Free Drinks and Finger Prints.
So, I hear you ask;
“What is so remarkable about your holiday, Dave”? “And why are you writing about it here”?
Well let me answer the second question first, I always had the intention of blogging our holiday progress with photo uploads to Facebook etc. but time constraints with so much to see and do, plus the limitation of finding free Wifi, I couldn’t fully journal our progress.
However, I want to write it down, to share the experience and to maintain the details whilst it is still fresh in my mind.
“It’s only a holiday Dave, it’s not remarkable, surely”?
Let me fill in some background, I am just a raggedy arsed kid from a Council house background, I have never shown any real drive or ambition to travel the world, I have Google Maps and Wikipedia for that.
I’m also risk averse and a control freak, I don’t like tempting fate. I like to be in control of my own destiny, I don’t take chances and home is where the heart is and my heart is definitely at home.
“So given that information, why put yourself through the stress of booking a holiday to the USA”?
Luckily for me, I have two ladies in my life who provide the drive to do things. My Wife likes to see and do new things and my 13 year old Daughter would move to America at the drop of a hat! So with their enthusiasm, it was decided that we go to America!
Although, if we were going that far, I insisted that it wouldn’t be just a “sitting around the pool” type holiday, we would need to see different places and do different things.
So we started looking for American Tour holidays.
When you start looking for tours, the first thing you get is Fly / Drive…….
“What”! Fly and drive?
Drive in a strange car, in a strange country on strange roads? No thank you!
What about a Coach tour? That’s more like it, although they seem to be geared up to the “older generation” with no children.
Anyway we found something suitable and I left Denise (my Wife) in charge of giving them a call and checking what was available, as I was at work.
I received the following text message;
“You really shouldn’t leave me alone with a credit card and the telephone number of a Travel Agent”!
“What have you done”? I asked.
“I have booked us a 7 day tour of West coast California and a few extra days at the start so that we can go to Disney”, was the reply.
“Bloody hell”!
So we are all booked and ready to go, I even organised a shuttle bus to take us from the airport in Los Angeles to our first hotel.
We flew out from Heathrow with British Airways, never flown with BA before, but it was looking OK. It was even better when they announced that the cabin crew would be coming around with the complimentary drinks.
I turned to Mrs Dave, “Complimentary drinks”?
“Does that mean free”?
“Do they do alcohol”?
“Yes, yes, and I’m not sure” came the reply.
So I asked, “do you have any white wine”?
“I’m afraid we only have a Chardonnay, Sir” came the reply from the young steward.
“Don’t be afraid old Son, that’ll do nicely…… are you wearing eye liner”?
Anyway, one Chardonnay down, then dinner came around.
“Would you like a drink with that sir”?
“I’ll take a Chardonnay if you have one”.
“Certainly, sir”.
Blooming ‘eck! I could get used to this!
Free wine and the meal was actually palatable.
So we landed at LAX just slightly later than planned, after which we had to do battle with the US Immigration and Customs Officers.
We were corralled through the zig zag tapes until we reached the next available officer. And very officious they are too.
“What is the nature of your visit, sir”?
“I’m not a terrorist”!! is what I wanted to shout in my panic to get the questions right.
“ Business or pleasure, sir”
“Well we’re on our holidays! So I guess it’s pleasure”.
“Thank you, Sir. Now place your four fingers, left hand on the pad”.
“Left hand, sir”.
“Now left thumb”.
“Now four fingers right hand, Sir”.
“That’s the other one to the one you have just done, sir”.
“Now right thumb”.
“Now remove your glasses and look into the camera, sir”.
“Thank you, sir”.
Bloody hell, what next, a DNA sample? I’m only going to Disney!!
Still we got through OK, no problems and not too much probing mental or otherwise. After which it was plain sailing, we picked up the shuttle bus outside the Arrivals building and we were off. I sat in the Shuttle bus with an inane grin on my face, as we drove along the highway towards Anaheim.
It was just one of those moments where you really can’t believe you have done something.
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