I didn't really have the best end to my couchsurfing experience on this trip. I was trying to be polite last night when writing my blog, but I couldn't wait to get out of Fatima's home. After staying in so many places globally with a wide variety of homes e.g. mud-huts, corrogated iron shelters etc. I can say that I don't judge a person on their home. However, I was astounded by what I was met with yesterday.
We checked in at 11:51am at the airport so had 3 hours to sit and wait for the flight. It gave us a chance to catch up on what we had both been up to. We finally boarded our flight and took a look and the skymall merchandise magazine...here is just a sample of the fabulous array of luxury gifts on offer as you fly on the "friendly airline". I am particularly fond of the plastic mac for dogs:
So it was finally time to take off....we're off to D.C!!!
After 2 hours on the plane stuck on the tarmac, we returned to a gate just 2 more over from the one we left. We were told that we would be allowed to get off the plane as Washington had stopped arrivals for 1hr45min.....when reaching the gate, they cancelled that and said that they would just refuel and we would be off again. 10 minute fuel stop off we went......
Oh no, wait, we just sat there for another 2 hours and then were told that the flight was cancelled and we would be returning to the original gate. So 4 hours later and we saw the runway in distance and travelled a total of 2 gates. We were a little bit depressed.
So deja-vu was starting to kick in....funnily enough, I knew the way already to the customer service line for problems with flights after the fiasco the last time I was in this airport (O'Hare) with the SAME airline!!!! I HATE UNITED AIRLINES!!!!!
It only took 2.5 hours for use to actually get seen as they kept letting premier class customers jump the queue, even if they had only been waiting 5 minutes compared to those of us who had been there since the dawn of time. I was not a happy bunny...
We finally got booked on another flight but to a different airport in Washington. Who cared as long as we got there and could start our holiday?! We had 5 minutes to grab a rushed chinese takeaway and went to board the new flight. My bag was supposedly transferred to this new flight......we would see if that was true at the other end.
So we got on our 2nd plane for a 3rd attempt at finally being on our way, only 10 hours later from when we first checked in. I think Andrew got confused in the photo below thinking we were describing the number of planes we had been on instead of attempts at taking off ;-)
I was handed a deflated air bed and told that I could set it up in front of the front door...and that was just the beginning. From that moment on I was ignored, I tried my best to start conversations but I only got one word answers. She sat on her bed with her headphones in watching TV or a movie.
The apartment was so dirty! I asked her had she just moved in - in the stress of moving I can understand a little disorganisation etc. NO!! She's been here 2 years!! There was dirt and clumps of hair everywhere, not a minute space clean in the whole apartment. It looked like someone had turned over the place and was looking for some priceless artifact that had been smuggled out of a museum. I had to walk around with my shoes on even when going to the bathroom. It was evident that she hadn't cleaned in the whole time that she had been there. I slept on top of my towel that night on the air mattress as that didn't even feel totally clean. I really shouldn't bad-mouth someone that has let me into their home, but I really can't get my head around how you can open up your home to visitors when it is in such a state and then simply ignore them the whole night and make them feel really unwelcome. Surely that's not the whole ethos behind couchsurfing/hosting??
I tried to wake Fatima when I needed to leave the flat in order to go and pick up Andy but after calling her name 6 times, she was still sound asleep. I left the flat to go and collect the car from the parking but texted her to let her know where I had gone. I didn't get a reply for 4 more hours.
So off I jolly well went to meet Andrew at Union Station during rush hour traffic It was great after such a horrid night to finally be with a mate and have some company. We decided to head out of downtown and go towards the airport and find somewhere to have some breakfast. That was much harder than we thought! Finally managed to find a service station after driving around the airport and coming back south. Had to take a photo of this lovely tag in the boot of the car.....a release handle for those people who have been stuffed into a trunk by gang members! The lovely instructions even remind you to run away once leaving the cramped space. lol!
We checked in at 11:51am at the airport so had 3 hours to sit and wait for the flight. It gave us a chance to catch up on what we had both been up to. We finally boarded our flight and took a look and the skymall merchandise magazine...here is just a sample of the fabulous array of luxury gifts on offer as you fly on the "friendly airline". I am particularly fond of the plastic mac for dogs:
So it was finally time to take off....we're off to D.C!!!
After 2 hours on the plane stuck on the tarmac, we returned to a gate just 2 more over from the one we left. We were told that we would be allowed to get off the plane as Washington had stopped arrivals for 1hr45min.....when reaching the gate, they cancelled that and said that they would just refuel and we would be off again. 10 minute fuel stop off we went......
Oh no, wait, we just sat there for another 2 hours and then were told that the flight was cancelled and we would be returning to the original gate. So 4 hours later and we saw the runway in distance and travelled a total of 2 gates. We were a little bit depressed.
So deja-vu was starting to kick in....funnily enough, I knew the way already to the customer service line for problems with flights after the fiasco the last time I was in this airport (O'Hare) with the SAME airline!!!! I HATE UNITED AIRLINES!!!!!
It only took 2.5 hours for use to actually get seen as they kept letting premier class customers jump the queue, even if they had only been waiting 5 minutes compared to those of us who had been there since the dawn of time. I was not a happy bunny...
We finally got booked on another flight but to a different airport in Washington. Who cared as long as we got there and could start our holiday?! We had 5 minutes to grab a rushed chinese takeaway and went to board the new flight. My bag was supposedly transferred to this new flight......we would see if that was true at the other end.
So we got on our 2nd plane for a 3rd attempt at finally being on our way, only 10 hours later from when we first checked in. I think Andrew got confused in the photo below thinking we were describing the number of planes we had been on instead of attempts at taking off ;-)
We finally landed in Washington Dulles.......would our holiday now begin???? NO!!!! The lovely United airlines had lost my bag! The poor thing didn't even make it onto my flight! So yet again, I am left with no clothes or toiletries......wouldn't bother me so much for the night if I was sharing a room with a fella!
There is the hope that it may get delivered tomorrow...but I have to spend my first day in the Capital waiting for a message that it is being delivered so that I have clean clothes to go out in and the means to have a shower.
I am going to have to sleep in my fleece jacket so that i am at least a little bit decent when sharing the room.
I am so glad that today is over.....it is nearly 2am and we've only just checked in! Let's hope that 'today' is a brighter day.
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