Day 16- It's Pizza Hut Neil, But Not As We Know It
Trip Start
May 19, 2008
1
18
161
Trip End
Nov 08, 2008
San Diego,
California,
United States
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
While we were on the net, Mel discovered that she shares her Birthday with an American rapper called "Havoc" (that figures) and also Mr T! We're not bored, honest!!!!
We were collected just after 4pm and taken to the workshop to find our bus sat outside looking ready for collection. What's that about appearances being deceptive? Shortly after beginning our pre-handover inspection, it became obvious that we wouldn't be leaving with the bus tonight. It still needs an oil change, there's an oil leak, the brakes aren't set up correctly, the bed cushions are different thicknesses and therefore uneven, the roof wasn't secured properly, the cabinets weren't fitted properly and countless screws and fittings were missing. Basically, it's not finished yet. As it was now around 6pm and Chris had been up for 30 hours getting another bus "finished", we agreed that we would both go up to the workshop tomorrow to help out on some of the little finishing jobs and give it a proper clean (oh yes, forgot to mention it was filthy!).
Elizabeth dropped us back at the motel, which Neil earlier referred to as "home" (??). It certainly is beginning to feel that way. We will have been here 2 weeks tomorrow!
We decided to eat-out at Pizza Hut tonight. To quote Hugh Grant in "Notting Hill", that can only be described as a "surreal, but nice" experience. The pizza was the nice part, the "restaurant" side of it was surreal. We don't know if what we are about to tell you is something implemented by all Pizza Hut's nationwide over here, or if it's because we're not in a tourist area, but it's wrong, very wrong.
When we first walked in, we noticed there was no "welcome counter" or any waiters/waitresses around. Instead it's like a cross between McDonalds and Brewers Fayre. There are no menus, but instead there's a big illuminated menu board behind the counter where you order. You pay there and then and you're given a roughly torn scrap of paper with your name written on it. Even at Carl Jr's burger joint where they bring your burger to your table, they give you a nice Perspex table number thing, not a scrap of paper. Then if you've ordered a soft drink you get a PAPER cup to help yourself at the dispenser, or if you're having a beer you just get the bottle. What happened to the days of soft drinks brought to the table in tumblers, with free refills and pitchers of beer with real glasses to drink from?? Not happy with just these cost-cutting measures, they bring the "Pan" pizza to the table without a pan and the parmesan and chilli flakes are in small paper sachets. But even that's not everything. If you have salad you get a real fork (but forget salad after 8.30pm as the salad bar was cleared away) but if you want a knife then it's a plastic one!!!!!!! But as we said, nice pizza.
Having been assured of an early start by Chris (that's about 9am for him), it's off to bed for us in anticipation of the big day tomorrow.
