The Mother of All Layovers

We got into Gatwick in London around 11 pm and by the time we went through security it was after midnight.  Gatwick gives you 45 minutes of free wifi, but after that, you pay.  I had gotten online and found out there was a McDonald's (free wifi 24/7) in the South Terminal so Patty and I hopped on the shuttle to catch up on emails and browsing and also to find a quiet corner where we could sleep for four or five hours.  Our flight to Las Vegas did not leave until 10:50 am.  We also found out from one of the security attendants that the Netherlands/Argentina soccer semi was in overtime and the score was nil/nil.  We found out later that Argentina won on penalties.  Bummer.

We walked all around the South Terminal but never did see a McDonald's.  What we did see was a billion people in various stages of sleep.  Well, okay, not a billion, but A LOT.  I sat down to work on the blog, but I knew 45 minutes would not be enough time.  Patty, meanwhile, had found two very nice lounge chairs and had put her bag on one to save for me (I was half a gate away and oblivious).  A man walked up and asked if he could use one of the chairs?  "No," Patty said, "My friend will be here in a little while to sit there."  He returned 15 minutes later and called Patty a liar.  Then he moved her bag and sat down.  When he moved her bag a second time, she swatted him and told him to knock it off.  I so wish I had seen this exchange, but like I said...I was oblivious.  When I came along, Patty and I decided to try and find something else.  We couldn't believe how many people were in the airport at 2 am. 

I saw a small prayer chapel room and thought it would do nicely.  We went in and it was quiet AND carpeted, so we went to the back, put our bags against the wall and tried to sleep.  It wasn't long before other people...a lot of other people...had the same idea.  I have never heard snoring so loud in all my life.  If that man is married it should be to a woman who does something equally obnoxious.

I was getting cold.  I had on shorts and a knit top, so I put on my jacket.  I was still cold, so I quietly opened my carryon and pulled out my capris...I just pulled them on enough to cover my legs.  Why yes, of course it looked ridiculous.  About that time, sigh...a minister of some sort came into the Chapel and wanted into an office...the door of which I was blocking...in my capris that were half pulled up.  People...it is 2am!!!  I sat up, let him in, and he fiddled around in there for 10 minutes or so, and then, of course, he wanted out so I had to move to get out of his way again.  I imagine that set into motion some sort of violation protocol, because within ten minutes (yes, just about the time I drifted off to sleep again) a heavy set woman came in and loudly proclaimed that we could not sleep in the Chapel.  I wanted to tell her that she was interrupting my prayer time, but I behaved myself and followed Patty back out to where the rows of hard plastic seats lined the terminal.  We would doze for 15 minutes before a maintenance man came rattling through with a large wire trailer or something.  At one point, a dozen or so uniformed soldiers with AK47s and canines came through, asking questions, passing wands over carry ons, scanning the hallways.  It was too much for my fatigued, mostly optimistic, mostly trusting brain to handle.

We took the shuttle back to the other terminal, checked in for our flight, and spent nearly four hours watching people.  It was...entertaining.  Our flight to Las Vegas was nearly 10 hours in length and we are now waiting for our connecting flight to Portland.