Epilogue - Blackfoot, Idaho

EPILOGUE

We didn’t have much opportunity to readjust to the Eastern Time Zone before we had to start traveling again.

On the morning of Friday 28 February, while we were standing on the curb at LAX waiting for the rental car shuttle, Nancy saw Michael’s jaw drop as he checked messages on the phone he had just turned back on. Two hours earlier, while we were still en route from Australia, his sister Julia had sent a text: “Sorry. You’re in the air so I can’t call. Grammie died during the night.”

Saturday - Cincinnati

Back at Thrifty Car Rental, we returned the car and then waited and waited and waited and waited for the shuttle to take us to the airport. Thrifty obviously has some real problem at LAX. When we and other disgruntled customers complained about the extremely slow service, the staff was equally slow to explain or apologize.

Friday - Fullerton

Not all days have 24 hours in them. Today, for example, had 39 hours. Night came in the middle of the afternoon, and we arrived in Los Angeles six hours before we left Sydney.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

Thursday - Sydney and Mosman

When we pulled our blackout shades open this morning, we couldn’t see much sunshine filtering through the heavy clouds above the airshaft outside our window—but we couldn’t see any raindrops, either. In other words, it looked like a perfect day to visit the zoo.

Wednesday - Sydney and Manly

Last night as we were getting ready for bed, it was a relief to know that this morning we wouldn’t have to get up until we felt like it, and that we could look forward to a more or less unscheduled day. So we got up about 7:30, put our swimsuits and towels back in our daypacks, and got on a bus to Circular Quay.

Tuesday - Sydney

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A MAJOR LANDMARK

Today’s action-packed day started early—again—with a tour of the Sydney Opera House. We wondered why the only backstage tour available started at 7 a.m., but soon learned that the SOH is a very busy place, so in order to go behind the scenes without getting in the way, we had to start early. There were ten other people on the tour and we had a very enthusiastic guide.

Monday - Sydney

We decided that in order to make our 8 a.m. flight from Auckland to Sydney, and to avoid rush-hour traffic on the way to the airport, we had better leave the apartment at 6 a.m. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to spend our last fifteen dollars in New Zealand currency on breakfast.