On the Road Again, Last Leg

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London Heathrow, Terminal 4, 9 AM

On the home stretch. Monkey and I are sitting at gate 9 looking at the British Airways 747 that will take us back to the U.S. At this point it seems like this trip has lasted a lot longer than 5 weeks. We want to be home and in our own beds. The hotel manager has an arraignment with a gypsy cab driver for discounted trips to Heathrow. The manager said to allow 3 hours before the flight, and an hour ride to the airport. Well the crazy cab driver never did less than 50 MPH, and we made the trip in just over 1/2 hour. Not much of a line at either the ticket counter or the security checkpoint, so I have 2 hours to kill. I’ve got the last window seat on the left hand side, but don’t expect there will be much to see.

The power converter I bought in the U.S. was crap. It couldn’t understand the wattage that the laptop wanted, and died with a whimper, taking the surge protector with it. I now own a U.K. laptop AC power supply. I think I could have just swapped out the plug end, but it seems to be some special order part for U.S. customers. Something all AMDer’s should keep in mind when traveling to Bangalore😊. More from the air later. Monkey is anxious to critique BA’s in-flight service.

Just crossed over Boston, and we’ve got about ½ hour before landing. This is the first time I’ve tried to use the laptop in coach. It’s actually wider than the space between the armrests. We thought the meal service was OK, but BA doesn’t carry enough sodas. OK, we’re getting the seatback and tray table announcement, so more later.

DFW Airport Hyatt Regency, 11 PM

This is one of those “Is the glass half empty or half full” moments. Got into DFW about ½ hour late. The next 3 of 4 flights to Austin were cancelled due to weather delays on the East Coast. Got on the standby list for the 10 PM flight, but the agent said there were 100 people ahead of me. Went looking for the AA customer service office, but that’s long gone due to budget cuts. Had a small flash of inspiration, and went up to the Admiral’s Club reception area. Explained the situation to the receptionist, hoping she might have some more resources at hand. I walked out with a confirmed seat for tomorrow afternoon, and a highly discounted room at the Hyatt. Now technically I’m not an Admiral’s Club member, though I’m supposed to be getting a free 1 day pass in the mail. I’m finding that the combination of politeness and having Monkey with me is an unbeatable combination.

Austin, 6 July, 4 PM

After:

38 Days
Approximately 17000 miles
7 Time Zones
2 Cruises
6 Plane Flights
5 Train Trips
At least a dozen cab rides
More subway rides than I can remember
Blisters on my blisters from walking

Home.

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Comments

[Stephanie]

Welcome Home!
Glad you are back safe and sound. Thanks for the travel blog!