All good things must end, I am told. At snacks of the last night Capt Neil told us passengers, that were leaving when we got back to Grenada, to bed early as the planes all left very early. So we did. We had learned the captain knew what he was talking about. Captain ate dinner with us again on the last night. I remember him eating with us 4 times during the week. I guess he liked to argue and discuss wide viewpoints. Being the son of Marion Robertson I can defend at least two sides of any argument. Unknowingly we had all gained our sea-legs. In the first half of the cruise I used to hear people flopping around in their cabins trying to go to sleep in the moving ship. This night sleep came suddenly to us all. I have no memory of us arriving back at St. Georges in Grenada. About 4:30 AM the stewards started knocking on the cabin doors waking the departing passengers. I had packed before bedtime as had the girls. Of course they could not totally pack. Always got to have a last minute flurry of packing and deciding what to wear. I think I had instant coffee and some sort of bun. I am not sure what Leigh and Misty had on the ship. We got on deck with our gear just after the “mountain goats” arrived. Our bags were loaded into the vehicles and we stuffed in around them. Funny, all the bags were bulging full. Everyone remarked on how much heavier their luggage was now. We got to the airport just at daybreak. The sunrise was beautiful but it looked like the day at Grenada was going to be overcast.  The security checks in Grenada were not as rigorous. But I got to fretting because the Grenadians move at the island pace. “No problem man. No rush. Plenty of time man!” Getting closer and closer to takeoff time and Leigh and Misty found a restaurant for breakfast. I am getting antsy and stressed and the girls seem to have caught the island fever. Finally finish breakfast and go galloping to the boarding area. When we get there we are about the last ones. Naturally, there is a “duty free shop” where Leigh and Misty insist on shopping. For God’s Sake! They touched everything in that shop twice before deciding on some trinkets to take to their loved ones. Serving trays and such. I bought a salt and pepper shaker set for Caro. Then we didn’t have enough EC to pay and the clerk didn’t have change for dollars. So somebody was sent for to get change. Somebody from the airline came into the shop to find us. The motors were running on the plane and the pilot was ready to go. More farting around.......finally we get the stuff paid for and fill out declaration forms that we are leaving with no “contraband”. Little did I know. Return route Grenada to Puerto Rico to Dallas to Houston. In almost no time, it seems, we were landing in Puerto Rico. We had to run to the other side of the terminal to catch our flight to Dallas. Unlike the trip down we didn’t have long layovers until Dallas. At each airport we had to go through security check. This time I checked my backpack and Misty checked her suitcase. We had way less trouble going through the detectors. But “radioactive” Leigh Ann kept arousing the alarms and got “wanded” at every step. The flight from Puerto Rico to Dallas was hideous. We were crammed into an airbus again. Just like a cattle car. Six seats wide by at least 37 rows. On the way to Dallas the flight attendants passed out more declaration forms declaring what we were bringing into the country that was subject to customs tax. Or illegal! We declared we were bring into the US nothing illegal or subject to taxation. No shells or coral or such like. Not us Texans! It seemed like we circled the Dallas field several times before we landed. We had a fairly long wait in Dallas but not long enough to eat or sight see. My two son-in-laws were waiting for us in the George Bush Airport in Houston. Wayne gathered up Leigh and her bags while we all said our good-byes. Shaun gather up Misty’s bags and we took off for home. During the walk out to the vehicles the three of us kept remarking how it felt as if the ground was moving. “Sea legs”. Shaun dropped me at my house. He and Misty live about a half mile from us so they were home before I got in my front door. Caro asked me how “it” was. I said OK. Strange how it takes so much time before one can begin to describe the experience of a lifetime. So to begin I went into the computer room to see how the Grannies were doing. 
|
 |
|
| Table of Contents | Next Chapter |