Airplane Ticket, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, USA, 1991-1992

Airline ticket, from when I traveled from Los Angeles, USA to Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, from late 1991 to late 1992.


20th October 1991 to 27th February 1992 in Australia
27th February 1992 to 25th May in New Zealand
May 25th to September 11th 1992 in Hawaii (was supposed to fly back to the mainland on 5th September but Hurricane Iniki interrupted that plan!)


3rd January 2012: Shortly after I returned to the United States from Haiti, I hit the road again, this time to Australia and New Zealand, with a stint in Hawaii before I returned back to the mainland of America.  You see where this ticket - an open-ended ticket good for one year, something hard to get anymore! - is purchased with British Pounds and states that it cost US equivalent $2,798?  Well, no, it didn't cost me that much - it actually cost me just under US$550.  When I was traveling in Europe, I discovered the wonderful world of the airline ticket wholesalers based in London, who using the vagaries of currency exchange values and bulk purchasing can get you tickets for mere pennies on the dollars, provided you weren't picky about what dates you flew.  At least they used to - not so sure if that happens anymore. 

Postcard from me to my family, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 12th October 1991

Postcard from me to my family, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 12th October 1991

Transcription: 
Oct. 12, '91
Hi Everybody!
After having been to places like Cape Canaveral, this was a letdown. And Houston is this big, ugly, soulless city - awful - but the hostel is the BEST - so comfortable & friendly! Went to a fantastic laser light show at the planetarium, to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" - made Houston worth visiting!
Love, Laura

Commentary, 2nd January 2012: Seriously, that laser light show at the Planetarium in Houston was the best I've ever been to, before and since.  One thing I don't mention in the post card was the fact that there were people in the audience lighting up and handing around marijuana joints - ya, I partook, might as well have after all, I'd have gotten a contact high regardless, the smoke was so thick!


I'm almost embarrassed by what I wrote about Houston here, about it being ugly and soulless, but at the time, it really did feel and seem that way.  Houston was still recovering from the massive real estate crash of the 1980s, entire skyscraper buildings were empty or nearly empty... I remember walking down the streets of Houston in the early afternoon and finding the sidewalks remarkably lightly trafficked; after 6:00pm the streets were completely empty, a total ghost-town.  I've not been back to Houston since, but I have friends who live there and report that downtown Houston is much more lively now.

Postcard, New Orleans, Louisiana

Postcard from me to my family, dated 9th October, 1991, postmarked New Orleans, Louisiana 10th October 1991.

Transcription:
Oct. 9 - 91
Address until April 4, 1992
L. Difiore
c/o Involvement Volunteers
P.O. Box 218
Port Melbourne 3207
Victoria, Australia
Hi Everybody! Walked around the French Quarter, ate Beignets at Cafe du Monde, going to Preservation Hall tomorrow - birthplace of Jazz! Weather is terrific - finally! Next stop: Houston
Love and miss you all,
Laura

Postcard from me to my family, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, 3rd October 1991

Postcard from me to my family, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, 3rd October 1991. Postmarked Tallahassee, Florida 9th October 1991.

Transcription:
10-3-91
Hi Everyone! This place is COOL! Saw "Hi Honey I'm Home" being taped, traveled in time in a Delorean, was in a subway car destroyed by King Kong, got attacked in the shower at the Bates Motel, bled all over the stage; all in a day's work, eh? Oh - flew with the Jetsons, too!
Love, Laura

Stranger In An Ever Stranger Land

The flight is short between two worlds, less than two hours and I'm landing in an odd, strange world. I remain seated as those around me rush to grab their bags full of their ever-important-stuff from the overhead compartments, rushing to leave the plane even though no matter how much they rush, it always takes at least fifteen minutes to debark and at least an hour to get through Customs and Immigration.

Americans. Always in such a rush to get to the next red light.

Impression Notes, Haiti, 1991

Impression notes written shortly after returning to the United States after six weeks in Haiti, approximately October, 1991. Transcription below each page.

 an evocative image article

Why go-Not a typical tourist place, people very friendly, despite their persistance in selling you things
You laugh a lot when in Haiti
Getting there
customs no problem
money-buy in Miami airport much better rate, spend only gourds "I have no dollars"
Bring things to trade - mens shoes, sneakers, cheap watches, oreo cookies, ball point pens, all decent quality not pure shit
What it was like
w/small amount of past and current history
problems - water, electricity maybe 1 hour a day
national palace under guard not open to visitors
lots of statues of "famouse" haitians everywhere
garbage on street corners in neat (huge) pile, not spread out everywhere, absolute filth everywhere yet actually quite neat
woman asleep on her fruit in market
"bank" is place to buy lottery tickets, "marriage" is a kind of lotto
Couldn't find map or store to buy one! "Try the library" said women at hotel desk "Is it open today? (Saturday)" "No, it open maybe one day next week, maybe today not."
cattle/goats on median strips, side of road, rooster typed to ice-drink cart "for cock fight" said John
drink only bottled, small amounts of water at most hotels won't bother you
illiteracy 80% of population (took Australian dollar checks like American!) (lady next to me on plane filled out immigration form for native returning to haiti who couldn't read the form
aids
tb
smell of burning sugar cane
iron market, meat on tables, flies, smell, art stalls "come see what I have"
Speedy!
Bargain EVERYTHING, but be cautious. Very aware of the value of the dollar, know more about us then we them
girls in dresses coming home for lunch from school, kids solomnly walking to church 2x2
church itself
voodoo hearing the drums on saturday night, lack of problem being Christian on Sunday, Voodoo on Sat and Wednesday
missions their place in haiti
up in mountains much cooler, notice lack of trees, nearly completely deforested people use for
coal for heating cooking
men w/hand trucks
taxi drivers
the constant entourage, paying $10 to walk with you
"blanc, blanc"
cooking in the streets
moonshine

Handwritten notes:
Hardship of the tourist in Haiti
Non-glamourous!
Safety Factors
Health
Asked for Scrambled got easy over
Weekend in Port au Prince
"Anectecdal"
Places to eat
Restaurant ------ several times frozen USA fish!
Prestige Beer (not bad!)
Mission Cafe (VERY American)
Postcards
Don't like photo being taken - although may for a few $ - "stealing soul"

tourists' dilema - poverty vs. rich white american

airport-walking all over the place, people bribing the x-ray guy

"All we need is love"

"1960-More than a million of the old 48-star flags are sold in uncut bolts of cloth to Haiti, resulting in an island ablaze with stars-and-striped dresses, shirts and kerchiefs, tablecloths and sheets." Washington Post Jan 11 1991

RESOURCES

Cadogan's book

article from post

personal experiences

Handwritten notes:

Pointing to cars(?) "How much in US is that?"

Washing clothes in river

Man discretely urinating on side of building

3rd January 2012: When I returned to the United States after six weeks in Haiti, I jotted down some quick impression notes to use as inspiration for several articles I'd been contracted to ghost-write about my experience in Haiti for a travel magazine.  It is amazing to me how reading these today, over 20 years later, how many memories of my time there come rushing back to me.