The last time I was in America was in 2002 and I’d forgotten just how slick everything is here. After an 18 hour flight I wasn’t really in the mood for the ridiculously long lines at immigration. But the line moved quickly and I was soon staring at the place where my luggage was supposed to be. A dude with a clipboard informed me my luggage was still in Johannesburg. Awesome. But not to worry, they’ll deliver it to me. In Austin. So at least customs was nice and quick.

So with 6 hours until my next flight I set out to explore Dulles airport. I walked terminals C and D a few times, had some Starbucks (overrated) and basically browsed about like a tourist. It’s amazing how many shops there are that sell Obama stuff. And by sell I mean that’s all they sell, not just something they stock. This place is huge though. After an hour or so I took a bus to terminal B, which is basically a mall. Sat there for a while, hogging a comfy chair and a plug.

The building you see in the distance is Terminal D. I was standing in Terminal B when I took this shot. The buses are these large rectangular lounges that the just drive up against the building, you all traipse in and off it goes. The shot on the right are of the wheels on the thing.

Next leg was a 4 hour flight to Austin which actually felt a whole lot longer than it needed to. Probably since United Airlines don’t bother giving you a meal or anything.

I’d forgotten what it was like down in the South. A bizarre mix-mash of churches, fast-food places and strip malls. Last night we drove passed a clapboard building in the middle of nowhere that claimed to be an Ethiopian restaurant. I don’t think we’ll be eating there.