Day 15 - Frankfurt to Houston to Dallas

We are up early, check out of our room, and walk to the airport to get our passes for the flight.  Yay, Germany gives stand-by boarding passes and we go through security and up to the gate.  The flight to Washington Dulles is way overbooked and we do not even come close to getting on.  The gate agent is awesome though and start to put us on the next flight. As she does this, she says it looks like there is a mechanical issue and the flight won't be taking off, so we are put on the flight after that. But getting on any flight might now be a big problem since they have to find seats for the 300+ people that are on the cancelled flight.

While at the counter, we meet a lady named Emma, a flight attendant with Lufthansa who is trying to get back to Dulles with her granddaughter. She is playing the same game we are, but she has higher status. We find out the Chicago flight may have space, so the agents give all of us stand-by passes and we head that way.  I know that there is a Newark flight too, so we stop at that gate first. I am told that it is overbooked and the chances look bad, but to stay and see.  They close the flight and when I go up to ask, I am told it didn't go out full..  I ask why they didn't say anything and a different gate agent says that I should have checked in -- I tell her I did and the other agent says I did, but it's too late -- nothing we can do now. Grrrrrr.

Off to the Chicago gate we go and meet up with Emma again.  We visit for awhile and she is able to get on the flight on the last two seats.  The gate agents help me again and give us stand-by passes for a Houston flight.  It is really our last chance for today and so my fingers and toes are crossed.  I am shocked and surprised when they call our name and we board the flight - asking a gentleman next to me to switch seats with Mister so we can sit together.  It is an 11 hour flight, ugh.  We watch many movies and sleep when we can and land in Houston.  I call Matt while in the customs line and ask him to rebook us from Houston to home as our original booking is messed up.  We clear customs and head to the gate for DFW to watch and wait.  Yay --- we make the flight and 1 hour later are in Dallas.

Scott and Cass pick us up and haul our tired backsides home.

Wow. It was an amazing trip. Egypt is something to be experienced.  I was not prepared for all the garbage and dirt everywhere. The history there is phenomenal -- cannot be topped.  There is hope in the people that the election will change all that -- I am not sure.  We heard that Mohammed Morsi won the election.  I fear that this will not be good for the country, but time will tell.  I do not feel that it will be a good place to visit for a few years so am thankful that we went when we did.  It is good to be home again -- visits to 3rd world countries teach you a great deal about what we have.  Highlight of the trip:  Mister seeing the Pyramids out the window of our room.  Moment cannot be topped.  Favorite city:  Alexandria without a doubt.  Favorite hotel:  Philae in Aswan as Hanan was incredible.  We are glad we went --- have memories that will last forever -- and a hope for the Egyptian people that things will get better for them.