Finally made it home...almost!

My trip went a little bit (a lot like) this...

I left Tampa at 10:50 am and got to ft. Lauderdale at about 12noon. I didn't want to take the 9:30pm flight again and risk missing my connecting flight again. So I got to hang out in the Spirit air terminal for about 12 hours, which I can tell you is not great. there's two no name restaurants, if you can call them that. I read for a long time and got sleepy enough to actually take about a 2.5 hour nap on some chairs that didn't have an armrest in between, thank goodness! I didn't want to leave the terminal because there was a large yellow sign warning people they were at the point of no return. But after being there for about 5 hours I went to ask the guard if I could go to the ticket counter to change my seat number. I asked him,"So what's out there?" "The world", he said. Then he added, "there's a Chili's in terminal 3, or you could take a 15 min. taxi to the beach." So after learning that the taxi's run $20 each way I decided to stand in the long ticketing line. I had time to waste. As I was in the long line with all 15 agents busy, one lady decides to make a scene complaining about why they hadn't been helped yet. There was anohter line off at the end where there weren't any agents. I don't know why people even started a line there, but anyways, one agent tried not to strangle her, I'm sure, but did say he was going to have to call security. Then some other scary looking guys (remember, I am in Florida!) jump on the bandwagon and start yelling at the ticketing agents. I just had these images of having to get down on the floor covering my head with my hands.
Eventually the manager came out and evryone calmed down, I got my seat changed and took the airport shuttle to terminal three. I hung out there for a long while. I have read every news magazine that came out this week and feel more knowledgeable than ever about current (esp. celebrity) events.

Finally after more reading and trying to sleep with no luck, the plane took off about 45 minutes late. I could've taken the 9:30pm flight after all from Tampa!

When I got into the airport in Honduras at 1am beto was there waiting for me. I got to see him after they dragged my bag in from outside and it was all open. I think the only thing I lost was a little bag of toiletries and nearly my dignity when I saw a pair of my underwear (clean, thank goodness!) sitting nicely on top of someone else's suitcase on the carousel. The guy in front of me was laughing about it so I decided I could live without them and let them pass by.

My bag was ripped and broken which has never happened on any other airline before!

Beto and I were going to wait in the airport till about 5am (what's another 4 hours in an airport when you've already spent 12?) but beto decided we should get a hotel. The taxi driver who charged us way too much took us to a hotel he insisted was good and in a safe neighborhood, but his idea of "safe" were definately different than ours. we only stayed one night and this morning we went to the bus station to catch a bus back home.

The bus station was pretty empty and there weren't any busses outside which was kind of weird but it was still pretty early and there were a lot of people in the waiting area. After waiting about an hour Beto decided he better ask. Turns out there's a bus strike because of rising gas prices (same here as in the States) and there would be no busses today! So we got to spnd the day here in San Pedro Sula, foudn a better hotel near the mall! Woo hoo! And got to relax and enjoy a movie tonight.

Hopefully the busses will be running tomorrow, but we've heard that they are even blocking the main thorofairs so that no civilians can pass at all.

This is the vacation that just won't end! Being a home body I can't wait to get home.