LONDON - NEW YORK!

Day 207

New York, AMERICA!!!!!!!

Talk about a gorgeous day, the day we left for New York. We woke up at 6am and packed our stuff up, as we do each time leave a place. It's funny how accustomed we've gotten to this little routine. Once we're up and showered we know what each other packs (ie Greg does the 'dilly bag' and i do the 'kettle things') and we very quietly and orderly get it done so quickly. Before we know it, we're loaded up like turtles, (lately we've been calling it our amour as we've swiped people out with these packs more than once!) and we've checked out and marching off to our next destination!

And at seven in the morning, in London, on this morning, it was so beautiful. We thought we should really be staying another day to make the most of the weather as we missed out on going up the London Eye due to the lousy weather!!

the TUBE - Victoria Station, at this hour in the morning was murderous. SO packed, due to the morning rush hour but we managed to get on the Picidilly line to Heathrow by throwing our (pack!) weight around!!

And arrived in Heathrow ready to check in for our British Airways London - New York flight. SO disorganised. It took 3 people, staff of BA to let us know where we were supposed to check in..one said Qantas as it was a Qantas ticket, the other said to do it electronically but the electronic check in said we couldn't as it was Qantas and the other said go to Line A. But it was line D we were supposed to be in!

Whinge whinge...

Anyway..we checked in and got the middle row of the plane (drats, we wanted a window seat so we could see the departure and arrival lights) and then the fun began....

I must have looked like a crim on the loose.

I got scanned as we were about to go through the terminal to board. Full body scan. Random check she said. I got told to take off my jacket and shoes (to reveal my holey socks..i MUST get some new ones) and then told to take off the next layer as well...(another jacket)..and under i only had on a camisole. Hmm..anyway i got the full scan, twisting and turning and standing in different positions in this little cubicle. Greg waited patiently for me outside.

Then we went throught the hand luggage check in. Another check. Full body search. Up down around, here, there, everywhere. My bag was scanned as usual. THEN I was told my bag had to be checked. Again. Inside all the pockets, here, there and everywhere! Greg waited patiently to the side wondering about it all. A lady said to me, "You've had a thorough going over haven't you!" Then added, "You must look suspect!~" I didn't laugh as i was feeling a bit nervous really.

And i was feeling just a little humiliated and redfaced. I know it's 'procedure' but you feel like a piece of meat..and a little violated.

We walk down the long corridor to the plane..and just as we were about to board.....i get called for ANOTHER random check!!!! Bag and body. Greg waited to the side patiently once again.

I wonder what they were looking for?

It felt like i was being targeted really. WOMEN, 45, AUSTRALIAN, CHECK HER!

I looked at my dress. Travellers pants, travellers beige jacket, Black jacket over the top, black shoes and a WILDLY COLOURED SCARFE that i bought in The Hague in Holland!! Also..my hair is a totally different colour, shape, size...than on my passport!! (As you guys would know!!!!)

I blame the scarf!

I think it made me look like a hippy!!!!

Anyway...after we got through all that we found our middle of the isle seats...me on the outside, Greg wedged in the middle with two girls on his side and we wait to fly out.

And then we had a great time.

British airways have great inflight service. Wine and nuts as a pre meal service. Lunch (cottage pie) with more wine and orange juice and water served at any time. Afternoon tea was a chicken bun and a piece of fruit cake and tea.

And inflight movies are GREAT!

I watched 3 movies....! So did Greg! All different ones. So it was all individually catered for with our little movie screens above us. I watched, "Becoming Jane" which was about Jane Austen's lifestory..."Away From Her" which was a sad movie about a couple who'd been married for fifty years and the wife got Altzeihmers and "The Flying Scotsman" about Grahem Obree and his cycling feats and sufferance of depression and Greg watched, "Fantastic 4" "Shrek" and "Becoming Jane"!

The reason why we enjoyed these movies is because we hadn't seen English movies for SO LONG!!!! It was great! But three in a flight..was a but much! haha!

We landed at the John F Kennedy airport in New York 5.30pm London Time. 7 hours after we left. Local time in New York was 5 hours behind so it was 12.30 here. Midday. We lost 5 hours..so we knew, after getting up reasonably early we were going to be tired by bed time!!!!

We also know to stick to the local time..and go to bed at the local time..to fight the jet lag, which we did.

Getting through the airport procedure at JFK airport was just as harrowing as London. (I hate flying now!)

Once again...the fact that we hadn't put our accomodation in the little box became an issue. The bigger issue was the fact that at Heathrow, someone had put in the computer system that we were going to be staying at the Rennaciance Hotel in New York and so we got questioned at Customs about this.

We said we were going to find something at the Accomodation Table at the airport if they had one..(They did) or the Tourist Centre..(They didn't) or via internet if they had one at the airport. (They didn't)

But the weird thing is..the guy said, "Look to make it easier we'll just stick with the Rennaciance" and so that's what happened.

Then he fingerprinted us (yep, they do that in the US) and he commmented about my irregular finger prints..(i'll tell you about that in Email) and we were let lose. He was pretty friendly actually. So much friendlier than his english counterpart.

And as we were walking out..the guy looked at us, our airport, the system and said, "Staying at the Rennaciance?" and we just nodded and walked through.

The thing is, why did we have to lie?

We were, in effect, forced to.

Once we got to the Accomodation Counter we felt pretty washed out really. We were glad we'd had the wine on the plane to cope with it all!! haha

The lady told us....she only had rooms available for 300 dollars upwards! I MEAN! $300 AMERCIAN????

We said...well, we want BUDGET!

"Surely you have budget?"

She pointed to another table, said, "Hostels there!" got back to her phone call she was having, and we enquired there at the 'other counter'.

As we were doing this we bumped into a New Zealand couple who wanted to chat...and who were really friendly. She said to try the hotel they were staying at. The Pennsylvania. It was two star her travel agent told her.

We thought we'd check The Other Counter first.There was a woman there that said you need to make a phone call to a few hotels she listed and then said ring 'over there' and that was that.

Phone calls were 50cents.

We had to change money to get the 50cents.

So off to the Money Changer.

She changed our English Sterling Pounds to Americal dollars and cents and said, "You can only have 4 quarters, no more!"

So we had to buy a phone card from her for US$10.

So...we had our four quarters to make two calls to find accomodation. And a ten dollar phone card that we later realised only had 20 minutes on it from a public phone box.

We made a call to the Pennsylvania, where the Kiwi couple were staying. US$399 a night for three nights then US$299 a night for the following two, excluding taxes!!

NO THANKS!

We were looking budget..about US$100 per night (which is still around 120 or so Australian).

So we called a few other places and they were all in the same price range which was just ridiculous.

The phone card ran out and we'd spent $11 ringing places.

So back to the Accomodation Counter to interrupt the woman who was still on the phone. She put the receiver down for a minute, looking absolutely pissed off that we were back again..and we told her we'd take the US$190 Airport hotel.

She finally decided to let us in on the secret and told us there were some budget hotels in an area just close to the airport that we could ring from FREE PHONE that she pointed to behind her and they would come and get us in a shuttle bus!!!

HELLO.

Why didn't she tell us that BEFORE.

So we looked at the ten or so budget hotels...rang there..and they came and got us in their shuttle bus.

So, this is where we are. In our budget hotel, for $110 a night, including taxes and breakfast and which has a HUGE double bed and MIRRORS on every wall, including the ceiling!!!!!!!!! A MASSIVE TV (as i would imagine only the US would have!) and strangely, it's only a one storey building....a motel, not a hotel.

I think it could possibly be 'one of those hotels' ...

Because, when we were checking in yesterday, this big black guy and a lady walked in...he was agitated because the girl at reception was booking us in, and then took a phone call, and he was in a hurry.....and as we were leaving the reception desk i heard the receptionist say, 'Just for one night?" and he said, "TWO HOURS THANKYOU."

hahahaha

THIS IS NEW YORK!!!!!!

We're going to the State Empire Building now...and i'll let you know how it all goes here...we're here for a week.

YAY.

A WEEK in ONE place!!!

xxx

PLAY IN WEST END LONDON

Night of the day of 206!

Our Last night in London!

We saw the Sound of Music at the London Palladium..which was just fantastic. The stage, and the lighting, and the sound, was better than anything i've ever seen before..including the Moulin Roug in Paris, the Phantom of the Opera in Brisbane, Cats and Les Mis in Perth, shows in Las Vegas.....

Well, let's be honest...not better, as these other plays have their own magic that's for sure...

But it was good! I think it was the atmoshere...but also the microphones that the actors (singers?) have on their lapels..whatever it was, the sound was amazing. The energy was electic..

We had such a good time!

Dinner next door at Garfunkles was great before the play, as was the wine as well..not sure what it was called, but very similar to my favourite, Amberley..chenin blanc..

It ended up being a late night...and we were having an early morning with our flight to New York being at 10am but it was worth being out..in the West End, seeing a great play..and just being there..

It was a great way to end our last night in Europe.

Tomorrow, we're off to our next continent! Our 4th. So far, we've fulfilled four of our round-the-world destinations...Asia, Africa, Europe..and now America...then South America..

Onwards we go!

xxx