The busiest Orchard in the world

Dorothy Gale had her magic slippers. Ordinary people have to use other means to go places.
As you must have figured out, this orchard doesn't deal in fruits - but birds can still prove to be a menace. (Check out 17 March 1987 and Sep-Oct 2004 in the link.)

But back to our fruit-garden. Orchard Place Airport (code: ORD) - now called Chicago O'Hare International Airport - was the busiest airport in the world until 2005. Chicago's location makes it a hub for major airlines; you can fly to dozens of countries from here; and if there is lightning, a plane cannot take off for some time.

And look who turned up for the first time in America!






O'Hare inside is not bad either - this is the view from the Duty Free Store just outside the International Terminal Security Checkpoint. Identify as many of the flags as you can!



And this picture gives an altogether new meaning to the word "flyover" :).
Interestingly, the same Blue Line (subway system) serves the airport today, that did when I first came here in 1987. In a city with such a wonderful public transport network, traveling is almost a triviality!






Yes, that's Aai!






But probably the best sentence that describes O'Hare and Chicago together, is the punchline of an advertisement I saw, on the day I left Chicago for good. It said -

"Isn't it ironic - an airport that can get you anywhere,
in a city you never want to leave."