After fourteen hours of flight, we finally arrived in Salt Lake City Sandy Utah USA on 6th of June at 12nn, it was Saturday. We were fetched by Mark Roberts and toured as around Salt Lake City before checking in the Residence Inn Hotel. Various restaurants of different types, Mexican, Asian, Italian and American, name it, they all have it and they are all built close with each other. After touring us around, we got back to the hotel, Mark gave us some instructions and information about the place, after which, he left us.
Unpacking my things, hanging my clothes, arranging everything was the first thing I did. I was languid yes, but my excitement did not stop me to organize, move and do everything I can that day. We even managed to go to the nearby malls, Dillards, Forever 21, Macey, JC Penney etc., did window shopping; shoes, clothes, accessories, bags, perfumes, wheow, if only I have a lot of box to buy those things, so sad that I can’t buy them, I have no pocket money though.
Tired of prowling around, we then decided to have our lunchner – lunch and dinner. Still undecided where to eat, fortunate enough that there was this man offering a free taste of chicken teriyaki, we tried and liked it, it was at Sarku Japan. It was the very first place that we dined in, and we were surprised how big the serving was, it must be taken by three persons in the Philippines but here in Utah, for only one person. Kinda surfeit huh!! I wasn’t able to eat them all, had to take home the rest.
Weary enough, we decided to go back to the hotel, I forgot to tell, we went to the mall by our feet, and it was not that far though. Wait, we did not go to the hotel yet, we first passed by another grocery store called Super Target, ah, we also have one in the Philippines called, Target Mall. Bought food and brought at the hotel, it’s at the company’s expense so we have to take this chance.
Sunday, back at home, I am accustomed to going to church at 8:30; unfortunately, I can’t locate any Catholic Church here yet. We had our breakfast at the hotel, it’s complimentary and again, grab the opportunity, free is rare nowadays right? Scrumbled egg, fried cube potatoes, sausage, french toast, bread, doughnut, muffins, cereals, fruits, waffle, hotcake, slice bread, wheow lots of choices, hard to choose which is which, decaffeinated coffee, dark gourmet one, hot chocolate, french vanilla, mocha, adding up apple, guava and pineapple juices and five more sodas, what I am going to eat? Don’t want to have them all though. Enough of that, one of them was my choice. And repeatedly my choice until now, I am okay with potatoes dipped in Heinz tomato ketchup.
After breakfast, just went back to our room correspondingly and prepared for another prowl. Had the hotel’s shuttle service to bring us to the trax (train) station, going to Downtown; $2 for one-way trip, $4 two-way and $5 round trip, chose the $5 who knows we might get lost, still unfamiliar and it was our time there so, sure enough! While riding the trax, wow, Utah, particularly Salt Lake City is a nice place and it’s clean elsewhere, amazing! Ghost City as others may say, but for me, I can live here eventhough, I am a loner person, I love peace and serenity.
In the midst of our trip, there was this group of teenagers who raucously rode in the trax, eight teens roughly, one boy and the rest, combination of girl and t-bird. Most of them wearing scarfs in their head, dark black eyeliners and mascaras in their eyes made them look so ridiculous, unpleasantly gabbling and singing while inside, wheow, I’ve never seen anyone like this, only here in America, only here. Or perhaps, I am not that a rovy person that’s why I don’t see similar people in the Philippines. Added to that, I also noticed and proved that girls here in America, mostly are liberated, wearing make ups in an ordinary walk, and donning a skin-fitted, body-hugging and plunging neckline outfits. Switch and go back to trax, noticed that the group of teens were also going to Downtown and they also did not know where it is, their first time also perhaps. When they stepped out, we also did, apparently, it’s not the Downtown yet, so we had more than 30 minutes walk up to Downtown. Apparently and fortunate enough that we had our walk because we were amused by what we were seeing.
Huge Mormons’ churches, beautiful flowers, and also, as we were walking headed to the shopping center, we saw a pauper, in a brown cartoon she says “PLEASE HELP, I AM HOMELESS”, a white American woman. Forgive me as I have no extra money to lend her. Pitty her for her condition and we are so lucky to be homed. Finally after a countless walk, we arrived at the Gateway Mall, Downtown, and since it was Sunday, few stores were open. Just window shopping and picture taking, as I say, I have no extra penny with me. It was raining that day, we were not able to see some other boutiques and stuff there. We then decided to have our lunch at PANDA EXPRESS, an Indian foodstore according to Karen. I ordered chicken, ahhhhhhh forgot the exact term, anyways, it was of two types and a rice. Again huge serving, surfeit again! After our lunch, we headed back to the hotel, ah to the trax station, another mile steps.
While we were walking, we passed by a fountain show (water) unfortunately; I was not able to capture a good shot.
Luckily the trax came, we rode in, as we were on our way out the Downtown, there was a voice saying THIS IS A UNIVERSAL TRAIN, waaaaaaaaa, we were not supposed to ride there, we might be brought to a different place. We stepped out and waited for a SANDY TRAIN, as we were waiting for it to come, we were regaled by the three birds in front of us, 
isang dipa lang layo from me, these birds were picking up the foods on the road, it was just so astonishing that birds here, aren’t afraid of humans, unlike most of the birds in the Philippines. And if you would see it in the photos, the birds are similar to our local maya right? Finally the trax arrived, we were sure then that we were on the right way. This trax will bring us back to Residence Inn. Another interesting ride because the big big not that old man at the back of Karen seemed insane, why did I say so, because he abruptly just laughed for no reason, he was on his own. I was afraid he might hit us, good thing he did not. And he was also bound to Salt Lake City, the end of the station, he first stepped out and I was two persons away from him, noticed that this man was wearing filthy clothes, and laughed as he walked, scary wasn’t it? Then we walked back to the hotel. What a beautiful experience though!
isang dipa lang layo from me, these birds were picking up the foods on the road, it was just so astonishing that birds here, aren’t afraid of humans, unlike most of the birds in the Philippines. And if you would see it in the photos, the birds are similar to our local maya right? Finally the trax arrived, we were sure then that we were on the right way. This trax will bring us back to Residence Inn. Another interesting ride because the big big not that old man at the back of Karen seemed insane, why did I say so, because he abruptly just laughed for no reason, he was on his own. I was afraid he might hit us, good thing he did not. And he was also bound to Salt Lake City, the end of the station, he first stepped out and I was two persons away from him, noticed that this man was wearing filthy clothes, and laughed as he walked, scary wasn’t it? Then we walked back to the hotel. What a beautiful experience though!
After the weary tour, we had our respite again at last. Another day was over, three weeks or four more to go. By the way, never been homesick as I was almost everyday calling my family.
Till then...
~dhynnes~ :-)
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