Houston we have arrived!!!

Sunday 27th August.
An early start at 4.00 a.m. to catch the 9.00 a.m. flight from Birmingham to Newark New York. Amidst much security and inspections we arrived safely with views of the New York skyline on touchdown after seven and a quarter hours of flying. Our first queue was for immigration where we were fingerprinted and photographed on entry into the USA. Our next wait was for the luggage which once we had collected led us to a queue for customs, having got through this hurdle we joined the next queue to have our bags rechecked for our onward flight to Houston. We then made our way after an hour and threequarters back to the same gate and the same plane from which we had disembarked!!! Not even getting a chance for a New York coffee. Almost three hours later we arrived at Houston at 4.15 p.m. local time and 10.15 p.m. at home. Our cases claimed we caught the shuttle bus to the Hotel Marriot in the medical centre of Houston, an area that seems to be filled with large prestigious looking private hospitals. After a rest, a shower and a call home we went down to the Hotel's Fannins Restaurant, and it wasn't long before we found ourselves with a group of other Challenger Flight Directors. We were made very welcome :-) We were in bed by 9.15 p.m. but then it was 3.15 a.m. at home, our day had not been 24 hours but 30 hours.