We Are Here!

We have arrived and are slowly settling in to our new digs. What an adventure so far!

The plane trip: We leave Bluebell at 8:00am for a 11:25 flight to Atlanta.

The flight from Philly to Atlanta was uneventful. God's infinite sense of humor shone through once again as we boarded the plane with temperatures in the upper 60's. This is practically unheard of for Philly in August. It is a mere 113 degrees here today. Thank God I don't have a sweating problem. We flew coach to Atlanta with all the poor people. It went fine and the kids were good. This flight lasted from 11:25am - 1:05pm(EDT) We were lucky enough to meet up with Marie's parents at the airport in Atlanta for a last goodbye. They were coming home from a wedding in Kansas via Atlanta and we had a short 15 minutes together before we boarded our KLM flight for Amstertam. Total layover in Atlanta 1:05 - 4:45pm(EDT).

The flight to Amersterdam was fantastic for 85% of the trip. Goodbye to the peasants in coach

and hello to first class luxury. They call it business class now but we know what it really is. We thought we had died and gone to heaven. Seats that recline to a flat sleeping position. Individualized attention during meal service complete with real glass and silverware. The kids only broke one glass during the entire two flights on KLM - not a bad track record. Movies, tv, music and video games all at your seat. Sarah and Jack fell right in line and began ordering soda's and snacks at will. Jack would proceed to use the bathroom a minimum of 10 times on the leg to Amsterdam. I hit up the free drinks as I knew the clock was ticking on my alcohol consumption and I needed to get in all I could. Good red wine. All was great until it was time to go to sleep. The older two stayed up the entire flight jacked up on sugar and travel adreniline. The baby hit a wall somewhere over the eastern north Atlantic and while all those who had payed out the wazoo tried to sleep Anna blew her first gasket. We finally got her to sleep and a hour later they turned on all the lights as it was time for breakfast and our decent. Rats. She was up again and really unhappy. The last hour or more was tough. She sceamed and I mean screamed all the way into the gate. People on that flight hated us. 4:45pm - 1:15am(EDT)

We now had a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport. This is where Jack came undone. What I have failed to tell you is that Jack came down with the worst case of poison oak I have ever seen the day before we left. It was everywhere. Face, neck, head, arm, leg, tookus and his most private of all places had it the worst. We spent too much time in a tiny airplane bathroom applying anti-itch creme to his hey-na-nee-na-nee. But I digress. Jack was in a bad place between his itch and lack of sleep. He lost it and wanted the entire airport to know it. We found the KLM executive lounge and we all settled in for some rest. The kids fell asleep after some food and drink and Marie and I sat tight for what seemed like an eternity. That is until I found the Heineken on tap. I know it was 7:30am Netherlands time but on my watch it said 3:30am and that meant it was happyhour. Good lord were they good. I like Heineken at home even with the slightly skunky after taste. But here it was super -d-duper fresh and amazing. I could have had 8 but after just two and a serious lack of sleep the room started spinning so I stopped. Good bye beer. You have been a good friend and I will see you again soon. Onto the next flight. The kids can barely walk as we wake them to go to the plane. Jack is moaning. Anna is not happy. But Sarah has been a trooper through the entire ordeal. I think she has her mom's travel gene's. 1:15am-7:15am(EDT)

The last leg of the trip was the best. We were back in our first class digs but we were split up. Jack and I were 6 rows back from the girls. Jack, Marie and Anna fell asleep immediately and Sarah and I hung tough and stayed up. Finally able to enjoy the good life I watch a movie and ate a meal. We arrive at Dammam Airport at 8:25 local time. That would be 1:25(EDT). Our entire trip took us 26 hours door to door. Longer then usual due to the flight to Atlanta.

Rats I am out of time. We are off to al-Khobar for shopping and dinner. The pic above is from today at lunch at the Dhahran Horse Farm. It is the weekend here are we are visiting from RT to use her computer and watch some TV as we have neither at the moment. Enjoy.

Steve - Dhahran Saudi Arabia 8/23/07