The 3 a.m. wake-up call seemed to ring right after I closed my eyes. The hotel had a light breakfast of breads, jellies, tea and water for us at 3:30 a.m. We boarded our bus at 4 a.m. and who should be driving but our wonderful Mustafa—who has driven us since we left Istanbul 11 days ago. We thought when he dropped us off at the Ankara airport yesterday evening we all said “good-bye” to him and his son. He drove the bus back to Istanbul while we were waiting in the airport and flying here. How nice of him to be here so early this morning to drive us one last time!
Our bags were not checked for liquids in the Ankara airport yesterday evening—I guess because it was a domestic flight. Today, we went through a security checkpoint just inside the airport, a visa stamp point and then a 2nd security checkpoint—this time we had to follow the quart bag rule—to get to our gate. We flew Lufhansa to Munich, and of course were treated to a tasty breakfast, comfortable accommodations, and gracious hosts.
Since we had a 3-hour layover between flights at Munich, we had plenty of time to go through security. And since it was still fairly early in the morning, there were very few other travelers going through security, so we had no problems with people cutting in line. We ambled through the airport, looking for last-minute souvenirs, one last Magnum ice cream bar (not for me—I experienced my bout with intestinal problems after eating a Magnum ice cream bar earlier in this trip), and a cup of real coffee!
When we heard “all travelers to the US, please go to your gates immediately,” we steeled ourselves for a major security check—which we experienced. On the other side of that security gate, though, were more cafes, water closets, and comfortable seats. We met a couple of young women from India, heading to the US. Their plane had arrived yesterday—during a security incident. It had to circle the airport about an hour. No planes were allowed to land during that time. They missed their connecting flight and had to spend the night in the airport. They will fly with us to the US. We have been very fortunate with travel. We were just ahead of a major cold front—with ice and snow—in in Germany on our way to Turkey; we just missed another major cold front—with snow—in Istanbul yesterday; we missed this security incident by one day, and as it turned out, a record-breaking cold spell hit Istanbul after we left.
Our Lufhansa flight to Charlotte, NC was very comfortable. It was about ½ full, so we (and other passengers) were able to sit every other seat if we wanted. Getting to stretch out was nice! The “not full” capacity also allowed us to walk the aisles more. The food was delicious. This time I accepted the offer to an after lunch glass of Bailey’s. I watched a movie, wrote postcards, took a fairly short nap, read my new book, and visited with my compadres.
Right before we arrived in Charlotte, we viewed a video telling us where we would go and what to expect in customs. We had been given a customs form to fill out early in the plane ride. All but one of us got through customs quickly. The “one” of us who had to go through the long line did not have to open her bags. (She was relieved because she did not think she could get her rug—which she had declared—to fit back in the bag the store had crammed it in.) We were separated from her briefly, but at least it was in the US, and we realized she wasn’t with us, so we could look for and wait for her just on the other side of security. Now that we were back in the US, I got out my phone and “reported in” to my family—that I was safely in the US.
We had another 2-3 hour layover—had a last minute gate change and a flight delay. Finally we boarded our US Airways flight back to Austin. Compared to Lufhansa, this was bare bones. My seat did not recline. The back of the plane was hot and noisy (from a broken fan). Pillows could be rented—everyone had a pillow and a blanket on the Lufhansa international flight. Alas, it is better to have the luxurious flight for 15 hours and the “bare bones” flight for 3 hours than the other way around. I napped, and we were home before I knew it.
My sweet husband had received my phone message that our original itinerary—the one he had—listed our arrival time 2 hours later, and he was waiting for me and 2 lucky riders when we arrived at Austin-Bergstrom airport. Kevin took Friday and Monday off, so we had a 4-day weekend to reunite and for me to share all of my photos, notes, and purchases with him. What a guy—to support my taking this trip! Yes, Barbara (my mother-in-law) I should get down on my knees and thank God every day for such a husband!
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