Still Monday, the day of escape
Noonish - The first plane evacuated out was supposed to be filled with diplomats and their families and was going to Bahrain, but they had space for 3 of us wankers on it, we were told at this point. We probably weren’t close enough to the front of the lines to have even made it onto plane#2, but we heard them ask for a family of 3 from the front table that were processing folks in. We yelled to them that we weren’t related, but we were a threesome (which threesome? I ask you!) and they said to come on down!!!
So we were plucked out of the seething masses because obviously, they DID know who we were and sent inside to wait some more, albeit in big, overstuffed leather chairs. With the destination now known, or so we thought, I enlisted the help of Walker Travel and Jim began the search for our onward journey.
4PM - As it turned out, we got on the 2nd plane out, which was going in the right direction to Athens. (Sorry, Walker Travel!) As soon as we had passed through the security check and entered the terminal, organization had gone straight down the tubes because we were now in the charge of the Egyptians. On the way to board the Lotus Air charter somewhat worn but precious Airbus 220 which carried 170 of us, we saw that the crowd of people who had showed up expecting to get airlifted out had probably doubled again.
Then, what should open up for the 3M’s but 3 seats in the exit row with extra legroom! No-one was complaining (especially not us) and they fed us very well, which was a good thing because many people had spent the previous night at Cairo airport without food supplies, water or even toilet paper. Apparently, the Japanese embassy had impressed travelers the night before as one of the few countries who actually showed up with the supplies their stranded citizens needed. A cheer went up when we took off “Thank you for choosing Lotus Air” got a good laugh, and more applause when we landed in Athens a few hours later, right after sunset.
7PM - We were greeted by the ambassador to Greece at the bottom of the stairs as we deplaned, shepherded through the paperwork and baggage claim detail and assisted into discounted rooms at the beautiful Sofitel hotel across the street by a very organized team of US embassy folks, one of whom said she felt like they were in a play. They were all excited when our plane (the first!) landed and she wanted to say “OK, places, everyone!”
We were interviewed as we exited baggage claim “for the embassy”, which I’m sure gave Chris the idea of giving an interview to ABC news “film at 11” when he got home to Tampa. Hopefully, it’s still on WTSP's website at:
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