orlando

the week before uni started i ducked down to orlando, florida, to stay with my namesake twin, carl irani. carl put me on a strict schedule, and we packed a lot into the five days i was there.

universal studios/islands of adventure
orlando is best known for its theme parks. carl hooked me up with tickets and it was definately a day to remember.

we went to the recently-opened hogwarts, which everyone has been going hysterical about. mr potter took us on a quiditch training session on an indoor roller coaster which was pretty sweet. there was a lot of free falling and great special effects.

some other standout rides included jurrasic park, spiderman (in 3D), and cat in the hat. overall it is ridiculously expensive at the parks with, for example, butter beers costing $8. but i guess this is understandable, considering it's fame the world over.

lakes
orlando has a tropical climate, meaning it is very hot and humid. there are lakes and wetlands everywhere making air boats quite popular (and fun) to ride in alligator infested waters. we also drove through the cape canaveral launch site and saw some pretty huge rockets!

daytona beach
is where car racing began. the white-sand beach is firm enough to drive on and stretches for as far as the eye can see, making it ideal for racing. i wouldn't say it's the best beach in the world though.

downtown
orlando seemed like a mecca for tourists and retirees. the downtown area was quite small but very beautiful with the Eola lake. public transport is nearly non-existent, with a comprehensive road network doing a pretty good job.

SHOUT OUT TO MY MAN CARL
 - DIL TO PAGAL HAAAAI, DIL DIWANE HAI!