Recalling London

Day One - Leaving on a jet plane

Kerah and I arrived at Dulles International two hours early for our red-eye to London Heathrow. Security was a breeze, though my boots always set off the metal detector. While I was receiving my complementary frisking, Kerah grabbed our four bags off the x-ray conveyor belt, accidentally dropping my backpack square on my cellphone in the process (something we wouldn't discover until much later, and which was happily not fatal to the phone).

Properly eyeballed by security, we were on our way to the Virgin Atlantic gate. Once there, we attempted to check in with two carry-ons each. The snooty ticket agent just shook his head and clucked as he informed us that only one carry-on bag is allowed per passenger (unless, of course, you're an "upper class" passenger, in which case you can carry on a steamer trunk). Still shaking his head, he let out a contemptuous little laugh as he opened the trap door which dropped our luggage into a pit of gorillas, where it was thoroughly roughed up, just like in the old Samsonite commercial. He summoned one of the baggage handlers, who stood with him laughing and pointing while we shuffled off to get some water and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I got the special holiday Festivus flavor in a free waffle cone, which almost soothed the ignominy of the laughing and pointing.

Virgin Atlantic 747Luckily, that was the low point of the journey. Our fortunes were bolstered considerably once we boarded the plane. If you've flown Virgin Atlantic before, you know what I mean. If you've never flown Virgin Atlantic, allow me to explain. When you get to your seat, there's a translucent plastic backpack full of stuff that you might appreciate on a transatlantic flight: tissues, mints, toothbrush and paste, earplugs, sleep mask, and my favorite -- colored socks. It was quite a pleasant surprise, and that was just the beginning. Once the flight was underway, the little screens on the seatbacks in front of us became our own personal entertainment systems, with access to movies, games, music, and a flight map. They also give you free drinks (including beer and wine) the entire flight. Considerably better service than what I've come to expect.

All this upside was almost enough to compensate for the narrow, uncomfortable seatbacks and medieval armrests designed to afford no comfort in neither the normal nor raised positions. Despite the cramped seating, after dinner I donned my sleep mask and earplugs, slouched over onto Kerah, and took unsatisfying naps on and off until breakfast was served, about three hours later. She pulled the red eye all-nighter, watching The Princess Diaries and Hedwig and the Angry Inch on the in-flight entertainment system. She rather enjoyed the former, since she is wont to enjoy happy-happy Cinderella stories. The latter she mostly watched in desperate hope that it would get better. Sadly, it didn't.

> Day Two - Bleary arrival and initial exploration >