LIR - thanks Mafic for the link/ ST!!! I'm in Auckland!!! Woo! Sadly, my checked bag is not! (Sigh)
Posted by
JenBro
Nov 5 '16, 06:37
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So - much drama due to my delayed flight out of Pellston Thursday. I had to pray to get on a flight on "stand by" for the Detroit to LA hop in order to make my Fiji Flight - different airlines - if I missed the LA to Fiji - I'd be screwed! So - I lucked out - but of course my bag did not - and because the two airlines did not partner - my bag wasn't tagged to go all the way to Auckland so it stayed in LA. (Sigh)
After much drama - my friend Jim (family friend & travel agent) was able to get the bag off to me on a flight last night and it should arrive here tomorrow on a 12:30 arrival. Which should work as our tour Monday finishes with lunch at a winery and we have the afternoon "at leisure" - which for me will be heading to the airport to get my bag through customs.
I swear - I would have been lost without Jim's help & guidance. Sheer luck that he knew of the earlier booked flight for me to try to catch & I was the first stand by ... they wound up only having 2 spots. Someone else's seat was likely mine because they missed a flight. It's like airline bingo!
So - my business class ticket from LA to Fiji gave me access to the Fiji lounge in LA where I was last posting to you - and enjoying some Crown Royal to soothe my frayed nerves. I watched another guy in the lounge eat a cup o noodles - down 2 beers & then passed out on their couch bench ... Slack jawed & snoring (LOL) prolly in his mid-30's ? Flip flops, shorts & a T-shirt ... sort of ruggedly handsome - but not in an obvious way. Well ... Turns out he was on stand by for my flight - I see him at the counter paying for his seat & chatting up the same check in guy who was helping me try to find out if my bag was with me. They seemed to know each other. Laughed about him getting the last seat and - he boards ahead of me and when I get to my seat - turns out we'll be "room mates" (his word). Heh heh.
So - turns out he's from Arizona and is a sea plane pilot for a mega-yacht docked in Fiji and flies down when they have charter & need him to fly charter guests around the various Fiji Islands for their trips booked on the yacht ... This was his 10th trip so far this year! He schooled me on all the business class seat stuff - mentioned his snoring & the noise canceling head sets (hahahahhahhahhaa - how effin' ironic right?). We chatted a bit and then as he predicted, he fell asleep before they served dinner! Perfect "room mate right?
The Fijan flight attendants were SO NICE!!! Seat was able to lay flat - but I'm a side sleeper and found it not so great for that style of sleeping (couldn't easily tuck my arm under my pillow and draw one leg up like I normally do in a big bed) - but I adjusted and managed to sleep in bits and pieces for the 10 hour flight to Fiji.
So - Fiji money is cheap against the dollar - 1$ u.s. = 2$ Fijan - so for the hours I spent in their airport waiting for my flight to Auckland - I shopped Duty Free! Only bought a bottle of CK2 perfume & some soaps for now, but know what I'll get when I leave from there for home - just figured why drag it around now?
Had "noodle bowl" here for dinner - got it "to-go" from a restaurant inside the Sky City Casino at the Hotel here after winning on slots (Yay - $125 NZ - which I think is something like $90 ish US?). Am now waiting for John to show up in another 4 hous or so - 6 am NZ time he's supposed to arrive. Hotel was able to give me twin beds so that he can use my room until he can check into his later today. Hotel is fully booked.
Our tour starts today with a welcoming meet at 4:30 - no touring until tomorrow Morning (Monday here). Am wondering what the rest of our tour group will be like. Hopefully fun and not loudly complaining whiners like a saw at various points during my travel here so far. I wanted to say at times ... "Oh yeah? You think you got it bad? Try having your bag lost and only having jeans - black turtle neck - a swim suit and a wet suit to wear for your 4 week vacation in New Zealand - Australia - and Fiji! You don't hear me whining about it do you? Get some perspective for gosh sakes ... There are worse things in the world - Trump is on our ballot - THAT'S something critical - right?
So - when they give you a toothpick in this little envelope thing on the plane? The envelope thing also holds salt & pepper packets on the inside that you have to rip into to find them. That's my big travel "ah ha" reveal for now! More to come later I'm sure!
Covington Cat - I may catch up to you for all the Trip Advisor reviews I'll have from this Trip! Wish you were here with me - would have been a BLAST planning the "at leisure" time with you ... John thinks I'm crazy for all the research I've done so far ... Prolly slacking compared to what you'd have done!
Cheers from "Down Under" everyone!!
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