The Welcoming Gift

I woke at about 10:30 AM again. It was Sunday. I showered and then began to pack my bags. Check out was at 12:00 PM and I had arranged through the hotel for an airport shuttle to pick me up at 12:05 PM. I finished packing. It wasn't so easy as my pack had somehow started to bulge with capacity. After about half an hour of shuffling things around, I eventually got it zipped up. I locked it with some luggage ties and then made a few checks to ensure I had gotten everything.

I went down to reception at about 11:45 AM to check out. I asked if I could charge the airport shuttle to the room and was told "I am sorry, we can no longer do that". This meant I had to pay cash to the shuttle, which I only had 10,00 Euro on me. The girl gave me some directions for the ATM again and this time I made sure I understood. I left my bag with reception and they put it in the luggage room.

I left the hotel in search of the ATM. I followed the directions the girl gave me and eventually found the ATM. It was about an 8 minute walk from the hotel. I looked at the time as I was heading back and had about 5 minutes before the shuttle was due to depart. I headed back to the hotel and as I arrived at the drive way, I could see the bus waiting out the front. I headed into the hotel but there was a big crowd of people at the reception. "Wonderful", I thought, "It's going to leave without me". I could see the shuttle driver getting impatient. It was no big deal, my flight was not for 4 hours and it was about 2 and a half hours before I could check in for the flight.

As the shuttle drove away the woman that checked me out of the hotel, realised and came running over. It was too late at this point in time. She asked the concierge to arrange another shuttle. I wasn't too concerned, as I said I had plenty of time and there was a shuttle every half hour. The concierge got off the phone and told me I would have to wait until 1:00 PM. I said, 'That's fine'. I sat in the lobby and made use of the WiFi. After a few minutes a big coach arrived and about a dozen people got off and entered the hotel. They were Americans and wearing flight crew uniforms. I guess they were hear to swap with the pilot I had met the night before. About 10 minutes later, a man approached the reception and I heard him say 'Kelly'.

I looked up and the receptionist asked me if I wanted to go to the airport now. I replied ""Well, I am not achieving anything sitting here". I picked up my bags and headed to the black Mercedes parked out the front. I put my big pack in the boot (trunk) and hopped in the back seat. The drive from the hotel to Schiphol Airport took about 20 minutes on the freeway. It was situated amongst paddocks and fields on the outskirts of a small but modern city.

I was flying with Easyjet and their check in counters were in the very last terminal. The driver pulled up outside, I gave him the 17,00 Euro and then got out of the car. I hate airports more than anything else and decided to have a cigarette before I faced the confusion that lies within. I finished the cigarette and entered. I was surprised. Schiphol Airport was well laid out and easy to navigate. I checked the board and it said that my flight was not being checked in yet.

I looked for where the counter was and once I found it walked up to the other end of the terminal to find a seat. I sat down and listened to my Ipod for awhile and watched all the people coming and going. After about an hour I went outside for a cigarette and decided to try and find some food. I found a little food kiosk at the other end of the terminal and got a sausage roll. The sausage roll was pretty bad and it cost 1,90 Euro. I was hungry though so i ate it, it was about 1:30 PM and I hadn't eaten anything all day.

I waited around near the check in counter. I could see a lot of people checking in to flights at the Easyjet counter. The last flight had gone and the only other flight they had on the board was my flight. "Hmmm, maybe I will try and check in now", I thought. I went outside for another cigarette as I wasn't sure if I would be able to smoke after the check in point.

It was about 2:05 PM when I approached the check in counter. The girl checked my big pack and gave me my boarding pass and I headed through the passport checkpoint to the departure gates. This is where all the shops and food places were. The guy in the booth looked puzzelled when I gave him an Australian passport and there were no stamps on the first page. He flicked through and I said "I don't know why they stamped it so far in". He chuckled a little and said "Because it's Romania", then stamped the passport and gave it back to me.

I walked through the gate and headed into the shopping area. I looked for some food and the only place I really saw was McDonalds. I went upstairs and got a Big Mac meal and sat overlooking the shopping areas below. After eating I walked around a little and looked in some shops. I found a smoking area near one of the bars. It's just a room sealed with glass, overlooking the runways. Around each wall and in the middle is a chest high bench with built in ashtrays. When I entered there were 3 other people smoking and even as a smoker I almost choked on the cloud of smoke in the room.

I smoked a cigarette then went to change my Euro for Pounds. I had 95 Euro and received 80 Pounds in exchange. I decided to go and look for Gate H which is where my flight was leaving from. I wondered through the terminal following the signs and came to the security checkpoint. Just before the security check was a bar and a general store. I bought a bottle of water from the store and the woman told me I had to drink it before boarding the flight. I sat down just outside the bar and drank the water. There was another smoking room nearby and I made use of it and the nearby toilet before heading through the security checkpoint.

I entered the security checkpoint and there is a middle aged English woman at the start who puts a tray on the rollers. I begin to empty my pockets and she says "The whole jacket". I say "I guess that makes it easier". She then says, "Are you wearing a belt?". I show her and then start to take it off when she says "The hat too". I was wearing a beanie and took it and my belt off and put them in another tray. I then took my laptop out of my bag and placed it in another tray.

I walked through the scanner but the guy on the other side told me to go back and stand on the yellow footprints. I did that, then he told me to raise my arms and i did as instructed. As I walked through the other side I could see an image on a screen. I guess this is the X-Ray scanners everyone was complaining about. It didn't seem like a big deal to me. As I was regathering my things on the other side of the checkpoint, one of the staff walked by and said "It looks like you're the only one on this flight". I laughed and said "I wish".

It was about 3:00 PM and still 1 and a half hours before the flight was due to leave. The gates at Schiphol are different to any I have seen before. There is one long hallway with 2 sides separated by a glass wall. One side is arrivals and the other side is departures. Along the hall at regular intervals is a doorway and a set of stairs leading down to the departure gates. These doors are closed until the plane is ready to board. I sat on a seat near the start of the hall.

After about half an hour I required a toilet and the nearest one was all the way down the other end of the hall. The hall was at least 1 km long. I walked all the way to the toilet and by the time I returned, the gate was open and everybody was queuing to board the plane. I went downstairs and lined up. The guy in front of me had to have his ID checked as the attendant explained "There had been a problem with Italian ID cards recently". He was fine and then she scanned my boarding pass and I waited in the line.

After about 10 minutes the door was opened and we boarded the plane. I was sitting in the aisle in one of the emergency rows. There were 2 people next to me. After everyone was boarded, a male flight attendant approached me and asked if I could sit in the row behind as they needed all exits covered during the flight. The row was empty so I was more than happy to move. After the safety presentation, which by the way on English flights is very polite and very, very thorough. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the voice on the recording.

I fell asleep before we even took off. It must have been about 45 mins to an hour later when I woke up during the food service. I got a box of Pringles and a can of Pepsi for 2.80 Pound. and no sooner had I finished them then I looked out the window and saw houses below. The pilot announced that we were flying over Essex. The flight crew came through and collected the rubbish and the pilot announced we were making our descent into Liverpool. This happened all in a matter of minutes.

I got out some chewing gum as chewing helps the pressure on my ears during landings. We flew out over the Mersey and turned back in towards the land. We landed at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and as I walked through the arrivals hallway I saw on a TV the score of the Liverpool Vs Tottenham Hotspur match. It was 1-1. Liverpool were at home to Tottenham and it was going to be a difficult match for the homeside as Tottenham had been in form, but so had Liverpool. Liverpool always seemed to lose to Tottenham the last few seasons.

I arrived at customs and joined a line. When I got to the counter, the guy told me I needed to fill in a card and join the other line. "Okay, Thanks", I said. I completed the card and took it to the other counter. The woman gave me the third degree and I didn't think she was going to let me into the country as my return ticket was for a date well in the future. I gave her my cousins address and phone number and after about 10 minutes of scrutiny she stamped the passport and let me through. I thanked her and then headed through to collect my luggage.

My bag was the last one at the luggage claim and everyone else had gone. I was to meet my cousin, Kellie, in the arrival hall. I looked around but did not recognise anyone. I had never met her and only had Facebook photos to rely on. I stood around for a few minutes looking. Just as I was about to try and connect to WiFi and see if I could message her on Facebook, I saw a woman who looked like my cousin looking at me. She said "Kevin" and I smiled and said "Yes". She gave me a hug and then her husband, Marcus, who she had sent to the other end of the terminal to look, came over and we were on our way.

In the car I received a very nice welcome gift. Liverpool had come from 2-1 behind to beat Tottenham 3-2. The three of us talked a lot on the drive home and Marcus took me a slightly scenic way back to their house.  I was worried that I would struggle to understand the scouse accent, but Kelly and Marcus didn't have a thick accent. They were both really friendly and helped me feel comfortable with meeting them for the first time. They lived in Blundellsands which is about 20 minutes from Liverpool City. Their apartment is very nice and has an amazing view over 'The beach'. The beach is not as we would describe in Australia but is actually the River Mersey. It is still an amazing view.

When we got home I met Kellies mothers husband Paul and we had 'Scouse' Spaghetti Bolognese. After dinner, we just relaxed in the loungeroom talking. Marcus and I had a few beers and watched the end of the FA cup match between Manchester United and Chelsea, and then eventually went to bed.

Kellie had taken Monday and Tuesday off to show me around Liverpool and meet my grandad. Monday we would try to see as much as possible in the city of Liverpool. I was looking forward to it.