The Great Adventure

An early start - up at 5.30am and left for Manchester Airport at 6.30. Having checked online I was aware that there was at least a two hour delay with my flight caused by severe thunderstorms in the Newark New Jersey area the previous night having resulted in the delayed departure of flights.

Arrived at the airport at 7.20 to be greeted by bedlam. Busiest weekend of the year as start of the school holiday - a large throng milling around in front of the Continental check in desks. It transpired that because of the flight delay it was necessary to re-book a lot of connecting flights. I was in a mellow mood as the delay had no consequences for me as the stop over time in Newark was over 5 hours. Better to wait in the UK than US.

After 2 hours in the queue arrived at the desk to be told I have in fact already booked in electronically when I checked my flight details the previous night and only needed to deposit my backpack (which incidentally weighed in at 22 kilograms (48 pounds) at a separate location. I staggered off to sit down in a crowded departure lounge.

My flight eventually took off at 11.15 and arrived Newark after 7 hours 10 minutes, which was faster than anticipated. Very murky in Newark area with visibility of only 3 miles.

Immigration were a bit fierce and autocratic - on my best behaviour. Duly interrogated, fingerprinted and photographed I was grudgingly granted admission for 90 days. Retrieved backpack and breezed through customs who seemed much more laid back.

Changed terminal using Sky train (a monorail connecting the three terminal) to catch my Delta flight and having been security screened (they insist that you remove your shoes for scanning - good job no holes in my socks!) settled down to await my connecting flight to Salt Lake City.

Flight in delayed so departure to Salt Lake City also delayed eventually leaving at 18.05 Eastern Daylight time (which is BST - 5 hours) instead of the scheduled 17.25. A first for me - a whole row of three seats to myself. I can confidently say it was the most comfortable flight I have ever taken. I felt like the cat that got the cream and snoozed happily. Great views out of the window of the American Midwest.

Arrived Salt Lake City 21.05 Mountain Daylight Time (which is BST - 7 hours). A frantic stampede by passengers attempting to catch connecting flights which they subsequently discovered had already left. Unfortunately as delay down to air traffic control Delta not paying for hotels so a lot of unhappy punters who had to either sleep in the airport or sort out rooms for themselves. Felt sorry for those with young children of which there were many.

Gratified to see that backpack turned up but could not be bothered waiting for hotel courtesy bus (it was 5.30am UK time by now and I had been on the go for almost 24 hours)  so jumped into a cab. Night was very humid and for some reason the air conditioning in the cab was not switched on.

Driver deposited me at the airport hotel ($13) and I staggered through the door, was efficiently booked in and gratefully collapsed into my hotel bed at 10.30pm local time, oblivious to the humming air conditioning unit under the window.