Slumber in Denver
Trip Start
Jan 02, 2009
1
8
9
Trip End
Jan 12, 2009
Denver,
Colorado,
United States
Monday, January 12, 2009
So we weren't going to put an entry for this little stop-over! I mean really, we WERE just disembarking from the ship, heading to the airport, and then getting ourselves on our one flight to Denver where we'll sleep. Like our pre-cruise air travels luck, this little trip wasn't much different! Somewhat quickly, here's how our day went:
- we selected the 9:30 AM disembarkment time (this all has to do where your luggage will be when you get out - finally)
- at 9:30 AM they were a time slot behind, but because we had to check-out of our room, we headed to the line and decided that if anyone gave us heck, our time was 9:30.
- Get to the front of the line (to literally get off the ship and into customs) at around 10 or so? Like we said... kinda scammed, but not really.
- Head down to another checkpoint where we had to wait to be let into the customs line. Not a good sign. Get let into the area where custom is, and there are literally close to 500 people in line. So in a line we get. (*side note: why are these people so angry? Why yell when there's no need? It just breeds nervousness and anxiety; perhaps that's their point?)
- Cut to 45 mintues later (or more, it's all foggy now already), we get our "you're good" and we're out into the line to get our luggage. Some guy asks us if we want help (we're aware there'll be a cost, but our luggage is HUGE, so it's worth it). Apparently this is a eat or be eaten little area, as some OTHER guy came to help, and then we had to hear the two of them fight over helping us. This is in Miami people... not some 3rd world country. We were kinda laughin' actually.
- Got luggage; off to "shuttle" (huge bus) for the airport! It's probably noon now! We are the first on the shuttle (they rotate), so we had to wait a good 45 minutes until we left. It's a ½ hour ride to the airport.
- THE AIRPORT! Yippee! Boooooo... we're way too early and can't even check in our luggage (our flight is 5:20 PM). So we hung out next to the departures area for just over an hour, and then checked out HUGE luggage (3 pieces).
- Tina heads off to the United Airlines to get our fixed stroller that they ran over and left us with zero handles. Guess what? They decided they don't fix stuff and it wasn't their fault! So from sky check to sky check, it's our fault? Tina's answer? "Then I'll keep this one" to which they replied "I guess we can't make you take your baby out?!" which she then replied "No, and I'll take back our broken one too". She got her way, no more said! We now have 3 strollers, one of which we check (broken one obviously).
- Girls are grossly overtired. AND, they just can't seem to sleep... we walk about 10 miles today tryin' to "stroll" them into slumber! Not greatly successful, but a few cat naps here and there.
- The flight leaves on time! Yippeee! But I (TL) miscalculated the flight time; I thought it was just around 3 hours, but it was 4! One more hour used to mean nothing, but with little ladies that don't leave your lap... it's LONG! Movin' on!
- Got in relatively early and got our luggage! Guess what? No broken stroller! We check our luggage tags with this automated thing, and it tells us it's gone to our "destination", which technically with them is Edmonton. We say "who cares" and went to the hotel. GREAT hotel! Well, great BIG room! They had two pack-n-plays for the girls, and to sleep we all went. Fewf... up at 5:30 AM tomorrow to get to the airport and get us back in Canada, and then FINALLY home!
Good nite!
