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I wake up at 4:30am with the phone ringing, it's US Airways telling me they've canceled my flight to Fort Lauderdale, and they reschedule me on an earlier flight out of National instead of Dulles. Parking is $14/day instead of $6/day, which I don't consider at that early hour, so it costs me a lot more to leave my car in the airport lot for 9 days.
I arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure, and the line isn't too long. But there's no queue agent and there are a lot of people with canceled flights trying to book new trips at the counter. After 90 minutes in a stationary line I am frustrated enough to muscle my way to the front by skipping the line and literally pushing myself in other passengers' way, but I've already missed the flight. The ticket agent (one of 3) takes me personally down to the gate, ushering my weapons through security with no inspection, and puts me on a different set of flights getting me into Nassau much earlier than my original itinerary. Aside from the high level of stress involved it works out great for me, but not so great for everyone else in the line.
I booked the cheapest hotel I could find in Nassau, the Towne Hotel, at $70/night instead of the next closest at $180. It is also supposed to be near the airport. It isn't, so it costs $20 for each of the 6 cab rides I take while there. And there's a $20 tax on the hotel room that was never mentioned before. Connecting through Nassau may have seemed like the cheapest way to go, but it isn't working out that way.
The hotel is "downtown", and since I have 8 hours until Mary arrives I eat at Conch Fritters, look in the many stores selling jewelry and stuff, and walk down the nearby beach.
I pick up Mary at the airport at 11pm and we go back to the hotel to watch the end of the Pacers/Lakers series, the Lakers closing it out in game 6. It's a good thing I'm worn out from the long day, because there aren't any curtains in the room and there's a bright light just outside. I guess that's what $70/night gets you in the Bahamas.
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