During my time as a RVer, 2010 – 2020 (during which time, I spent at least one week in all fifty states), I generally spent the seven days of the week with three days for housekeeping (laundry, oil changes, grocery shopping, selecting and captioning photos and writing the narrative for the blog), three days for tourism and one day for relocation to a new RV park. Given that 2022 will find every tour day filled with tourism and every day filled with coffee on the plaza with the locals, dont expect much original narrative during the 2022 trip. My plan is to give my audience a daily, captioned, pictorial essay by the narrative of the days activities as supplied by the tour provider. Some tour operators have tendered interesting, meaningful descriptions whereas others have offered very little color. Like Joe Friday of Dragnetfame said, Just the facts, maam! Regardless, I hope you enjoy my offerings.
TUE, 03 MAY 2022 – Depart Phoenix, Arizona for Marrakech, Morocco – I was surprised (not) to learn that there is no flight from Phoenix to Marrakech, so I will be taking a total of three flights to reach my first
overseas destination. Bug #1: Originally, I was to take a Delta flight from Phoenix to Seattle and then to Amsterdam, Netherlands. On the morning of my departure, I received a text that the second leg had been delayed such that I would have missed the third leg – Amsterdam to Marrakech. All of the text messages referenced Flight XXX, so I had no idea of where I was going.
Bug #2: When I reached the ticketing window, I was asked to produce the credit card I had used to purchase my flight. This was not a Delta requirement, but a Moroccan attempt to reduce credit card fraud. That particular card (with the last 4 digits of XXXX) was not in my pocket, so I got out of the line and dug through my suitcases as I mumbled, I wish that would have been disclosed before I packed.
Bug #3: With correct credit card in hand, I the line only to learn that my COVID test sample had been taken a few hours before the limit. The Moroccan government requires a COVID test within 48 hours of boarding the aircraft of origin. Ole Uncle Larry, using
what seemed sense, calculated that if the test results took from 24 to 48 hours, I would be within the guidelines. Wrong Sherlock Holmes! Fortunately, there is an COVID test available in Terminal 4. Onward to the Skytrain, test taken, results obtained and back on the Skytrain to Terminal 3. With COVID results in hand, I got my boarding passes for Phoenix to DETROIT to Amsterdam to Marrakech. Much to my friends chagrin, I had arrived at the airport the three hours ahead of departure and, after a start, at the gate only 30 minutes before departure.
On the flight to Detroit, I was assigned a B seat in an exit row. I was okay with that – there was lots of leg room, the restroom was right in front of me and I could easily access the aisle without pestering the passenger to my right; however, there was no window in the emergency exit, and I believe this is the first time I have ever landed without a single clue as to how far we were from the ground! On the plus side, I was able to chat with the flight attendant (in
the A seat) during takeoff and landing. FYI – I had heard on the news, and confirmed with the flight attendant, that beginning only recently have flight attendants begun to receive pay for boarding and deplaning (why is it not either planing or deboarding!!!). Previously, the payroll clock started when the doors were secured and stopped when to doors opened. How crazy is that, and where was the flight attendants union for the last 50 years?
By the time I arrived at the gate for the Amsterdam flight, boarding was underway. I found my windowless window seat. Im supposing that its a structural thing but there was no window in this part of the bulkhead, but only on the port side – the starboard side had a window.
