Easter Island (departure in the afternoon) → Santiago (hotel stay, first night) → Bogota (second night at the hotel, third night on the plane) → Dallas → Los Angeles → Anchorage (arriving late at night) and will be moving.
In Bogota, my cheap bag started to fall apart.
The wheels have already broken.
The edges of the bag are also starting to tear, and there is a possibility that the contents will spill out.
I might have them wrap it in plastic...
During the Bogota to Dallas flight, a passenger became ill, and we had to return to Panama.
The Lan Airlines 787 was comfortable in South America, but the American Airlines plane from Bogota to Dallas was small, and the seats were not great. The air conditioning was also not good, and the air was already thin due to Bogota's altitude of 2,800 meters, and then the air became even thinner after takeoff, making my head spin. My inflatable neck pillow was fully inflated.
At that time, the old man sitting behind me started feeling unwell, and he called for help from the doctor on board, and eventually we had to return to Panama.
This is something that could happen occasionally, but it was the first time for me. The old man recovered after breathing oxygen in Panama and continued on to Panama, but we were 3 hours late to Dallas.
Since I will be staying for 3 months, I was asked a lot of questions during the immigration process, and although I was able to enter the country, I was stopped at customs and questioned again in a room next to customs. It seems that entering the United States has become stricter.
Out of the 6 hours of transit, 3 hours were delayed due to the flight mentioned above, and it took time for immigration and moving around the airport, so it was surprisingly tight.
Next, I will be transiting in Los Angeles.
The United States is a very comfortable and advanced country.
When I came to the United States from Japan, I thought the air was rough, but when I fly from South America, I feel that it is a very calm and advanced place.
It's quite a different impression.
I will be in the United States for 3 months, but I suddenly have a feeling that I want to live in Paris for about a year. However, I feel like I'm just picking up the feelings of the people I passed by. It's too sudden.
And I have arrived in Anchorage, Alaska. It was a long journey.
As expected, it is the land of the midnight sun. It's midnight, but it looks like evening.
Even though I wrapped it in plastic, it was removed before entering the United States, and my bag is about to fall apart. Sigh. I'll either have to buy a new one or use a cardboard box.
I rented a car at Anchorage Airport.
I chose a cheap, small hatchback for $1,200 for a month, but I actually got a better one.
Hmm. It's nice to have an upgrade, but it's surprisingly wide, and it's hard to see outside. The fuel efficiency seems bad, so there are both advantages and disadvantages to the upgrade.
In addition to the above amount, I also purchased optional insurance for about $200.
For the next month, I will be driving around Alaska and returning to Anchorage.
First, I will buy tents and outdoor gear here in Anchorage. REI seems to be a famous chain store.
Also, I will get a mobile SIM card today.
And, I bought a lot of outdoor goods at the outdoor shop REI, and it cost USD 1,000.
Well, I guess that's about right.
First, I'll try out the goods at a campground in the suburbs of Anchorage.
It feels pretty good.
The tent is about 800g for the main body + 200g for the footprint.
Recent tents are amazing. It cost USD 300.
There were cheaper ones for around USD 30 if they were heavier, but I was interested in a lighter type, so I tried this one. It's surprisingly durable.
And, the Net10 SIM card I bought at a Walmart in Anchorage was difficult to use, so I called support and finally got it working.
It seems to work near the entrance of Denali, but I don't expect it to work inside.
http://www.net10wireless.com
It took a little effort to complete the registration. Basically, it's self-service, and you have to register from the website.
1. I inserted the first SIM card I found, and it was for Verizon, but the phone number was rejected when I entered it on the website during registration.
2. I was about to return it, but it says that refunds are not possible. That's bad.
3. I realized that other SIM cards were included.
4. I tried it with T-mobile and completed the registration on the website, but it's roaming and I can't connect to the internet.
5. I tried to switch to AT&T, but it didn't work from the website. I called support and had them change it. It takes a few days to change.
6. I finally connected this morning. It feels good.