Hell and Damnation...

I left Sunday's baseball game in Vernon Hills at 6PM and headed for ORD. The instructions I got were to be there 3 hours early for a 9:30PM flight. Having never flown to Europe or the UK, I thought I would follow instructions. I knew this was about to be a bad experience because as I arrived at ORD economy parking, I learned that the largest lot (Lot E) is now CLOSED for the summer and they are cramming everyone into the other remote lots.....and they are cramming people into little busses..... and cramming their luggage onto the busses, and stopping at 6 different parking lot locations to cram more of these things ON and OFF the busses. I couldn't believe it when a guy was cramming past me (sitting down) and caught a woman's fingernail in one of his bags hardware! He ripped her fake nail off and she screamed ....first in pain ....then in dis-belief. With the bus fully crammed, the driver says he is not moving until everyone is sitting somewhere! This one dude had to sit in another dude's lap! I was going nuts...... I finally arrive at the remote train station and make my way up.....first time ever to exit at teminal five. When the doors openned, a million international people atempt to load the train before anyone could even get out. I was starting to see why they were saying 3 hours ahead! I fought my luggage out the train and up the escalator but a guy behind me got anxious at the top....made a quick move....and dumped my laptop case off of my suitcase roller. I recollected myself and found a sign that said Air India Flight 124 (3 Hour Delay)! I hadn't quite hit damnation yet, but I was definitely entering HELL! It was exactly 6:51 PM and I have just been informed my flight will board at 10:30PM! So I put my bags through one xray machine just to get into the check in line, check my bags in......walk them over to the TSA dudes for more XRay. I look around and am surprised at the fact I am about the only caucasian (I am surrounded by people of the Indian decent). At first I thought wow, look at all the Indian people going to London. Then I find that London is just a refueling for where they are really going......INDIA! Moaib is exactly 8 hours beyond London. Well, after a good dinner at the local Hilton (BTW this is a great travel tip...if you have time at ORD, forget the terminals and head over to the HILTON where they have 2 great sit down restaurants) I go back to terminal 5, buy a large water and prepare to board cause it was almost 10:30. Our 747 pulls up, lets off the people....and trys to open the only cargo door available (at the ass end of the plane). The door opens up 1/2 way and stops. No kidding....i was already in hell but I was NOW at the entrance to damnation. The people who got off now cannot get any luggage and the captain will not allow us to board until the problem is solved. Four hours later (yes 4 hours) they announce the door is open and let's board. I was asleep in 59A before we ever took off but the take off awoke me to find it was now 3:30am and we were now 6 Hours late leaving ORD. The only other planes this airline had, were in India.....so there were no options. Durring this ordeal, we watched 3 British Airways planes leave for London!

Accepting the fact that I had now been through both Hell and Damnation, we flew all night and I slept 6 hours of the 8 hour ordeal. We landed at Heathro (a very large ultra-modern airport now) and I had few problems getting through customs. I felt sorry for all the people going on to Moaib because they wouldn't even let them off the plane. The guy next to me said they cannot go through customs anyway because the UK doesn't allow people from India into the country without a Visa. I guess I felt a little lucky here. I jumped into a Hotel Link bus and drove around London for a while before getting to my hotel here at about 7:30 PM local time. Rush hour here is nuts and the double decker busses are everywhere. Being too tired and beat to do anything, I went downstairs and had 2 pork chops for dinner before returning to my room to write this. it is 5PM Chicago time now....... but oh soooo late according to me! I have been in transit for 24 hours. I am ready for sleep, I am ready to think good thoughts of my life, my wife, and all my children, and to start a new day tomorrow............ with a one way ticket OUT of hell and damnation.