5:30 am, the alarm goes off. I didn’t sleep well, was too
excited about going to Malta. My back kinda hurts trying to stretch it out. It
is supposed to be 86 degrees here in the greater Seattle area today September
7, 2012, WTF?? I hope Bud takes care of my plants and yard. We haven’t had any
measurable rain for 46 days. No, that isn’t all THAT unusual in the Emerald
City, we haven’t broken the record yet and the record isn’t that old. It really
doesn’t rain here all that much it is just often gray more than needed.
All packed, all ready to go, looking at the clock it is 7:30
am and my ride to the airport (shuttle express here is Seattle), has said they
will be here at 8 to 8:20. I figure that means 8:30 in English. I am OK with
that because I discovered last night my flight has been delayed an hour. I am
supposed to leave now about 1pm. So much slack time is built in now with the
TSA and the fear mongers. THANK YOU GEORGE W, you idiot!!
Just called the bank for my debit card, I Almost forgot…..
that might have been bad. Almost no one now uses traveler checks any more. I
needed to tell them I would be out of the country. I had already talked to the
Visa people but I might need some cash out of the cash machine and that is one
of the bestest, easiest ways to convert money now in a foreign country.
I am packing light, only one fairly small carry on suitcase,
my laptop bag and my camera. This is basically all the airline legally allows
you to carry on. I learned this from Cary, (thanks Cary), travelling VERY light
truly rulz the world. I remember those people we ran into in Lima, Peru and
later we ran into them in a hillside street market and the airline had “lost”
all their luggage, they were so screwed. I take all cotton clothes and plan on
some laundry.
AH, the Shuttle Express is here exactly on time. The woman
is older with blonde spiked hair, she has the leather coated smoker’s voice, and
she so much reminds me of a friend, Sally. She is happy to be driving in the
Duvall countryside on such a beautiful day. I feel like she is flirting and
wonder how long it will be till she asks my marital status, it doesn’t take
long. She needs to have her am news/talk radio on; she is addicted to the
racket. I finally turn it way down. She has to turn it back up. We arrive at
the wrong gate, United that is my fault, should be Lufthansa through United. We
unload and she shuts the back door.
I say “I need my camera too”. I start to walk away. She exclaims “WHAT, no
gratuity?? We only make minimum wage ya know”!!
I give her a $20. She says “Can I come with you”? I say
“No”.
So I have the long walk. I did print out my boarding pass at
home that worked slick as hell. Long security line ahead, go figure. I get to
do a new thingy, there is always a new deal at security right? Today it is the
x-ray where they say “put your thumbs to your head and spread your fingers like
antlers”! I think maybe the guy is shitting me so I look at his face, I can’t
tell, so I do antlers. Now here I am at gate A13 and I am three hours early. I
do some writing long hand, and then I think Christ I might as well drag the
laptop out and plug her in!
Large loud talking man waiting here too, is getting his
business wrapped up for the week and thankfully he has a blue tooth so he just
bellers. I keep turning around and pointedly looking at him and so he walks
about 20 feet away. I can still easily hear every single word.
Then this sneaking black dude starts walking around and
weighing people’s luggage, another new wrinkle. I compare the stuff he is
taking and making people check in to mine own. Yike, so I move where I am
sitting to the other side, he considers this. I hear him say no carry on can
weigh more than 8 kilos, 17.6 pound ain’t much homey. When we line up I stay
over to the left the person who looks at my boarding pass has a badge that says
“trainee”
We load up and the flight isn’t terrible. I got an outside
seat so I can stand up and move around a bit. The woman sitting next to me is
an Indian woman wearing a large shawl and traditional dress. When I watch a
movie she watches my movie with no sound, she doesn’t use her own. She shuts
her window shade and then leans way forward to look out the window on the
person sitting in front of her. The service is pretty good on Lufthansa they
bring nice hot wet towels to wash up (twice), two meals, many drinks and
snacks, I like Lufthansa.
We get off in Frankfurt out on the field, we have to get on
buses and I miss the first one. I have 30 minutes till the next flight loads; I
am starting to worry time. They drive us all over way around I see my gate and
they keep going why? They finally stop at a security check in, WHAT!! I just
got off your plane and went through all that security crap already. Finally get
through and have a really long walk, first down many stairs then a long
straight stretch and then back up. Did I tell you I was sweating the time. I
hate Lufthansa!
I get there and of course they are running behind there was
no hurry. There is also no place to sit so 100 of us hardy travelers stand
there milling around. I am OK with that I was just sitting for 10 hours wasn’t
I? Their loading is chaotic. We finally take off. I am sitting in a row of
three on the outside. They two women next to me are older, one has to be at
least 75 or 80 and they are the loudest women I have ever sat next to. But at
east they never shut up. I could tell how bad it was by the dirty looks the
people in front of them were giving them.
Finally I land in Malta. It smells warm and humid, kinda
deserty, North Africa like. Yellow limestone buildings and palm trees. I am
looking for my ride, I walk through a row of people holding signs which say
“Mark Jones” and “HOP” and various things but no Ed Peters to be had. I consult
my paperwork and ask someone if he knows these people. He says to go to
information, on the way over here is Mr Ed Peters sign. Yay! I go to get in the
car in front and am confronted with a steering wheel. I say ‘so you guys drive
on the wrong side’? He drives very fast on the wrong side.
We get to the Hotel and I am about to drop. I am so sweaty
and tired and so on. I need a shower and a clothes change and a nap! The woman
at the desk says “you know we do not check people in till 3pm”…it is 1. So I
dropped off luggage and walked around the little harbor. I saw a moray eel dead
floating on the water, the water was clear lots of baitfish. I was too hot,
went back to the hotel. I asked the guy at the bar if he had anything
non-alcoholic to drink, he said no.
No iced tea I ask? He says yes, peach or
lemon?
