Apologies to Rod Stewart fans – this is not the first part of the Great USA Song Contest. I thought that I could cover the travelling, airline, car and other bits, leaving the next free for the contest.
After a 5 a.m. start, we had a remarkably trouble free drive to Gatwick airport. Dropped off our car and caught the shuttle bus to The South Terminal. Time to spare.
L (a.k.a. The Wife) is disabled, so we had arranged for ‘assistance’ at the airport. This means standing in a long queue, waiting to get through security. Not a lot of help here, just the usual body search while they check out the metalwork in her knees. L had inadvertantly put her bottles of stuff in her hand baggage, so zip went her hairspray, hand cream and quite a few others. She was NOT happy. Particularly with herself! Ah well, gotta get something wrong! I’ll settle for some lost lotion …
Then, at the assist desk, we were given a pager. A huge chunk of antique technology.
“Come back when it bleeps. Be about 45 minutes” We wandered off to peruse the Duty Free.
45 seconds later -it bleeped. Lots of little flashing LEDs. Forget the Duty Frees, then …
We were taken to a little Golf Trolley cum Cart vehicle. Told to stap in, and wait while another pair of needy people were brought down. After 5 minutes, gazing across at the ‘Win A Supercar’ stand, I unbuckled and wandered across to by a ticket. Talk about high-pressure sales! I wanted a couple of tickets, and the sales slick was telling me how much money I could save by buying them in bulk! No chance – not to a timeshare owner. I’ve been brow-beaten by the best!
The Virgin Atlantic flight was OK. Food edible, but in such small quantities that my blood sugar level was dangerously low by the time we arrived at Orlando.
As for the ‘assistance’ at the Orlando terminal – forget it. Didn’t happen. We were on our own. Join the queue!
The terminal is now equipped with the new, do-it-yourself Immigration Check-in. If you have completed your ESTA, and been there before, you can whizz through. Scan passport, fingerprint, click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as appropriate, get photographed and collect receipt.
Word of warning – if you think that your passport photo is dreadful, just wait to see the photo on your receipt. You’ll be a long time dead before you look as bad as that!
Customs were quick. Baggage was on the carousel by the time we reached it (London – take note!). We found the car rental desk, and claimed our car. I’ll save the car for it’s own blog. It deserves a full chapter to itself.
The contest proper will start with the next blog – ‘Sea to Shining Sea’
See you soon. L and I desperately need a rest.