When we arrive at the small local airport, there are tearful good-bys as we depart from Ronit once we get thru security. Andi had to empty her entire pocketbook because apparently her change purse was a problem. Flight 406 is delayed arriving but not to worry, there was a 3 hour layover in Tel Aviv built in so what could possibly go wrong.
The plane finally arrives, passengers disembark and then we board. OK, lets go already but we sit, and sit, and sit, and sit. We're finally told that they can't get the cargo doors shut properly but they're working on the problem. I knew I shouldn't have bought those extra souvenirs. They begin showing the safety film on-board but half way through it, we lose all power on the aircraft and the safety lights come on. OK, let me outta here. Power comes back after 5 minutes but now we have to watch the entire film from the beginning. This time we're really paying attention in case we have to use those emergency chutes.
We are really late by the time we land in Tel Aviv but El Al sends a special bus to meet our plane. Those passengers not in our group deplane. Then we all get off and are directed to this special bus to be whisked directly to the El Al flight going to JFK which El Al has held up for us. God bless El Al, they were truly outstanding and very efficient in getting this all accomplished. Lord knows when our baggage would arrive but as things turned out, the luggage arrived with us.
On the flight to NY, Meryl was sitting behind a woman who reclined her seat prior to liftoff and kept it reclined. When the meal came, Meryl politely asked the woman to raise her seat but the woman ignored her. Meryl tapped the man sitting next to this woman and he mumbled something unintelligible. Meryl then called for the flight attendant who proceeded to have an argument with this woman. The outcome was that the flight attendant forcibly yanked the seat into the upright position and there was no more problems with this individual throughout the flight.
I know this chapter is getting a little wordy but I'd like to relate one more really important anecdote. Half way to NY, a flight attendant wakes me up and asks if my name is Joe Marx which I respond in the affirmative. She then shows me a little black book and asks if I've lost this. The black book is the journal I had been writing all my notes in for this entire trip and upon which this blog is based. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank the passenger that found this book (in the lavatory I think) and turned it in to the flight attendant. Thanks to the flight attendant for returning it to me.
The rest of the flight and the drive home from Orland went without a hitch for which I was grateful.
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