he got the time off I'd organize it. This should of been safe as Chris didn't have a passport and has 3 kids and a full time job. "Two weeks" Not enough I said. 'Three weeks" You need a month. More negotiation with the war office. "Ive got Four Weeks" I book the tickets. We leave on the first and return on the first, close enough to four weeks.
I got a round the world airfare. Chris's kids had been all over but he had pay for it, so had never been outside of Oz. First Stop Hong Kong. We jump on to the bus to China to spend a couple of nights with Muz. We check out of HK and of to the Visa office. Unfortunately the Olympics are just about to start in Beijing, so there not issuing any short term visa's for Shenzhen. At least we got on to Chinese territory so you can say you've been there. Back to Honkers for two days. Victoria Harbor,Giant Buddha, Victoria Peak, sleazy back street bars, dicey budget hotel and getting chased around by dodgy watch sellers. " Is genuine fake, but have genuine Japan mechanism". Great Fun We bought two watches. HNK tick. Next stop Rome.
Great Place. Unlike China you don't even know you've gone through customs. You pass couple of Carabinieri checking themselves out in the mirror and your on the street. Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, Sistine Chapel., Azzurri beer and Kebabs so good we went back twice. Rome Tick. All we have to do is survive the 100 MPH taxi ride through the back streets at Four in the morning to the airport and where outta here.
Zurich and a change of pace.The country where every bloke owns an Assault Rifle and 50 rounds of ammo, they like to keep things chilled. Mac and Reggi put us up for a couple of nights at there house out in the country. We do a bit of hiking, and eating at home style restaurants in the hills, a boat trip, fondue with the father in laws homemade cheese, and another bloody 4am trip to the airport. Switzerland Tick .6 days and 5 countries later we are on our way to New York.
Americans are wonderful friendly people, pity I can't say the same about there immigration service. After a 6 hour flight you arrive at JFK. Some jerk in a uniform grunts at you to stand in line. Straight away the guy in the cubical goes to lunch.You get directed to another line. Jerk 1 comes back and yells a everyone to get in the original line until it's pointed out that is no longer open. Jerk 1 turns and walks away. Photo, fingerprints and some mind numbingly dumb questions, I 94 stamped and your in. Welcome to the Free World. Where in New York, Route 66 starts a third of the way across the country in Chicago. We head off to Times square to find some accommodation. First hotel $500 a night. We walk a couple of K's to the wonderfully named Hell's Kitchen. Hotel $180 and a 12 pm checkout. Lunch at the dock, I stuff up and tip as well as pay the service charge, I thought the waitress looked happy. We do a night cruise of the Hudson, and stop by a bar to watch some Monday night football.
I wake up, it's light and the phone is ringing. It's 5 to 12, my head hurts and they want us out of here. Vague memories of bourbons lined up on the bar and a 4am finish, throw in a bit of jet lag, it's not ideal. We head to the central bus terminal after both of us decided we has seen enough of New York. I drive the porcelain bus while Chris helps out some 20 year old blond who needs $20 to get back home to Kansas. Probably to buy some Meth but I have been called a bit of a cynic. We sleep on the two hour trip to Philly then wander off to Duncan's place. They have a meal and a warm bed waiting for us, which we put to immediate use. We need to get a car. Chris wants to buy one, he's into old American classics. I bought one of these and drove around the states in the 80's. Mine was a Ford Pinto with a highly inflammable sticker on the bumper. Duncan lends us his F100 and we drive around the used car yards. It seems that even a wreck is worth $300 as scrap. Not only that but we can't get it registered unless we have a Pennsylvanian drivers license. We cant get a drivers license unless we have a social security number. We cant get that because as foreigners we are all terrorists. In the 80's I had a US drivers license, and a car, It wasn't that hard. We had a nice Chevy 2 door picked out, even the dealer reckons the laws are crap. We return home defeated , and I book a rental on the internet. $1250 with unlimited miles and no one way fee. Before we take off the next day we drop in to say thanks to Duncan.. He is the main construction grip on a movie so we drop in and check out his work. There building igloo's to ship off to Greenland, bit like coals to Newcastle. Their lot is an old Naval shipyard full of decommissioned war ships surrounded by fashion and internet businesses. We head off to Geno's for a famous Philli cheese steak then out of town.
At last where on the road. Not quite route 66 but Interstate 75 to Chicago. After a while we peel off on the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental route across America. Unlike route66 this one does go all the way across from Times Square to Seattle. Once you are off the interstate you start wandering through all these little backwoods towns. We pull up in a classic 40's motel, duck across the road to the servo for our first taste of American fast food as there is nothing else in town. After that we head to the local bar. The outside is full of pickups and Harley s, every one on the inside has a NRA or deer hunter tee shirt on. The walls are full of dear antlers. The place is quite, they don't get many strangers around here. And so starts our routine for the rest of the trip. "Two Beers please" Where you from?" Australia" What in Hell are you doing here? "Driving Route66" I always wanted to do that some one would say. I strike up a conversation with a bloke in a camouflage hunting jacket. We have had a couple of beers and don't want to get caught drink driving so where about to leave. He tells me that they took away his drivers license because he couldn't pay his alimony, the local sheriff lets him drive into town so long as he only goes to the bar and straight back home. They wont do you for DUI so long as you tell them your on the way home. We don't risk it but it's nice knowing electing your local sheriff comes with privileges. We go through Gettysburg, past the flight 93 memorial, grand rapids and a whole pile of Springfield's. A couple more cheap motels and grimy bars. Eventually we end up at US54 in Chicago. The Start of the Mother Road.
