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Mixed emotions were felt as I escaped from the rock for the first time since landing over a year ago, arriving in Texas on the 15 April after circumnavigating Madrid and Amsterdam, well and truly people processed. As you know, I understand security, after schooling in this ethos by my friend in Puerto Harbour, but to quote a fellow flier waiting in the queue behind me, where you had to remove jewellery, belts, shoes, and God knows what else, the airport management had found “100 new ways to piss off the passenger” However it cannot be denied, these authorities do an important job, although when like supermarkets there are numerous checkouts with only one open the frustration mounts fairly quickly. And of course travelling brings tension, as I looked back along the queue; strain was evident on the faces of many. And that was before we climbed into the sky in what I for one consider a most un-natural form of travel, it simply gets you there. And get me there it did. My first impression of the Lone Star State is the sheer spread. Of course we Europeans have all heard the standard one liner how everything is bigger in the States; well this is partly true, Dallas for example, is a big city but it does not sprawl for miles like say, London Where the real difference exists is distance being no real object. If I tell you my sister (and host) took me shopping to check out a camera store, it was 120mile round trip! And over the weekend we will visit my nieces whom are studying 300 miles away, and the initial suggestion was that we do that in a day!, that puts things into perspective. I can remember my youth in Scotland where Glasgow was 25 miles north, and that was a day out…not so here. As for the people, they are gushingly polite, which has taken more than a little adjusting. OK I suspect store policies have customer care branded into backsides, although if you can imagine walking through say Hiperdino, and complete strangers are smiling at you and the checkout people all exuding pleasantness! There are even meeters and greeters at the door. My local NETTO in Caleta can’t get rid of me quickly enough. I think they could learn something. But maybe that’s me. And the weather? I bought clothes to come here, not being sure what was likely to fall from the sky, or nip at my nether regions having promised myself in a previous life that there would be no more winters. Of course we don’t really need clothes in Fuerte, do we? But I had already considered shorts and flip flops in-appropriate travel wear. Well thus far, almost half way through my visit, and to quote a Crowded House lyric, four seasons in one day have been experienced, well almost.
An electrical storm on Thursday was spectacular in the extreme
with hailstones the size of base balls. Cars bodies were
dented, their windscreens smashed, and the swimming pool in
sisters back yard resembled a fish farm at feeding time. |
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