As a new sun rises, I find to my surprise and eternal dismay that I wake in the baron open plains just outside of Denver. This mini city of pop-up hotels and highways offer a sort of offensive comfort as they invade the landscape. All the rotten eggs of budget air travel have no doubt congregated here many a time before me, but here I am, and I’m not gonna be leaving quickly.

Yesterday was our last day in Texas, and we raced to get out of the state before tornados and other alien weather descended upon us, but we were not as lucky as some. The sky turned black as we stared out at the tarmac, waiting, and waiting. I genuinely had a couple of Buddy Holly moments during take-off, wondering who or what was really in control of the airplane. Thanks to the long delay in getting off the ground we missed our connection to our final destination Los Angeles and spent the early hours of the morning queueing for a $12 discount on local Denver hotels and praying that the travel gods showed us mercy with an early morning flight, but after some time spent waiting at the “help desk” our hopes were dashed by “a software issue” which prevented the rather smug button pushers from placing us on another airline’s flight (COMPUTER SAYS NO!). The next connection we would be forced to accept was at 9pm the following day. 

We headed out into the wintery Colorado night armed only with our hand luggage (a pair of stingray boots, some guitar pedals, a few Austin, TX stickers and bandanas, a camera) and the summer clothes on our backs. As we attempted to haggle with an irate cab driver over a $50 ride 5 minutes down the road we couldn’t help but envy Reid who was booked on a direct flight to LA for other reasons and had already arrived. Thoughts of him approaching his eggs sunny side up in the morning while overlooking Malibu’s finest beachfront views only served to highlight the contrast of our situations. Laurie, beset with flu coughed and spluttered as he clambered into the cab, hooded and caped in whatever clothes Sam had rolled into his stingray boots, nothing to look forward to but a long night of fever chills.

Morning brought the promise of free breakfast and a late check-out. Some of us made it downstairs in time for the final 9am call to be welcomed by rehydrated eggs, watery juice from concentrated fruit that could possibly have been oranges and fresh waffles, the saving grace of our decision to bother at all. Dissatisfied and lacking the incentive to finish our breakfast we headed back to our rooms to prepare for the day ahead of us.

Signing off from Denver, CO.

Sam and Tomer

Peace