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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

my trip to Disney part 1

Lauren
Align CenterMy mum...doesn't she look good....can anyone guess her age?


jaccaranda




After attending Lauren's graduation , we flew to Miami South Florida on Sunday where we spent the night with my mother in law. The next day we rented a car for the trip to Orlando. Lauren was the driver and moi, was the navigator extraordinaire.

We started off at 1.30 pm with a packed cooler of water, drinks and snacks made by my darling mother in law Barbara. We had maps Barbs gave us from the AAA mapping the route to Orlando so we were set. The journey was estimated to take 3 1/2 hours. We planned on going to the Orlando airport to collect my mum who was flying in from New Jersey.

The adventure began........two hours later we were still trying to get out of Miami. My daughter said that we should go back to the house and start again from there. I gave an emphatic no! I didn't want Barbs to know that we two fools couldn't even get out of Miami and have her worry. We circled the airport several times and I muttered under my breath that we should have taken a flight.

We were low on gas so we pulled into a gas station. By the way my other duties besides being the navigator extraordinaire, was also the official gas pumper. I had never pumped gas before and assumed that Lauren knew how to. She then told me that she too had never pumped gas in her life even though she has driven in the USA. We looked at each other and I said to myself "lord have mercy on us". Now in Barbados, we have gas attendants to do that, so this was a new experience. Lauren paid for the gas and I took the pump and attempted to fill the tank. Nothing happened, I pressed the trigger several times and still nothing happened. I was about to complain that the pump wasn't working when Lauren came and pulled the pump lever to start the gas flowing telling me that was how it should be done as if she was used to doing it. Huh .......I was sure she had seen that somewhere in the movies.

Lauren kept harping on about not having a GPS system in the car. We then spotted a Best Buy somewhere in Hialeah and stopped to check them out. I decided to ask the very helpful sales associate for directions, he told us that it was very easy, just to take the turnpike and head north. I then asked him if he wanted a ride to Disney....... he declined LOL. Well we decided not to purchase the GPS and follow his directions. We got onto the turnpike and and headed north to Orlando.We were on our way! Orlando here we come....... taaadaaah. I was instructed to read the map out aloud and give precise instructions.

Now we are from an island that only has single lanes on very narrow roads and highways. Only recently the government added two additional lanes to one major highway. We also drive on the other side of the road like the Brits. So driving on the Florida Turnpike where half of the highway is bigger than our widest road is a bit alarming to say the least. My daughter learnt to drive in the USA so she was more used to driving on the other side. Dem lanes had me in a kerfuffle as the Bajans would say.

Anyway we settled down for the 3 hour drive to Orlando, the navigator moi, had a new eta for 6.00 pm. My mother was arriving around 4.30pm so we were definitely not going to be able to pick her up. I later called her when she arrived and instructed her take the shuttle to the hotel.

We chatted and snacked, listened to the radio to a talk show on a subject that had us both shocked and laughing (how often should ladies wear their undies before washing them) eeeeehew. We said only in America a program like that can be aired LOL. We arrived Orlando around 6.00 pm and headed for Kissimee where we would be staying.

My mum called to ask how far away we were. Moi the navigator extraordinaire, happily told her that we were heading to the hotel and would be there in 30-45 mins. An hour and a half later we were still searching for the hotel. We saw a signboard to the airport and I suggested that we should go there and take the shuttle to the hotel LOL. At least we would surely get there!

My mum called again to ask where we were, we told her that we are really near, only thing we are at the back of the hotel and that we were just saying that she should come to collect our bags. We were going to throw them over the barbed wire fence. We were laughing uncontrollably by this time. Lauren then noticed that we were almost out of gas as we exited the back of the hotel, so we stopped and filled up at a nearby station.

We finally arrived at the front entrance of the hotel and checked in around 8.00pm. My mum was sitting in the lobby and was very happy to see us. We were given keys and told that the room was located at the back of the hotel where Lauren and I  recognized,  a familiar barbed wire fence.

To be continued........

10 comments:

  1. How funny!!!! I can't wait to read more!

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  2. Great story. Don't wait too long for the rest of it, I want to find out more of your adventures.

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  3. Funny story and great photos. Keep it coming...

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  4. Hullo! Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. Your pictures of your flowers and garden are so beautiful. and your mom and daughter look great.

    I love the jacaranda and the pink cassia - though my yellow flowers are not cassia. The yellow cassia has smaller blossoms and no visible seed pods, and the foliage is different too.

    I think it is too, too sweet of you to have come by and told me what the tree is. Do keep visiting.

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  5. Hi Helen~
    What a great story!I imagine it'll be sure to bring much laughter to you and your family over the coming years. Enjoyed the pretty photos too!
    I just discovered your blog yesterday and fell in love with all of your tropical blossoms. Thanks for the visit to my blog. I'll be a regular visitor to you too!
    Happy gardening~ Karrita

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  6. Helen blogger is not kind to me at times, I left a comment here a few days ago and it probably got lost in cyberspace, then, my keyboard stopped working, I now have to use my hubby's laptop, I do NOT like laptops, i love my 22 inch screen on my desktop, I love to veiw pictures big and in living color!

    Anyway I must tell you how much I enjoyed hearing of your trip and the funny misadventures!! What I loved is how you all laughed through it all, I was laughing rigt along wiht you guys!!

    I'ts wonderful to have 3 generations of women able to enjoy each other's company, your mom does look great, a Caribbean beauty! Did she ever live in Trinidad? she really does look familiar! (i'm serious!)

    Looking foward to hearing more about your trip and more pics.

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  7. Dirt Princess, Jill-O,and Vix

    am glad that you find my adventure funny and I will be posting more soon.

    Raji thank you for stopping by, it is very interesting to read about life on the other side of the world. Hope you do find the name of that tree, I still think it is a cassia of some sort.

    Karrita you are an amazing artist and thank you for stopping by.


    Raquel, yes we lived in Trinidad from 1962 to 1967. We resided in Petit Valley /Diego Martin...David Ben Gurion Ave. I went to school in Newtown. My dad was a Meteorologist on Park Street in Port of Spain. My cousin is Arlene Peterkin ....my mum and her dad are first cousins. She has visited me several times before she left Trinidad. Girl chile we might be family for all you know LOL.

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  8. Oh Helen! I was smiling after the first few lines, then started grinning and as I kept on with your adventures, I was almost hooting with laughter!
    Hurry up! I want to read the rest of it :D

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  9. Hi! Come visit me...I left a gift on my blog for you. I hope it brings a smile to your face!
    ~ Karrita

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  10. Helen, thanks for the quick response, I was really hoping that they were made in the Caribbean, ah well, I have heard of a factory in Guyana, I visited the website once, I'll have to try and find it again, but I think they sold only to reailers.

    I'm glad you enjoyed the turtle watching adventure, although to be honest I was still tired up to yesterday! lol!!

    So you have relatives here too? How cool! You must tell me when you plan to visit again.

    BTW, I have met Arlene Peterkin a few times a really freindly person and down to earth, she is a friend of a good friend of mine, Amoy his her name.

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