Final Thoughts

At this stage, I am back in Australia with sun shining and crickets chirping; however, I did want to make some final comments about the world's only superpower:

1. What is with the imperial measurements? What is a quart, gallon or fluid ounce?
I think they are just being obtuse to hang onto these antiquated ways when the rest of the world has moved onto kilos and liters.

2. Who is in charge of the beer production?
Surely when beers were being handed out, the Americans must have been in the "john". It tastes alright but they seem to have forgotten to put any booze in. I think the average is about 2.4%.

3. What's with the 110v power?
Is this the only country in the world that uses 110v power? - I needed converters for everything that didn't have dual voltage transformers.

4. Why make all your money look the same?
You can't tell a one from a hundred, a Washington from a Franklin - it's bloody annoying. It's also one of the only countries I have been to that still has a one dollar bill.

5. Who died and left all these guys the cheap fuel?
$2.20 a gallon (four liters) or something like that. Istanbul is was over $2 a litre and Turkey is right next to all the oil. I am pretty sure they even pump it across the border and refine the the stuff.

The USA can send it across the world and still have it cheaper at the pump than milk.

That shits me. You take this rare commodity from deep within the ground, run it through a highly sophisticated refining process, ship it around the world and sell it at a pump. You get a cow, milk it and boil the crap out of it; and it is still more expensive than oil.

Anyway, that is a few things that have been on my mind about the USA.

In conclusion, it is a vast country with an unusual culture which intrigues me. I would like to go back one day to visit my family and all those places that have been made famous... next time.

Cheyenne Mountain

Luckily enough, by relation (and passing a security clearance), I got to visit the Cheyenne Mountain Air Defence Complex.

At the height of the Cold War, the chaps at the (poorly named) Department of Defence thought it would be a cracking good idea to their air defence complex inside a mountain.

After checking out a few places they decided on Colorado Springs. Excavation began by private contractors and then the navy came in to fit it out welded steel rooms.

The idea being that they place could keep running after the first wave of Russian missiles to make sure the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) agreement could be maintained.

This of course seems highly adolescent these days and you could never do it again - you would never get the environmental permission, it infringes on the Native Title of too many people and, in today's money, it would cost around 20 billion big ones.

Regardless today it is still running and could withstand a fair amount of nuclear, biological and chemical battering. There is enough supplies to keep those inside safe from harm for about a month.

Since September 11th their brief has been expanded to include monitoring all domestic and international flights within all North American Airspace.

You drive up to the car park and get into a bus that take you the rest of the way up the hill. From there you get a briefing all about the history and workings of station. Then you head around to security where men with guns put you through metal detectors and make sure you are not carrying anything nasty including cameras and mobile phones (they seem a bit shy).

From there you get in another bus which drives you into a hole in the side of the mountain. This takes you about 3/4 of a mile down a tunnel where you get out and go through the huge blast doors.

Beyond those, is not a giant "Bat Cave" as you might imagine but a series of huge tunnels with about fifteen buildings on springs to prevent the place being shaken up by a possible blast.

There is a whole self contained community below with gym, fire trucks, hospital, water supply, generators and canteen.

We were even more fortunate to see the central command room - something out of "Dr. Stranglove": lots of computers, wood panelling and giant screens. I was shocked to see them watching Fox News.

It is definitely a high stress job for these guys. Anything that flies over North America has to be identified, tracked, its source found and a decision has to be made on whether it is going to go off bang.

Not for me, but I suppose it has to be done.

Photos from:
wikipedia
and
www.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/.../norad.html

Hockey

One night we drove up to Denver, through the snow to the Pepsi Centre - home of The Colorado Avalanches.



I have seen the game a few times on TV but it does not really equate to being there - the crowd, the vibe, the weak beer, the slap of puck on stick and of course the possibility of seeing two grown men knocking each other's teeth out.



Apparently you can do things on the ice that would land you in court if you were in the car park.

Great fun.

It is also the one sport in America where the white guys don't seem to get their arses kicked.

Colorado Springs

A nice little town (pop. 250 000) bordered on one side by the start of the Rocky Mountains with a very picturesque "down town" - old colonial houses on wide tree lined streets; made even more attractive by a fresh coating of pure white snow over everything.

It is also home to a disturbing number of Bible-Bashers and God-Botherers. Many cars I saw had the little fish insignia on the back and there were billboards with messages like:

"Abortion is always wrong!"

and

"Struggling with PORN? So are half the men in the church, call xxx"

Due to the amount of snow, I had very little chance to explore (next time) but it does seem like a very nice town to visit.

BBQ Time!!

Pulpit Rock

Tropical Storm to Blizzard

The next day we headed out from tropical Florida to the Denver airport, which had just reopened after the worse blizzard in thirty years.

Cast

Disney is the biggest single site employer is the USA.



Everyone who works there are called "Cast Members" - even the guys who clean the toilets.

From what they told me the money is crap but the perks are good.

Animal Kingdom

Xmas day.

A tropical storm bore down upon us.

Should we stay in or go to the last park.

Bugger it lets go.

As we pull into the massive parking lot (complete with its own transport system),

There is a notice on the radio to stay at home in the next county.

It poured down.

We went to the Lion King Show, one of the only ones indoors.

Then to the Expedition Everest roller coaster -maybe one of the best in the parks.

While waiting in line for the Lion King, in the pouring rain, a rousing round of Xmas carols broke out. The show itself was very impressive, there are definitely some very hard working performers.

It is the newest of the parks and the largest, devoted to animal conservation. It would have been nice to have more time to wander around.

Instead we headed back, some what, damp.