Flat (Arkansas and Cameroon) Stanley get a tour from Paddington

So, it hasn't been all that bad - actually, very world-travelesque-exciting. From NYC to Montreal to London to Casablanca. The best thing yet has been this sign in London.

After I last wrote y'all, I updated my ticket (having to pay a $80 "no-show" fee and an $80 change fee) and left today for Casablanca at 6 p.m. That is where I am now - I fly to Douala at 6 p.m. tomorrow - and since I have about a 19 hour layover here, Royal Air Maroc set me up in a place in downtown (which happens to have internet access and American movies).

Yesterday morning, unknowingly calling before 6 a.m., I contacted an old friend - Markus Wirtz who was an exchange student at NLRHS for a semester. He is from Germany and I actually ran into him last in Buenos Aires almost two years ago. Ironically, both of these meetings occurred because of the technology of Facebook - he messaged me after seeing I was in BsAs and I just looked up my friends in London, he was one, and I called him. Congratulations to him as well for his upcoming marriage to his Mexican sweatheart (who he met in BsAs) and for their move to Madrid in September when he starts the 2nd year of his master's business program.

After talking to Markus, I checked my baggage in for the day, rode into town on the Tube and took a nap in Green Park for three hours (anyone could have taken my backpack and computer bag because I was knocked out from having tried to sleep in the Montreal and London airports the two previous nights). After the nap I met Markus at his work and got a coffee. He let me borrow his keys and his flat for the afternoon to shower and then I took Flat Arkansas and Flat Cameroon on a tour of London until I met up with Markus again for dinner. Both Flats tried to head to Hogwarts but I told them they could go in August when we return to Platform 9 and 3/4. You can see the photos of all the places we visited. After dinner, Markus and I headed back to his flat and hit the sack.

I woke up at 5:30 this morning to walk with Markus (he was flying to Munich to visit his brother) and he sent me to Hempstead where I walked around. I then caught a bus to Trafalgar Square and walked around most of central London (reading, shopping at Lush, and eating lunch at a terrible and expensive restaurant) until leaving for Heathrow at 2:30 p.m. On the way to the airport I met another American who had been in Cameroon during the Fall - her name was Sara and she was from D.C. and went to school at Pomona.

After catching my plane, I sat next to Taiser and Morris (both Syrians who have lived in London for over 20 years). They were two wild and crazy guys - they gave me their numbers and said to call them when I got back to London. Then at Muhammad V airport in Casablanca I checked in for my next flight but since it was so far away they sent me to get a free hotel for the night. So here I am now, after a ride downtown with a group of six individuals from Guinea (who just got back from Dubai). They were nice, as were the two guys working in the accomadations office.

Other great sites of the day - sign holders (like Brett on Flight of the Conchords), the movie Shotgun Stories (all filmed in Arkansas) showing in London, a Cameroonian flag, some great graffiti (an awesome Banksy piece and the robot guy - twice), and the Nelson Mandela statue near Westminister.

Next stop - CAMEROON!

airport to airport to bed

As Erin Jones declared in her blog, with one addition, I could be an airline and airport critic.

Currently I am on the ground in London's Heathrow airport. Last night was spent in Montreal's Dorval airport and tomorrow night will probably be in Casablanca (but I think I will get a hostel because that might be a 3-nighter). I will figure it all out in 5 or so hours when I can actually talk to a Royal Air Maroc representative and present my paper ticket (I think they might be the only airline that still uses these).

Everything has been great. After a flight through Memphis, where I met a woman from Nigeria who was going home for the first time in 13 years, I spent two nights in New York - the first eating Papa John's Pizza, the next eating at Roebling Tea Room. In between I visited Haynes at Little Marc Jacobs (see the picture also including Meagan, Chelsea, Cameroon Flat and Arkansas Flat) for most of the day and did some quick shopping (backpack rain cover, books, Frisbee and handkerchiefs) with Meagan. Yesterday morning I finished a few last things, got a burger at La Esquina with Haynes, rode home and caught a cab to the airport.

I actually showed up 2 hours and 15 minutes early. My flight to Ottawa was cancelled so they booked me on one to Montreal then to London which would arrive at the same time. This was all good, especially because the guy (John, who was with his girlfriend, Lily) checking in next to me actually just got back from a year in Cameroon. And, get this, he went to Brown with our roommate for the summer - Zara.

Because of so-called thunderstorms our flight was delayed before we got on and while on the runway for an entire 4 hours. There were about 4 dozen planes waiting to take off and only the ones heading to the south and east were allowed to go. I did get to watch a movie in this time and also ended up in first class - which was really nice. Air Canada is a really great airline but the weather washed everyone's plans away.

At Montreal we arrived 10 minutes before the flight to London. This meant a night in a square sofa but not before a night out on the town with some more new made friends, Heather and Adam (they have my one Montreal photo). We got some beer and Poutin (I really don't know how to spell this but it was fries with gravy and cheese and is a specialty of Montreal). At 4:30 a.m. I checked in to the newly changed flight to Toronto, then to London, and tried to contact Royal Air Maroc but after three calls with them and one with Orbitz I had no luck.

The flights to Toronto and London were good - I watched three more movies and met two more friends - Kathy and Trina (both traveling to do research, Trina actually to Sierra Leone). Air Canada has nice planes with futuristic features - or maybe I was in the future, who knows - but they didn't help us out that much (except giving me a tour of Canada).

Well, I ended up here in Heathrow and did receive some good news - the shipping costs for all of the soccer gear was cheaper than expected and Marie Tillman called me today and left a message to meet up in New York to talk about my project (Haynes called back and told her I had already left). I am still discussing my project with the Tillman Foundation for this fall in Arizona and will hopefully have it in concrete before I head back home in August.

Until next time, in whatever airport I may be resting in.

The days are counting down.

I have been steadily packing - clothes in one corner of the room, other stuff in another corner.

My online shopping is over. I think I could stay on REI.com all day. When that all arrives I will finally pack it into my backpack.

I have also been collecting, collecting, collecting soccer supplies - one batch of three bags has already been sent to Chance in Denver to bring over with him. The next batch will be packed soon and it will be heading over with the honorable James Szenher. And one final bag with a mixture of soccer equipment and Loan's books will head over as extra baggage with me.

Last week I spent a morning in the classroom of my ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Ritchie. She allowed me to come to her classes and talk with the kids about Cameroon and my project. We asked each of her classes to write letters that day (to help me start a pen pal program and further global cooperation) and at the end collected 89 letters - hooray letters!

I am excited. It is even more exciting knowing that Loan is almost there (I dropped her off at the airport at 5:15 a.m. yesterday and am guessing she is having her 15 hour lay over in Casablanca, Morocco, right now). Even more exciting is that I am done with my vaccinations (and no longer in a daze from any of them).

But until the time comes I am trying to enjoy my final moments here at home. On Friday I will be at Field Day with Lakewood Elementary where the kids will each get a few chances to shoot on me (and hopefully "the" Bobby and Emily's Tristan) at goal.

Riverfest is also this weekend and I will be enjoying the performances of three of my friends' groups - Christopher Denny and the Old Soles (6 p.m. on Saturday), Mammoth Orange (Noon on Saturday) and Silverton (6:15 p.m. on Friday).

I leave on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for New York where I will be for two nights visiting Haynes. And I will head out to Cameroon on Tuesday.

When I get there, if I get there, I will write you.