And lo, the last part of
the American Holiday blog begins.
We pick up where we left
off, departing Kennedy Space Center. As I recall, we had to wait for one
missing passenger. And it can only have been Miss Daisy! Although, apparently she
was already on the bus and Suzanne must have missed her in the head count! So
the German one is not infallible!
It’s about a 250 mile
drive down the east coast of Florida, to get to Miami Beach and with a time
limit set; we were not going to hang about. As I said last time, a few of the
passengers onboard were not staying overnight with us in Miami Beach and were
catching connecting flights elsewhere.
The drive down the coast
was again mile upon mile of highway, but we had the wonderful scenery to view
from our coach window. At one point we were driving alongside the massive Lake
Okeechobee, and I ‘m sure everyone on board the coach, started singing in their
heads, “Oh Okee Okee Chobee! Oh Okee Okee Chobee!”
There were no stops today
to visit attractions; unless you call the truck stop come motorway services an
attraction. They certainly did lovely panini’s!
The last couple of hours,
rolling towards Miami were a pretty sad affair. Suzanne was carrying out her
official duties as tour guide, ensuring we had our vouchers for the airport
shuttle vans, for the next day. Making sure we had filled in our
questionnaires. And gently reminding us about the obligatory tips for Ernie and
herself. Not that we would begrudge them a single dime that they received in
tips, as they had done sterling work for the two weeks they were hauling us
around the States.
And whether you liked it or
not the Fruity Fraulein came around the bus kissing us all and wishing us well.
Ernie touched our hearts
also, when he announced on the tannoy that we were a really great bunch and he
loved having us on board, and would even go so far as to say, that we were the
best tour group he’s had the pleasure to know!! What a darling!
He did follow this up
quite quickly, by saying that he would be telling the next group exactly the same
thing!
Anyway, we pull into Miami
Beach and to our last hotel. Some quick goodbyes to some passengers and to
Suzanne and Ernie and we’re on our own, almost. The second tour guide, on bus
number 2; Wesley, was still with us, which was a good job, as we needed him to
help us book into the hotel!
The hotel was really nice,
the rooms we were in were suites, so we had a kitchenette and a lounge and a
well stocked mini-bar. Which stayed well stocked as I wasn’t paying those
prices!
Luckily the hotel bar had
a Happy Hour at 7pm, where certain drinks were just $1 each. Well, it would be
rude not too.
I did take the opportunity
of the computer in reception to check-in to our flight the next day, just to
save time and make sure we had a good seat. Not as good a seat as some of our
fellow passengers, who upgraded to Premium! Lucky devils.
After downing several rum
& cokes. What? It was Happy Hour! We decided to wander off to find a
restaurant to have supper. Well, we were slightly disappointed to find that
after walking 4 or 5 blocks up from the hotel, there were very few restaurants
and as the neighbourhood seemed to be going downhill rapidly, we decided to
turn around and head back towards the hotel and look at the restaurants we had
already passed.
This is when we bumped
into 11 others from our group who were doing the same thing. After a quick
discussion about the choice, we headed for the nearest restaurant and started
causing chaos as we asked for “a table for 14 please!”
They were only too happy
to oblige and we whiled away the next couple of hours eating and talking and
drinking.
It is so nice to meet
friendly people.
And so to bed, for our
last night.
We woke after a small lie
in, no early morning alarm call today! Our first priority was to get some
packing done, and sort out clothes for the return journey.
However, packing aside, we
were in Miami Beach! So, it would be wrong of us, not to actually go to the
beach. So that is what we did, via Walgreens for some throat lozenges! Don’t
ask. OK, do. Mrs Dave had a sore throat.
We didn’t stay long on the
beach, just strolled along the water’s edge, did a little paddling and took a
slow walk back towards the hotel, after washing the sand from our feet.
On the way back it started
raining! What? Rain? In Miami? Afraid so.
Once back at the hotel, as
we had negotiated an extra hour before we needed to check out, we decided to
make the most of the facilities and go for a swim. The sun had decided to come
back out, and it was gloriously hot.
Swim session done, it was
back to the room, for showers and the all important weigh-in of the cases, to
see if we’re under the limit.
Of course we would be, we
haven’t bought that much, was the confident cry coming from the female side of
the party.
How much!!!
Is that in KG’s?
What have you put in here?
Two of the three cases
were over the limit, cue panic shuffling of the heavy clothes into Little Miss Dave’s
case. She was well under the limit.
Anyway, we managed to
equalise the load, but it would be close at the airport. I just hope our scales
are slightly out in our favour.
After one more sweep of
the room, to make sure we had everything, we closed the door on a hotel room
for the last time this holiday.
We checked out at
reception, who then secured our cases, as the shuttle to take us to the
airport, was not due for another couple of hours. So enough time to grab some
lunch. We wandered out of the hotel and found the nearest restaurant, a quick
flick through the menu and we ordered, informing the kind waitress that we have
a flight to catch, so don’t be too long, please.
We waited and our drinks
arrived.
We waited and drunk our
drinks.
We waited and kept looking
to the door to see if our order was coming.
We waited.
We waited, and then Mrs Dave said, I can’t wait any longer and called a waiter over. “Where’s our food you
half witted imbecilic moron!! We ordered ages ago and we said we had a flight
to catch, so we really want our food NOW!!”
Is what she said in her
head, in reality she asked, “Can you check our order please, we need to catch a
flight. Thank you. Most kind”.
Our food appeared and we
scoffed it down quick, waving for the bill with a mouthful of salad! We paid
and scarpered, getting back to the hotel just in time to get the cases and
mingle in the lobby with others in the party, who were on the same flight as
us.
Within minutes a man from
the shuttle company appeared and asked for those on the 2:30pm shuttle,
(although he was early!).
This is where the fun
begins.
It was a nine seater
shuttle. So that’s us three. Laurence & Gill. Paula & Jen. Sarah &
Amy. Jenny & Jan.
Hold on that’s eleven!
Laurence & Gill and
Paula & Jen, had already got in, Mrs Dave , Little Miss Dave and I popped our cases in
the boot, and got in too.
Jenny. (That’s mad Jenny,
her of the disappearing walking stick), is trying to get in. Paula and Jen don’t
want her in the back seat with them, they were saving the last two seats for
Sarah and Amy.
The driver is behind
Jenny, heaving her up into the van. Paula is pushing her out again. Jenny is going
red in the face. And we’re counting seats.
Hold on we say. There are
11 of us and only nine seats. What’s going on!
The driver lets Jenny slip
back out of the van and she collapses against the door in a flustered heap!
“What?” says the driver?
“We have the too many
peoples?” Yes, he was a bit foreign.
Mrs Dave takes charge and
says; “have you got names on that list? If so, call them out!”
The driver dutifully calls
out the names and we answer in turn. All except Jenny and Jan.
“See?” Paula shouts! “We
said it wasn’t you, now get out!”
Jenny remonstrates and
says, this isn’t right, where’s my shuttle then? It’s too late, the cases are
in, the doors are shut and Jenny and Jan are left on the pavement as we drive
off. I shout “don’t forget to write!” as we pull away. We turn into the street
and as we do, we see another shuttle van turn up, so don’t worry, Jenny and Jan
were safe.
I know it’s not nice to
laugh at the misfortune of others, but we giggled all the way to the airport!
Once at the airport we had
to run the gauntlet of the cases being checked in. Will they be over weight?
Will they be under? Oh the tension. Oh the worry. Oh who cares?!
They were just under.
It was then off through security
and into Departures. When we had got to our gate it was time to relax and
speculate as to where Jenny had got to. We all sat together and took it in
turns to watch each other’s bags, as we went off to spend the last of our
American cash.
As we were chatting away,
somebody said they thought they had seen Jenny, in a wheelchair! How we roared,
if it were to be true!
I started mimicking Jenny,
pretending I was in a wheelchair propelling myself through the Departure
Lounge, shouting “look at me! Who’s laughing now suckers!”
Just as I did this, out
the corner of my eye, I saw a wheelchair being pushed through the centre of the
aisle. It can’t be, is it?
The laughter stops, and we
look up to see the now regal looking Jenny, being pushed right up to the
departure gate. I swear she waved like the Queen as she went by.
When she got out of ear
shot, we burst out laughing again! You had to be there really.
And that was that. An
uneventful flight home and we were back in Blighty. As we slowly traipsed from
the ‘plane, we passed through the upgraded passengers section and saw Jenny and
Jan. She looked up smiled and said; she had to wait for her chariot to arrive
to take her off. We smiled, said goodbye and sniggered all the way down the
tunnel into the terminal.
We met up with the others
by the luggage carousel, they immediately asked if we had seen Jenny and I
said, she’ll be coming through those black strips of plastic soon, spinning
around the luggage carousel, like the Waltzer at the fair, shouting; “Jan,
Jan!! Get me off here!” As she disappears around for the third time!
And there we have it.
Another American holiday done and dusted.
Please forgive the
seemingly egotistical nature of these blogs, but in the years to come, when the
memory fades, we’ll have a record of what we did, where we went and who we met.
I hope people have enjoyed
reading them, as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
If you have enjoyed them
then you’ll enjoy my book!! Which I haven’t written yet, maybe one day.
Thank you.
**** Footnote - added 3rd August 2014 ****
Two years to the day since embarking on our wonderful holiday to the USA '12, eight of the members of the tour got back together for a mini reunion in London. Brian and June came all the way from Australia! Not for the reunion, they were on a tour of Europe, with a cruise and several mini breaks, including a stop off in England. Having heard of their impending visit, Amy and Sarah drummed up some enthusiasm and enlisted the support of Paula and Jenny, along with Denise and myself.
So we descended upon our nation’s capital and took in some sights; Leicester Square, Convent Garden, where we met up with the other girls. We then tackled the Underground and the massively expensive toilets! Finally meeting Brian and June, along with two more of their Aussie friends at Westminster, where we boarded a Thames cruise down to Greenwich and back.
It was a wonderful day for a cruise, with ample time to reminisce about our USA holiday and to catch up on what we have been doing in the intervening 24 months.
We dropped the Aussie’s off at Tower Bridge, as they had another function to attend and we (Jenny, Paula, Sarah, Amy, Denise and myself) headed back to Westminster, where we parted company after a marvellous time together.
Days like today just show how special relationships can be and how friendships can be forged, when like-minded people are put together. It is something very special and endearing and will add to the wonderful memories we already have.