Boo Hoo we are going home

Wednesday 23rd September 2009...


Woke up early and off to breakfast (Jim decides to join in today) on the patio overlooking the beach...a great way to  and finished off the holiday...and so on to the mundane stuff like packing, we dont have to be too prissy as most things need a wash and/or iron...Carol is worried about the weight of the large cases, so we ask the concierge if they have some scales that they could lend us. No, but there are some  in the business centre, so Jon takes the heaviest case and goes to weigh it. The tension mounts as we await his return...the case is fine, so we ascertain that all the others being lighter should be ok as well...

We envisage a potential problem with returning the Dodge and getting to the airport. The airport drop off for Budget is miles away from the airport proper so there is a free shuttle bus service. Our concern is, that with us all being knackered and Jim's back starting to play up, will we be able to man-handle our 10 pieces of luggage (including carry-on bags) on the bus without going in to meltdown. No, is the answer, so Jim and Jon take the car back to LAX airport earlier than planned for ease of departure later on this afternoon...

Handing the car back was easy...then jump on the free shuttle to the airport and pick up a taxi back to the hotel ($40). We have a mini-bus van thing booked via the hotel, so its all aboard and off to LAX again.. the usual new airport experience confusion is in evidence until a nice bell-boy?? asks if we need any assistance, do we ever, and he has a big trolley for all our stuff... now I feel like Paris Hilton...we are guided to our check-in, where the luggage is weighed then put back on the trolley to go to another area for the x-ray machines...our kindly bell-boy says we dont have to pay him but he has saved us some serious mental meltdown so we give him a good tip...and off to find a coffee and a toilet.

Off through security and it feels like I'm taking everything off, they really are intense about it, and quite rightly so, it does make you feel safer. I managed to forget about a bottle of water in my backpack, so slapped wrist and a confiscation.

We are on a 747 Jumbo, so loads of room in premium economy for shoes, books, bags, & long legs. The 10hr + flight seems to fly by (sorry about that). No sooner had we had our food, watched a movie, and had a couple of hours sleep, and we are landing at Heathrow, so a good flight was had by all.

And so it ends.

One night at home and it is off to Belgium tomorrow on the 07:20 shuttle. My tante (auntie) is 90, so we are having a right big family and friends bash at A Mono restauant just ouside Walem on the old road to Antwerp.......Happy days........