The Last Call

My layover in Houston was two hours before I had to get my connecting flight to New York. One and a half hour and I still hadn’t cleared immigration. The queue was immense and it took forever as I was stuck behind a Mexican girl who was getting a grilling by the immigration officer, the poor girl didn’t speak very good English and she was ‘escorted’ away by boarder control. When it was finally my turn to go up he only asked me one question……. am I carrying more than 10000 dollars in cash on me? Now, if you saw the state of me that day wearing my $4 woolen Guatemalan hoodie and ripped jeans I am hardly the type of person who looks like he has that amount of cash on him. Wouldn’t it had been better to ask me where I’m staying or how long I’m staying in the states for or even if he had a close look at my passport why have i been all over the world in a year. So all that time in the queue and I get that. I almost felt cheated and would have begged him to question me more if I didn’t have to run through the terminal with all my bags to my connecting plane. I hand over my check in baggage to the rather large black woman baggage handler who then points out that I’m very late and I might not make it if I don’t run “You gotta run, man, run up those stairs. I’ll get ya bags on that plane”. I felt like I was in a movie dashing through the crowds and trying to find my gate.
Getting to the gate I am the last one on the plane but am starting to panic as I didn’t think my bags were going to make it. This fear was laid to rest when the captain buzz through. “Welcome aboard, sorry for the delay in departing. We are waiting for some last minutes baggage to arrive”. I smiled to myself and knew that everything was going to be ok.

I think I’m going to need some time adjusting to this weather, after spending 3 months in Central America I think my body suddenly had a shock to the cold damp air as I stepped out of the airport terminal, I was back standing in the very spot I stood waiting for the bus to take me over the bridge to Manhattan. It felt a little bit surreal that I was back here but this time I felt far happier than the time before.
I kept trying not to think about this being my last stop on this epic trip or the fact I was running out of money, I just wanted 4 days of fun in the city.
Weather aside New York for me is the best city in the world, I love it. You can almost feel the electric atmosphere of the city running through your body once you get to Manhattan. Don’t get me wrong I still love London but this is the only other place in the world I could see myself living.
Jamie who I met 6 months ago through Katie had very kindly let me crash at his family home, it was great seeing both of them again and that night we chewed the fat and caught up over the next few hours.

My time in NYC wasn’t really doing much in the way of tourist stuff as I had seen many of the sights before. I was there to hang out with my friends and shop! The best thing I bought was a glow in the dark Ouija board from Toys R Us. I was a little worried that British Customs might take it off me if they stopped and searched me.
Guy, this will be the centre piece in the flat. We can have witchcraft nights, maybe even sacrifices some animals.
After a few nights out meeting Jamie’s & Katie’s friends again, watching bands, going to gay bars, eating, going to museums and playing Wii for hours it was time to say goodbye to the bright lights of Manhattan, Katie and Jamie and hop on Air India Flight 112 back to London.

The flight went well as there were only a hand full of people on the plane so I could stretch out and go to sleep only to be woken up 5 and half hours later when I touched down to a grey cold spring morning at Heathrow international. This is where my trip ends and my story finishes. I make my way across London listening to the woman’s voice on the Piccadilly line announce that this train terminates at COCKfosters which still makes me chuckle inside. I find myself moaning about how much a train ticket costs to Colchester and how moody the commuters are. Nothing changes in London, even in a year.
I board the 9:30 train to Norwich and find a empty seat and make my self at home for the next hour. I take out my copy of Metro, start eating my Gingsters Spicy Chicken Slice and slap on my iPod, listening to the song of my trip: Sigur Ros – Saeglopur. The train pulls out of the city and in 56 minutes time I will be at my final stop of my journey, where it all began. Colchester.

I am Random………….. I am home.

3 Responses to “The Last Call”

1. Ivan says:

   April 21, 2008 at 9:16 pm

   Amazing blogage all way thru Sam
   Welcome back and hope to catch up soon over a few drinks down the road with all the gang!
   take care
2. Lee says:

   April 22, 2008 at 12:40 am

   Welcome home Sam. Without a doubt my favorite random travel blog of the year! Can’t wait to see it all in print one day.
3. STUART WILLIAM says:

   April 22, 2008 at 11:35 am

   Well that last blog was a bit depressing Sam, you should be overjoyed at returning to mud island and the prospect of going back to work!!
   Anyway Im glad youre back safe, and didnt get kidknapped by the mountain terrorists or killed by eating the wrong type of grasshoppers/scorpions etc!!