London, Immigration, Customs and Luggage...

The process in getting off the plane is good with Japan Airlines. They simply make everyone wait in their "classes" before letting the rest off. Saves all that scramble.

Then we bid our goodbyes to the cabin crew and especially Evan, and did the long walk. It seems to go on forever and then you emerge in to the Customs/Irrigation area. Trouble is we were one of about five (5) flights all landing about the same time.

Somebody must know how many are coming in at any particular time, and they should have the staff to cope with it. There are two points at which you can line up, the first being the queue for UK Nationals and those from EU countries. 

Everyone else gets into the other queue, which by the time we'd been to loo on the way down the long walk, was very large. We were all tired, some were more cranky than others, and we were suddenly aware that this was the area through which may illegal immigrants were about to attempt to get into the UK. One guy was escorted away by three plain clothed officers, and quite a few men from areas of the sub-continent were nervously waiting their turn. 

Trouble is, they are in the same lines as the rest of us, and just when we got near to the point of being called forward, several of us were shunted down to another part of the line to await those people who would process us.

Next thing was, they forget they'd separated us, and we stood for a long time until Lee and I were called forward, and as a "family" we went through together. (You could almost sense the man's thought's when we told him we were here for three months for a holiday. He was either thinking, "lucky buggers" or "why do they bother?")

Next stop baggage. We hadn't seen our bags since Sydney and were assured they would be sent on to London. It seems they were with us all the time, but down in the bowels of the plane, getting cold. We emerged into the baggage claim area, and there they were, off to the side, tidily standing together waiting for us. 

When I said to the staff behind the counter that they were ours, she simply said take them, without even checking our claim tickets!

How excitement! This is where the trip really starts, we are here in the UK, it's all ahead of us, so let's get the taxi to the hotel, and crash!!! 

Good idea, but the taxi driver took us to the wrong hotel. It seems there are several Holiday Inns near Heathrow, and I did tell him the one we wanted, so off we went, and ended up being told they had no idea of us, and when I showed him my copy of the booking, he said that we were at the wrong one and that he would call us a cab, as the two places, (although both Holiday Inns, didn't speak to each other!!!???)

Another cab, another very helpful driver, and another 10 Pounds later, we had our room. But, we were hungry, so we went downstairs and had a very large glass of wine, and a pizza. 

And then crashed and slept like little lambs...

Tomorrow, the car hire

(PLEAS NOTE - THIS BLOG SEEMS TO BE A DAY AHEAD OF ITSELF IN THE POSTING OF OUR 'ADVENTURES', - I WILL TRY AND FIX IT TOMORROW, WHICH IS THURSDAY THE  7TH)