The Adventure Ends – 15 to 16 May, 2007
We left Manila on time and headed for Shanghai, China for a quick stop where we didn’t have to leave our seats on the plane. We then took off for the long flight to Frankfurt. While tiring, it was uneventful until we arrived in Frankfurt and while passing from one gate to another we were stopped at a security check and told the duty free wine we purchased in Manila could not be taken on board in the EU. We also had a jar of Asian jam we didn’t want to part with, and as we had 5 hours to kill before our next flight we decided to clear German immigration and customs to get to the airline check-in desks so we could check one of our carryon bags with the banned items in them. By doing this we were able to officially add one more country to our trip tally, even if it was for only about 30 minutes outside the security area.
After the five hour layover in the Lufthansa lounge we made our way to the gate for the final leg of our adventure. The remainder of the trip went as scheduled and we arrived at Dulles pretty much on time. The only delay was in retrieving our bags as a downpour began just as the shuttle bus pulled up to immigration, and the luggage ramps were closed for some length of time so no baggage was arriving. It must be a union rule the baggage handlers can’t get wet because we are sure they are not worried about the luggage.
Once we finally retrieved our bags and cleared customs, G&L were waiting for us and we started what should be a short ride home. It was soon evident we were back in Loudoun County in the peak of rush hour, but it was good to be home.
No paper is complete without an editorial, so look for a summary of our thoughts on each country we visited in the not too distant future. We are way behind on posting the journals and pictures of the Philippines, but have made a resolution to get this done over the next few days. Our main hang up is we no longer have an internet connection and being in the boondocks are having a bit of a problem getting a new ISP. We will get there however. Thank goodness we have such wonderful friends, not only did they look after our house while gone, even cutting what became a forest of grass, but are now our soul source for an internet connection.
Next stop South America
