Voyages in America

It was INCREDIBLE !

 

I was doing the astronaut training today, so I was on the roof of a building.

Farther than I would have been had it launched on Saturday, but with a better view I think, and we also had the company of an astronaut who was with us for the training.

 

The shuttle itself was tiny, just a little triangle on the horizon (about 15 kms away, I think)

 

There was an billowing cloud of white smoke in the center and then a pillar of smoke with a bright peak erupted upwards. About a minute later, as the shuttle was still rising, there was a breath of wind and a loud rumble... the ground really shook!

 

We saw the shuttle/bright stuff for about two minutes and then there was just the pillar of smoke (very biblical) which slowly dissipated.

 

Wooo hooo!

 

I got some nice pictures of the pillar and of the crowd and water in the foreground of the shuttle launching area, but  a friend of mine had a much longer zoom lens and we'll swap pictures when we get back. (she's from Australia)

 

The whole thing put a goofy smile on my face.

 

I had a good time at historical/quaint Cocoa village yesterday too... I think I got a bit sun burnt at the (famous?) Cocoa  Beach. It's supposed to be one of the bets in Florida, and thus in the states. It's a very nice beach, sort of what I remember Israeli beaches to be like before the buildings took over the beaches and without the black tar. Wide sandy beaches, lovely waves.

I was expecting the Atlantic to be less salty than the Mediterranean, but *shrug* I guess I was wrong.

 

Pictures will have to wait till I get back to Israel, because I can't connect the camera to this computer. 

Robert