Day 80 (Wed) *NYC DAY 5* + *LV DAY 1*

7.15am: Alarm rings from my HP...rise and shine...it's gonna be a plane day!! Woke up brush my teeth and wash my face...and bathe change into my flight clothes...and packed all the toiletries and towel and slippers into my already overfilled backpack

8.05am: Went to starbucks to scrimp the internet supply...check some last minute mail not knowing whether i will still have internet access in Las Vegas

9.00am: went up to the hostel to see how the rest are packing and ready to move off to JFK airport

9.15am: went down to get my breakfast of taco, 2 eggs with cheese and sausage from americanna...my fav convenience store for the past 4 days

10.20am: checked out from the hostel and moved off to 103rd street Metro...together with Ken, Naf, JK, Mugant (Joining us for the LV leg) and Michelle (meeting her bf at LA)

10.45am: decided to take E line which is supposed to be faster than A Line...so decided to drop at 50th street instead of 59th street columbus circle

10:50am: dropped at 50th street only to realise it is the red line and not the blue line we are looking for...damn!! with all the baggage...need to cross a few blocks to reach the blue line...so decided to go down to Fulton street to change back to the slower A Line...the only option it seems...

11.15am: reached fulton street..went up the subway with no elevators or escalators and all the baggage in tow to the platform to change to A Line

11.20am: Express for A Line comes...a glim of hope to catch our Delta 729 flight scheduled o depart at 12.30pm

11.40am: a friendly local told us the express does not lead us to the howard beach JFK stop...so gotta change to the local train...

11.45am: on our way to the howard beach JFK stop on the local train...bad feeling becoming stronger...temperatures rising...heads spinning...breaths become heavier

11.55am: reached the train station...dashed out to buy the 5 bucks metro pass for the airport shuttle train...train waiting for us...still not giving up...not giving up...on the way saw delta 729 boarding...guts dropped...morale sink

12.05pm: reached Terminal 3 at last...run run run with all our might to the check in counter...

12.10pm: The dreaded news confirmed!! we cannot check in anymore according to the delta airline check-in services...u need to be at least 1 hour early for dosmetic flights...we are stranded...morale sinks to rock bottom...wah lau how eventful my work and travel experience is turning out to be!!

12.20pm: desperately trying the self-check in machine but with no progress...damn the bloody counter staff juz shooed us away with no indication of help whatsoever...seriously at least tell us wad to do lah...naf and ken went to look for mugant and JK who are apparently slower with their towing luggage while i jaga the luggage

seriously how eventful can this whole thing get...missed my dosmetic flight to LV...stranded at JFK

12.45pm: naf and ken arrived back with somewhat better news...mugant and JK are negotiating whether we can get the next earliest flight to LV with no extra or minimal costs incurred...hopefully things turn out for thr better

1.35pm: Successful negotiation!! booked the next flight for us to Cincinnatti where we will transfer to LV for an extra cost of 35 bucks including taxes...another option was direct flight frm JFK to LV but no gurantee seats are confirmed and maybe higher costs with taxes...so took the former

escaped with a light slap on our wrists...only need to pay 35bucks budden gotta transfer...damn mafan

2.15pm: checked in our luggage and went straight to the departing lounge where we had a quick snack of Macs...plane departing at 3.15pm...cannot afford any mistakes this time rd...

Naf, Mugant & JK on board the shuttle bus to the plane at JFK

2.45pm: Boarded the flight...wah gotta take bus to the plane on the runway andden muz walk up the stairs to the plane...damn small plane somemore...no more den 50 pple on board...where da hell is cincinnati??

4.25pm: plane departed after being delayed for a good whole 1 hour with the problem of excess load capacity...surely troubles continued to dodge our journey there

5.55pm: Plane touched down at cincinati airport...no idea where i am...walked ard the transition lounge...and looked ard the duty free shops...i muz say the airport is defitnitely 10 times better dan JFK

At cincinati airport...still haven't recover from the early morning jitters

wah not bad 35 bucks and i can claim i visited 3 states: Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana...hahaha

6.30pm: Boarded Plane for LV...much bigger plane...more pple going LV den a unknown cincinati...huh?

7.00pm: Plane departs...going to be a 3.5 hours journey...and the time diff is also 3 hours from New York...caught some sleep and much needed refreshment on the plane...

7.30pm: Plane touches down at LV...collected our baggage...all of us got our luggage except mugant...another whammy for the day...waited until the whole carousel finished operating and still no sign of his luggage...no choice went to report loss at the baggage claim counter and as usual...these pple always say will contact u a few days later...worst fears if someone took it away deliberately den that's it liao...lucky all valuables in his hand luggage

surely u know where i am...slot machines all over the place in LV...and right here at the arrival hall...wah kaoz!

8.30pm: left airport on the airport shuttle towards USA Hostels located downtown Fremont street...the driver was simply circling around the famed LasVegas Strip for a good 1.5 hours coz we were the only paupers staying in a hostel in downtown while the res are livin it out in the luxurious Vegas hotels

10.15pm: finally arrived at USA Hostels...first impression quite lok kok...budden dun be fooled by the appearance...the rooms are all air-conditioned...free wireless internet access...laundry service...free shuttle to the strip...swimming pool...jaccuzzi...and free pancake breakfast in the morning...seriously a bargain!!

11.30pm: after unpacking our stuff...left in hunt for some food...treaded along the infamous Fremont street of Las Vegas with extra caution...wah lau and it turns out to be such an experience...black youths and homeless loitering on the streets...some maybe armed...the whole atmosphere was juz so tense...no prizes for guessing our supper...Subway!! for the 5th nite in a row!! muahahahaha

12.15am: head back to the hostel for some rest...really heng got aircon...the freakin Nevada heat is scorching us alive...off to bed after washing up...need to recover from the 3 hour jet lag an a full day of activities at the Strip tml!! poor mugant...wah lau can really imagine how he feel...ur whole luggage all gone juz like that...hopefully the airline finds it back

Happy 21st Birthday to Hong!!!

...may u find joy today and everyday...

-kor-