Council Bluffs’ Tragedy
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Tragedy
My camara broke!!!! I was so sad… after 4 years it finally desided to say good bye to me.
So many memories I froze in pictures with it. I already miss it.
Honestly i wanted to go home rigth after that. (There was not point to keep seeing places if i can not take pitures)
If you know me you know how sad I was for my lost. (The following was its last picture)
I am too sad to keep writing so… i guess nobody can descrive better what happened in Council Buffs than Patrick(So I stole what he posted in his blog)
I give you Brandi Carlile…(by Patrick F.)
For me priority one on this road trip was getting to Council Bluffs, IA to see Brandi Carlile. All else was planned around the concert. This meant that we had to rush through Yellowstone to be at Rapid City, WY by night. Well, trying to drive through Yellowstone in half a day is like Stephanie only doing one thing at a time in her life… impossible.
We didn’t make it to Rapid City until 12:30 am and we had difficulty finding a motel to stay in. Finally, around 1 am I found a room for $130. I woke Hernan up at 6:30 and we were out the door at 7 (basically I was paying for a shower and Hernan gets very grumpy if he doesn’t sleep in a bed, pansy).
After driving up a windy road we made it Mt. Rushmore. The heads, I thought, were surprisingly small. However, it’s nice and after a half hour we were ready to continue the drive to Council Bluffs, IA.
The concert started at 8 but the doors opened at 6:30 and I wanted to get there at 5 so that we could eat and drop our stuff at the hotel. Speeding the entire way, I managed to get us there at 5:30. We got a room next to the casino where Brandi was going to play. After get a very quick bite, I went and got us a table at the bar as that was the best place for a view that was left.
As I sat there, waiting for Hernan to finish eating and join me I looked around and it only took a few seconds to realize that not only was I surrounded by women but that most of them were a little too affectionate with each other, if you get my drift! Apparently, Brandi Carlile has a large lesbian following *(I’ll expound more later). I didn’t really care… I knew almost nothing about Brandi Carlile the person but her music I have listen to regularly since last summer and I LOVE it!!! After a guy named Tim Wildsmith opened and took way too long Brandi came out.
Oh my goodness, it was amazing. The whole evening she talked and sang and I was surprised that she sang just as well if not better than her albums. She really has a remarkable voice. I could understand how some may not like it but to me it sound honest and unpretentious. As if she holds nothing back and through her music channels the emotions that we all feel at times in our lives.
Later, as people were leaving I decided to look at the shirts and stuff they were selling. Most people were just leaving or had already bought things. There Hernan and I were standing almost in the front of the line and then I see, as if out of nowhere, Brandi in front of me. Like three feet. I nudged Hernan who stared for a while before it sunk in who was right there. I fought my way to stay in my spot. I bought two albums and she signed both them, then I asked her for a picture. I had only space for one picture on my camera. She put her arm around me and I put mine around her (oh yeah). As we posed the camera seemed to take for ever to go off. So part of that expression you see on my face is the thought running through my head, “OH, PLEASE camera do not fail me, NOT NOW!!!”
In short, the road trip would have been worth it just to experience that night. Here is her most famous song “The Story” as recorded by my camera. I love the way she screams it. You just feel it.
* I looked up later to find out Brandi Carlile’s sexual preference and there isn’t any real evidence one way or another. She does not talk at all about it. But she does dress kinda weird. In my head this is what I think… she looks like she was not the best looking girl when she was younger. So maybe she was a little lesbian or something. But now that she’s kinda hot she’s straight. That’s at least what I keep telling myself.
Soundtrack of My Life
Prelude
There are times in life when you are doing something memorable, special, or simply you are just ‘doing something’ with a song (from a radio, TV, etc) playing in the background.
Years later the same song is back in your head for some reason and it takes you back to the same place you were before. And the same feelings you were feeling back then are born again.
(Mi papa, Mi hermano H, Mi mama, Mi prima N. en Foz Do Iguazu, Brasil)
Some times thats wonderful because it takes you when… when you got married or when you proposed, or when you realized that you are crazy about her (or whoever you were crazy for), or when you got some good news… but also, it can take you to sad moments like when you and the person you thought was your soul mate broke up , or when you found out that somebody died, or when you missed them so much that a simple song made you cry…
(Casamiento Civil de mi hermano H y L, Buenos Aires)
However those songs became part of your life… and after many years we manage to collect a huge amount of treasured songs that are the music of our own life.
(Casamiento de Vivi y C, Buenos Aires)
It’s better that any movie’s soundtrack, because the main characters in the story are you, your mom, your friends… It’s awesome.
Andy, mi hermano Hu, y mi hermana Vivi en Punta Mogotes, Mar Del Plata)
High Note
Back in April (21th) while in the road, minutes after we left the Salt Lake City area to Las Vegas (To rake a flight to Florida) I found myself staring outside the window.
The sun was hiding slowly on the horizon behind the mountains.
The sky was pink and orange and the road… the road was an endless straight arrow pointing away from us.
Suddenly the road was more than just a road… to me it was a path to freedom.
I was free from reality!!!; I got the chance to go to a place that I dreamed to go since I was 4 years old.
I didn’t care for anything else, I was determinded to enjoy my childhood dream.
I think that , for a while, I forgot about problems and responsabilities.
It was a time to scape from reality… and then… as if it was planed, the beginning of the MGMT song started playing on the radio… and it was perfect.
Later I found out that the name of the song it was called “Time to pretend” (I got goose spot)
MGMT are out with the video to their single ‘Time To Pretend’, from their debut album ‘Oracular Spectacular’, out now on Columbia Records.
Fun(ny) attitude
Orlando, Florida
The last 3 days in Orlando weren’t nearly as fun as Disney World days. Even though we did fun stuff, we (Jon) didn’t have the right attitude.
We went to a Water park
We went to Downtown Disney, where the toys were really friendly, perhaps a little too friendly.
We went to Universal Studio’s Island of Adventure.
We jumped from the highest Skycoaster in the world
Our way back
Taxi to the bus station in Orlando, Bus to Tampa, taxi to the Airport.
On our way back we missed our plane to Las Vegas, so we spent the night in Dallas, Texas… where we missed our flight again…and yeah… after that we missed it one other time. (3 flights!!!)
Once in Vegas we couldn’t find the car, then the battery was dead, then Jon was too tired to drive me back to Salt Lake City (As he said he would) so I had to take a bus the day after.
There’s nothing to do but laugh in these situations.
MasterCard Moment?
Taxi to the bus station in Orlando ($50)
Bus to Tampa ($24)
Taxi to the Airport ($20)
taking two days to get home, missing your flight 3 times in a row then spending 60 minutes trying to remember where you parked your car… and then find out that the battery is dead? Pricel… $56.- (The bus home)
Disney World (Day 2)
Animal Kingdom
Our last day in the traditional Disney’s park was amazing… a lot of fun and fantasy.
We went to our remaining park: Animal Kingdom, a sort of Jungle where two continents meets (Africa and Asia)
Our favorite ride was the ‘Expedition Everest’
My favorite moment was when we went to the ‘Kilimanjaro Safari’ and we saw two chitas walking round.
My favorite picture is the one with Pluto and Goofy.
Grand Finale
After we did all what we could possibly do in Animal Kingdom we went back to Magic Kingdom to get ready for the grand finale: The fire works
Epcot (A ride to the World)
I thought that I wasn’t going to like this Epcot, but it was the only park that gave me goose bumps.
When I saw the huge golf ball realized that in deed I was here… I just stared at it telling myself “Yes Hernan, you are here… get over it already”
The first thing we did was to walk around the World Showcase.
My favorites countries were Japan and its arquitecture, Morocco (where we ate the weirdest food) and most of all The Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico.
There we got in to a boat and went on a virtual ride thru mexico with the Three Caballeros (Donald Duck, from The USA; Jose Carioca, from Brasil; y Panchito Romero Miguel Junipero Francisco Quintero González, From México)
Our last ride was asimulator that takes you on a fligth all over California. The waiting time was of 2 and half hours!!!
Something about Disney’s lines is that they put stuff to do or watch while you wait… in this case were some cool interactive games where all could participate using their hands.
It was fun the fist hour.
The end of the day were after the spectacular fire works.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Happy Happy)
We made it to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The best of Disney’s Hollywood Studios was the Aerosmith Rollercoaster and our adventure trying to find an ATM.
The line for the Aerosmith ride was huge…almost an hour an a half of waiting time!! We were like “we have to do it” but the minute we got there a guy came to us and gave us a “fast pass” which allows you to skip the line completely… 5 minutes later we were in the front of the line.
The ride is great!
The tower of terror was also good. I took some pictures just when the door of the elevator opens and before the elevator falls.
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Happy Happy
We needed cash, but it was difficult to find an ATM… we asked here and there and finally we got to one in the “Toy Story Section”
Nikki saw a sign of one other employee (a Japanese girl) that said that it was her birthday, so she said happy birthday to her… and then we left…
Then I remember from my Asian friends that Orientals don’t really show emotions so I suggested sing to her “Happy Birthday” and give her a real ‘American Experience’
We went from behind and started singing really loud a Happy Birthday (you would think that other people would join us… but nobody did)
She was so surprised… that started crying… When the time of saying her name came we all looked at her plaque and it said: “Happy”… So her name was Happy!!!
We made Happy to happy!!! What a great day!
Toontown fair
This year the Toontown (where everything is cartoon like) is having a fair where all the characters are walking around.
I had a lot of fun there
Disney World (day 1)
Kissimmee, Florida
Wake up!
Even though I was really tired from all the traveling (across the country) I couldn’t sleep pass 7 am so… I started getting ready.
Jon was still sleeping so I started jumping in screaming (like a kid)… “We’re going to Disney World; we’re going to Disney World”
He woke up with a smile and screamed “STOP IT!”
Magic Kingdom
We got into the Ticketing area and took the monorail to our first destination: Magic Kingdom (MK).
Making Kingdom (MK) is magical because it takes you back on time (to your childhood)
I had no idea what to expect. All you can see is green and hotels; you don’t see anything Disney like until you arrive to the MK main gate at magic Kingdom.
Nikki, Jon’s friend, was waiting for us with our free tickets! Nikki works there so she also was our guide!
She told us what to do first so we don’t wait time unnecessarily.
The rides
After getting out of the system the fact that I was in deed in Disney World we went to our fist ride: Space Mountain. There was almost no line.
The ride is a roller coaster in darkness. It’s pretty cool
We went to many different rides, but I am not going to detail everything.
My favorites tho were ‘Spash Mountain’ in Frontierland
and the new but clasic ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ in Adventureland.
Enjoy the Ride:
Disney World is NOT in Orlando
Kissimmee, Florida
Once in Orlando we took a taxi to the Hotel; the hotel is just a mile away from Disney World.
For our surprise, we found out that the hotel was an hour away from Orlando! (Taxi $60)
The hotel (Seralago Hotel & Suites) was great… is cheap, close to the parks, and they were really nice to us. ($50 per night)
Also they offer free shuttle to the parks and they have a huge swimming pool!
No car, no taxi, run!
Tampa, Florida
We arrived to Tampa and the humidity gave us a warm welcome. We couldn’t rent a car (because I don’t have a driving license, and Jon is a minor)
So we started asking process to get to Orlando (2 hours away from Tampa!!!)
Taxi: $250.- Shuttle: $170.- Flight $150.- There was no way I would spend that kind of money… so I decided to take the city bus to downtown and from there take the greyhound.
I called Dallas to ask him if he could check in internet the address and the time the bus was leaving.
“Dude, the bus leaves in 10 minutes! Get out of the bus and take a taxi now!”
We got out of the bus (We were already in downtown) and asked a taxi driver (who was parked in a corner) to take us to the greyhound…
“Man, the greyhound is 6 blocks away, you can walk there”
WHAT??? We didn’t have time to argue so I yelled: “Jon! Forget about it… RUN!!!”
While running I noticed that the city was empty. (I took some pictures running!)
9 blocks later we made it. I run in front of the bus and asked the driver to wait for us so we can get tickets! (Greyhound $21)
We were exhausted but we made it!
