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 handkerch
iefs) 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.
