What luck! Access to the internet the first night - unfortunately there is some not so great luck as well to go along with it.
We departed this morning about an hour later than we were supposed to because our flight was delayed. The flight was from Oslo to Newark, and it was a brutal 9 hours and 25 minutes. This was enough to cause me to lose my patience and all feeling in every part of my body due to the long sitting, and I have ended up feeling rather dehydrated because the flight attendants were none to pleased about bringing us drinks, and when I called for one the response I got was not exactly pleasant, so I just decided to leave them be and not drink water for the remaining 3 hours. We would have gotten in within 9 hours, but unfortunately since we had been delayed there were other planes who were trying to land at the same time, so we spent some time chilling in the airplane going back and forth and up and down, until there was a time when we could land. We had no hope of catching the next plane, but over the intercom system on the plane they assured us that we would be looked after when we got there and would be sent on to the next available flight with no problem. We were not exactly worried about it, because it sounded very easy to do, and so off we went to clarify these things to get on the next flight.
Unfortunately, the flight people didn't see it as reasonable that it was their fault that the flight was delayed and so they wouldn't send us on the next available flight. We tried with American Airlines who were our connecting airline, but they as well would do nothing about it. Continental, although they wouldn't give us another flight despite the fact it was their fault, did very kindly give us free hotel rooms for the night, along with 3 meal vouchers each. And that is precisely where we are now...In the Howard Johnson hotel in Newark, New Jersey. Rob and Eli have gone back to the airport to try and work out the problem, because there is now the possibility that we will be able to go to JFK in the morning real early and all of us can catch a flight and will then make it to our connecting flight in Miami. If that does not work out the other option is for us to go to the Newark airport again in the morning at 4:30am and hope that 14 people don't show up for that flight. We will see which option works; so some of us may be around the states for a couple days and some others may be on their way to Honduras.
Oh how I love travelling and all the wondrous events that always end up happening to thwart our endeavours...And that was not sarcastic by the way, I actually don't mind things like this happening, just as long as it doesn't unnecessarily cost us extra, that we don't have.
Also a sad tale, is about how Jen appears to have forgotten her camera at the school, so there may be no Africa pictures from her...I'm sure she will be very upset when she realizes it.
Well I have not slept in I think about 48 hours now, so I must go sleep in my nice big hotel bed...:) Especially since it will be a very early morning for us...
P.S. We flew over Halifax today and I kind of wanted to jump out of the airplane, but then I realized it wouldn't be the best of ideas so I didn't. :P Made me miss Halifax a whole lot though. But I must say it's kind of nice to be back in North America; there's something homey and comforting about it, even if it is the US rather than Canada!
We departed this morning about an hour later than we were supposed to because our flight was delayed. The flight was from Oslo to Newark, and it was a brutal 9 hours and 25 minutes. This was enough to cause me to lose my patience and all feeling in every part of my body due to the long sitting, and I have ended up feeling rather dehydrated because the flight attendants were none to pleased about bringing us drinks, and when I called for one the response I got was not exactly pleasant, so I just decided to leave them be and not drink water for the remaining 3 hours. We would have gotten in within 9 hours, but unfortunately since we had been delayed there were other planes who were trying to land at the same time, so we spent some time chilling in the airplane going back and forth and up and down, until there was a time when we could land. We had no hope of catching the next plane, but over the intercom system on the plane they assured us that we would be looked after when we got there and would be sent on to the next available flight with no problem. We were not exactly worried about it, because it sounded very easy to do, and so off we went to clarify these things to get on the next flight.
Unfortunately, the flight people didn't see it as reasonable that it was their fault that the flight was delayed and so they wouldn't send us on the next available flight. We tried with American Airlines who were our connecting airline, but they as well would do nothing about it. Continental, although they wouldn't give us another flight despite the fact it was their fault, did very kindly give us free hotel rooms for the night, along with 3 meal vouchers each. And that is precisely where we are now...In the Howard Johnson hotel in Newark, New Jersey. Rob and Eli have gone back to the airport to try and work out the problem, because there is now the possibility that we will be able to go to JFK in the morning real early and all of us can catch a flight and will then make it to our connecting flight in Miami. If that does not work out the other option is for us to go to the Newark airport again in the morning at 4:30am and hope that 14 people don't show up for that flight. We will see which option works; so some of us may be around the states for a couple days and some others may be on their way to Honduras.
Oh how I love travelling and all the wondrous events that always end up happening to thwart our endeavours...And that was not sarcastic by the way, I actually don't mind things like this happening, just as long as it doesn't unnecessarily cost us extra, that we don't have.
Also a sad tale, is about how Jen appears to have forgotten her camera at the school, so there may be no Africa pictures from her...I'm sure she will be very upset when she realizes it.
Well I have not slept in I think about 48 hours now, so I must go sleep in my nice big hotel bed...:) Especially since it will be a very early morning for us...
P.S. We flew over Halifax today and I kind of wanted to jump out of the airplane, but then I realized it wouldn't be the best of ideas so I didn't. :P Made me miss Halifax a whole lot though. But I must say it's kind of nice to be back in North America; there's something homey and comforting about it, even if it is the US rather than Canada!
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