Thursday, October 4, 2007

The way it all went down

I put my phone in the mailbox at the airport just about an hour before I was planning on leaving for Paris. I was on a companion pass for the way there, and had done all the necessary tricks I could think of to get on the plane. I hung out at the gate all day just so that they would know who I was and that I had paid to play so to speak.
Strike number one, the guards change every flight. Well no matter, the attendants had told me that the flight was tight, but “you never know”. Right.
Twenty minutes before the flight was supposed to take off a mass crowd of what looked like to be geriatric tourists. They all filed in and I was the only one left. No space…NO SPACE!
I was to start school that Monday, this was Wednesday. I still didn’t have a place to stay nor much of anything else planned out. I needed to get on that flight and the next wasn’t until the next afternoon.
“London or Frankfurt”, the lady said in a distinctive French accent. Looked at the board to see which one was leaving when…London in 5 min, Frankfurt later that evening.
I took the London. 6 hours later after hardly eating and sitting next to an extremely talkative English 20 year old wanting nothing more than to be ‘proper drunk’ as soon as he touched down in England.
When I landed and then went through customs, no bags. ‘Hmm’, I thought, ‘that is strange.’ I did remember that I had two bags that I checked on to the plane. Well at least my stuff made the plane to Paris. Half a day, the tube, EuroStar, another train to Paris Airport, totaling about $250, I was reunited with my bags. Not end of story sadly.
Bought a overnight train ticket to Toulouse and then to Castres. Nice enough, thought I would sleep, but it was to hot and I couldn’t get my head to turn off or feel even somewhat comfortable in three day old dress clothes. Arrived in Toulouse because I had to change trains, lost the transfer ticket. Perfect. Bought another one, but being so tired I said Mazamet the city I am working in, not the city I live in. Ran with 100lbs of baggage to get the wrong train, had to get off and buy yet another ticket finally to Castres by bus.
Eight hours later I was shown the apartment and took it without a question.
Having only my liner for covers I took the curtains down and for the first time in 84 hours, I slept.

5 comments:

jesse said...

I think its a sign from God that buddy passes are bad news, unless you are traveling to Paris, Nebraska.

earl sullivan said...

i'm glad you made it.

Christina said...

hey :) wow what a trip! I'm glad you made it though spelunker..How is it going now? take good care of yourself!

Christina said...

this was kiki by the way ;)

Ben and Jennifer said...

Hunter, we love you. Glad your there. Have fun.