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Flight BA269 was delayed by 30 minutes due to "traffic" on the runway! The flight was pretty empty, spare seat next to me then some snooty old woman sat in the ailse seat! The sky was free of clouds for the whole flight over, some of the views were AWESOME, we flew over Iceland, totally covered with snowy mouintains. I wouldn't recommend the "Roast Chicken with Ratatoille" I'm pretty surte though that Lasagne would have tasted about the same! as for "pudding" well I don't even know what that was pretending to be but I wont be craving it any time soon! Had about 3 forms to fill in for U.S. immigration which was a sign of the palava to come at L.A. airport!
While waiting for flight QF3838 it was 4.30am in my head, I had been travelling for 18 hours and the idea of another 10.40 hour flight was filling me with joy!
So, L.A. airport is CRAZY! - I landed at 7.30pm and had to queue to have my passport checked at the DOOR to the aeroplane..what do they thing British security do! Nothing apprently! Then had a prertty long hike down a few escalators getting pushed along in a flow of people. This took me to ANOTHER queue which was for immigration/custroms/declarationetc. There was a HUGE group of people who were all taking ages as they all seemed to be using the same documents but eachhad to go through the procedures individually! I eventually got my trun at 8.30pm considering I was only in the US for FOUR hours it was a pretty indepth security check! They scanned my pasport, then my right four fingers then right thumb then left four fingers then left thumb AND then took a phot - potentially the worst photo of me ever in existence! So then my visa was stappled into my pasport and I GOT A STAMP!!!!!!!
So I was finally allowed to go collect my bag which had been hauled off the carosuel for me as I had been so bloody long and was wating in a pile on the floor! Then I got to join another queue which seemed pretty pointless as all they did at the end was take a piece of paper off me!!!! Then there were all sorts of signs saying "Connecting Flights" and "Bag Drop Area" for this part there was NO organised queue I was VERY confused!!!!! Some guy took my bag asked what airline I was on and put it through a scanner machine and off it went....Then more confusion, I had to get to the "Tom Bradley Terminal" which I could get to on "Level 3, use the elevator in the corner" Well this place had about a billion "corners" and the guy was pretty vague!!!! I eventually located the lift way over the otherside of where I ws and made my way up to level 3. More craziness - turns out eve though I am flying with qantas I ahve to go to the next aisle and check in with Air Pacific - ok join another...queue but "oh no you dont have any bags you can join that (LONGER) line" Brilliant, 4th line in 2 hours :) so I evntually get checked in at about 9.10pm and decide it is probably just best to go through security...MORE queuing! Then more escalators and travelators to get to gate 104 where I had 25minutes to wait until boarding. I figured that as I was in America I may as well make the most of it so bought some Reeses peanut butter cups - that made me think of Jill and a bag of pretzles! There are so many different accents and languages - I felt VERY english! Anyhooo more waiting, queuing flying random inflight movies and airplane food awaited me!!!!!
The flight was SO empty I had 3 seats to myself so slept for a while when I woke it was 2.30pm british time I had been travelling 28hours! I couldn't wait to take a shower and jump in the pool! I wanted it to be light outside so I could see out but considering we were in the middle of the pacific ocean for most of the flight I guess it would have been pretty boring! I watched on the inflight map as I went south of the equator for the first time in my life! Had to fill in more forms declaring that I wasn't bringing ridiculous amounts of money (I wish) or animals or mud or anything really into the country! - I'm thinking a few more lines might be waiting for me!
Aerople breakfast - even more shocking than dinner but it was my last free meal so I made the most of it...YUMMY!!!
Arrived at 5.10am and it was 24oC, wiating for the shuttle to the hotel it ws so very hot and humid, the four layers I had on when I left the UK soon became one! Decided that waiting for luggage is the worst part of travelling - is it going to come out or have they lost it....Came off the plane to a bunch of fijians singing and playing guitars! Lovely thing to see first and made me feel so far from the UK it was good :) Everyoner but everyone was chatty and friendly got talking to three people in the short time I was waiting for the shuttle bus! First fijian bus experience....and arriving at the hostel, all very strange but exciting at the same time!
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