And we're back...

Tuesday was an easy day, and our return went as well as could be expected. We had a few errands to do in the morning, and we stopped by to see Michel and Ricardo on the way to the airport, took the little Yaris back, and got to the airport about an hour earlier than we actually needed to just in case we had trouble with Mum's emergency passport.

The Costa Rican exit guards found it acceptable, and indeed they probably see many of them.
Charlotte Airport was not quite as easy. Rob had the very back seat on the plane, and was therefore the last off, and we were in the visitors line at US Customs, which takes the longest, and we were the last through. Then Homeland Security needed to verify Mum's documents, and by the time we did the route march to our check point, it was closed, and we had to dash back to a different check point, then back the other way to our gate, and by the time we got there they were already boarding. But we made it.

The in flight bits of the trip were uneventful - as air flight should be - although due to the storm systems in the US we were in moderate turbulance for all of the 6 hours of flying time, so were unable to get up and move around. Mum and I have a system now. If the flight gets too boring, we order hot tea. This is sure to cause an impromptu weather mass to attack the plane and liven things up.

In conclusion, although this was a business trip, we have fulfilled the purpose and have serious negotiations and finalities and things in the hands of our lawyer for the purchase of Pacific Pulbishing....and we did manage to find time for some firsts...

Mum had never had a pedicure, ridden on a motorcycle, or in 55 years of world travel, been pickpocketed.

I had never seen a crocodile or a boa constrictor outside of a zoo, crossed the continental divide six times in 3 weeks by car, bribed a cop (as DJ so indelicately yet accurately puts it), seen a live volcano, or experienced a tropical storm.

And neither of us had been involved in a high-speed chase!

So back to the world of the mundane. Of soccer games and business meetings, of bills and groceries and laundry. And planning for my next trip in late July or early August.

Aska Banana!