Eventful Journeys (andamu)

[ flight ]
Flying from Portland always present the possibility of stunning views, provided of course that (a) it is reasonably clear (as it is in summer) and (b) it is daytime. We had a few discrete wispy clouds floating across our field of vision, but not obscuring the image of the sequence of bridges across the Willamette.
And we needed a sweetener after the hour delay in our flight. Alaska handed out "Air Care Kits," little folders with $5 food vouchers, 10 min. calling cards and $25/1,000 mile flight coupons. Fortunately we had the foresight not to mention that we were delayed to the little one, so we avoided the endless toddler nagging, and we found enough of whimsical interest to keep her occupied until the flight boarded. The clouds became more dense later, so we did not get any spectacular views of the mountains, with the exception of Mt. Hood, my favorite.

::
[ Sacramento ]
Landing in Sacramento was reminiscent to Fargo in some ways - the patchwork of agricultural land, flat as far as the eye can see. The difference lay in the colors and the shiny straight ruler of the canal, and the irrigation ditches running across the fields.
The fields were a softer version of a lime green with a dayglo quality to it. As we descended further, we could see the tiny yellow flowers through the darker green of the leaves, the combination giving the illusion of the unreal color from a distance. ::
[ accident ]
Despite arriving at the start of rush hour, the traffic was not too bad. There was the usual "jam-packed but moving freely, if well below the limit" stretches and a couple of miles of the "stop-and-start grind your teeth in frustration" type.
Ironically, the accident happened after the road cleared up: each vehicle had space enough to maintain a legal following distance (if they were so inclined), and there were even clear stretches randomly interspersed in each of the three ordinary lanes, with larger empty spaces in the HOV lane where we four were traveling.
On the whole the traffic was moving along somewhere between the speed limit and about ten miles over, when a car roared past at startling speed, weaving within the three ordinary lanes, stealing following distances, until his progress was blocked ahead.
He was followed a moment later by another car, this one even faster, flicking between lanes and forcing spaces where none existed by changing lanes almost blindly, causing cars to swerve and brake to avoid running into him.
When both of the vehicles landed in the third lane with no immediate way forward except through the HOV lane (which they both avoided) the first car suddenly slammed on his brakes, causing the second almost to rear-end him; apparently there was a direct engagement between the two, and had been for some distance.
When a gap opened up again, off they both were, ducking and crocheting back and forth until the first car was in the third lane, the second in the first lane, and both aimed for the same gap in the center lane and broadsided one another.
The second vehicle, damaged, spun out across the road to the right shoulder, and ended up facing the traffic. The first vehicled spun to his left, across the third lane, across the HOV lane, into the concrete barrier, bounced off, spun back, hit the barrier again, and finally came to a rest partly inside the HOV lane. Amazingly, not a single other vehicle was hit (that we could see) in the incident, and Nini saw both drivers grab their cell phones, so they were both alive.
I was the next driver in the HOV lane, and had it not been for my relatively sedate pace and the great distance to the driver ahead of me, I might have slammed into that first car that bounced off the barrier.
::
[ Sunnyvale/San Jose ]
The motel for the first night was a total disappointment. It was poorly maintained and most features worked poorly. The air-conditioner was a window unit that was mounted in a hole in the wall, at the ceiling, and could not manage to make a dent in the hot, dense, stale air that hung inside the room. The bath was blackened in areas where the grime from thousands of dirty feet had been indifferently scrubbed, and the louvre window had a thick layer of dust with clumps stuck in the corners. The armchair smelled like a dirty woolly dog that had been caught in the rain.
Their "high speed internet" was a secure wireless connection that had a whole instruction sheet on how to configure the laptop. After 1.5 hours both the Computer Engineer and the Electrical Engineer in our family gave up, and none of the staff knew anything about it: they just pointed helplessly to the instruction sheet.
::
The highlight of the evening was seeing the quintessential San Jose sunset - looking east and seeing the hills tinted a dusky pink - to the west all you see is a watery non-descript amber glow. And of course the dinner at Mayuri on El Camino Real with Manas. It was wonderful to catch up again, even though he met us alone, and the food was as good as we remembered. I ended up going back three times for more charu (rasam), the best I have had in a very long time.

andamu

Searching for beauty in everyday things...

Eventful Journeys

Post a comment

Search

About