The planned route was Midland-Houston-Newark-Edinburgh
We checked in at 3:45am(!) at Midland, got our bags tagged and as we are about to step away I asked the sleepy ticket agent if she foresaw any problems out of IAH. She looked at the screen and said, "Yah, that flight's cancelled!" So we held up the line for 20 mins while she tried to get us via some other route. Finally found a houston-cleveland route and a possibility of getting to Newark later, and catching the next day's Edinburgh flight - and we thought, great, whatever works. As long as we don't sit out Ike in the terminal! She retags the bags to Cleveland and gets us a new itinerary. So as we are seated on the plane at Midland I decided for some reason to call and double check all this, called Co 1-800 # and after 15 mins on hold they say we are back on the original flight! Apparently the flight 52 from Buenos Aires was indeed cancx but someone punched the wrong key and the entire flight 52 all day long was wiped out including my Houston-Newark leg! So they fixed it, got us back on track....yes, now what about the bags going to Cleveland?! Long story of tracking bags and putting an expedite on them but they did go to Cleveland and did make it to Edinburgh on our flight (almost the last ones out of the carousel) and it was a safe, efficient flight. Good job, CO!
Pretty tired upon arrival as we worked all Thursday, stayed up all night driving to Midland then flying all day Friday, arriving at 7am Sat and driving for a few hours to get to our first stop in Dundee! (mostly awake about 48 hrs)
Today we went to Dunotter Castle, way cool;
http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/
http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/location.cfm
Right now we are listening to the ocean flail the beach in Stonehaven on the East coast. It is 11:30pm and our B&B overlooks the water. Had beer with Steak and Guinness pie (with 'chips' of course) for supper.
It is Really Strange to be in a place that speaks your language..but you kinna understand them!!!
Also the driving has been a challenge! This car has been set aside for US drivers, I believe...it has a lot of scrapes down the left door and fender as that is the side that is very difficult to judge. I have hit the curb a few times already but nothing scary.
Crazy road signage! Double overhead carriageway ahead, large blue circles with red x's in the center. Caution for Sidewind. Large white circles with diagonal black line. Road markings too - double yellow lines on the road edges, long dashed white lines, then short ones - a form of driver's morse code? Mostly the locals have been very patient with me, very little cursing or honking really. Tense time at the bar, ordering a beer. Whispered, 'do you have any cold beer?', she didn't understand and stared blank at me. Crowd started to raise eyebrows, I said 'refrigerated beer?' Finally a local intervened and explained to her what I wanted (he politely refrained from saying "this yank wants a watered down, cold, so-called 'beer'") and the room returned to chatting, dart-throwing. Next she asked me something in Greek and I got to stare back at her, with my jaw agape. "wha?" Averting yet another international incident, kindly local explains she wants to be paid. I profer the cash and all is well again. A few more days and I think I will have the dialect nailed. Not so sure about the warm beer though.
Where are you going? Are you going on a vacation? Are you flying the Viking?
