Day 34: Off and flying AGAIN but where?

Trains, planes (large..medium and small) automobiles (with right and left hand drive), taxi cabs, ferries, punts and elephants.... we have done it all in 34 days.

Up and down the continents of Europe, Africa and North America; Ireland, Corfu, Great Britain and Lusaka for islands. By the time we hopefully arrive in Miami tonight the 22,000 air mile estimate will be overshot. All in 34 days..... Wow... when I originally wrote the heading for this blog it sounded a bit outrageous but there you have it. Are you tired yet? Evidently I am not.  In the departure lounge at Heathrow the flights for the adjacent gates are being called.... Flt 645 for Brussels..... Flt 809 for Geneva .... now boarding.....

Thank you all for reading along. I have not finished some of the pages as yet. One of the biggest challenges has been doing all of this and then having time to tell you all about it .... coherently. Please let me know what you liked, what you would have liked more of and what you thought didn't work as we go forward with The Vicarious Traveler.

So, one last time.......

     4:30am and the skies are already bright... Midsummers eve is approaching fast. I pull open the hotel room drapes to see a very large Starbucks sign over the front door of the Sheraton right across the way. I am deculturizing and gearing back up for the U.S. because surprise... we are headed HOME.

Or at least to Washington on the noon United flight. Somehow there is still so much to do. If I get to the airport reasonably early I can pick up the bits and pieces in tax fee shopping and Boots chemists.

 In the mean time I am anxing over whether I will be charged for an extra bag and am setting up the carry on contingencies of imploding into one roll on. Shampoos and bits are being trashed.. amazing what takes up space and weight. Thank heavens for good hotel amenities.

And we are off to the hotel shuttle for Heathrow Terminal 1.      See Ya! 

 

Miami Airport: 9 pm June 18, 2012:  We are back..... on time, on target. Slightly worn around the edges. This last leg from Washington Dulles to Miami was probably the most taxing of any of the flights in this trip.... too small a plane for this length a trip, no food at all on board....no leg room. I wasn't the only one who had transferred from an overseas flight....  but then it took off on time, landed on time and there came both of my bags.... now isn't thAT GREAT.

And now as the trip is finished, I need to tell you that of all the 16 flights that were included in this travelogue not one flight was late taking off or cancelled or late on arrival. Not one piece of baggage was lost or even misplaced. For all of that we must thank; United, South African Airlines, ProZambia Airways, Aegean Airways and Aer Lingus. (Not that they gave me any breaks or discounts ........) For that I bought travel insurance..... and never needed to use it. Perhaps there is some wisdom in preventive planning because I am perfectly happy to have paid for the peace of mind.  Maybe the leprechauns, wood nymphs and travel fairies decided that they would prove me wrong and give me a chaos free travel experience;  well thank you!

 

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