Saturday, September 20, 2008

Ryans in the air



The first flight from Sydney to LA took a bit longer than I thought - just over 13 hours. So, when we arrived in LA, it was just after midnight Sydney time. Patrick didn't sleep at all on that flight, so he was exhausted! Matthew, Paul and I dozed for an hour here, an hour there. Paul's dad didn't get much more than that either.

When we got off the plane in LA, there was another plane-load of people lined up in front of us to go through immigration. We were told that it would be at least one hour before we'd get through, and our next plane was in about 2.5 hours. Patrick was pale, clammy, and not feeling well. Thankfully, security then asked if there were any families with "small children". We said we had a 7 yr old with us, and that was enough to get us bumped through to the "fast track" with the Americans! Thanks, Matthew! When going through immigration, Patrick was so pale the officer was concerned he was going to pass out. Thank goodness, that didn't happen!

The transfer at LAX wasn't as smooth as we had been led to believe it would be. Things such as incorrect advice and directions from staff, long, long lines, and difficulty clearing security (that dangerous container of baby powder!) added to the stress.

None of us are looking forward to going through LAX again!

The second flight was shorter, taking about 5 hours. Patrick was asleep before take-off, and Matthew shortly thereafter. Paul and I both slept for about an hour on that flight. The flight was pretty smooth, and went quickly.
Customs in Toronto was very quick and easy, and our bags came through really quickly. We got a taxi within a few minutes, and so were headed for the hotel before too long.
After checking in, we cleaned up a bit, then went to find some dinner - it was after 8pm local time, so we went for a quick pizza. By the time we got back to the room, we were all looking forward to a good night's sleep!

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