Stardate 2010.4.16

Roadblock? Can anyone spell roadblock?

I have been transported unexpectedly into a real life game of amazing race. After sitting on the tarmac at Dulles for 3 hours we refueled with enough fuel to go anywhere and took off with a redirected flight plan taking us out of UK airspace and arrived 45 minutes after my flight was to go to Bangkok. Panic set in as all rooms in the city were taken. I got the last room 10 miles from the airport in Frankfurt. Reconfirmed seats for the next day on Thai Airlines and tried to relax and adjust internal clock ahead to be ready for next morning. Get up at 2 am ET - 8 am Frankfurt time to learn the airport is shut down. Now I have reconfirmed room for another night to assure a roof over my head and plan for alternatives. Considering high speed train to Munich (not closed) and what ever flights to Asai seem to be best, but an awful choice. Airline says that the Frankfurt airport only closed till noon Frankfurt time so flight is still on. Heading out now to see what fate has in store. Any more delays risk missing team out of Katmandu and don't know if I am brave enough to try to hire a porter and play catch up on the trail, especially if my gear is not in my hands. Yup, this is a surreal turn and I feel completely unprepared for it. Who knew?

When in our lives have we seen so much syzmic activity? I head to Everest and a volcano in Iceland errupts all air travel all over Europe. UK, France, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and of course Germany where we landed and then the airspace promptly closed. Everest halted by a volcano in Iceland? WHO KNEW?