Airports and hotels

So we're in Santa Fe now. How was it getting here, well pretty good all things considered.
The flight to Auckland was fine, only had a short stop there, about 40min which we used to give the kids some dinner which was good as Madeline went to sleep within and hour of take off for San Francisco, well before any meals arrived on the plane. We'd been assigned the three lefthand side bulkhead seats but we managed to get moved around so we had those seats and one in the row behind, with a spare seat beside as well. This worked out well, Richard and Liam ended up in the row behind and Madeline and I had the front seats.

Liam watched some TV and movies before he slept, he didn't make it to dinner either. I don't think the kids meal would have been worth waiting up for anyway.
So most of the flight both children slept, we watched movies and then slept.
So we arrived in San Francisco and had to clear customs and collect our not insubstatial luggage pile, we got it onto two trolleys, you couldn't see where you were going but it was all on. We only had about 200 metres to go before it was checked in for the domestic flights.

Not long here either once we'd negotiated security we had time for some food and we were onto the flight to Denver, United in their wisdom alocated us 5B, 5E and 8B humm... I'd sit a four year old by themselves too. So a guy swapped with us and we had 5A and B and 8B, and the guys in 8A and C were very tollerant of the children going back and forwards. Two hours with sratchy kids we read books and other things but they were both tired and they went to sleep about ten minutes before we landed.

Denver another exciting airport, at least we don't change terminals here, slight delay of our flight but still a short stop before we board the last plane and head to Alburquerque. Two seats together this time United are improving so we swapped with a guy and all sat together.

So Alburquerque International Sunport and we collected our bags again and Richard went and got the biggest rental car he could, they tell you to go to the lot and chose a car from row 4 -12 or something so he chose the biggest car he could, a chevelot trailblazer, we got all the bags and us in - just.

We drove around Albuquerque to get back to the rental depot to load me on as a driver, took longer than it should but Richard got to practice driving on the wrong side - only made one mistake. We decided we'd buy Liam a new boster as the renter wanted $9 a day - new one was $49.

Found our hotel and got some pizza and beer, it was after 11pm mountain time and so most places, even the hotel resturant and room service were closed. Good pizza.
Slept had breakfast, Liam wanted the breakfast burrito more food than he could face I think thou he tried the burritto, Madeline was keen on the beans - they were black ones, just like Racheal used for the soup, we had the other day (except these were probably local not asian)

So shopped at a mall saw all the names we know and some we don't. Got the seat and some other bits we needed especially as I left my toilet bag on the back of the car - so don't post it -thanks.

Drove on the interstate to Santa Fe so far in my past destination file it's most like South Africa. The colours, temperature and something about the low flat mud look houses.

So we are in the Best Western Lamplighter Hotel tonight we'll look at changing even thou they agent booked us here for a month, its too small for that and a bit basic, so we'll see what we find.

So after all that I'm a bit tired, but the journey's not been as bad as it could have been.
Santa Fe looks interesting and there are lots of things to do round about.