Day 1 - The Journey

Well you couldn't expect it to go smoothly could you?  Remember last holiday, my case zip broke when I was lifting it into the taxi?  Well you'll love this one...

When I booked the holiday, I was really dubious because there was only a 45 minute turnaround between landing at Gatwick airport to transferring out to St Lucia.  Usually when I have to do a long haul journey like that, I don't leave anything to chance and go down to London the day before.  However the very 'helpful' BA representative persuaded me that it would be fine and I'd have plenty of time to make the transfer otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell it ... Their computers would say 'No'.

So against my better judgement (and with the thought of saving the hotel fee not to mention the duty free saving ... I can easily spend upwards of £300 in duty free) I decided to go with it.  Mistake, HUGE mistake ... I bloody knew it would be.

Well, the taxi picked me up on time (5am), so far so good.  My beautiful new leopard print suitcases were immaculately packed and stored safely in the trunk of the car. I caught my flight to London easily, having had plenty of time to do a modest duty free shop ... That's when the fun started.

As I tend travel on my own I'm always a little nervous, even more so since I spent two hours one time being grilled by immigration officers after coming back from Dominican Republic.  That really spooked me, not that I'd done anything wrong you understand ... the immigration officers just thought I looked a bit 'guilty' ... I told them that's just the way my face looks and it's from years of having a Victorian style old school Methodist mother and years of Catholic guilt!  So, consequently I always make sure that I abide by the rules ... Suitcases weigh the right amount (usually), liquids in my hand luggage are the correct weight and in a specially designed plastic bag, all paperwork is in order, I arrive at least an hour before I have to etc etc.

Trying to be super efficient on this trip and knowing that my turnaround time was so quick, I booked a seat on the internal flight that was right next to the door so that I could just grab my stuff when we landed and leg it.  I told the air stewards that I needed a quick dart and they were very sympathetic and very helpful (or so I thought).

Now you've gotta remember here that I was already in a bit of a blind panic ... I'm such a control freak so don't always handle personal things (work is a different issue) as calmly as I could, especially when I'm on my own.  The stewards said that I had plenty of time and I  wouldn't need to go through customs again, I just needed to go to 'connections' when I got off the plane.

When the doors were opened, one steward then told me, "Oh you need to get on that bus ... There's a bus that's going to take everyone to the terminal.  You need to get on that"  I said, “Are you sure?”  She said, “Yes, definitely”

Following her instructions, I did exactly as she said (I've got to be honest, like I said, I was in a mild state of panic and didn't look at any signs ... well you’re supposed to trust air stewards!) and went with everyone else onto the bus. 

Biggest mistake EVER!  When I got off the bus and walked into the terminal I recognised it instantly ... ‘the luggage terminal’ and there's only one way out ... Completely Out ie have to go back through passport control to get back in!

In a blind panic, I ran to an attendant and said, "OMG help me, I'm due on a flight in 35 minutes and I need to get back to where I've come from!" His answer, "Tough love, the only way you're going is out!"

I thought I was going to faint.  I literally ran out through customs, dived in the lift (good job I knew where I was going) and got back in the queue to go back in though passport control.  Now, what I'd forgotten is that I had bought some bottles of suntan lotion, some perfume and a couple of other liquid bits when I was at the other airport (obviously not thinking I'd need to go through passport control again) and left them in my mini case and handbag.  It completely slipped my mind that I had them, so I hadn’t put them in the allotted plastic bag.  What did the Control Officers do?  Decided that because I hadn’t done that, they were going to go through EVERYTHING and I mean everything, right down to swabbing my camera and sunglasses for drugs. I don't think I've ever been in such a panic and shock in my life (which obviously made them think I was guilty of something).

They took every little thing out of my case and my bag, running some of it back through the scanners. They wanted to see receipts for everything I'd just bought ... OMG ... I'm writing this on the plane and I've still not calmed down!  When they'd finished, I threw everything back into my case (they confiscated the bigger bottles of stuff) and literally legged it.

As I'm writing this, I still have a nagging feeling that I've left stuff behind ... namely all my bikini bottoms ... Not much I can do about it now ... 37,000 feet in the air! I ran like the clappers (I'm so glad I did all that work in the gym now) and when I finally got to the gate just as they were about to close it, I was having the biggest hot sweat you ever did see!

I'm starting to calm down a bit now. Actually a drink would probably be a good idea,  however, my IBS has kicked off with a vengeance because of the stress of it all so I don't think that's a good idea!  I'm also really hungry, but don't want to risk eating anything in case my belly expands to the size of an 8 month pregnant woman!

Right, I'm off to watch a film and see if I can relax. Blimey, all that excitement and I haven't even got there yet!  More tomorrow lovelies, until then, be fabulous!

Lots of love

Jo