A Trip

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It is December, I am with my son Arun at Union City in California U.S.A. Weather is chilly outside. Of course there is no snowfall outside in our area unlike in many parts of U.S.A. Room temperature is being maintained at 72 F. On some days it rains too.

I can go out for a stroll with my grandson Chirag only if the weather permits. Generally our stroll lasts over an hour. Here and there we come across cars and vans during our stride. Otherwise streets are empty. We are the monarch of all we survey. We come across only a few pedestrians especially those from China, Philippines, Japan, and Korea etc during our saunter. Of course there are a number of Sikh families of Punjab in our area. Most of the Americans have pets like dogs, cats in their house. Only if the weather is good some of them bring their dogs for a stroll.

Winter is boring in America. So Arun planned a trip to San Diego with twin purpose. One purpose of trip is to show us zoo and sea world at San Diego and another is to enable us to attend the first birthday of Amogh, son of his friend and classmate namely Ashok Tantradi at Irvine. Birthday was on 4th. We planned our trip from 1st to 4th December, 2004.

A trip cannot not be undertaken so easily, it requires preparation and planning.Planning is required regarding stay, food etc. We are accustomed to Indian vegetarian food right from our birth. We thought of having chapatis, puliyogre, sheera etc cooked in advance to have them in our van. On 1st night Ashok requested us to be with him at Irvine. Arun booked for our hotel stay at Comfort Inn on 2nd night in San Diego . On 3rd we planned to stay either with another friend of Arun namely Jatan or stay with Ashok only. On 4th afternoon we thought of returning back home. This is the tour program, we arrived at.

Irvine is about forty five minutes drive from Los Angles on our way to San Diego. San Diego is at a distance of nearly five hundred miles from here. If one is member of AAA (American Automobile Association), they can have route map for his or her trip from them. As Arun is a member of AAA, he obtained route map from them for our trip. The route map contains all details. As we are altogether six including my grandson Chirag, we rented a Ford van for our trip from a place near Oakland Airport for a week. It was comfortable in all respects.

On Wednesday the 1st December morning we got up early in the morning and had our bath. We finished our breakfast and Arun and Sonia went to pick up the rented van from Oakland air port. It was 10 O’clock by the time they came back with the van. We loaded all our essentials like food and baggage for the trip into the van by 10.30a.m. There afterwards, we went to O’Neil Terrace at Fremont to pick up my sambadhi Roopa’s father namely Mr. M.S. Pai who also wanted to undertake the trip along with us.

There are numerous highways in U.S.A. They normally have at least four lanes. Wherever necessary they are provided with dividers invariably. Some of them are maintained by state governments and some are maintained by federal government. Whosoever may maintain them, they are well maintained. They do not bear names. They are identified by means of numbers like 101,808, 405, 5 etc. They are expressways or freeways.One can travel at high speed on these freeways for engine of a vehicle here has 150 h.p or more.This is far higher horse powers than that the car engines have in India generally.Cars in India have 30 h.p. or so only.

Speed limit is prescribed at various points. They are checked by radar and other modern means. Even air surveillance is there to check speed of vehicles. Traffic police regulates speed of vehicles commendably. Heavy penalties are levied for exceeding the speed limit to violators. Everybody follows the lane discipline. At regular intervals we come across sign boards indicating miles to nearby place, exists, rest places, gas food etc availability. There is no scope for confusion at all.

We traveled at an average speed of 80 miles per hour on freeway 880 South at the beginning. There afterwards we switched on to 101 south. On our way we come across huge agriculture lands on either side of road. Each field comprises of hundreds of acres. No small holding could be seen at all. Everywhere sprinklers are used for watering fields and plants. Everywhere it is machines that work and not the men. Fruits of various varieties are grown all along. As strawberry season was over, we did not come across strawberries for sale.

Here and there we found ranches, huge herds of cows etc. At about 1 p.m. we were at a rest area called camp Robert. A rest area is well maintained in U.S.A. There we find well maintained green lawns surrounded by trees all around. A separate area is earmarked for pets too. Besides we find tables and benches everywhere there with drinking water available nearby. Numerous dustbins are provided to throw wastes. Littering nobody does. Discipline is self imposed. . We have clean and neat restrooms both for men and women separately. Restrooms are well illuminated. They contain both hot and cold water. Even a telephone booth is available there. At this beautiful place, we had our sumptuous south Indian dinner and had rest for about an hour .

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Then we continued our journey. At about 4 p.m., we reached a place called Solvang. Here Solvang has Dutch architecture. It is a beautiful place. We had coffee here in a coffee stall. Along with coffee we had bakery products. There were discount sales in nearby shops on account of ensuing Christmas festival .We purchased some dolls which are rare in India from one of those shops. We did not forget to have some snaps at picturesque Solvang.

Weather was becoming chillier and sky was getting darker and darker. So we had to shelve our plan of roaming on the beach of Santa Barbara which was our next destination. As we enter Santa Barbara, we come across university campus. When we passed through Santa Barbara it was almost dark. Even then beautiful houses, apartments were visible on either side of road at some places. Whereas at as some places structures were there only on one side of road and on the right hand side various vessels were floating on Pacific ocean. Glimmering of lights adds beauty to the scenes.

Los Angles is about an hour drive from Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, when we reached Santa Barbara at a time office hours were just over and people were returning home and as a consequence freeway was flooded with vehicles and we could not make any headway. We could move at snails pace only.

Mr. Ashok directed us to proceed on 405 and then move on 5 till we get Jamboree exit. The left most lane is always a car pool lane and generally it has less traffic.. Moreover on a carpool lane we come across white diamond shaped squares at regular intervals. Carpool lane has timings too One can move swiftly on that lane. If somebody enters it wrongly they have to bear a penalty of 271 $.

Gradually vehicle traffic eased and we could accelerate our speed. We passed through famous Hollywood area. Down town of Los Angles was soon visible to us. It was more than half an hour drive on 405 since we entered Los Angles. Jamboree exist did not appear. We began to doubt whether we are on right path or not. Arun and Sonia had been to Irvine several times on previous occasions earlier, Arun knew the way very well. After another fifteen minutes drive we parked the vehicle in front of 10 Apple Glenn Drive and that was Ashok Tantradi residence.

There they were eagerly waiting for our arrival with hot South Indian supper. It was a get together of two well known families of Udupi District. After supper we chatted for a long time with Tantradi and his parents. Our chat covered various interesting topics. That is what happens when friends meet.

Irvine is a well planned and developed adjoining city of Los Angles. It is very beautiful and elegant city. Mostly rich people live there. They migrated to this area from Los Angles as the latter became too congested. Malls here are well illuminated during night times with colorful lights. Besides they are exceptionally large also. The area is known as Spectrum and is really treat to eyes. The area reminded me of Las Vegas by night.

We cannot forget hospitality at Ashok Tantradi's house. Early next morning they served us hot coffee and Upuma. Then we hurried to Sea world at San Diego. It was about 45 minutes drive from Irvine on 405. We were there at 10 .30 a.m. We were a bit late. The park operates from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. We purchased five entrance tickets. Each ticket was priced 50$. Entrance fees are exorbitant. Besides one has to pay 10$ for parking his or her vehicle. One is subjected to security check while entering in. One is not allowed to carry food of any kind into the park.

Along with ticket everyone is provided with a park map and a brochure. The brochure contains all the details of shows and rides and timings. Sea World is owned and operated by Anheuser-Busch, the proud producers of Budweiser beer under the banner “ Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), “The park’s land mass is 189.5 acres, including parking and support facilities .Though sea world is artificial organizers have taken all the pains to give it natural tinge to the tilt. As a result one would really feel that he or she is really in sea world.

Everywhere we find greenery, streams and land scapings it is well laid out park. There are indicators, sign boards etc that lead us to any nook of the vast park which we would like to visit with ease. We find adequate dust bins, shops, restaurants, restrooms inside the park. It was getting late for ride called Wild Arctic. So we hurried to the queue.

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Fortunately for us there was not much rush in the park on that day. We could board a simulated jet helicopter for an unforgettable motion-based flight to a remote research station called Base Station Wild Arctic. We will experience a wild adventure of real bumps, jumps and zips. When we disembark, we find ourselves in a realistic arctic research station where we come face to face with polar bears, beluga whales, walruses, arctic foxes and seals. We feel the freeze as we pass through Wild Arctic’s Ice tunnel complete with foggers, misters, simulated snow and a 25 foot long ice wall. It is a wild adventure for all.

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As soon as we came out of Wild Arctic complex, it was time for Shamu Adventure. The venue was in a stadium with stands on one side and a beautiful pool on the other side with a glass covered partition. A big screen and mike arrangements were there to relay the events. Further soaking zone is earmarked. We sat above the first fourteen rows in order to avoid the rain and splashing. The killer whales were worth getting drenched for. I was so impressed in how the trainers rode on the backs of the whales at great speed as well as swimming and diving along side of them. The acrobatics that the whales did were unforgettable. The whales devoured bucket full of fishes in no time.

Next it was our turn to witness Dolphin Discovery show. The stadium was like the one that is described here above. Here there was no screen instead there was a platform where interaction with guests and trainers takes place. We come across here bottle nose dolphins and pilot whales in a splashy, high-energy show with some surprise comic moments. It is a fast-paced show featuring tail walks, spinning jumps and back flips. Those seated in the first 10 rows of Dolphin Stadium get wet from the 55 –degree sea water. This was also a thrilling experience.

If we want to participate in Dolphin Encounter, it is a 10-minute program which is limited to six people per trainer and we are guaranteed to touch, feed and train a bottle nose dolphin at Rocky Point Preserve without wading into the water. There is another program known as Dolphin interaction Program wherein we can feed touch and hug a dolphin as we enter their world. We are provided with wet suit and booties for this purpose .The participation in all these programs are subject to payment of additional charges.

After the Dolphin Discovery show, we came out of the park for our dinner. There is a system for letting us in and out of the park. In the afternoon we paid 3 $ per head and boarded the ride at Southwest Airlines Sky tower. The model carries us to top of the tower from where we have aerial view of San Diego City, bay bridge leading to Coronado Island, Naval fleets etc. There after a spine –tingling new 4-D movie experience was awaiting us with the debut of “R.L. Stine’s Haunted Lighthouse” Spun from an old fisherman’s tale, mischievous children take us to discover the ghostly truth behind the legend of a haunted lighthouse. The movie’s 4-D effects kept us on the edge of our seat.

The Pets Rule is a show by our pets like dogs, cats, birds etc. They are all very well trained. They as well as the trainers display their talents, skills and keep us spell bound. The stadium is a well equipped and organized for the purpose. We were fully kept engaged by the animals and their trainers and we did not notice the passage of time at all.

Then we dragged our feet towards Journey to Atlantis. Unfortunately for us something went wrong with the machinery connected with that ride on that day and they could not resume the rides. It was a roller coaster ride through uncharted waters where mysterious mists and unpredictable drops lurk around every turn.

It was nearing park closure time namely 5 p.m. We hurried through the rest of the park. We had a close look at forbidden reef. There we saw California bat rays, moray eels and hundreds of these exotic creatures in their world of underwater caverns

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We chilled out with nearly 350 Antarctic penguins at the Penguin Encounter, a snow-filled habitat where penguins swim and waddle in 25 F temperatures. The Penguin Encounter is home to six species of cold weather penguins from the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Magellanic penguins, a temperate weather species from Chile and Argentina play in an outside habitat. We enjoyed the sight of dozens of flamingoes in an artificial stream and bid adieu to Sea world.

Comfort Inn was nearby. A few minutes drive from Sea world brought us to our rooms at Comfort Inn. They were on the second floor of the hotel. Unlike hotels in India, here there are no room boys to attend to us. We have to manage ourselves. Of course there was nothing to manage. Everything was well arranged. We relaxed in our bed. What a memorable day we had!

Next morning we had our bath early. There was free breakfast at the hotel after 7.a, m. onwards on the third floor. It was a buffet. Everything was well arranged but unmanned. All the inmates of hotel have self imposed discipline. The place was clean and neat. This culture has to spread more in India so that many man-hours could be saved. After the breakfast we proceeded to Zoo. It was also nearby.

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The Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4.p.m. The 40.5-hectare (100-acre) zoo is located in the beautiful Balboa Park. At the entrance we have to purchase ticket costing 30$ known as BEST VALUE admission package and have a security check. That package includes the Skyfari ride and guided bus tour, as well as on-and-off privileges aboard the Express Bus, and costs less than purchasing each activity separately.

The San Diego Zoo cares for more than 4,000 individual animals representing 800 different species. Its collection of animals, as well as its plant collection of over 6,500 species, is acknowledged as one of the finest in the entire world. The Zoo is acclaimed for collection of coral trees, palm trees, aloes, and orchids. Many of the towering trees and exotic shrubs were planted from seeds that the Zoo’s founder, Dr HarryWegeforth, was given on his world tours in 1920sand 1930s. While sailing over the treetops on our Skyfari aerial tram, we get a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the Zoo, Balboa Park, and more. Skyfari carries us from one side of the zoo to the other side. It is sponsored by Delta Air Lines.

The Express Bus allows us to hop on and off at 5 locations .around the zoo for the day. The guided tour departures are near the Flamingo Lagoon at the main entry plaza. Along with ticket we get a brochure which contains map of the zoo with all the details. Further we find sign boards at every nook and corner. Besides following guest services are provided 1) First Aid , 2) ATM 3) Acceptance of Checks and credit cards 4) Lockers Facility 5) Security office takes care of lost and found articles and lost children.6) Stroller , wheelchair, Motorized wheel chair rentals.

Everywhere here special care of disabled is taken .Disabled are provided special parking, restrooms, telephones, etc. We find restroom and public phones for our convenience too.

The best way to see the animals is by foot. We walked down the canyons and saw various kinds of birds, Bears, Lions, Elephants, Mesa and Rhinos. There are two sets of escalators to transport guests from canyons to the upper mesas. We used the escalators and Skyfari and saw the Zoo without walking up the steepest hills. The pandas are perennially popular at the San Diego Zoo. Absolutely Apes - This newly created Asian rain forest ecosystem simulation is where arboreal Orangutans and Siamangs climb, swing, and share the same tropical habitat as they would in the wild.

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The other way to go round the zoo is by double decked bus tour (all day with on/off privileges) where we need not walk. It is an excellent option for those with limited mobility. Even small babies enjoy seeing the animals through this tour. My grandson who is only 20 months old enjoyed the journey. We not only find familiar animals at the San Diego Zoo but also little-known and seldom-seen creatures such as Koalas, tree Kangaroos and Komodo dragons.,.

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There are numerous zoos in India. There may be more birds and animals in some of them than what this zoo has but, these kinds of convenience and comforts are yet to develop in them. These tourist attractions are run like a business in America. Generally companies either jointly or severally manage them. Tax payer’s money is not used either for maintenance or development of such attractions.

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The border of Mexico is nearer to San Diego. It is at a distance of about 10 miles or so from San Diego. We thought of stepping into Mexico but we had no time at our disposal. Instead we visited Coronado Island which is adjacent to San Diego. A bridge connects San Diego and Coronado Island. We used the opportunity to see the beach resort at Coronado Island. During our to and fro journey from San Diego and Coronado we had glimpses of U.S. naval fleets. We were completely relaxed due to cool breeze from Pacific Ocean there.

We drove back in the evening to Irvine to be with Ashok Tantradi. Next day we attended Amogh's first birthday at Shehnai Cuisine, of India. 705 E Birch Street, Brea. The place was beautifully decorated with balloons, ribbons etc .Guests started arriving from 11 a.m. on wards. About 65 guests were there for the occasion. A magic show was arranged. South Indian as well as North Indian dishes were served for the dinner. Cake was cut by little Amogh with the help of his mother and father after blowing a single candle on the top of it amidst chorus “Happy birthday to Amogh” .We wished the kid many many happy returns of the day. It was a meeting of our culture and American culture. We returned safe and sound to Union City in the night.