The Musrys meet America

This has not been our most successful trip to America! It went badly from the very beginning. As we attempted to pass through passport control in Miami airport, a very polite but firm customs officer informed me that my fingerprints did not match with previous entries into the States and so I needed to wait while they checked my file. He escorted us into a separate room, with other armed customs officials and a motley crew of similarly embarrassed travelers, and left us there to await our fate.

We had finally made it to the famed Group W bench, with all the rest of the drop-outs. The time stretched into an hour, and we were acutely conscious of the fact that we had friends waiting to pick us up who had no knowledge of our fate. We were not allowed to make phone calls from this security area. An airline official turned up and told us that our cases had been taken off the carousel and were waiting for us in a separate area if and when we ever got out of customs.

It occurred to me that Joe had passed his fingerprint test and was only there because of me. He tried to get released, but they firmly told us that we were a package deal, and would therefore stay together on the bench.

In the meantime, all the other travellers were slowly processed and were mostly allowed to continue on their way. Only one unfortunate guy was put on a plane back to where he came from.

We just sat there and waited wondering whether we would need to involve the Australian consul! They basically ignored us for another 15 minutes or so, and then called me to the window. No questions, and no problems. They just took my fingerprints again and let us go! Why they couldn't do that at the beginning I do not know. Now of course I am paranoid about what will happen to me on the next trip!

So finally freed we ventured into Miami and the next day we had our adventure with Budget. We had a really good experience with a hired car in Israel and just assumed that it would all the same, The result of that confidence left us with a car and no insurance. This little fact didn't come clear to us until that night, when we made several frantic phone calls to try and add the insurance to the contract. No chance! We had to appear in person with the car to a rental office to sort it out. They directed us to an office not far from where we are staying, and so we set off there the next morning.

Two hours, and several turns into a main road later (one nearly fatal) we found the office, and to our delight were told that in order to change the contract we needed to go back to the airport where we had hired the car, and to make it as a complaint, otherwise we would have to cancel this contract, start a new one, and naturally this would cost us a small fortune. At this point I swore, and received a lecture from the guy in the office on customer relations. It was only afterwards that I worked out that I was the customer!

And so on to the airport. Here much to my surprise we were treated cordially, and the insurance was added to the original contract. So finally we set off on the open road to Tampa! Confident that we were probably driving one of our more expensive rental cars ever, but at least we were covered by insurance.

Musry Meanderings

The adventure has begun.  We are receiving notifications from our friends from airports.  Packing is happening not only to us, but to others too.  We can sense it in the air.  Will it be warm, or will it be cold?  Shall we take another sweater, and what about our bathers!  Ooops nearly forgot!  Thank goodness there is still room in Joe’s suitcase.  That of course is the story of our travels anyway – there is ALWAYS room in Joe’s suitcase.  Mine on the other hand is full to overflowing, and I am sure I haven’t got enough to wear.   After all one must socialise mustn’t one!

This last week has been a little strange.  For one thing I didn’t play bridge once!  I am dealing with the withdrawal symptoms by reminding myself of that little group of intrepid Adamit bridge players from that far off distant time that we are trying to recreate next week.  Save a seat for me guys!  I don’t play that well, but I make up for it in sarcastic comments!

I did a bit of volunteering.  This was fun as it was just standing on a stall in the main shopping mall of Adelaide enticing old age pensioners to take note of our offerings.  I appeal to the elderly – for obvious reasons!   I had a great time chatting and laughing, leaving the paper work to another volunteer who was taking the whole thing a bit more seriously than I was.

I met up with the under vice secretary of the Israeli consulate for a quick breakfast yesterday too.  That was interesting as he seemed a nice man.  He was a little rushed as he had meetings with far more important people than we were!

So tomorrow we will start the long trek.  We leave here at midday (Sunday) and arrive in Tel Aviv at 2.30 pm on Monday.  Add the 10 hours time difference and do the math!  30+ long hours in the cattle class compartment of several airlines!  We will spend a blissful hour or two at the airport in Hong Kong, and another couple of hours in Zurich.  Since we have done all this several times before we are fairly well equipped and fortunately as I have got older I seem to be able to sleep on planes even without the help of my trusty valium tablets.  This time we have bought ourselves a little netbook so that we can keep in touch everywhere ----- we hope!!!!!!

Despite dire warnings we will be spending our first night in Israel in the Carlton in Nahariya.  We spent the night of my 40^th birthday there, and at the time thought we were very decadent, and I remember we raced around trying to fit all the treats into a small space of time – room service, movie, etc. Etc.  This time we intend to just crash and the main reason we have chosen the Carlton over other better places in Nahariya is that we know where it is in relation to the train station!

Oh well – back to the packing. Now where did I put those bathers?