first we got a taxi to Edinburgh airport and then we took a tiny propeller plane (which kept doing propeller exercises before going on to the runway) to Dublin.
Then we had to go through security again and they threw away a bottle of water that I had bought past security at Edinburgh! Then we went through a US pre-clearance were they scanned our fingerprints and made us look into a little camera. Then we had to wait for the big plane to take us to America.
Our flight was complete with lemon soaked paper napkins so we weren’t delayed for millions of years (see The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Secondary Phase/The Restaurant at the End of the Universe) and I “Wasn’t as scared as I was scared I was going to be scared!”This is The Plane That We Went on to America!
When we got to Chicago airport we didn’t have to go through any more security checks so we collected our bags and got the bus to the hotel.
It was the wrong hotel.
When we finally got to the right hotel we discovered the very cool ice dispenser and that there really was, as advertised a TV in each room (pure excitement.)
The next day we went to the Chicago field museum and saw Sue (the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex in the world) and went on the underground adventure (a very disappointing simulator which showed you about the soil and “made you seem as though you were 100th of your size”).
After that we took the Amtrak to Grand Rapids. We went over a lot of level crossings so we got to hear the train whistle a lot!
The next day, at Debbie and Mike’s house we had blueberry pancakes for breakfast and swam in the pool all morning. in the afternoon we went to the lake near their house and swam there.
The next day we went to a steam and motor fair and saw lots of old tractors and steam boats. then we went in the lake again to cool off.
Yesterday (10÷7÷11) we went kayaking and canoeing on the Thornapple river and saw lots of little fish and turtles (terrapins). Then we went in the river and the lake (yet again!) to cool off.
Today we were going to to go camping by lake Michigan earlier but there was a huge thunderstorm with thunder and lightning so we are going to go later.
sorry that this post was so long
sorry that I haven’t blogged enough recently (there’s been so much to do)
sorry that I say sorry too much
bye by
Sally // Jul 11, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Hi Guys, great to hear what y’all have been up to — keep blogging!!
Sally x
beth // Jul 12, 2011 at 5:52 am
How the heck did you manage to take pictures of the planes you were on FROM THE OUTSIDE? This is freaking me out! Please try to stay inside the planes from now on!
Martha // Jul 12, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Great to get your news, Callum.Lots of thunder here too and several inches of rain.
Love from Martha.
Clare Macaulay // Jul 12, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Sounds fun! Annoying to have water confiscated — i was unbelievably cross at having haggis I’d bought in the departure lounge, confiscated on arrival in Canada — didn’t even fit their rules of what needed confiscating but rest of holiday was fab.
I missed a big flood in Edinburgh but Shane’s office was letting in water. Hope we are okay cycling in Holland — tent flooded last year!
Hope you get to Michigan.
Gordon // Jul 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Glad you are having a great time. Main problem here was yesterday, when we went shopping and the car key wouldn’t switch on the ignition! Never happened before and hope never again! After 15 minutes switching on and off it suddenly worked and seems O.K. now. Here’s hoping anyway. We have enjoyed the demise of the NOTW and the political reactions. I put in my name again to AWAAZ, so that was something.
All the best.
callum // Jul 13, 2011 at 11:15 pm
Beth: Jetpack! Duh!