Long delays and sticker shock at the same time!

Well, we got to the Columbus airport in good time, but then sat around for the next 6 hours waiting for a "ground control wait" to be lifted from the Newark airport. We finally took off from Columbus at 5:10, landed at Newark at 6:20, ran to the gate the London flight left from, and walked on the plane as the next to last people to board! Made it!!!

We landed at Gatwick airport around 6:00 am, had to talk the immigration officer into letting Lynn into the country with his washed out (literally) passport, and headed for the train. And then sticker shock struck! Two tickets on the next train from Gatwick to Bristol, a 2 1/2 hour trip, were just over $300! A later train was over $200, so we took the National Express bus (think Greyhound but 100 times more buses) for about $150. That's 20 times what we pay in Honduras!

Then in Bristol we paid $15 to get on a city bus to take us to the port, and here in the port we paid $165 for one night's lodging at the one and only hotel in town, a modest one at that. Everything here in England is twice what it is in Ohio. Gas is over $8.00 per gallon, a single MacDonald's cheesburger is $2.00, and there is no such thing as a one dollar menu anywhere. This is going to be an expensive beginning, especially since the ship is delayed coming from Portugal and won't be here until very late Saturday night, almost two days late. So we will be spending two days in Bristol, and another $120 in lodging.

But, that is what money is for, and this is a well earned vacation!

More when we finally get on board , and when we can find a computer to use, until then we are going to enjoy the English coastal scenery, where the daffodils are in full bloom!

Lynn