AUGUST, 2009 - INDIANAPOLIS
Below is a slideshow of various photos I took while on my visit to Indianapolis. The slideshow is a collection of photos that didn't make it into my other Indianapolis slideshows.
Showing posts with label Indianapolis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indianapolis. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 5(Last Day)
Wednesday, August 5th
Today was the last day in Indianapolis. I was up about 9AM. I was out of the hostel and on a bus downtown at about 1PM. It took me about a 30 minute wait for check in at the Greyhound station. With about a few hours to kill, I visited a comic shop, had lunch at Champps, and walked around. I returned to the depot about 6PM. I was hoping that an hour would put me at the front of the line for a good seat on the bus.
Post Date - Sunday, October 11, 2009 12:22AM
Today was the last day in Indianapolis. I was up about 9AM. I was out of the hostel and on a bus downtown at about 1PM. It took me about a 30 minute wait for check in at the Greyhound station. With about a few hours to kill, I visited a comic shop, had lunch at Champps, and walked around. I returned to the depot about 6PM. I was hoping that an hour would put me at the front of the line for a good seat on the bus.
Post Date - Sunday, October 11, 2009 12:22AM
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 4 (Rainy Day)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Today was a very rainy day with thunderstorms and flash floods. It was not the best end to my traveling vacation. It rained heavily for most of the day. The rain ended about 6PM. I didn't do much but sleep and watch the rain fall. I also did a load of laundry. I did think about going to the downtown mall, but with it rainy so hard, and there not being any shelter at or near the bus stop, I didn't see the point of leaving the hostel. I did go for a walk around the neighborhood for about an hour after the rain stopped.
The attached photos is the bus stop near the hostel.
Post Date - Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:51PM
Today was a very rainy day with thunderstorms and flash floods. It was not the best end to my traveling vacation. It rained heavily for most of the day. The rain ended about 6PM. I didn't do much but sleep and watch the rain fall. I also did a load of laundry. I did think about going to the downtown mall, but with it rainy so hard, and there not being any shelter at or near the bus stop, I didn't see the point of leaving the hostel. I did go for a walk around the neighborhood for about an hour after the rain stopped.The attached photos is the bus stop near the hostel.
Post Date - Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:51PM
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Crispus Attucks Museum)
Monday, August 3, 2009
No real plan for the next couple of days. 1:16PM I was on the bus for Crispus Attucks Museum. With a Google search, I estimated the distance from the bus to the museum, but I was way off. I had about a 35 minute walk from the bus stop to the museum. However, I didn't mind the walk.
The Crispus Attucks Museum
I thought the CA Museum was a museum dedicated to the life and times of CA, but I was mistaken. It was a Black History Museum located in the Crispus Attucks High School. The admission price was $5. I thought the museum was interesting and educational. Some areas of the museum seemed incomplete, but it was interesting still. I stayed about 90 minutes. I had lunch at a local Hardees restaurant, and walk around downtown for about 3 hours. I took the bus back to the hostel.
The Bus ExperienceThe bus driver and "tin man" were having a very, very loud conversation. "Tin Man" was on the bus a couple of days ago. Tin Man was a name I had given to a guy with a red tin with a wad of single $ bills. He would get on the bus have a loud conversation while counting his single bills. Today, he had the same behavior with a different driver. Today, he was talking LOUDLY and eating Chinese takeaway.
Today (about 3/4 of the way into ride, the bus driver (Yes, the bus driver) begs for a couple of dollars from "Tin Man". The Bus Driver stops at the dingy local store (mentioned in a previous blog entry) keeping the 3 passengers (including myself and Tin Man) waiting 4 or 5 minutes while she went to buy soda and chips. The Bus Driver returns to finish the route on to the last stop and then annouces to those about to get on -- I had gotten off at the last stop. She announced (while I was getting off the bus, "You gotta wait, I'm onna break".
My plan was to ride to the last stop to kill some more time at the mall. I went to Target store. I ended up doing a bit of impluse shopping:
1. Pan's Lambarith DVD
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth DVD
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I brought the HP hardcover book to read on the plane ride back from Japan. When I finished reading the book, I gave the book to a local library. At the time, I had given it away with absolute certainty that I would never reread a book more than once even a Harry Potter book. Actually, I barely remember the details from the book. My memory isn't very good. Having just seen the movie, I thought the book would clue me into missing details missing from the movie. I also thought it would be an interesting ride for the approx. 18 hour Greyhound ride back to NYC.
Post Date - Sunday, October 4, 2009 11:55PM
No real plan for the next couple of days. 1:16PM I was on the bus for Crispus Attucks Museum. With a Google search, I estimated the distance from the bus to the museum, but I was way off. I had about a 35 minute walk from the bus stop to the museum. However, I didn't mind the walk.
The Crispus Attucks Museum
I thought the CA Museum was a museum dedicated to the life and times of CA, but I was mistaken. It was a Black History Museum located in the Crispus Attucks High School. The admission price was $5. I thought the museum was interesting and educational. Some areas of the museum seemed incomplete, but it was interesting still. I stayed about 90 minutes. I had lunch at a local Hardees restaurant, and walk around downtown for about 3 hours. I took the bus back to the hostel.
The Bus ExperienceThe bus driver and "tin man" were having a very, very loud conversation. "Tin Man" was on the bus a couple of days ago. Tin Man was a name I had given to a guy with a red tin with a wad of single $ bills. He would get on the bus have a loud conversation while counting his single bills. Today, he had the same behavior with a different driver. Today, he was talking LOUDLY and eating Chinese takeaway.
Today (about 3/4 of the way into ride, the bus driver (Yes, the bus driver) begs for a couple of dollars from "Tin Man". The Bus Driver stops at the dingy local store (mentioned in a previous blog entry) keeping the 3 passengers (including myself and Tin Man) waiting 4 or 5 minutes while she went to buy soda and chips. The Bus Driver returns to finish the route on to the last stop and then annouces to those about to get on -- I had gotten off at the last stop. She announced (while I was getting off the bus, "You gotta wait, I'm onna break".
My plan was to ride to the last stop to kill some more time at the mall. I went to Target store. I ended up doing a bit of impluse shopping:
1. Pan's Lambarith DVD
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth DVD
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I brought the HP hardcover book to read on the plane ride back from Japan. When I finished reading the book, I gave the book to a local library. At the time, I had given it away with absolute certainty that I would never reread a book more than once even a Harry Potter book. Actually, I barely remember the details from the book. My memory isn't very good. Having just seen the movie, I thought the book would clue me into missing details missing from the movie. I also thought it would be an interesting ride for the approx. 18 hour Greyhound ride back to NYC.
Post Date - Sunday, October 4, 2009 11:55PM
Monday, September 14, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Zoo)
Below is a slideshow of pictures I took at the Indianapolis Zoo. One of the nice things about the Indianapolis Zoo is that it had an aquarium located within the zoo.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 3 (The Zoo)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Today started very early with a 2AM departure. The group using the back room in the basement left very noisily making at least 7 trips up and down the stairs through the front room where I was trying to sleep. Also a new arrival to the front room turned on the air-conditioner full blast. In a matter of minutes it was like an ice box.
About 12PM, I was on the bus for downtown. The plan was to use the last tickets in our downtown tourist booklet to go to the zoo. Since INpal had to go to church, I wasn't sure what time he would be finished, so I started off alone.
We ended up meeting at the zoo about 2PM. The zoo combined an aquarium within the zoo. I thought the zoo was very nice. We saw a dolphin show, which was okay. To me, the dolphin show seemed a bit short. The lights were low, and the action was a bit too fast for my slow hands. I really didn't get any good shots at the dolphin show. While in the zoo, INpal picked up the tab for lunch, which was a nice surprise.
Later, we went to see the Harry Potter Movie in IMAX. The "IMAX" experience was a bit of a waste. They gave out 3D glasses, so I assumed the whole or most of the movie would be in 3D. Actually, only about 10 minutes of the beginning was in 3D. Yep, that's it, only 10 minutes of a 2.5 hour movie. Yes, I felt a bit cheated. The movie was long but it was enjoyable.
After the movie, INpal and I went for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the places were closed due to it being Sunday. It took a bit of driving, but eventually we settled on KFC/Taco Bell. After dinner, INpal returned me to the hostel. After giving him a couple of NYC souvenirs, we said good bye.
A couple of months ago, INpal mentioned that he would not be available for touring after Sunday. In Indianapolis, schools open around the beginning of August. Instead of changing my plans, I decided to just hang out and explore on my own for the next couple of days.
* The attached photo is of a snake display at the snake house in the zoo.
Post Date - Monday, September 7, 2009 11:22PM
Today started very early with a 2AM departure. The group using the back room in the basement left very noisily making at least 7 trips up and down the stairs through the front room where I was trying to sleep. Also a new arrival to the front room turned on the air-conditioner full blast. In a matter of minutes it was like an ice box.About 12PM, I was on the bus for downtown. The plan was to use the last tickets in our downtown tourist booklet to go to the zoo. Since INpal had to go to church, I wasn't sure what time he would be finished, so I started off alone.
We ended up meeting at the zoo about 2PM. The zoo combined an aquarium within the zoo. I thought the zoo was very nice. We saw a dolphin show, which was okay. To me, the dolphin show seemed a bit short. The lights were low, and the action was a bit too fast for my slow hands. I really didn't get any good shots at the dolphin show. While in the zoo, INpal picked up the tab for lunch, which was a nice surprise.
Later, we went to see the Harry Potter Movie in IMAX. The "IMAX" experience was a bit of a waste. They gave out 3D glasses, so I assumed the whole or most of the movie would be in 3D. Actually, only about 10 minutes of the beginning was in 3D. Yep, that's it, only 10 minutes of a 2.5 hour movie. Yes, I felt a bit cheated. The movie was long but it was enjoyable.
After the movie, INpal and I went for dinner. Unfortunately, most of the places were closed due to it being Sunday. It took a bit of driving, but eventually we settled on KFC/Taco Bell. After dinner, INpal returned me to the hostel. After giving him a couple of NYC souvenirs, we said good bye.
A couple of months ago, INpal mentioned that he would not be available for touring after Sunday. In Indianapolis, schools open around the beginning of August. Instead of changing my plans, I decided to just hang out and explore on my own for the next couple of days.
* The attached photo is of a snake display at the snake house in the zoo.
Post Date - Monday, September 7, 2009 11:22PM
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 2 (Indiana State Museum)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Below is a slideshow of photos I took at the Indiana State Museum. It was a very nice museum that combined two or three museums into one.
Below is a slideshow of photos I took at the Indiana State Museum. It was a very nice museum that combined two or three museums into one.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 2
August 1, 2009
Today was the day I met my Indianapolis epal for the first time. There was a bit of confusion for the meeting spot. The hostel is basically a residential house used as a hostel. The location of the hostel is on the corner of an intersection. The hostel entrance and parking spaces are located on one side, whereas the residential front is located on the other street. Anyway, we were both waiting (INpal at the front while I was waiting at the side) until INpal called wondering where I was waiting. With the confusion settled, we were on our way.
The first stop was the Downtown Visitor's Center. INpal suggested we go to the White River State Park. Since Inpal was driving and being the tour guide, I paid for the park passes. The cost was $84 for two adults. With the passes, we received about a 25% discount of various attractions.
1st stop was the NCAA Museum. Although I'm not a sports person, I said it was okay to start at this museum. I knew INpal was a sports fan, so I thought he would enjoy this museum. The museum was interesting. Basically, the various displays gave information about that displays college sport (including the uniform of the player). It was interesting.
2nd stop was the National State Museum. I enjoyed the museum.
3rd stop was at a sports bar/restaurant called "Champs". Since INpal was driving and being tour guide, I picked up the check (about $20+tip). The food was very good. Oh, on our way to the bar/restaurant, we noticed a crowd in front of a hotel across the street. It turns out the Dave Matthews Band was leaving. Someone nearby explained this to us. The guy also explained that each member of the band had his own tour bus. To be honest, I had to Google the name.
4th stop was the Eiteljorg Museum (A Native American Museum). This museum was also very nice. (except for museum guard incident). After being in the museum for about 30 minutes (upstairs). The guard approached to tell me that I wasn't allowed to have a backpack on. He wanted me to return to the entrance and check it. I reminded him the museum was closing in about 5 minutes. The guy was persistent! Finally, he suggested that if I wore the backpack over only one shoulder, then there shouldn't be a problem. INpal? He was off texting. Actually, I have to say that I thought INpal was a real trooper. I got the impression that INpal was bored from time to time from finding him around the corner at each of the museums sitting and texting. But, I was glad he really didn't show boredom. Sorry, the episode with the museum guard put me in a bad mood.
5th stop was to INpal's classroom. Yep, he's a fellow teacher. I was extremely impressed with his classroom. It's like the classroom's you see of TV but you don't really think exists in the real world. Everything was new, and clean, he had space and loads of supplies. Walls could be decorated anyway the teacher wanted. He had access to his classroom 24/7. It was a lot like a DoDDS classroom. I had forgotten about the "variables" to teaching locations. The guy had a very nice classroom. It was also nice that INpal wasn't showing off. Basically, INpal showed me his classroom and talked about the pluses and minus and that was it. Very nice. Oh, and he mentioned enough "minuses" to remind me that grass isn't always greener on the other side. The classroom visit put me in a good mood.
6th stop. INpal took me to something called a "Battlefield Game". Sorry, I tried to Google the name, but I only received a video game. The game INpal showed me was a game that tries to teach students cooperative skills and team building. It was interesting. Each team has members armed with foam batons. The object is to use the baton to hit your opponent. Once hit, a person is out (or in limbo). The objective is to get to the "king". Think of it like the game "Capture the Flag" played with foam batons.
7th stop. We decided to go for dinner (after a quick stop at a war memorial). I suggested a place called the Spaghetti Factory. Sorry, The Old Spaghetti Factory. I picked up the tab, but I don't remember the cost. Anyway, the meal was very good. I took what I didn't eat back to the hostel with me.
* The attached photo is the hostel I said at during my time in Indianapolis.
Post Date - Thursday, August 3, 2009 9:29PM
Today was the day I met my Indianapolis epal for the first time. There was a bit of confusion for the meeting spot. The hostel is basically a residential house used as a hostel. The location of the hostel is on the corner of an intersection. The hostel entrance and parking spaces are located on one side, whereas the residential front is located on the other street. Anyway, we were both waiting (INpal at the front while I was waiting at the side) until INpal called wondering where I was waiting. With the confusion settled, we were on our way.The first stop was the Downtown Visitor's Center. INpal suggested we go to the White River State Park. Since Inpal was driving and being the tour guide, I paid for the park passes. The cost was $84 for two adults. With the passes, we received about a 25% discount of various attractions.
1st stop was the NCAA Museum. Although I'm not a sports person, I said it was okay to start at this museum. I knew INpal was a sports fan, so I thought he would enjoy this museum. The museum was interesting. Basically, the various displays gave information about that displays college sport (including the uniform of the player). It was interesting.
2nd stop was the National State Museum. I enjoyed the museum.
3rd stop was at a sports bar/restaurant called "Champs". Since INpal was driving and being tour guide, I picked up the check (about $20+tip). The food was very good. Oh, on our way to the bar/restaurant, we noticed a crowd in front of a hotel across the street. It turns out the Dave Matthews Band was leaving. Someone nearby explained this to us. The guy also explained that each member of the band had his own tour bus. To be honest, I had to Google the name.
4th stop was the Eiteljorg Museum (A Native American Museum). This museum was also very nice. (except for museum guard incident). After being in the museum for about 30 minutes (upstairs). The guard approached to tell me that I wasn't allowed to have a backpack on. He wanted me to return to the entrance and check it. I reminded him the museum was closing in about 5 minutes. The guy was persistent! Finally, he suggested that if I wore the backpack over only one shoulder, then there shouldn't be a problem. INpal? He was off texting. Actually, I have to say that I thought INpal was a real trooper. I got the impression that INpal was bored from time to time from finding him around the corner at each of the museums sitting and texting. But, I was glad he really didn't show boredom. Sorry, the episode with the museum guard put me in a bad mood.
5th stop was to INpal's classroom. Yep, he's a fellow teacher. I was extremely impressed with his classroom. It's like the classroom's you see of TV but you don't really think exists in the real world. Everything was new, and clean, he had space and loads of supplies. Walls could be decorated anyway the teacher wanted. He had access to his classroom 24/7. It was a lot like a DoDDS classroom. I had forgotten about the "variables" to teaching locations. The guy had a very nice classroom. It was also nice that INpal wasn't showing off. Basically, INpal showed me his classroom and talked about the pluses and minus and that was it. Very nice. Oh, and he mentioned enough "minuses" to remind me that grass isn't always greener on the other side. The classroom visit put me in a good mood.
6th stop. INpal took me to something called a "Battlefield Game". Sorry, I tried to Google the name, but I only received a video game. The game INpal showed me was a game that tries to teach students cooperative skills and team building. It was interesting. Each team has members armed with foam batons. The object is to use the baton to hit your opponent. Once hit, a person is out (or in limbo). The objective is to get to the "king". Think of it like the game "Capture the Flag" played with foam batons.
7th stop. We decided to go for dinner (after a quick stop at a war memorial). I suggested a place called the Spaghetti Factory. Sorry, The Old Spaghetti Factory. I picked up the tab, but I don't remember the cost. Anyway, the meal was very good. I took what I didn't eat back to the hostel with me.
* The attached photo is the hostel I said at during my time in Indianapolis.
Post Date - Thursday, August 3, 2009 9:29PM
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Slide Show - (Soldiers & Sailors Monument)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Below is a slide show of the photos I took at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. I hope the captions are correct.
Below is a slide show of the photos I took at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. I hope the captions are correct.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Indianapolis - Day 1
Friday, July 31, 2009
My day started out at about 11:30AM(my wake up time). I was up and out the door about 1:15PM. After about a 30 minute wait for the bus, I headed downtown.
My first stop was to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. The observation deck was closed due to renovations, but there was a museum located in the basement of the monument. In the museum there were various displays related to the Civil War.
After the S & S Monument, I went to the nearby visitor's center to pick up some maps and pamphlets on tourist activities to do while in town.
Next, I went to the Indiana State Capitol Building. Since the building was opened to the public, I went in and walked around; it is a very nice building.
After the self-guided tour of the Statehouse, I walked along the canal for awhile. I finished up my tour with a soup and a sandwich at a local bar.
On my way back, I stayed on the bus to go to the Target store near the hostel. I didn't want to return to the dingy local supermarket with the expired food sold at a discount. When I finished shopping at Target, I almost missed the last bus back to the hostel. The bus driver arrived late at the bus stop, but seemed to be trying to making up the time by speeding. Yes speeding!
Post Date - Sunday, August 30, 2009 2:51PM
My day started out at about 11:30AM(my wake up time). I was up and out the door about 1:15PM. After about a 30 minute wait for the bus, I headed downtown.My first stop was to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. The observation deck was closed due to renovations, but there was a museum located in the basement of the monument. In the museum there were various displays related to the Civil War.
After the S & S Monument, I went to the nearby visitor's center to pick up some maps and pamphlets on tourist activities to do while in town.
Next, I went to the Indiana State Capitol Building. Since the building was opened to the public, I went in and walked around; it is a very nice building.
After the self-guided tour of the Statehouse, I walked along the canal for awhile. I finished up my tour with a soup and a sandwich at a local bar.
On my way back, I stayed on the bus to go to the Target store near the hostel. I didn't want to return to the dingy local supermarket with the expired food sold at a discount. When I finished shopping at Target, I almost missed the last bus back to the hostel. The bus driver arrived late at the bus stop, but seemed to be trying to making up the time by speeding. Yes speeding!
Post Date - Sunday, August 30, 2009 2:51PM
Friday, August 28, 2009
On the Road
Wednesday, July 29th
Today was my last day in Salt Lake City. I started the day at 5AM. I changed my mind about doing a noisy departure from the hostel. Regular readers of this blog will remember a posting a few weeks ago about a noisy wake up when I had to be up at 5AM.
Sorry, I don't know how to post a link to that entry. If I can figure out how, I will post the link to that specific entry below.
Unbelievable Luck!
If you don't see a link, then you'll know I wasn't able to do it.
Anyway, I was up at 5AM. Other than a problem with returning the room key to the keylock (another "easy automatic service" that was anything but easy or automatic). After about 10 minutes of trying to get the key in the keylock box, and trying to call the owner of the hostel, I gave up and shoved the key under the door.
I arrived at the Greyhound station at about 6:30AM. There was already a line about 25 people long. I got behind a trio of ladies who seemed to be ....never mind.
The departure time was suppose to be 7:10AM. The bus departed about 30 minutes late. The last person on should have been the first(a woman in a wheelchair). The bus was packed, but of course you had those who tried to stake out their space by taking up two seats hoping no one would sit next to them. One young lady had her feet up on the second seat next to her, covered in her blanket, sound asleep. The guy in the back was laying down across the three back seats, again sound asleep. I woke up the guy in the back seat. I actually like the back seat right by the bathroom because it is the only seat where you can stretch out your legs. The down side, the very, very down side is when the bathroom is not clean. Not only was the bathroom dirty and stinking up the back of the bus, but person after person kept leaving the seat up causing the back to stink even worse.
I will be on the road until about 6PM tomorrow. There were heavy clouds but luckily no rain. I passed the time reading comics, listening to my MP3 player, and watching the DVD "Disaster Movie". I laughed a couple of time, but the movie was a bit too vulgar for me. On the road, somehow we arrived 1 hour late into Denver. Having to transfer buses in Denver made me a little worry about the late arrival. Also, Greyhound overbooked my transfer bus by an extremely large number. How did I know there was a large number for the overbooking? They needed three buses to get everyone on the road. The good news was that everyone who was suppose to go was able to get a seat. The bad was that I had no time to eat or go to the bathroom. I was a bit annoyed about the late arrival and the overbooking, but I have to say that Greyhound did get me on the road (if a bit delayed), and the ride was not difficult.
Thursday, July 30th
This is a continuation instead of creating a new entry.
Nothing much to report. More time on the road. Towards the end, I realized the two guys seating near me were just released prisoners. The comment about "we're not in jail anymore was the finally confirmation of my suspicion. The envelope showing the prison label "correctional facility..."(sorry, I don't remember). Later, on another bus, there were another two guys having a longer than necessary loud conversation about someone being in prison. For the first time on my bus ride, I felt a bit self-conscious about the "extra" gear I brought with me (MP3 player, DVD player, radio, etc...). But, there weren't any problems.
I arrived in Indianapolis around 7PM. Rather than try for public transportation, I asked the hostel owner for the hostel pick-up service. The hostel turned out to be about 4 miles from downtown.
First impression of the hostel. The hostel had a very warm, comfortable feel. The neighborhood however, was a bit different. The first night there, the nearest store was about a 10 minute walk. Having lived in the inner-city, I had a flash back when I walked into the "local supermarket". Some of the food was out of date, with discount labels for expired food. Frozen foods had freezer burns. There was also a very limited amount of choices(a lot of brands I didn't recognize). The neighborhood seemed to be a mix of low and middle income houses, but seemed relatively okay.
Well, that's about it. First day in Indianapolis. Actually, I should say first evening in Indianapolis. My epal told me months ago that he would only be available for Saturday and Sunday to show me around town, so I won't even bother calling him until Friday evening or Saturday. Since my main goal was to get out of NYC for a while, I told myself that I would just do some solo walking around town. I did meet (online) a couple of locals who said that they might be available for some tour guiding, but I'm not sure if they will or not. Either way, I don't mind doing solo walks around town.
* The attached photo is a picture I took while on the bus on my way to Indianapolis.
Post Date - Friday, August 28, 2009 9:57PM
Today was my last day in Salt Lake City. I started the day at 5AM. I changed my mind about doing a noisy departure from the hostel. Regular readers of this blog will remember a posting a few weeks ago about a noisy wake up when I had to be up at 5AM.Sorry, I don't know how to post a link to that entry. If I can figure out how, I will post the link to that specific entry below.
Unbelievable Luck!
If you don't see a link, then you'll know I wasn't able to do it.
Anyway, I was up at 5AM. Other than a problem with returning the room key to the keylock (another "easy automatic service" that was anything but easy or automatic). After about 10 minutes of trying to get the key in the keylock box, and trying to call the owner of the hostel, I gave up and shoved the key under the door.
I arrived at the Greyhound station at about 6:30AM. There was already a line about 25 people long. I got behind a trio of ladies who seemed to be ....never mind.
The departure time was suppose to be 7:10AM. The bus departed about 30 minutes late. The last person on should have been the first(a woman in a wheelchair). The bus was packed, but of course you had those who tried to stake out their space by taking up two seats hoping no one would sit next to them. One young lady had her feet up on the second seat next to her, covered in her blanket, sound asleep. The guy in the back was laying down across the three back seats, again sound asleep. I woke up the guy in the back seat. I actually like the back seat right by the bathroom because it is the only seat where you can stretch out your legs. The down side, the very, very down side is when the bathroom is not clean. Not only was the bathroom dirty and stinking up the back of the bus, but person after person kept leaving the seat up causing the back to stink even worse.
I will be on the road until about 6PM tomorrow. There were heavy clouds but luckily no rain. I passed the time reading comics, listening to my MP3 player, and watching the DVD "Disaster Movie". I laughed a couple of time, but the movie was a bit too vulgar for me. On the road, somehow we arrived 1 hour late into Denver. Having to transfer buses in Denver made me a little worry about the late arrival. Also, Greyhound overbooked my transfer bus by an extremely large number. How did I know there was a large number for the overbooking? They needed three buses to get everyone on the road. The good news was that everyone who was suppose to go was able to get a seat. The bad was that I had no time to eat or go to the bathroom. I was a bit annoyed about the late arrival and the overbooking, but I have to say that Greyhound did get me on the road (if a bit delayed), and the ride was not difficult.
Thursday, July 30th
This is a continuation instead of creating a new entry.
Nothing much to report. More time on the road. Towards the end, I realized the two guys seating near me were just released prisoners. The comment about "we're not in jail anymore was the finally confirmation of my suspicion. The envelope showing the prison label "correctional facility..."(sorry, I don't remember). Later, on another bus, there were another two guys having a longer than necessary loud conversation about someone being in prison. For the first time on my bus ride, I felt a bit self-conscious about the "extra" gear I brought with me (MP3 player, DVD player, radio, etc...). But, there weren't any problems.
I arrived in Indianapolis around 7PM. Rather than try for public transportation, I asked the hostel owner for the hostel pick-up service. The hostel turned out to be about 4 miles from downtown.
First impression of the hostel. The hostel had a very warm, comfortable feel. The neighborhood however, was a bit different. The first night there, the nearest store was about a 10 minute walk. Having lived in the inner-city, I had a flash back when I walked into the "local supermarket". Some of the food was out of date, with discount labels for expired food. Frozen foods had freezer burns. There was also a very limited amount of choices(a lot of brands I didn't recognize). The neighborhood seemed to be a mix of low and middle income houses, but seemed relatively okay.
Well, that's about it. First day in Indianapolis. Actually, I should say first evening in Indianapolis. My epal told me months ago that he would only be available for Saturday and Sunday to show me around town, so I won't even bother calling him until Friday evening or Saturday. Since my main goal was to get out of NYC for a while, I told myself that I would just do some solo walking around town. I did meet (online) a couple of locals who said that they might be available for some tour guiding, but I'm not sure if they will or not. Either way, I don't mind doing solo walks around town.
* The attached photo is a picture I took while on the bus on my way to Indianapolis.
Post Date - Friday, August 28, 2009 9:57PM
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