Gunga- a series of unfortunate events

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With apologies to Lemony Snicket but my trip got off to a rough start. Nothing earth shattering or even remotely dangerous just a bunch of small, well one rather large, crappy events. The most traumatic happened before the trip even started. I was at my brother's home near Boston and asked my sister -in-law,Cindy, if she'd seen the new hundred dollar bill. I think they are mighty pretty since they gave Ben Franklin a bit of a make over - eye tuck, face lift, modish Michael Boltonish wavy hair and added a blue line from top to bottom and a copper colored ink pot with a liberty bell hologram - but, I digress. I went to get my money belt where several of these beauties were waiting to be turned into British pounds and ..... I couldn't find it. I searched high, low,inside and out but nada. I called my daughter in Memphis and asked her to search my apartment. She texted me a few anxious hours later with the bad news that it was nowhere to be seen. I searched through every inch of my suitcase and backpack. Nyet. Oh, and my debit cards were in the money belt so I couldn't even go to a bank and take more cash out.

Completely stressed out at this point my brother and I hatched a 'money laundering' plan. I would write him a check and he would deposit it in his account. Then he would write me a check on his account and I could cash it. I then would have enough cash to buy pounds for my trip. OK. Lots of deep breaths later I was becoming philosophical. I reasoned that for all the trips I have taken I had never been mugged, robbed or lost anything of real value ( hats and jackets don't count). I told my brother that Val (my travel companion from New Orleans) used to say that every thing balanced out. The $42 pizza in Iceland balanced out all the $3 meals we had eaten in So. America. Using that reasoning I told him that it probably all balanced out, probably being the operative word there.

It was after 11p.m. Cindy had gone to bed and I thought I'd do one more thorough search. Last place I examined was the nifty new Baggallini travel purse that my daughter had given me for Christmas. It was being 'christened' on this trip. I opened one of the myriad zippers and noticed a smaller interior zipper. It was the same bright pink color as the lining of the bag. I opened it and there was my ratty looking Eagle Creek money belt. I could have cried. I ran in to show the belt to my brother and tell him the good news. It was very late and he was engrossed in the Bruins playoff game but happy that the drama was over.

The flight over to London was uneventful. I had a good seatmate. He wiped down his tray table, arm rest,and the back of his seat cushion with anti - bacterial wipes and offered me some to cleanse my area. We chatted a bit and after dinner fell into that lovely silence that descends on overseas flight when the cabin lights are dimmed.

Left Logan in Boston at 6:30 p.m. and arrived in Heathrow at 7 ish a.m., plenty groggy and ready to go to my London hotel. I went through immigration, got my suitcase, breezed through customs and entered into the 'no man's land' of the waiting area looking for the Grand Circle clipboard or my name. I saw Globus travel, Trafalgar travel, Vantage and many other companies. I saw lots of limo and taxi drivers with signs for businesses or individuals. What I didn't see was my name or the company I was traveling with. I walked round and round. Fifteen minutes passed, 1/2 hour passed. I sent a text to my tour guide ( she was waiting at the hotel) but I was not sure it went through. I walked around again. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a man running towards the circle of 'greeters'. With great relief I saw the Grand Circle logo. We greeted each other and headed to the car park.

Raj was delightful and chatty. Traffic was heavy but since his next airport pick -up wasn't until 1 p.m. he was in no hurry. He decided to take a lot of back streets to avoid large traffic jams and as a benefit he could be a tour guide. He started pointing out Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and on and on. He told me about his family. His wife is a nursery school teacher and " really, really wonderful with little children." His daughters are 16 and 18. One is studying to be a teacher and the other a business woman. I asked if they had boy- friends. He assured me they did not as their job was to study hard, graduate and get good jobs. " Only then can they think about getting a husband."

Ok, what else happened to make things not so pleasant. I know this will seem trite because it really is.... but the handle on my hair brush broke. Big whoop you might say. But when you have not had any sleep, when you are in a foreign country, even if it is England and they speak your language, it is a huge bother to have to try and find a place to buy anything.

This was followed closely by my first attempt in England to plug in my adaptor/ converter ( which I've used in many countries) and hearing a popping sound and smelling a burning electrical smell. I quickly pulled all the cords out of the socket and added it to my 'shopping list'. I was not happy that most of my one ' free afternoon' was going to be spent finding a new adaptor. I found out later that the same thing happened to another one in our group.

After some searching and some very expensive cab rides, yes I know the 'tube' is grand and the buses, etc, wonderful , but I was tired and wet as it had been raining off and on all day, I finally found a new adaptor at an electronic store called Maplins. I even wrote y'all a nifty blog about all the unfortunate events. Oh, you didn't get it because the Travelblog site has been all jazzed up since the last time I used it and I must have hit a wrong button and I lost all 900+/- words. Add that event to my list of miseries.

Wifi has been spotty but the real truth is that I haven't had time to write. Unlike when I am on my own and can set my own hours, I am on a tour and we are busy, busy. It really has been wonderful trip with a great tour guide (Wendy), and a very companionable group of fellow travelers. In fact, of all the tours I've been on, I think this group, considering that is is quite large (42) is the most pleasant and compatible. There are many 'singles' with 3 of us being formerly from Dorchester, MA. What are the odds of that ?

Lots to catch up on and Scarlet said, " Tomorrow is another day".

Carolyn

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Comments

[Pat Walsh]

All's well...
...that ends well I guess Carolyn! I'm very glad you found your money. I have done exactly the same thing with a purse that's new and/or has a lot of zippered or hidden compartments. I'm glad you're enjoying your traveling companions...will be interested to hear how being with a tour group compares to traveling on your own...I'm sure there are pros and cons to either situation. Take care, enjoy yourself and thanks for taking time to blog! Pat

[Sara Brennan]

I feel your pain...
We've been wrestling our share of tiny cuts here in New York City--2 weeks in on our 4-week stay. It's all part of the travel experience, though, I suppose, and Val is right...there's a balance. Love to hear about you off on yet another adventure. i just shared the crazy coincidence of us meeting in Oaxaca a few months before I met my husband while he was stationed in my home town of Sacramento. So let's talk about odds. Plus, I brought it up to my friend because I was listening to a This American Life episode called "No Coincidence, No Story," which was produced at Penn State--the place I was going to visit my friend when I was driving and listening to the show! So, not sure the world is so big or the odds are so large any more. Love reading about these little things and remembering my trip with Veronica to London last year, where we were fortunate to spend almost 5 weeks with a month-long trip to Germany and Paris in the middle, because I have a close friend who lives and works in London now. Life is good and the travel opportunities keep falling in my lap much to my disbelief. I hope you enjoy the UK as much as we did last year. Veronica has declared London her favorite place. I was a little hurt that San Francisco didn't occupy that space for her, too, but I'm proud of her for having a mind of her own. Safe and happy travels; can't wait to hear more!! Cheers, Sara

[D MJ Binkley]

It all balances out
Your friend Val is a wise woman. I'm glad you found the money bag and all was well. Those are painful and stressful moments. I rarely lose anything but when I do I'm really ticked off with myself and very hard on myself. Ah, life goes on. Now the hair brush thing is tough because you can never underestimate a good hair brush and they are hard to come by. It is a good thing that you've been too busy to write. Sorry you lost the blog. Keep your chin up. We are willing to wait for your wonderful writing ..... and maybe a photo or two. Tomorrow is another day.

[Karolyn]

Thanks for the update
Carolyn, Glad to get your update - just sorry to hear there were a few glitches. Hope the remainder of your trip goes well. My high school students and their chaperones left this morning and I'm beat! However we had a fantastic time together, I leave Monday to go to MN for a week with my daughter and her family. Thanks for the Easter card that you sent - loved the picture of the woman in the market. In friendship, ~Karolyn

[RENanDREW]

Lost, but found!
I was so glad to read that you found your money belt (even though you'd made peace with the loss). I'm going to steal that 'everything balances out' saying :)