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Greetings from the good ol' U.S. of A! For all you readers who are new, welcome! I was on over 100 NPR stations this weekend with Rick Steves (we taped it in Seattle a couple of months ago) and I was also on about the same number of local stations with Peter Greenberg and WGN Chicago so we have quite a lot of new subscribers. To give a quick re-cap, I just completed a trip around the world, which I'm about to start telling you about this week. While I was away, I received a ton of emails from family, friends and readers, concerned about my safety, which I greatly appreciated. Thank you!
CLOSE CALL IN MUMBAI
Some people wanted to know how my mental state was after being in India and if I'd altered my travel schedule. I missed the Mumbai terrorists by just 36 hours, as I had a reservation at the Taj Mahal Palace. To be honest, I really didn't think too deeply about it. When I start to play the "what if" game … it doesn't do any good and just freaks me out. It conjured up images and feelings I had back in 2001 while I was in NYC during 9/11. One thing is for sure: I'm not going to let some cowardly, misinformed, misguided loser terrorists win. I'm going to go on with my life and travel to the places I intended to, even before we annihilate those scumbags. The only thing we can do is learn ways to protect ourselves and our loved ones, which will make us all better travelers. Obviously, it doesn't happen overnight and it's a continual learning process. Anyway, there's much more to come on multiple destinations in India and other countries and it's going to take me several weeks to tell you all about it. So for now, just sit back, grab a glass of wine, a cuppa joe, a bucket of ice cream or whatever tickles your fancy and come along on this incredible journey, which begins today.
NEW AIRPORT SECURITY LANES
We left off last week from Houston, Texas. I forgot to mention that the Houston Hobby Airport is well run – at least it was the days I passed through. It took a minute for me to check in at Southwest (that's even with my ancient paper ticket) and there was no line at the "expert" security lane. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has been testing out new security checkpoints across the country where travelers can choose one of three security lanes before passing through the metal detectors. They modeled them after ski slopes so travelers can relate and my favorite is (obviously!) the black diamond. It's for those who have the 3-1-1 drill down pat. The blue square lane is for the intermediate traveler with a few carry-on bags and who also know enough to take their shoes and jackets off, laptops out, remove metal from their pockets, etc. The green circle line was created for novices and families, groups or those requiring special assistance. Before I automatically jumped in the expert line, I looked around to see if any flight crew or airport staff were approaching. If there had been, I would have jumped into the intermediate lane since you know those under-appreciated workers are going to cut to the front of the black diamond line anyways ... as they should.
HOUSTON'S HOBBY AIRPORT
Lickety-split and I was on the other side of security. I grabbed a breakfast burrito and a bottle of water. The airport prices are reasonable (though not as good as PIT); a bottle of water or a soft drink is just $1.69. Some airports charge double that, which should be a crime. I sat next to a 70-something-year-old lady who was flying for the very first time. I could just feel her fear as we taxied down the runway. She did the right thing by just keeping her mind busy and engaging in a favorite pastime -- search puzzles. She didn't want to look out the window or even get up. Of course, that meant I was stuck in my window seat so I had to cross my legs for the three-hour flight, which was no easy task after guzzling a bottle of water and a can of Southwest's apple juice. Just before landing, she did get a bit braver and glanced out the window from time to time, then immediately put her head in the middle of her puzzle book. Once on the ground, I asked her how the flight experience was and she said, "It wasn't that bad." Bless her heart.
PASSPORT AND VISAS EXPEDITERS
I wasn't in L.A. very long and I had plenty to do so standing in line to get a last-minute visa just wasn't going to happen. I needed visas for my Jet Airways around-the-world trip to India and China. I'd heard of passport and visa expeditors but I'd never used them before, probably because they aren't cheap. Last year, when I went to Brazil, I stood in line at the Brazilian Embassy in L.A. and took care of business myself. This time, I wasn't only short on time but passport pages so I really needed to get crackin'. For a second there, I didn't think 10 days was going to be enough – but after contacting A. Briggs Passport & Visa Expediters, based in Washington, D.C., I realized I had nothing to worry about.
A BRIGGS
I found A Briggs on Johnny Jet's Travel Portal. They had the country forms I needed to fill out on their website, for both China and India. These guys have been in business nearly 40 years and specialize in securing these types of documents so I knew I was in good hands. After seeing the prices, I was grateful I didn't need the same-day rush service at a cost of $165 per visa. Regular rush delivery was $115 (described as ‘as quickly as the Embassy will issue it') and non-rush service cost $55. Keep in mind, these prices are on top of what the country charges -- which isn't cheap. For U.S. citizens to enter India for up to six months, it's a $60 consular fee plus a $13 service fee. For China, it's a flat but steep $130. Both require you to fill out their forms and usually you need to pay by money order but with A Briggs, you can pay by credit card and use their FedEx account for overnight delivery ($23).
INDIAN AND CHINESE VISAS
Many travelers don't realize that most countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months before entering and that it must have at least two blank pages for each country requiring a visa. The application process for a visa for India was kind of pain in the butt. The questions are easy but it takes time (a good 30 minutes) to read and 20 minutes to fill out. It also requires two passport-sized photos. The Chinese visa was also on a PDF but the document couldn't actually be saved on your computer. The application for the Chinese visa took a lot less time and required only one passport-sized photo but the questions made me feel like they really didn't want visitors. The questions included: Do you have HIV, leprosy or any other infectious diseases? And they wanted to know if you have a criminal record. Good thing I'm clean. Passport-sized photo tip: Each applicant needs professional passport-sized photos to include with the application. Kinko's charges $14.02 for two but Costco
charges just $4.99!
ADDING EXTRA PASSPORT PAGES
Since I was running low on blank passport pages, I had A Briggs also add them. It's usually a free service if you plan in advance but the State Department charged me $60 for a rush job. Tip: It's much easier and cheaper to add pages to a passport at an American embassy overseas than to mail it in. I did it two years ago in Prague and the entire process took only 25 minutes and I did not have to part with my passport for the standard two weeks. Helpful link: U.S. Department of State: How to Add Extra Pages to Your U.S. Passport.
PASSPORT AND CREDIT CARD TIPS
The best part of the whole process is that I could go to A Briggs' homepage once (or a hundred times) a day and check the real-time status of my application(s) by just typing in my last name and date of birth. When everything was completed, my passport was FedEx-ed to me a day before departure which is what I was quoted. Tip: The moment I was reunited with my baby, I scanned the important pages, including the visas. I then emailed them to a web-based account I rarely use so I could access them while on the road if needed. I also made two photocopies: one to store in a separate bag and another to keep in my desk. I also did this with the fronts and backs of everything in my wallet -- just in case they got lost or stolen -- so I knew who to call without wasting time.
IMMUNIZATIONS AND GADGETS
I then made an appointment with Dr. Dave to get the immunizations I needed (for typhoid, flu, polio, booster, Hepatitis A, etc.) and to stock up on some prescriptions and medications, just in case I got Delhi belly or whatever. I walked out of Target like a mini mobile pharmacy. To make my carry-on bag complete, I packed the electrical converters I needed as well as my mini surge protector and electrical strip. FYI: A good website to find out which adaptor you need is WhatPlug.info.
FIRST STOP: FORT LAUDERDALE (VIA PHX)
The big day had arrived and my first stop was to South Florida to go on a cruise. I was being flown in by Celebrity Cruises and they put me on USAir via Phoenix. Ouch! That hurts. I wasn't happy because my first choice would have been a nonstop flight on American to Miami and then to take the Tri Rail for $4 (and 30 minutes) to Fort Lauderdale. But what are you going to do? It's still upsetting to me that American and Delta dropped the nonstops from LAX to FLL. When they sent me my confirmation number, I logged on to USAir's website so I could put in my United frequent flier number. Because I have elite status with them and since they are USAir's partner (both are members of the Star Alliance) I get the same member privileges. The website wouldn't allow me to enter my United frequent flier number so I was forced to call. After all the annoying automated prompts (use GetHuman.com to avoid listening to these) I was put on hold for 18 minutes and then it hung up. I wanted to scream since all I was trying to do was make a simple seat choice. I called back and got a representative in the Philippines who was surprisingly helpful and answered the call in two minutes. He gave me an exit row aisle and reassured me there was no charge for the first checked bag since I was an elite member with a partner airline. I know I brag all the time about not checking bags but I was going away for almost a month and would be visiting a variety of different climates so I really had no choice. Note: My bulky winter coat is what messed me up.
PHOENIX AIRPORT
I made the most of my connection and by the time I got on the plane, I was actually looking forward to going through the Phoenix airport. The airport is kind of old but the backdrop is beautiful and it's easy to get around with all the moving walkways (or magic carpets, like my mom used to call them). I bought a breakfast burrito from N1 Blue Burrito for $6.59 and a bottle of water for $2.59. Both my flights left on time but the PHX-FLL leg was bumpy and the seatbelt sign was on for almost the whole flight. The guy sitting next to me was a riot and he couldn't believe USAir charges $2 for soft drinks and bottled water. He was also upset that they charged $7 for alcohol and that there was no entertainment system on domestic flights, not even music. Heck, these guys are trying to go out as light as can be since the more weight they have, the more fuel they burn and the more money it costs them. They even took out the ovens in the back galley. FYI: USAir serves food on flights three and a half hours or longer but it's not hot.
FORT LAUDERDALE AIRPORT TO HOTEL
My bags at FLL took a good 25 minutes to come out -- which is why I hate checking bags. But at least I got them. Since I was going on a cruise, I took my own advice and went in a day early. You never want to leave the same day in case of delays, cancellations, bad weather or whatever else might hold you up. I was going to stay at the dumpy Fort Lauderdale Airport Hilton since it's right next to the airport and Port Everglades (where the cruise was departing from) but my dad was meeting me and we were celebrating a BIG birthday so I wanted to start the trip off at a special hotel even if it was for just 14 hours. I decided on the Il Lugano Luxury Suite Hotel, which opened up in January 2008. My dad was coming in with his wife Nancy a few hours later so I jumped in a taxi to the hotel. The driver was a cool Haitian guy who said the economy was killing him – he'd only had two trips in the past five hours. The ride took 25 minutes and the meter read $26.90, plus there's a $2 airport charge.
IL LUGANO LUXURY SUITE HOTEL
When the taxi driver took a left away from the beach, I said, "Whoa, Cowboy! I thought the hotel was on the water!" He explained that it's actually on the intercoastal, not the ocean. I was bummed at first but later found out it's just three blocks away from the ocean ... and the hotel offers free golf cart shuttles to and from. It was nice being back in Florida and I noticed the sun stayed up 30 minutes longer than in Southern California. Pulling up to the 14-story hotel felt like I was arriving at the Delano in Miami or the W in L.A. The place was happening, with bright lights and paparazzi. It turned out they were having the grand opening of Todd English's new restaurant Da Campo Osteria (which, by the way, boaters can enjoy exclusive access to using the hotels boat docks.) I quickly threw on my nice duds and brought my Dad to the party, which had tons of great Italian food: meatball sliders, fresh mozzarella, all kinds of pizza, cheeses, steak ... and the desserts -- don't get me started. While I was sampling each one, Todd English came by and started doing the same thing. He's a cool guy and a big-time social butterfly.
MY ROOM AT IL LUGANO
When I originally pulled up, a bellman grabbed my bags immediately from the trunk and escorted me to the front desk. It wasn't far away in the boutique size lobby, which featured a Dale Chihuly hand-blown glass chandelier. Seriously, does every hotel I visit have one of Dale's pieces? It sure seems so! All the rooms here are huge (from 500 to 950 square feet) and they all feature a contemporary design. I was in room 720, which had one bedroom and a living room with a pullout couch, a dining room table (it was a bit wobbly), a huge desk and monster terrace overlooking the beautiful intercoastal. Both rooms had two 32-inch flat-panel TVs and multiple Bose sound systems and iPod docking stations. In addition to the comfortable bed with 400-count European linens, there was a full-size, stocked kitchen with a dishwasher and a refrigerator with drinks that served as the in-room mini-bar. There was also a washer and dryer and walk-in closets. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was the shower. It was just your standard hotel chain shower except that the main bathroom was marble and it came with Bulgari bath amenities and smooth leather bins with Q-tips.
SLINGBOX
My dad would tell you he loved the hotel except that it was frustrating to watch the Jets play the Patriots, which was airing on the NFL Network (a premium channel). The rooms have Direct TV and the in-room directory with over 100 channels, lists the NFL Network as one of the ones they subscribe to but they really don't. Nor were the front desk staff very understanding of my dad's mad obsession with Brett Favre and the Jets. In fact, I probably would have paid $50 for them to special order the channel but they said sorry! Fortunately for me, I remembered that I have a Slingbox, so I was able to keep my dad happy. We watched the game on my laptop using the hotel's free wireless Internet. The Jets won and the hotel came out a winner as a great place to spend the night. Il Lugano Luxury Suite Hotel, 3333 NE 32nd Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Tel: (954) 564-4400.
VIDEO
Sorry! No video this week but we do have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.
NEXT WEEK
Next week, we set sail on a Celebrity Solstice cruise.
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