Just Like Mr. Twain

Flying on the 787 Dreamliner for 12 hours, yep a mighty long airplane ride. 

Having a Bloody Mary in the UAL Club room awaiting our flight. As I mentioned we are on the United Dreamliner 787 for 12 hours nonstop from DEN to NRT. Yep a mighty long airplane ride. 

We are lucky and received an upgrade to Business Class. The advantage on the long hauls is the seating and service. 

The seating is 2-2-2 and each seat will lay flat and has many adjustments for various positions. Individual entertainment  screen with many on demand options. Yet even with the seating options we make sure we stay hydrated, wear compression stockings, do isometrics, and get up and walkabout. 

The food was great. The appetizer was a California roll, Smoked Salmon wrapped in nori, then a fresh green salad. The main entree we chose was a beef tenderloin with asparagus and gnocchi. I was amazed at the high quality of the beef. Then there was a cheese  plate with grapes served with a nice port. Then the final course was a ice cream sunday, choice of carmel ( Lynn’s favorite)- strawberry- or chocolate topping, nuts and whipped cream all topped with a cherry. 

The movie choices were many, Lynn watched Maleficent and has drifted off to sleep. I slept a couple of hours and am typing while listening to a 60’s audio mix. The 60’s had some very good music in my opinion. STONES!!!! CREAM!!!! CLAPTON!!!!! SMOKEY ROBINSON!!!!! CCR!!!!!! MONKEYS!!!!!! BEATLES!!!!! SUPREMES!!!!!, TROGS!!!! THE BAND!!!!!  (The Weight)  SAM COOK!!!! BOOKER T and the MGs’ !!!!!! BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD!!!!! yep I am the old dude ROCKING OUT!!!!!!!!  Life is too short not to let the music make you feel good. 

The one feature of the 787 which many are unaware of are the cabin pressurization. The cabin  pressure of most commercial aircraft is to about 9000 feet. My understanding is the cabin is pressurized to a lower altitude and the cabin air is humidified. One thing I really like is the windows. I am a window seat person, so these are great windows. Slightly bigger and there are no window shades. The windows are gas filled shades, there are five (5) different levels of tint. The lowest level blocks the daylight  making the cabin dark, yet one can see out the window.

Mark Twain or Samuel Clemens once said “ Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth in one’s lifetime.” 

Lynn and I have been lucky to have traveled a good bit. One thing that really sticks out on each and every trip is the people. I am so looking forward to meeting and getting to know the people of Japan. Yes there are many sights to see, but for me it is the people that really make the journey worth the effort. Coca Cola did an amazing commercial with “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”  this is encapsulates a portion of  what traveling is for me. 

I hope you are enjoying tagging along, but most of all I hope I have sparked a bit of wanderlust.