Diary for Debbie does...round the world


New York Day Five

2011-06-08 to 2011-06-09

Up at 0800 today as needed to sort out my bank card and also thought we were going to fit in the 90 min cruise around the southern tip of Manhattan thus also seeing the Statue of Liberty. Fairly apparent quite quickly that it wasnt going to happen so i went to the HSBC bank near the hotel to sort out the card. They put me thru to England for free and eventually after 45mins got everything sorted out. My daily limit is £300. I knew this. The day before I had withdrawn $300 which is the approx equivalent of £170 - no where near my limit but the bank kept insisting that I had drawn out £305 thus possibly making it fraudulent activity. I was right in the end. He apologised on behalf of the bank ( a week later they refunded my account £40 for the inconvenience and for my mobile charges).

Back at the hotel everyone was still getting up and getting ready. Jo went off to do the cruise - too late for me. The others were going shopping and I went with them for a while - quick lunch and goodbyes and back to the hotel for me. the shuttle arrived 15mins early and I wasnt quite ready so they had to wait 5mins - it was full of people. I arrived at the airport 4.5 hours before my flight - thats why I wanted the 1430 shuttle. Fortunately i was allowed to check in for my flight and go through - sat in the bar and had a drink and read my book - no good shops in the terminal I was in. Did manage to get an aisle seat again thankgoodness. Full flight again. It was good timing as left New York at 1830 at night and arrived at Heathrow at 0700 so I could go straight to work

Arrived on time and went thru the UK immigration line as much shorter and I am allowed to do with a Right to Abode visa. had planned out my best route to get to work - taxi to Houndslow central Station, train to Clapham Junct and bus to my first meeting of the day at 0930. Didnt quite go that way. The taxi driver was a grumpy shit - he accepted my fare and then started grizzling and complaining that he had been there since 0530 and he was getting a short fare from me. As I politely pointed out that he had accepted me and £25 was ok money. he went on some more and I said I would not be discussing it any further. he dropped me off at the station and it came to £10 which surprised me and it want until i had topped up the Oyster card that I went thru down the tunnel to find it was the tube station not the train station - i suspect it was deliberate on his part cos he knew I had a meeting to get to. Then the train station is nowhere near the tube station and the bus was going to take 25 mins from one to the other. managed to find a mincab number and booked one which only took 5 mins to arrive and took me all the way to my meeting just on time for £25. What the Black Cab driver doesnt know is that I took his number and will complain.

Welcome back to London to me. :)

The rest of the day was good. I was tired by the last meeting of the day but the tube ride with Gertrude wasnt too bad. Early night for me.