After the wedding we spent a few more days on Amelia Island with Sara’s family and then made our way back down to Orlando for a bit of time on our own. Having had a stressful few months and a hectic first week, we were looking forward to lazing by a pool and chilling out. 😎
We didn’t have a chance to book anything before we set off, so on our arrival in Orlando we just drove up and down International Drive looking for suitable accommodation. Just about every hotel chain has a presence on International Drive and, with all of them wanting your business, their prices are competitive and standards are generally high. Having previously enjoyed our stay in a Radisson Hotel in Brussels, we booked ourselves into the Radisson Barcelo for the week which seemed a bargain at only $80 per night.
After unpacking we hit the strip and soon found ourselves, surprisingly enough, in an Irish bar. It seemed rude not to take advantage of their happy hour, so we had a several cold ones and got chatting to a couple of Jocks who gave us some good advice about which attractions were worth a visit. After a dozen or so pints we decamped into the nearby “Sizler” Indian restaurant for a very average vindaloo. 😕
Back at the hotel we had a poor first night’s sleep due to the extremely noisy air-conditioning so next morning we decided to cut short our stay and relocate to a different hotel. We had a nosey at a few other hotels on the strip, eventually settling on the Hampton Inn & Suites, which was clean, bright and airy. Being right in the centre of I-Drive was much better, with more entertainment within easy walking distance – an important factor in such hot, humid weather. 😳
Over the next few days we alternated between lazing by the pool and visiting the theme parks etc. On the days when we stayed at the hotel I thoroughly enjoyed doing absolutely nothing: reading and listening to music was as energetic as it got. This year’s reading list comprised:
- Carter Beats The Devil (Glen David Gold) :smile::smile::smile:
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S. Thompson) :smile::smile:
- Manchester United Ruined My Wife (David Blatt):smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:
- The Wee Free Men (Terry Pratchett):smile::smile::smile:
- Travels in Small Town America (Bill Bryson):smile::smile::smile::smile::smile:
You can’t visit Orlando without visitng the theme parks so we spent a day at Disney’s waterpark – Blizzard Beach – which was absolutely brilliant, and a day at Universal Studios which pretty good if a little expensive. I went on all of the “big” rides and Sara did quite well too, only bottling out of going on the roller coasters. 😎
We spent the evenings dining like kings and drinking like lords, never ceasing to be amazed how difficult it was to spend more than about £15 in any one place no matter what you ordered. On one rainy afternoon we visited the Orlando Outlet Mall – the prices of branded clothes and footwear are incredible. I bought two pairs of Adidas trainers (the Nike shop was boycotted, obviously), a pair of Rockport shoes, four Timberland shirts and a Fossil watch for about £80 in all. Sara bought Marlboro Lights. 😆
My overall impression of the USA is that it’s a superb holiday destination with everything going for it: great weather, plenty to see and do, good value for money. The most surprising thing for me was that the people seem so genuinely nice, friendly and helpful: nothing is too much trouble for them. I think the “export-strength” Americans you bump into over here, or when you’re on holiday elsewhere, are a completely different breed. 😕
Back in work this week and, despite setting up cunning automated rules to deal with 90% of my e-mail, I’ve still got nearly 300 messages requiring attention. I need a holiday! :evil: