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Up at 6.00am to ensure we have enough time to get to T5 without having to rush. We both hate rushing to airports… Plus I have this niggling concern regarding out US Visa application. I lodged our ESTA application 4 months ago, but never received any sort of confirmation email. When I checked online, the visa's had been approved, so I printed the approval thinking all was good. When I tried to check in last night, British Airways insisted on a 9 digit visa number before I could proceed. Our application number was 14 digits… Figuring there wasn't much I could do from the hotel, we will deal with it at the airport.
Using some accumulated frequent flyer points, I have booked us in First for our flight to New York. As we were one of the first on the plane, I noticed the flight deck door was open, with crew conducting final procedures etc. A quick word to the 1st officer had Lauren sitting in the co-pilot seat for a photo op and run down on how it all works from the pilot before take off.
We are thoroughly impressed with the BA service and lounges… Oh, how the other half live! The seat cubicles on our 777 were huge, they even had another jump seat for anyone that wanted to come in for a chat, 5 different champagne (I tried them all), and an a la carte menu fit for a fine dining restaurant. The old dear opposite us even managed to have oxygen pumped to her cubicle.. Straight up, we flew for 7 hours and walked off the plane like it was 30 minutes. The visa issue turned out to be irrelevant as the visas are electronically attached to our passports.
Conversely, passing through Newark airport was an experience I'd rather forget. Greeted at immigration by another queue in excess of 500 people, we felt completely deflated. We have all experienced the wait for a bank teller, you know, the situation where there are 3 - 5 windows, but only one teller.. Well I counted 48 immigration windows and 9 officers in attendance. Add to this, the fact that everyone was having their finger prints scanned, we were in queue for almost two hours. The delay was so long, they were having to take luggage off the conveyers and dump it on the ground to get the next plane unloaded.
Finally out of the place, we enjoyed a Déjà vu from Naples with the most beaten up yellow cab in the line, just waiting for us.. This clown was nowhere as efficient as Bruno from Naples, but did enjoy lobbing copious quantities of nasal fluid, most of which he had managed to retrieve from the depth of his throat and sinus passages, gurgle gurgle snort and phutooie, out the window at freeway speed… Almost had me vomiting… Welcome to New York !
Twenty minutes and $70USD ($93.50AUD) lighter, we arrived at out apartment in New Jersey. After a quick unpack, we trotted to the local store to top up on supplies and get an idea of where we are located. Our apartment is pretty cool. Located above a boutique recording studio in New Jersey, across the Hudson river from midtown New York and about five minutes bus ride from the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, we are about 20 minutes from Times Square.
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