I found my old Livejournal (which is still active) and which is where I posted updates about my Art Study Tour trip. In fact, I got the Livejournal account in the first place as a way to update about the trip. So, what I'm going to do here is post all the posts about the trip, including excerpts from before and after. Any during-trip posts will be included in their entirety, and unedited. =) Enjoy!
May 13th, 2005
Tonight, my parents and I went to the Rodeo Lounge to see "The Rodeo Country Singing Challenge" which is an Idol show, that was cool. It was Top 10 night, and 3 will get cut. I won't be able to go next week though because I'LL BE IN TURKEY! Yes, Turkey! I leave Halifax Wednesday at 2:20 to fly to Boston, then on to Zurich for a layover, then on to Instanbul! I'm there from May 19th-21st, then it's on to Greece... a couple nights in Mykonos then on a 4 night cruise, then back to Athens for a couple nights. After that, I'm headed to Switzerland for 4 nights, where I'll be staying with my host family whom I stayed with for 5 months back in 2001 when I was an exchange student! I can't wait to see them again! I'm so excited about this trip! It's going to be awesome!!! It's the annual Fine Art Study Tour that one of the professors from school puts on. Last year they went to England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and next year they will be going to Italy. If I had to pick one place that I wanted to go before I died, it would be Greece so obviously, when I saw the sign for it, I begged Mom and Dad to let me go! Not only that, but to extend the trip to include Switzerland! It won't cost that much extra because I get to stay there for free, and have most meals included. My friend Zak who is going on the trip will also be accompanying me to Switzerland. It's gonna be a blast!
May 16, 2005
I went out with Mom to Wal-Mart today and bought a couple of sundresses for my trip. Unfortunately, the one I liked the best doesn't quite fit... it looked good from the bottom to the bust, and then, well, *sigh* my chest is just too big. There was no way I could have went out in public with that kind of cleavage, and THAT's sayin somethin. :( So I wasn't too happy about that, but oh well. I'm debating on to take my "nice" black pants... or just stick with my cargo pants Sara gave me. *sigh* I always pack too much and am TRYING to pack light. I don't think I'll take them. I have to go out again tomorrow though and buy a few other things.
I'm really looking forward to this trip! I don't know quite what to expect, but I'm sure it will be amazing! Well, I should go and get some more packing done so I'm as close to ready as possible for Wednesday, and get to bed somewhat early. ;)
May 18th, 2005
12:25 am - Leaving today!
Well, this is going to be my last livejournal entry in Canada for a couple weeks. I'm about to go to sleep for the night, and then tomorrow (technically today) I'm LEAVING!!! I can't wait... it's going to be such a great trip!
I bought a memory card yesterday, put it in today. I can take 1505 pictures just on the memory card! And that's only 128 megabytes! I was suprised. That's on the lowest setting though, so I can take higher quality pictures, since I'll be uploading them to my computer every night. :) (As long as my universal adapter works, which it should. It doesn't work with discmans, as I found out last time I was in Switzerland.)
So, that's all for now, bye all! Maybe I'll have a tan when I get home... it's going to be in the 70s almost everyday over there, even the 80s in some places. It was 88 in Patmos today, which is where I'll be on Tuesday, and 79 in Athens.
Fun in the sun, here I come!
Whoohoo!!!
Current Mood: GREECE TRIP STARTS TOMORROW!!!
Current Music: C100
May 19th, 2005
03:30 am - Updating from Zurich, Switzerland!
Well, I have made it to Zurich! The flight from Halifax to Boston was ok, small seats though and my back hurt. When I got to Boston, I checked in and was debating going through security when Cliff (the professor and organizer of the trip) came up behind me and said "You've got Canadian all over you!" lol He gave me a hug and said there were people gathered there. I asked if Zak was there, and he was actually walking towards us. Logan's not as bad as I thought. Had to go through 2 security screenings, but ya know, it's Boston and a major hub so I guess I'm not suprised.
We boarded the plane bound for Zurich, and actually left early. I LOVE SWISSAIR! It's not actually called Swissair now, just "SWISS". The service was great, food was great, and the entertainment system was great. It frightened me a bit because it came out in the investigation that the cause of Swissair Flight 111's crash was the wiring in the entertainment systems in the seats. So when I saw them I was a bit nervous actually, but all is well, and besides, that was in 98 and was an MD-11. This is 2005 and it was an Airbus, so I imagine they've been updated. But it was great, you could watch movies in your own seat when they were playing, and the rest of the times you could play games like Blackjack and Who Wants to be a Millionaire :) My only complaint was that the seats were small, and I was in the middle of a set of three. Coincidentally, Zak and I were placed next to each other, which we both thought was awesome cuz we didn't ask for it. For those who DON'T know, Zak's my travelling buddy and is accompanying me to Switzerland as well.
Speaking of Switzerland, it's very refreshing to be back here. Even though I won't actually leave the airport until I return in a couple weeks, it's still awesome to be back here. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I was so excited just to get off in the airport and see the flag outside. :) I can't wait to come and stay for the few days. I really wish it was cheaper, I'd love to come back more often. I mean, this is the first time I've been back since I went home in February 2002. I'm really excited to see the Perrin family, they were so great to me and were so good to offer me and Zak a place to stay while we're in the country.
It's currently 9:40 local time in Switzerland. At 11:30 or so we'll probably start boarding to head to Istanbul. Our flight leaves at 12:25 and gets in at 4:20 Istanbul time (which is 1 more hour ahead). We get in, have a dinner, then the rest of the evening is at leisure. I didn't get any sleep on the plane though, so I think I'll peruse the city a bit with Zak if he wants to (which I think he does) but head back early and get some rest.
Well, I think that's all my news for now, I'll update more later when I can. I had to pay for this wireless time! 7 Swiss Francs for 30 minutes. Oh well. I tell ya, the things I do to keep people updated ;)
So, I bid you adieu and a tout a l'heures! ;) (Bye and see you later)
Current Mood: I'm in EUROPE!!!
Current Music: None. I'm in an airport dude.
May 25, 2005
01:32 pm - I know, it's been a while...
Ok, so I know it's been a while, but here I am at an internet cafe in Rhodes, Greece. It's nice here, very hot today. Let's see...
After Zurich we went to Istanbul which was very interesting. The only bad thing was the friggin peddlers. There were a ton of them and they swarmed and were very insistent. But we saw some great sights such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. We also went to the Grand Bazaar where I bought two t-shirts. :) We spent two nights in Istanbul, and then it was on to Athens airport where we flew to Mykonos. MYKONOS IS AMAZING. I want to move there, seriously. It's beautiful, with a beautiful climate, and nice people. We stayed the San Marco Hotel, and it was the BEST hotel room that I've ever had in my life. The people at the hotel were amazing too. Swam in the pool, had a daiquiri, life was good. I bought some a skirt and 3 white tops, a bunch of post cards, and the food was great! There was a shuttle that went into town. Our last night there, a bunch of us went to have dinner at a restaurant called "Taverna Nikos". I had lamb souvlaki, which was fantastic. The next day I just kinda chilled out at the hotel. After 3 days (2 nights) in Mykonos, we went to board our cruise ship. Well, to be quite honest, it isn't the greatest cruise ship. I wouldn't go on it again. The people are ok I guess, but the ship is small, and we have an inside cabin, which sucks. I know we only sleep there, but still. This morning the alarm went off at 9am (a day of sleeping in!) and it felt like it was 5am. No window or nothin. S'anyway, we left Mykonos Monday night, and on Tuesday arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey. I went and bought some post cards, we had some chai (tea, but not like the Dunkin Donuts kind), then I went back to the ship. That afternoon we sailed to Patmos. That is a very nice island; I really liked it. Zak and Cliff and I walked around, I bought some postcards and stamps, and then we sat at a cafe and had Gelato, which is an Italian ice cream. Oh it was so good!!! Then we just looked around a bit more, and headed back to the tender boat. (We weren't at a port this time, and had to be tendered to shore.) So, then it was time for dinner, which was the Greek Night, where we were encouraged to wear blue and white. I did, as I had my light blue skirt that I bought in Mykonos, and I wore one of my white tops. We had a nice sit-down dinner as opposed to the usual buffets, and the Moussaka was great. (For those that don't know, it's kinda of like a Greek lasagna, with eggplant, potatos, and cheese, among other things.) Afterwards, me and some of the gang hung out on deck, went to the casino, and then hung out in one of the lounges a bit, then back up on deck. The breeze kept getting warmer, so I guess we're more southern. Since we didn't sign up for any shore excursions today, we had a nice sleep in day, where we got up at 9 instead of 6, lol. We left the boat around 10:30 and found our way into Rhodes. Zak, Aaron, Casey and I had a beautiful lunch at an outdoor taverna - I had Gyros, which is pronounced like Euros, and it's fried pita bread, pork, tomato, cucumber, and served with fries and this really good sauce that is kinda like a ranchy sour cream. It was excellent. Then we went walking around a bit more. Zak and I seem to have gotten separated from Casey and Aaron, and are now sitting at an internet cafe. I have a fabulous vanilla milkshake which I am quite enjoying!
Tonight we have our Gala dinner, which is formal. Should be fun! Then tomorrow we sail to Herklion or something like that, which is the capital of Crete. I am getting a shore tour there (if there is space left!) to visit the Palace of Knosses. Should be really fun! Then we go to Santorini. Or vice versa, something like that. Then, Friday we sail into Athens where we will have a city tour and then go to our hotel - the Titania (www.titania.gr - check it out, it looks amazing). 3 nights there, then on May 30th our plane leaves to go to Zurich at 7am (I'm just gonna pull an all nighter I think, easier that way then getting up at 4 lol) and then Zak and I head to Yverdon, to spend 4 nights in Switzerland. What's really cool is that two of the ladies, Cici and Kathy (maybe with a C) are also going for 4 nights and we are on the same plane back to Boston on Friday.
Anyway, that's about it for now, it's 5 minutes to 2 here in the very hot Rhodes, and probably time to be getting on. I want to get back to ship at a decent hour to get ready for the Gala. :)
So, until next time, there's your update! Sorry it took me so long. Bye for now!
Current Mood: Life is good
Current Music: Greek radio which is talking right now
May 27, 2005
06:53 pm - Athens
Ok... I'm going to bed soon but I wanted to update while I still had internet access in my hotel room (I bought 24 hours and it runs out at 2pm tomorrow but I'm leaving here at 9am).
Ok so I updated in Rhodes... we got back to the ship and sailed on to Crete, where I did a shore excursion to the Palace of Knosses, which is the Palace of King Minos... the Minoan people from way back in the day lol. The tour wasn't all that great because the tour guide spoke too low and fast, we couldn't make out what she was saying. But, I saw ruins, so that was cool.
In the afternoon, we sailed to Santorini, but I did not disembark because I was sleeping. See, Wednesday, before I went to Rhodes, something I didn't mention in my update from Rhodes (I don't think anyway) was that I had quite a fall down half a flight of stairs out on deck. So, my ankle, back, and butt are all very sore. And somehow, I also got whiplash, and my other side hurts when I laugh or sneeze. I'm all sorts of messed up right now lol. So, I had a nap with a hot towel around my neck, which was nice. I'm kinda kicking myself right now though, because I guess Santorini was awesome. I saw some pictures and I'd like to go back. I'd also like to see more of Crete, because as our professor said, we didn't get a very good introduction to Crete. So, we left Santorini, had dinner, and then packed up and got ready for the next day. We had to have our suitcases out by 2am in order for them to be portered off the ship. So, we hung out a while, then went to bed and got up around 6:15... got ready, had breakfast, then got off the ship in Pireaus which is basically connected to Athens. We then had a city tour of Athens where we stopped at the Olympic Stadium (the track part), saw the National Gallery, University, Archeological Museum, a bunch of other things, oh, the Temple of Zeus, and then we went up to the Acropolis, where we saw the Parthenon and Temple of Nike. Nike is the Goddess of Victory. Then, we went back to the hotel, settled a bit, and then Zak, Cliff and I went for a great lunch at a place called Neon, where you serve yourself and they have a HUGE selection of great Greek food. I had Moussaka again, it was wonderful. Then, we went back to the hotel, and I had a nice long nap. At 8:30pm we left to go to dinner at a taverna called "The Old Stables". Oh it was amazing!!! Beautiful grounds, and then inside we were given food and food and more food, and entertained by Greek singing and traditional dancing! It was a lot of fun!
Tomorrow we are headed to a day-long excursion of Delphi, which is about 3 hours away I think. I'm looking forward to it. Then Sunday we have a day totally to ourselves, and Monday morning (still Sunday night if you ask me) we fly to Zurich. Where some of us will say bye to the rest of the group and hop on a train to stay in Switzerland! The others will fly back to Boston. Anyway, that's all for now, it's late and I need to get a bit of sleep and get up early.
More later!
Current Mood: sleepy time...
Current Music: none. Zak's snoring though.
May 29, 2005
08:22 pm - I'm leaving... on a jet plane... off to Switzerland!
Last update from Greece! Going down to breakfast in a few minutes, then off to the airport to go to Switzerland. I'm excited!!! So, here's the latest:
Well, yesterday we went to Delphi, which was pretty cool. Lots of ruins, and I got some pictures. But, my camera is all sorts of fucked up now because my fall. I'm assuming that was it, because it worked fine before I fell, and then messed up immediately after. So I'm depending on other people's pictures Ah well. I do have some! So, then we came back, and went to supper at Neon. I couldn't resist, I had the moussaka again. It's so good!!! Then, we were walking around, and we decided to go by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and see the guards. Well, it was nearly 10 by this time so I said "hey, it's almost 10, let's wait for the change!" Sure enough, we were there but a minute and 3 guards come marching up the street. It was really interesting... very slow, and very precise of course. So this one guard escorted the two that were starting the shift, then they changed which was quite a lengthy process, then he escorted the two that had just come off the shift back to wherever they go... I assume some sort of barracks or something. I'm sure Cliff got it on video, and he's giving us all a DVD of all the video he took on the trip.
Today was a leisure day, and a bunch of us went to the National Archeological Museum. It was amazing! First of all, it's huge... they have a ton of artifacts that have been excavated from sites, most of which are from many centuries BC. They also have a section of quite a few rooms of statues and grave steles. There's this one statue of Zeus that was found in the ocean, and he's poised as if he's going to throw one of his arrows. I like the Sphinxes... I think they're very interesting to look at, plus the riddles they said in Greek Mythology.*
After the Museum, we went to the Monastariki, which is a huge market. It's good, not like the Bazaar in Istanbul where they pester you, but the people are nice, and it's really not too bad. It started raining around 2:30 though, which is when we siad we'd meet up with everyone to regroup... we went back to the hotel, and I rested for a bit. Didn't sleep a WHOLE lot, but just laying down resting is beneficial. Then, at 6 we met down in the lobby and headed back to the Monastariki for dinner. I had lamb chops, which were good but not enough meat for my liking. I should've gone for the souvlaki! After dinner, some went back to the hotel, but myself, Cliff, Cecilie, Zak, Aaron and Casey walked around some more, had some drinks, smoked some Cubans (ok, the boys did.) and it was a good time overall. I was craving ice cream (hey, wouldn't you if you kept walking by it?) so I ended up getting a scoop of caramel and a scoop of cookies and cream in a waffle cone. Very enjoyable. Then, we just headed back to the hotel and lo and behold, the hotel's internet server was up and running again. (It was down all yesterday and today.)
The hotel is having a breakfast for us at 3:30am (which is an hour from now, well, 45 mins) and then we leave at 4 for the airport. Our plane leaves for Zurich at 7, and Zak and I, as well as 3 others will depart from the group there for our extended vacation in Switzerland. I'm really looking forward to seeing my Swiss family again, and the change of pace that will come with it. I love travelling, but this trip has been very busy. Which is good, I've seen a lot, but time to rest will be nice. Nice relaxation in the countryside, I know I'm going to be sad to leave but it will be nice to get home next Friday night. Not looking forward to the plane ride. I like flying, but long flights are so hard, and I can never sleep on planes. At least it's an Airbus and has a nice entertainment system at each seat. Gotta love flying Swiss. (By the way, for future reference for anyone travelling over this way, Turkish Airlines was great, I highly recommend it. I was kind of leary of it, but very impressed with the service.)
Well that's all for now till my next update. I think I'll just copy and paste this into my livejournal lol. A tout a l'heures!
*A sphinx riddle for you all:
"What animal has 4 legs in the morning of its life (beginning), 2 at the noon of its life, (middle) and 3 in the evening of its life (end)?" This question was asked to Edipus (not sure if I spelled that right) by a Sphinx that blocked his path. Those who had come before and answered wrong, were killed by the Sphinx. Edipus answered correctly, and the Sphinx vanished and Edipus was able to continue on his journey.
Answer and explain.
Current Mood: a good anxious... Switzerland!
June 1st, 2005
06:09 pm - Only one more day in Switzerland... je suis triste... 8-(
Well, we've made it to Switzerland! It is already our third day here and tomorrow is our last day :( I'm sad, I would love to stay longer. We arrived Monday around 1:00 in Yverdon. It was overcast and it was actually raining when we left Zurich. We came, had some lunch, talked a bit with Francine (the mother) and then had a nap. After, we had supper, talked some more, and relaxed. They have wireless internet here, so I am able to check my email and stuff like that, but I am not online often because there are better things to do here! Yesterday, we left around 10 to go to Lausanne, which is about a half hour away and is the capital of Vaud, this canton (province). We ate sandwiches by the lake (Lac Leman... sometimes it is called Lake Geneva by English-speaking people but this is WRONG... THERE IS NO "LAKE GENEVA"!!! It is Lac Leman, and is half Swiss, half French. You can even take a ferry over to Evian, France. (Where Evian water comes from... I wouldn't be too proud of that if I lived there, Evian water sucks). After lunch, we went to the Olympic Museum, the Cathedral (which has an amazing view) and then had some iced tea. After that, we went home where we had RACLETTE for supper!!! It's one of my favorites!!! You have a special grill, where on top you can cook small pieces of meat or vegetables or whatever, and underneath is another level where you put the cheese. You have a little pan for your cheese, so you put a square of cheese in the pan, on top you put whatever you want (little pieces of meat, vegetables, etc) and put it on the bottom level and when the cheese melts it is ready. You serve it with potatos, and usually put pepper on it. Also, you cannot drink cold beverages with it because if you do, you won't feel well in your stomach. So, the typical drink is white wine or tea. So we had that, and it was fantastic! I love raclette!!! For all those wondering though, no, I don't like cheese fondue. Icky.
Anyway, today we got up, had breakfast, puttered around the house (I did the ironing!) then had lunch, and went to Yverdon. We walked around the town, went to the supermarket and bought some chocolate lol, then had a drink out in the town, then went to see Yverdon Beach which is on Lake Neuchatel. Around 5, we went home and prepared an excellent BBQ... chicken, veal cutlets, turkey kebabs, pasta and salad; it was fabulous! Chocolate for dessert of course ;) Around 8:30, we left to go to Yverdon to the Hollywood Cafe where we sat around with some friends and had drinks (mostly iced tea). Then, the girls went and washed their cars (after 10 at night! lol) and we went home. Now, it is after midnight, and I'm tired, so that's all I'll write I think. Tomorrow we will go to Gruyere, which if anyone knows, it's famous for a type of cheese, and I guess it's a very pretty village. So, a tout a l'heures!
Message to Bud: Just 2 more days and I'll be home! :)
Current Mood: time for bed
Current Music: none
June 3, 2005
07:53 am - Stuck in Zurich, then I'm stuck in Boston...
Well, we get to the airport this morning, and go to check in, and lo and behold, our plane that was supposed to leave at 1pm is not leaving till 5:30 pm because of "Technical Difficulities"... yay. What does this mean? It means I will ARRIVE in Boston about a half hour after my plane for Halifax LEAVES. That's just arriving, not to mention the picking up of the baggage and passport control... La dee dah. So I called Delta, and they can't do anything because it's two different carriers and they're not responsible. Which is understandable. The next flight out from Delta is tomorrow night at the same time my flight tonight is/was: 7:45. If I were to cancel and go with another airline, I'd have to buy a whole new plane ticket, and I'd have to stay overnight anyway because the next flight out isn't until 7:40 tomorrow morning. So, instead of buying a plane ticket, I'll pay 50 bucks to change the flight in Boston, and I booked a hotel room. Better that than a 600 plane ticket AND a night in the airport or hotel. So, maybe I'll get to see some of Boston or something. Who knows? I'm almost out of internet time, so that's all I'll say for now, but I have to update when I get more internet time (tonight at the hotel) about yesterday at Gruyere! Alors, later all. Next time I update will be from a hotel in Boston. Not even... Woburn, wherever that is. *sigh*
Current Mood: discontent
Current Music: none... in Zurich airport.
June 11, 2005
11:08 pm - LOOOOOONG Update: Gruyere and the Nightmare that was my journey home.
Well, I know it's been a while since I updated... I haven't really been in the mood to update. But, now that I'm back and kinda in a typing mood, here goes. First of all, before I get into my horror story of the trip home, I'll talk about our little trip to Gruyere.
Gruyere - Thursday, June 2nd
Most everyone knows that Switzerland is famous for cheeses. They have a lot of various types of cheeses, but one of the most common cheeses is called Gruyere. It is named for the little town where it comes from. Although I myself do not like Gruyere cheese, we decided to go to the little village. Francine, my host mother, told us that it's very pretty and the tourists like to go there. So, we went and it was neat... very small, mostly souvenir shops and cafes. There was a castle there that we went to, which was cool. I like old castles - they had a pamphlet that they give you that gives you information on each of the rooms. So that was nice. Beautiful views as well. After we left the castle, we decided to go get something to drink, and I wanted a Coupe Danemark. I hadn't had one since the last time I'd been in Switzerland, and I REALLY wanted one. For those that don't know, a Coupe Danemark is a cup of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate fondue sauce. So, out it comes and I look at it, and I'm like, "where's the chocolate?" The waiter had gone though, so we asked him when he came back. Apparently, the cook wasn't in to make the fondue sauce, and he asked if I still wanted it. I said no, because it wasn't a Coupe Danemark without the chocolate. And I certainly wouldn't pay 13 Francs for it without chocolate! So, we just had our drinks. I bought a cowbell that said Guyeres on it because cowbells are a typical Swiss souvenir, and I have one from Leysin. I decided that for every little village I went to in Switzerland that was touristy, I would buy a cowbell. So, then we went home. It ended up being about an hour from the village of Gossens.
That night, after supper, Christele, Jenny, Flavia, Zak and I went over to the town of Yvonand where we would have drinks and ice cream. Christele told me since I didn't get my Coupe Danemark yet, she would buy me one there. Well, we get there, and their ice cream menu has many "Coupe" dishes, but NOT Coupe Danemark! So we kinda had a laugh at that, but asked if they could make one and they did. At last, I got to enjoy my Coupe Danemark.
We would leave the next day, and we had no idea what frustration was to come...
Going Home: The Nightmare
So, we get up around 6 because we want to take the 8:06 train. Well, I start the day off with a headache. Luckily, Switzerland is the pharmaceutical capital of the world and I take something that works fast. :) We say goodbye to the girls and Claude, who are going to work, and then Francine takes us to the train station. We say our goodbyes, and when the train comes, we board and this time we have to put our luggage with us as there is no spot for it in the car we are in. I'm not feeling the greatest, so I rest most of the way. I don't fully go to sleep for fear of missing the station. So we get off at the airport, and find Swissair to check in. We stand in line, to find out, there is a FIVE HOUR DELAY. Our plane, which was supposed to leave at 1, was now not leaving until 5:30. Now, with time zones and whatnot, it looks like we get there in 2 hours because of the 5 hour difference. Originially, we would leave Switzerland at 1pm, arrive in Boston at 3:20pm, giving me a 4 hour layover till my flight to Halifax at 7:45. However, this is just enough delay to put us at the airport at approximately 8:00pm, 15 minutes after my other plane leaves. So, I panic a little bit, but not too much. I call my parents, and then call Delta to see what can be done. Well, since I'm on two different carriers and I did them myself seperately, neither one is responsible for the other. So, it looks like I'm going to have to stay in Boston because the flight I was originally on is the last flight to Halifax. So, I get online and find a room in Boston. I was hoping to find a 50 dollar room, but I was later told, in Boston that doesn't exist. I found one for 80 US... the Comfort Inn Woburn, 8 miles from the airport. Gotta love Travelocity. I did see a hotel right IN the airport, between terminals A and E, but it was too expensive. Or so I thought. (Read on). So, we wait, and wait, and wait some more. When a gate is finally listed for our flight, we head over to the gate, and wait some more. THEN, before boarding, we have to do ANOTHER passport control, which doesn't make sense cuz we've already done one. But, we finally board, and it ends up being an Airbus 340 instead of a 320, and I found the 340 to be more comfortable. On the long flight, I watched The Pacifier and Hitch (different parts I saw twice over because they kept being replayed) and after 7 and a half or 8 and a half hours, we finally arrived in Boston. We go through Customs which was fine, then baggage, which was fine, and I left Zak to go to the transfer desk to see if anything could still be done about my missed flight... ya know, getting it paid for or something. Well, they were busy dealing with people who were still trying to fly out that night, so I decided just to go. Well, I get to an ATM, and find that I have insufficient funds. So, I'm in Boston, with a hotel room 8 miles away, and no money for a taxi. I call home and I'm just so overwhelmed by the situation I'm crying on the phone to mom (luckily I was in a section of the terminal where not many people were). I call Dad because he's at the cottage and he asked me if there was a hotel in the airport or closer to it. Remembering what I saw, I said "I saw one that was between terminals A and E, which are the two terminals I need (I was in E and going to A for my flight home) but it's too expensive. I don't remember what it's called but it's one of those expensive ones." He says to me, "I didn't ask how much it was, I asked if there was one there." So I told him I'd look it up and call him back. I go over to a hotel directory, and as it turns out, the one that's connected to the airport is the HILTON Boston Logan Airport. I call Dad back, and tell him what it is. He calls the Comfort Inn, ends up cancelling at no charge, and books me a room at the Hilton. So I make my way though the pedway to the Hilton, which includes walking over the freeway. So I finally get in there, walk by a prom that was in one of the ballrooms, and down to the lobby. My basic reaction? "Woooowwwwww..." It was beautiful! Honestly I don't remember EXACTLY what it looked like cuz I was tired, but I know it was beautiful. So, I check in, and she said that I could use my card for everything, even the gift shop, and it would be paid for with my Dad's credit card. So I go up to the room, and woooooooow again. The bed was HUGE!!! Probably a King, and EXTREMELY comfy!!! I had a corner room, so I had a window that went on two walls, that overlooked, of course, the freeway. But either way, it was a beautiful room. I took pictures which I'll put on here later. I was getting quite the sore throat (which started on the plane) so I made some tea (after a nice hot shower) and ordered some pizza from room service. It was good but of course I couldn't finish, and my sore throat prevented me from really enjoying it. So, I went to bed, in the nice comfy bed, and it didn't take long till I was happily dead to the world.
So, I wake up early, but my alarm was set anyway, because my parents told me that if I called Delta at 8:30am, and there was space available, I could get on the 11:30 flight for 40 bucks, which could be charged to Dad's card. Well, you think this would be easy. But no, of course not. I call, and wait and wait and wait to get transferred to someone who can do what needs to be done (Sameday confirmation and re-issue). I finally get on the line with someone, and the credit card is declined. (To this day we haven't figured out why because it was working fine). So I had to call home, get another credit card number, and called back AGAIN. And waited, and waited, and waited. Oh yeah, also, I'd ordered room service for breakfast, and wouldn't you know, just as I'm on hold, my breakfast arrives. I put speakerphone on, and answered the door. The guy was there, and of course, someone from Delta picks up. I asked him to hold on a second, and just as I'm signing the slip, he hangs up. It had been like, 10 seconds! If that! And I had waited FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! This was before I found out the credit card was declined, because I had started eating while on hold for THAT. Eventually, I got another credit card number, got through to someone, and was done in 2 minutes. After I'd been on the phone for an hour and a half. So, I packed everything up, which didn't take long cuz I'd already had most of my stuff together, called Mom, checked out and was out the door to terminal A. Then of course, I get to Delta and my luggage is 5 pounds overweight, so I have to take stuff out and put in my carryon, which made it interesting to get my bag back in order after taking my computer out for security, but eventually I got to the gate, got on the plane, and got home. All the while, my throat's been killing me and I figure I have strep. But, that is enough for one update, and the update for this past week, will have to come tomorrow. Time for bed.
Current Mood: accomplished
