LAX to Heathrow

October 26, 2013

A new journey, Digital Diva on The Road Again.  This time from LAX to London to Cape Town, arriving in Cape Town after 2 nights on an airplane.
This journey didn't start off so fabulously.  I have never done this before.  I had a small travel wallet that had my drivers license, atm card, and $300.00.  I went to pick up the one-way vehicle I ordered to drive to LA.  I made two other stops before going home and I was sure I used the house key that I had put in the wallet to get into the house.  At 2:00 p.m. when I was set to leave SB I couldn't find that wallet.  I tore up my house and my luggage but to no avail I couldn't find it.  Fortunately I had my passport, other credit cards and foreign currency in another wallet.  Oy, like I said in all my years of travel I have never done this.  I was not the happiest camper and at 3:00 p.m. I had to leave.  One of the consolations was that on my drive to LA, I received a phone call from Zoey in Australia telling me Emily and I could stay at her friends flat in London at the end of the trip.  That alone is way worth more than the $300. I lost or misplaced.  OY Oy Oy.

I arrived in LA and went to my great niece, Charlie's 2nd birthday, before heading to LAX.
Getting to the airport was flawless and I checked in at Virgin Atlantic International terminal.  There was a Nate n Al's restaurant so I bought a Lox and cream cheese sandwich to take on the plane.
I walked around a bit, this terminal does not have much, as I knew I'd be sitting for the next 11+ hours.

My seat was in a good location on the plane, right behind Premium Economy, aisle of a 2 seater and I had a nice seat mate.  I was quite tired both physically and emotionally so it wasn't difficult to fall asleep.  I took a trazadone (sleep medicine) and slept for 4 hours.  I woke, went to the bathroom and slept for another 4 hours.  Not bad on an 11 hour flights.  I missed all the meals but I had my lox and cream cheese so I was satisfied.  I slept so much I didn't read anything and barely watched  movie.  The one thing I saw was an episode of Curb your Enthusiasm.
The flight was extremely smooth and the flight attendants couldn't have been nicer.
I landed at 3:30 and my next flight wasn't until 9:00.  I got some misinformation when trying to get to where I needed to be for my flight to Cape Town and I was glad I was in a country that speaks English.  I got where I needed to go and was told there was a lounge for a fee where I could hang out and have food, drink and wifi.

I found Lounge No1 in terminal 3 and can tell you it was a find.  Great food, nice people and quiet.  If you ever have a long layover and don't have entry to an airline club, this is the ticket.  It was $50. and they had wonderful food, drinks (which I had none) and much comfort.  The shopping in the terminal was outrageous.  High end designer stores, caviar bars, etc. so I was fine to just sit in the lounge.  I was a bit nervous when I got off the plane, because the flight attendant said there was a hurricane coming, thinking my flight might be delayed.  Fortunately this didn't happen.  But a huge storm is coming this way later tonight and the city of London is preparing to shut down all the public transportation.  Oy.  Glad I hadn't planned to stay here now.

Sunday's flight
Flight number 2 was not as lovely as number 1.  There was good and bad.  The good was I was able to upgrade to an exit row and sat next to a handsome young man, unfortunately too young (35) from Cape Town, who thought I was 38.  How cute is that.  When I told him I have a 21 year old daughter he figured I wasn't as young as he thought.  Oh well.

The bad, there were three young children across the aisle and one of them was screeching, not just crying for over an hour.  Willy, my seat mate was so incensed that he said something to the parents and I thought he and the father were going to get into a major fight.  Oy.  About 2 hours later the child calmed down.  It was not as easy for me to get to sleep on this flight but I did finally.
The arrival into Cape Town was magnificent.  I was sitting at the window and had my camera ready.  I have no idea what I was looking at but it was beautiful at 20,000 feet.  What do you think?

The landing was perfect.  I was surprise to find that I didn't need to fill out a landing card.  But each step of the way they want to know that you have a ticket out of Africa.

I good my passport stamped and off I went to collect my baggage, which came within a few minutes. I walked out into the terminal and there was my baby girl.
She has learned to drive on "the wrong" side of the road and took me to one of her favorite restaurants near the University.
We had a nice meal and then we went to her home stay for a needed rest.

   I'm very happy to be here.