Return To Orlando

My Japanese colleagues stay up during the night, fortified by snacks and water. They had almost the same time zone difficulties as I did when filing reports back home.

Afterwards I drove back to Orlando with the intention of getting some sleep. But I didn't sleep. What with the excitement and the long flight, I guess my body clock didn't know whether it should be on Australian Eastern time or American Eastern Daylight time! So I went swimming instead. I also did several live-to-air reports to various programmes on Southern FM, racking up a huge phone bill.

In retrospect, other than the live-to-airs on Southern FM, I wished I had stayed at the Press Center and saved the 160 km round trip and the tollway charges. But there is no shade in which to park the car, and the chances of catching some kip in the Press Center seemed zero. Later, I did see some of the zonked out Japanese journalists huddled over their work benches dozing, with what success I cannot say.

Mid-evening I drove back to KSC, worried there might be traffic jams or road-blocks. It would have been a pity to have gone so far to see the launch only to miss it stuck in traffic. However, my concern was unfounded - the roads were almost deserted.

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Text, images and audio Copyright to Andrew Rennnie, 2010