Dublin!...oh wait. No..never mind. Still London.

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May 16/09

Off to Dublin we go!
BUUUUT, no.
that WAS the plan, but that part of the trip doesn't exactly happen for me quite yet.

After saying our goodbyes to Alan and Steph, Michelle and I head to Gatwick airport.
We already had our online check-in done, but we go to the check-in desk anyway to give in Michelle's bag.
We go towards the desk, and the official there waves away our papers, saying that we don't need to show him it.
Michelle explains that she has checked luggage, and so he takes it and stamps her paper. I, on the other hand, had no luggage to check-in, so i did not get the stamp, nor did the official ask to stamp it.

So i breeze through security and other checkpoints with that sheet i was holding, then went to the gate to board the plane.
AT THE GATE, they rejected me! and turned me away, saying that i didn't have the stamp and that i couldn't go on!!
i had to run back to the departure lounge, and there they told me that i had missed the visa check steps (APPARENTLY that's what the check-in desk was for! even though, the guy there had waved me away!)
They told me that i couldn't get on the flight, but i could probably get on the later ones.
So i phone michelle, tell her to get on the plane, and that i'd see her in a few hours.
I sit waiting for an official to come and "decontrol" me, whatever that means.
After a while, i notice a group of men joining me also, turns out that they didn't get this evasive stamp either.
Another American woman rounds off our merry group to a total of 6 ppl who are "stamp"less.
Fuming, we talk amongst ourselves about how ridiculously confusing this whole business was.

We get taken OUT of the airport (we enter London again..), where then we find that no, Ryanair will not refund our ticket or credit us for another flight, and if we were to buy another flight that day, it would cost us a cool, 200 pounds. or ..400 CAD.
My panic level at this time is at an all time high.
Hyperventilating is only a step away!

I figured i could whine, complain, pout and/or charm my way into getting onto the flight.
But to my horror. it did not work.
...

We weren't going anywhere.

The American lady had a job interview in Dublin too! i felt pretty bad for her.
Absolutely livid, i went back to the person who served Michelle at the check-in (a big bald black guy). He asked me who had told us we didn't need our forms checked - and there was my dilemma.
I didn't know whether or not to blame him or not. so flipping an imaginary coin in my head, i decided to say that i didn't remember what the person looked like.
and embarrassingly, no, i didn't remember the gender of the person.
and no, i didn't remember the hair colour.

i groaned to myself - what a web of lies i was weaving. it's not exactly hard to forget a big bald black guy.

He later said that the screen behind the desk said "Visa check" and it was at the desk where i had to get my visa checked. but the ridiculous thing is that the screen flashes through 2 other signs also, which were, "ryanair" and "check-in".
So as he told me this, i looked up on the screen to find, "ryanair" on the screen.
then all i hear him say, while pointing to the screen is, "wait for it............wait for it..............wait for it....... there it is!"
I saw red.
what person stands there staring at a slowly changing screen!?
I had a new enemy to blame now..Gatwick airport, and it's ridiculous signage.

So at this point, i had no idea what to do - i felt like a lost little puppy! Michelle was off, not knowing that I wouldn't be joining her, and Emmet (my irish friend who was meeting us at the airport) had no idea that he'd only be picking up one person!
What was i going to do?
My mind raced through numerous scenarios.
my panic level was through the roof.
i wandered around the airport not really know what to do or where to go, whimpering to myself.

What's worse was that I was now down to my last 15 pounds, so that seriously limited a lot of options.

After not being able to reach Steph or Alan, I call Matt, and as succinctly and as calmly as i could be, i relay to him my plight in 120 seconds. (one pound = 2 minutes of calling time..arrg).

He tells me that i can use his internet, and luckily he is able to contact Michelle for me.

I stagger sadly to the easybus station, still confused about my next act. What if there were no other cheap flights to dublin??
I could easily hang around London, but then i'd be ditching Michelle, and plus, I really wanted to see Emmet and Dublin!

I get to downtown London, and Matt informs me through the payphone that Michelle can't reach Emmet. My panic rises exponentially.
Michelle was wandering Dublin alone?!

With no other options, i hurriedly rush to Matt's place.
Meeting me @ the tube station, we head to his place while I use his mobile to call Michelle.
Turns out she found Emmet and was okay, thank gosh. That's one problem down!

Both Matt and Emmet told me that they've been looking up flights and had luckily found ones that left the next morning for 50 pounds. As I was willing and expecting to pay up to 75 pounds for a ticket, i was thrilled to hear that piece of good news!
At Matt's flat, I manage to book everything i needed!

Matt kindly offered me a place to sleep that night, but it would have involved me waking up to take a bus to the airport @ 4AM, so it was decided that...i was sleeping @ the airport.

Matt had to have dinner with his parents, so he left me with the net at his flat, and then i realized that i needed a printer to print out not only my bus ticket, but that damn online check in sheet for ryan air.
It's 8:30pm now, and my bus left for the airport at 10:20pm - i start once again hyperventilating, because i had to find an internet cafe with a printer, AND make it to the bus stop in time.
(i am now realizing on this trip that i am NOT as calm of a person as i once thought i was...)

So after a quick bye and a million thank yous to matt, i was off to have an uncomfortable sleep at Stansted airport.

While walking through Victoria tube station, on a Saturday night, in downtown London, who do i spot?? but, Shaughnessy Hawkins! My old housemate!
I couldn't believe my eyes!
The chances are so slim of bumping into someone you know in London, and there was Shaughnessy! It was definitely the mood lifter i needed - it's always a pleasant surprise to see a familiar face!

Afterwards, i once again board a easybus (3rd time in one day...they have successfully eaten 60 CAD of mine. grr..).
I slept as much as i could on the bus knowing that it would be probable the only time that night i'd have comfortable sleep.
THen @ the airport I stake out 3 seats.
In the whole airport (before hte departure lounge), there are only 11 rows of 10 seats, and i managed to secure 3 of them. yeesss...

They all had a arm rest, but it was such that the arm rest only jutted out half way, so i essentially made my bed that way. Lying down onto my side, fully stretched out across 3 seats. Once again, i'm glad i'm small.
And surprisingly, i actually slept!

It was funny sleeping here, because looking around me, all the other seats were occupied with sleepers. Some curled up, completely fast asleep, some sprawled across seats, others attempting to sleep sitting. I overheard a lady pass by and mutter "these are seats! not beds!". Too tired, i shrugged off the comment and continued my 3-seat hogging.
A sense of camaraderie really developed b/w the sleepers, no pick pockets, no anything like that. just a mutual respect for sleep.

I woke up @ 5 and headed to the check-in, where i know knew that i needed a stamp. And this time, at Stansted airport, there was a very clearly labelled sign saying "baggage check-in AND visa check".

On the plane, i pass out immediately after take off and wake up immediately after landing. Best flight ever.

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