After a 6 month break, we are back.  We are on our way to the USA and we will be there for 2 weeks.  We left last night from Cape Town.  Once we had checked-in (something I don’t usually do because I usually only travel with hand-luggage) and cleared security and passport control we headed for the BA Lounge.  It struck us then – there were only 4 of us.  First time ever we are traveling sans one of the children. That’s what happens when your oldest starts at university and has different holidays to the other 2.  The good news is that everything in the world is kitted out for families of 4 so we get the benefit of that at least.

The boarding was slightly delayed because they first boarded the elderly, wheelchair bound and thousands of children.  We have never seen so many of these ‘pre-boards’ on one plane.  I could blog just one 3 passengers in the same cabin as us.  Sitting across the aisle from me were two of the ‘pre-boards’ – a husband and wife.  Not sure how they got up stairs (we were sitting on the upper deck of a 747).  They kept me entertained because he was clearly partially deaf so she had to shout everything to him.  Anytime there was an announcement made, she had to re-shout it at him because he would say ‘What did they say?’  It didn’t matter whether it was the safety briefing, the pilot (who sounded like Sean Connery) or a general cabin announcement.

There was also another passenger sitting in front of the couple who was also very entertaining.  She kept getting up and doing yoga exercises, hamstring stretches, star jumps.  Not sure whether she thought she was on an exercise plane or whether she was hoping to lead the rest of the cabin in aerobics or whether she was just weird.  I am leaning to the latter.

We all did the usual of watch a movie, have dinner and then go to sleep.  We all slept well.  In fact Michael slept so well he missed breakfast entirely. Not a big issue because we are now sitting in the lounge at Heathrow airport waiting for our connecting flight to Washington which leaves at 11:15am. I woke up and realised I needed the toilet desperately but Mr Deaf was in the toilet and he took so long to come out that when he did we had hit turbulence and the pilot turned on the seatbelt sign. I reckon that is the ultimate form of torture – full bladder and turbulence.

We landed on time at Heathrow but then the pilot announced that there was no parking spot allocated to us. I seriously don’t understand airlines. The same flight lands pretty much the same time every day.  How can they suddenly not have a parking spot?! We did eventually get one though otherwise I would be typing this from the plane and not from the lounge.

I heard as we left the plane that Mr & Mrs Deaf are also connecting to Washington so no doubt there will be some more entertainment on the next flight as well if they are sitting near us!  Until tomorrow …