Adapting

The first glimpse of LA came about 100 metres above the runway - the
cloud/smog base is low. Many passengers clapped and cheered after our safe
landing, unsure why, I did sleep through some of the trip but reasonably
sure I didn’t miss anything that would warrant applause. Or maybe I did and
it’s lucky I was so tired…

I was following an Aussie scout group off the plane towards immigration and
it was encouraging to see that these future pillars of society were
expanding their horizons and before we had cleared customs were already
adapting to their new environment - on boarding a lengthy escalator, the
young scouts stood still in double file and the scout master following said
"Boys you know you can walk down the escalator" to which one of the scouts
replied "No way sir, we're in America now!"

1 hour in line for immigration at LA was not a positive note for the new
'scan em and probe em' border control procedure. You would think they would
have some concession for having been scanned and prodded sometime in the
last 12 months to speed up your entry, but I guess it’s less about
convenience and more about them knowing where you buy your first cup of
coffee after you leave the airport. I had 4 hours at LA before flyng to Portland which at LAX is almost enough time to get from one point to any other. Dodging the scammers collecting for a fake charity (they warn you about this at immigration) I wandered outside for a while, soaking up the heat, the hectic curbside behaviour, the pea-soup air that is the LA atmosphere and let the kind of big stupid grin spread across my face that those with wander lust know well.