Calgary - London Sarah

Finally arrived in London this morning and got through customs and baggage claim without any problems. 

More beautiful clouds over the Isle of Man.. 

Then I went to hire my car. A totally different story. A dodgy portacabin near a hotel just off Heathrow.

I arrived at the bus stop that was going to take me to the car hire place feeling quite proud of myself.. Nothing lost, no being man-handled by Customs Officers and breathed small sigh of relief. 

All paperwork with me - checked. Passport? Check

Driving licence? Check

List of what to do if something goes wrong (highly likely in my case!) check.

Everything was great.. Until I tried to board the bus and realised I didn't have any English currency. The bus driver told me not to bother waiting as he wasn't going to wait for me. (Nice friendly touch -NOT! I thought to myself). In fact he was a rude driver with no compassion and no interest in anyone who took him off his schedule. I was so cross that I made a complaint to his colleague. That would serve him right I thought. 

Then I cheerfully went to pick up my hire car - which was a little red Fiat 500. I was secretly delighted as I think they're pretty cool cars. 

I filled in all the forms and checked the car with the manager and off I went. We marked the damage on his check sheet and I nervously set off into the aggressive and angry London traffic. We noted some damage on the right passenger wheel and arch. 

Within 30 seconds I knew something was majorly wrong with that car. Tyres squealing as I went around corners, wheels rubbing on the wheel arch on the opposite side to the damage.. Steering wheel pulling to the right as I drove..

Ugh-oh I thought. Not a good start. 

Those of you that know me know that I have a really terrible sense of direction. Really bad. So I had a car that was playing up and I was on a major major road junction (J4 of the M4) with traffic thundering past me. I'd has no sleep for 20 hours, was coming home to bury my dad and I was thinking I was going to crash the car. 

I pulled onto the hard shoulder of the M25 (after going to Heathrow twice and all around Hayes) phoned the car hire place in tears, sobbing down the phone; telling them I wanted to cancel the contract. I eventually found my way back to the hire place to find the manager running out to meet me.. They'd given me a car that had been classed as non- recoverable (written off!) that morning! The manager was so sorry he gave me my pick of the warehouse and half a tank  of petrol for nothing. Result!! So now I've got a fancy 4 wheel drive.. Very posh! 

This is the view I love the most on my way home

Now I'm knackered and at my sisters. Waiting to collapse.. You go mad after no sleep for 36 hours don't you??