I’m sitting in an Internet Cafe called Jenna’s Java. It’s about 7 bucks an hour so I’m going to make this holiday post as quick as possible. I’ll probably write them before hand and then type them up here. So stay tuned.
“Bad news” said the Captain over the Flyglobespan intercom. Sounds like he’s from Birmingham.
“The flight’s going to be grounded in Belfast here tonight folks. There’s a spring in the front wheel that’s loose and we won’t be able to get a new one until morning time.”
The flight was already delayed four hours. Now it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to fly until the very next morning. Great.
I befriended a pesnioner from East Kilbride. His name was John and he is around 70. Great old man. He is visiting family over here and has kids all over the world.
After two hellish hours in Belfast and a rush for some free food from a local sandwich bar Aviance staff – Flyglobespan’s Irish counterpart – put me, John and 16 others up in the Templeton Hotel, near Temple Kilpatrick, just 20 miles outside Belfast.
We were treated to a prepaid for meal. I ordered Goujons. Kinda tasty. Apparatenly the rooms cost 85 pounds a night….kinda pricey for one of Britian’s most in-trouble airlines. But kind of them nontheless. I hear others were punted to a crappy Comfort in….
Anyway at 8am yesterday morning we were on our way again. The flight was fine, around 9 hours. Watched some Wolverine…still amazed at it’s vast amount of characters for his origin story. It was kinda overkill on Fox’s part I think.
So we land and I need to get my car….but not before a wee trip to US customs. It was all fun, fun, fun.
“What’s this ornage substance?” asks the latino copper.
“Irn-Bru” I say. He looks confused.
“Iron what?” he asks, eyebrows raised.
“Bru, it’s a Scottish soft drink.”
Someone approaches him from behind, glances at me, then he tells me that they’re gonna search me and my bags.
Ten minutes later I’m in a room not to dissimilar from the one where Batman interrogates Joker in The Dark Knight.
I get asked a series of standard questions, like why I’m really here, what do I do asa reporter/journalists, will I be doing any business, do I plan to stay or visit other countries? Yadda, yadda, yadda. And they were really interested in this Irn-Bru….like really.
”What does it taste like?”
My intial reaction is Irn-Bru idiot, but I remember where I am, so I try to relate…
“Orangey, kinda Mountaine Dew.”
“Really?” he aks.
“Yeah, it’s made in Glasgow.”
“Can I have some?”
The cheek!
“No,” I say. “It’s actually for a family member from back home, plus it will be a bit off.”
“Okay Mr. Mooney.”
He smiles and lets me go.
Ten minutes later I think I’m getting shafted out of 400 bucks for insurance and a young driver’s supplement at the rent a car place. I kick up a fuss with the service clerk. She speaks in Spanish to the security gaurd and he shows me to my car in dock C 10.
I thought, screw it, let’s get in the car, grab a bite then head for St Petersburg. Flyglobespan owe me some kind of a refun anyway….(story for a later time)
I get to the c10. My jaw hits the floor. A Dodge Avenger was sitting, waiting for me. Wow. I drive a 1.3 Honda jazz. This thing has a v8!
Where I’m staying is also is great. The drive from Sanford to St Petes was great. I have a tonne of photos. And there’s much more to the story but Im running out of time here…
Siobhan got her Irn-Bru, took me for some Japanese food at a place called Tokyo Bay and the lost her sandal in the water….
It is great to see her again.
Now I gotta dash.
Hope everyone is well.
Rich