After staying awake all of last night to attend to unfinished business, I was already tired when at 0630 I phoned for a taxi to take me to the train station for the 0710 train.  "Sorry love, we're fully booked until seven thirty!".  Bollocks.

A brisk walk to the train station later, a 50 minute journey into Marylebone, 2 stops on the Bakerloo to Paddington, then straight on the Heathrow express for 15 minutes.  New record from Bicester North to Heathrow T3: 88 minutes including the walk from my house!  Who said public transport in the UK sucks?

Despite all the troubles with air traffic control around London today, the Virgin flight left on time at 1115.  Almost fell straight asleep, although I woke up about 2 hours into the flight feeling really hot and sweaty, light headed, and feeling like I was going to throw up.  Now I fly regularly for periods longer than the 2 hours into the flight i was feeling like this, and most curiously, the only other time i felt like this from travelling was on my last return trip from America over 5 years ago!  I put it down to food poisoning that time (never trust the salmon!), but I didn't even eat anything this time!

8 hours and 20 minutes after take off, and a good few hours sleep later and 72 pages through Small is the new Big by Seth Godin, the plane lands in Chicago.

Dreading the normal immigration interrogations, I was pleased to be directed toward a immigration officer who was not only polite and chatty, but also smiled.  Yes, can you believe it, she smiled.  Shocking!  While she was very friendly in her chatting, it was obvious she was asking trying to establish if I was actually a risk to leaving

After meeting up with Ryan, grabbing a Starbucks, and taking a short taxi ride to Alamo, I sign some forms, pay some money (250 GBP) then get told "pick any car you like form that lot.  The keys are in the ignition".  Hmm!

So, a rather nice looking cream Jeep Liberty later (22 MPG!!), and i'm getting lessons in how to drive again.  Well, how to drive an automatic, and what P, R, N, D, 1 & 2. does!  A quick few reminds that i need to drlve on the right, and we're all set.

GPS programmed.  Destinaiton:  Buffallo, NY.  Tentative plan:  Drive to Niagara Falls, then up to Vermont to see the pretty red leaves.

While stopped at a Burger King for a late lunch, Ryan noticed that there is an Amish community not far away from our tentative plan to get to Niagara Falls.  I've always been most curious of the Amish;  Their lifestyle seems to very attractive to me, so attached and dependant on technology.

Detour arranged, and we end up in a little town called Middlebury at about 2030 (we're in EST now), and it's dark.  Getting out of the car, we notice a whole load of youngsters - all smoking, and chatting away.  Oddly, in England, Paris, or Berlin, this sort of crowd would have seemed a little threatening.  Yet, here in the middle of Amish paradise, a group of a dozen teenagers just didn't seem in the slightest threatening.  At all.

After asking the woman in the gas station (seem, i'm taking the talk already!) for some hints on a nice hotel, she pointed us down a street, and said "that'a'way! Careful of the bogies on the bikes!".  Perplexed, we drove off in the direction she pointed us, keeping a close guard for bogies, or even just bikes.

A few minutes later, coming in the other direction is a horse drawn cart, with 2 Amish guys sitting on the back!  They have a red flashing light attached to the back.  One of them flashes a white light at us, obviously to say we're here!".  Travelling just over 3 miles, we must have passed at last a dozen of these going in both directions!

Finally, we find a hotel called Farmstead Inn, by a brand called Trading Place.  Only one room left, so I get a double bed, and Ryan gets a "cot", as the amricans call 'em

I've had a total of 4 "wow, you have such a cool accent" comments today.

Sadly, we'll be missing the local attractions: Wednesday for the local weekly hay & livestock, or horse, tack & pony auction on fridays.  Damn!  There is a whole 3 things listed to do after 6pm here, wow!

All in all, a great first 1/2 day!

I'll uploads the photos tomorrow, I didn't get to grab any this evening, as it's pitch black outside!