Alaska, Canada and NYC Day 29

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Alarm kills us at 0400. Up and downstairs by 0430 and into a cab or the airport. Not much traffic at this time of day. Get to the airport and go to check in. Oh oh. There is a delay that looks like it says not leaving till 1000 rather than 0650. Need to see a representative. In the queue we go along with quite a few others in the same boat.

Mid stream and they call for a Seattle flight so others get to jump the queue a bit. People start talking about why, what has caused the delay. Finally hear from the staff that the plane didn't make it in last night due to bad weather from new york. They couldn't advise of the delay coz they didn't know until they got in this morning. They are trying to move people to other routes to New York via other cities.

Finally we get tot the front and to a young guy who is very apologetic. Tries a few options via Seattle maybe. Ends up saying that if we catch the delayed flight he will get us on the next New York flight that gets us in about 2140. Better than not going so we agree. He then gives us a $100 voucher each for any Delta (or code share partner - read Virgin) to be used on flights - OK - happy to get that one.

Bags on the belt and off to immigration/customs/security. All going ok, security no problems, then into the immigration and customs area. Do an automated check, finger prints, photos and immigration questions. One is for dairy or meat products. We have the mountaineer snack boxes which we recall having cheese. Say yes to that. Out comes a slip with a big X through it. Into the queue and allocated to an immigration officer (or someone in uniform anyway) By a very officious looking lady. Our person is very nice and says we have been picked at random by the computer. Does the prints again, photos, etc and all looking good. Until she says we now have to go through the random check process.

Takes us to the officious lady in uniform who leads us into a back room. A few officers sitting thee with a dude in a raised office. She takes our passports and slips to him and instructs us to sit over there. Chris asks what is going on - sit over there......... Oh oh.

We now get a little nervous - this is the Office of Homeland Security......... Get asked to come up to the counter - are those your bags (our bags have been pulled from the belt and are on a trolley) - yes they are. One of the officers loads them onto a special X-ray machine, in, out, in and out again. Questioned about the cheese and if we have any fresh fruit. bags come off the belt and are put back on the trolley. Second officer says we are good to go, no more explanation, no more details. On our way wondering what we did to go through that process. Interesting but once is enough thank you very much.

Down to the gate area, duty free shopping aplenty. Decide to eat so go to a bar that does breakfast. Wimbledon is on so we sit, order and eat watch the young Aussie beat the Frenchman (names too hard to spell here but kyrios and gasket- near enough). The Aussie wins in 5 sets (10/8 in the last). Good result for Australia.

Do some more shopping and then to the gate to wait. Delta have put on drinks, donuts and coffee as a sweetener for the delays - can't complain about that.

Eventually the plane arrives and we are boarding. Away we go. Sleep happens pretty quick for Chris, I nearly go off as well, but there is a movie that grabs my attention. Soon landing in Minneapolis. As we land, I look out to the left and notice that airforce 1 (the presidents jumbo) is on the ground at the Air Force base. Get off and take a pic, wondering if homeland security will tap me on the shoulder - bit paranoid now.....

Go to our connection gate - we have landed at F7 and need to go to C7. Quite a walk but a good chance to stretch the legs. Het to our gate and need to get seat allocation. All good, seats done so guess what - yep, or waiting. Lots of people getting off flights and coming to where we are to take shots of airforce 1.

Finally we get to board our flight. Full, full flight. We taxi out and airforce 1 is on our side - few pics (homeland security again.....). Up up and away to NYC (at long last). Into La Guardia airport at night - lights everywhere but no real idea of what was what. We have asked the hotel to arrange a car to pick us up. Get to the baggage carousel and our name is with a driver - good start. Go to carousel and bags are there as well, better now. Driver gives us option of waiting while he goes and gets the car or a walk - walk it is.

Into the Mercedes and into NYC. Interesting drive, thorough some dingy little streets, then around we turn and outside our hotel. Right opposite Bryant Park. Greeted by a doorman who arranges our bags. Check in happens, very busy lobby with lots of people going downstairs to the bar. Jennifer checks us in and gives us a rundown of the hotel, etc. Tells us we have a junior suite and the bets Miguel to take us and the bags upstairs. Into the room on the 19th floor. Wow - walk I and there is a balloon with 60 on it - I happened to let them know that we were coming for a special occasion birthday hoping we might get a special deal - well guess what, it seems to have worked. Our room has its own balcony overlooking the park, very nice Indeed. We get our bearings and then decide to go for a walk.

Through the park, the down a block and we are in Times Square. Oh boy, this is NYC, busy busy and loud. Road works, more filming, building works, where do we look, where do we walk. Eventually get to the bit where you sit in the stands and watch what is going on - too much to take in at one time. A few pics and then back to,our hotel. Get back and wowee, wowee wow. The front of the hotel has a transvesites gathering happening. Pretty frocks, not so pretty xxxxxs and other regalia on display. Get inside, and the doorman chicks our room key to let us up. We ask what is going on - he comments that this happens every Thursday night. Somewhere for the alternative crowd to get together and play - very tongue in cheek. Interesting place but obviously they protect the rooms pretty well.

So this is NYC, in the space of 2 hours we have seen lots of "interesting" things....

More tomorrow.

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