Y Daith (English at the bottom)
Wel erbyn hyn wy wedi cyrradd yn saff, ond co hanes y daith i chi.....
Dechre trwy hedfan o Gaerdydd am 6am (ar ôl codi am 3.30am) i Amsterdam. Odd da fi ddwyawr yn Amsterdam, a o'n i'n meddwl bydde digon o amser i grwydro o gwmpas, ond wrth gwrs, gan bo fi'n hedfan i America, odd angen checo popeth cyn boardo'r awyren, so dreulies i'r holl amser yn ciwio i fynd ar yr awyren! Odd y flight i Detroit yn hirach na'r arfer yn ôl y sôn (8 awr 20 munud), a nethon ni fwrw turbulence eitha gwael bwyti awr cyn glanio.
--------------------------------------
Well by now I've arrived safe and well, but here are the main points of my long trip here.
I flew at 6am from Cardiff to Amsterdam, and spent the whole two hours at Amsterdam queueing for the flight to Detroit. We hit quite a bit of turbulence an hour out of Detroit, and the flight time was longer because of it apparently. After landing came the queueing to go through customs and immigration, reclaiming my bags and re-checking them in for the flight to Cincinnati.
Detroit has a new-ish airport and there is plenty of room to sit comfortably, so I went to the gate to sit and read a little. A lovely man started talking to me, he was flying to Dayton, and telling me these stories about how he'd buitl his house on a golf course, and he hadn't planned on going home that weekend but his neighbour had called and said she'd seen a snake in his 'yard', so he had to go home and sort it out. He went on to tell me that once, a horse had appeared on his land (his other neighbour's horse had decided to go for a walk), and the time when a rich man had approached him in a Sauna in Las Vegas and asked him to pose as Tiger Woods (yes he was black, and yes apparently he was quite a good golfer) for a group of what he called Arabian Busienessmen who he was playing golf with the following day. He agreed and was provided with clubs and clothes which he got to keep and was picked up in a limo and paid $2,000 for his troubles. I'm not sure how much, if any of this I believe, but he entertained me for an hour or so!
After he left I had about an hour before my flight, so when we were called to board the (tiny) plane, I was looking forward to getting to Cincinnati and getting home to bed. The flight was due to leave at 6pm Eastern Time (11pm my time, I'd been up since 3.30am - already a loooong day), so we boarded the plane, and sat on it for 45 minutes while the technicians and mechanics worked on the plane, we would be delayed, and many people on the plane would unfortunately miss their connections (4 or 5 were ctching a connecting flight to Frankfurt). We were finally sent off the plane and the flight time was changed to 8pm. Then it was changed to 10.45. Then at 10pm it was taken off the board completely. 4 hours after the orignial take off time it was cancelled. (After being sent off the plane and beofre being told it was finally cancelled, there was a massive rain and thunderstorm that closed all the runways in Detroit. It stopped for a while and then went on though the night). We were all given a room each in a hotel for a night and re-booked on a flight at 12pm the next day. I finally got to my room at around 11pm (4am my time - more than 24 hours after I'd started my journey from Whitchurch!).
By this time Jeanne (the Madog Center Director who had travelled 3 hours to Cincinnati to collect me), was still in Cincinnati waiting for me and trying to find a room for the night to avoid returning home only to come back the next day. She magically bumped into a co-worker in one of the hotels, who were staying the night anyway, and who offered to pick me up the next day, and so they did, and Jeanne got to go home!
I finally arrived in Cincinnati at 1pm on 20 June, 13 hours late!! After thinking that my bags were still in Detroit (they had come on an earlier flight and were in the Delta Baggage Office), we headed to Rio Grande, and arrived about 4pm. I met Jeanne for the first time and my landlord Evelyn Kirkhart and settled into the flat.
I hadn't planned on totally unpacking as I was quite tired and in desperate need of a proper wash and some food and rest. I opened my cases to find most of my clothes soaking wet. They had obviously been taken out of the plane and left on the runway for a significant amount of time. So I spent the next 2 hours hanging clothes up all around the apartment and tumble drying what I could!
It was an extreme journey but I finally got there in the end. Oh the weather is hot and humid, and the flat is out in the wilds with many acres of land - it's beautiful!
Dechre trwy hedfan o Gaerdydd am 6am (ar ôl codi am 3.30am) i Amsterdam. Odd da fi ddwyawr yn Amsterdam, a o'n i'n meddwl bydde digon o amser i grwydro o gwmpas, ond wrth gwrs, gan bo fi'n hedfan i America, odd angen checo popeth cyn boardo'r awyren, so dreulies i'r holl amser yn ciwio i fynd ar yr awyren! Odd y flight i Detroit yn hirach na'r arfer yn ôl y sôn (8 awr 20 munud), a nethon ni fwrw turbulence eitha gwael bwyti awr cyn glanio. Wedi glanio yn Detroit ro'dd yn rhaid mynd trwy immigration, a'r rhan gwaetha am hyn odd y ciwio am oesoedd!! Tra'r o'n i'n ciwio daeth na ddyn customs lan ata i i checio'n ffurflenni a thra'i fod e'n checio fe odd e'n holi cwestiyne i fi, a phan wedes i bod na gymdeithas Gymraeg yn Ne Ohio wedodd e "Oh my six year old son loves Fireman Sam in Welsh!", ges i ddim cyfle i holi, ond neis gwbod bod Sam Tân yn lico teithio fyd!
Am ryw reswm rodd yn rhaid casglu bagiau yn Detroit wedyn a'i checio nhw nol mewn ar ôl mynd trwy customs (mwy o giwio). Y cam nesa oedd ffeindio'r gât ar gyfer yn flight i. Mae maes awyr Detroit yn faes awyr weddol newydd a odd na ddigon o lefydd i eistedd wrth bob gât a llefydd bwyta etc o gwmpas.
Wedi ishte wrth y gât dechreuodd rhyw ddyn odd yn ishte gyferbyn â fi siarad da fi ambwyti siwt odd e'n gorfod mynd gytre i Dayton achos odd i gymydog e wedi gweld neidr yn i 'yard' e a odd ci da hi a odd hi ddim ishe i'r ci gal niwed na ofon, so odd rhaid iddo fe fynd i sorto fe mas! Ath e mlan i weud bod e wedi adeiladu i gartref ar gwrs golff, ond bod e braidd byth na a bod yr holl anifeiliaid gwahanol ma yn ymddangos ar i dir e, gan gynnwys ceffyl i gymydog arall e. Wedyn wedodd e stori hollol bisâr am pan ddath dyn lan iddo fe mewn Sauna yn Las Vegas a gofyn iddo fe esgus bod yn Tiger Woods achos odd e wedi addo i'r dynion busnes 'Arabaidd' fel galwodd e nhw y bydden nhw'n cael chware golff gyda Tiger Woods. So gafodd e'i bigo lan mewn limo a chal dillad a clubs fel Tiger Woods a chal i dalu $2,000 wrth adel! Wy ddim yn gwbod os wy'n credu unrhyw beth o'r stori, ond na ni!!
Ar ôl rhyw awren fach arall dyma ni'n cael mynd ar yr awyren. Odd hi'n 6pm amser lleol, ond 11pm amser Sioned, o'n i'n barod i fynd gytre ac i'r gwely. Fuon ni'n iste ar yr awyren am 45 munud tra'u bod nhw'n trwsio rhywbeth bach odd yn bod da'r awyren. Wedyn halon nhw ni off
yr awyren achos bydde hi'n cymryd mwy o amser na'r dishgwl i neud beth bynnag odd angen neud. Newidwyd yr amser hedfan i 8pm, wedyn i 10.45pm, wedyn tua 10, canslwyd y ffleit yn gyfan gwbl. Yn y cyfamser cafodd pob ffleit eu gohirio am gyfnod yn ystod storom o law trwm a mellt a tharane. Ges i ystafell mewn gwesty ac erbyn i fi gyrraedd odd hi'n 11pm, 4am amser Sioned a ro'n i wedi cal digon! Odd Jeanne yn Cincinnati yn chwilio am westy (ma Cincinnati tua 3awr o Rio Grande), ond do'dd dim lle yn y llety! Yn lwcus ro'dd un o'i chydweithwyr wedi hedfan mewn i Cincinnati y noson na a wedi bwcio ystafell ac fe gynnigodd e a'i wraig (a'i fab 3 blwydd oed!) roi lifft nol i fi.
Ar ol glanio yn saff ac ar amser am 1pm - mynd i ôl y bagiau, odd ddim yna, ond oedd wrth lwc wedi dod ar ffleit cynharach o Detroit! Nol a ni i Rio Grande, ac erbyn 4pm ron i yn y fflat ac am ddadbacio ychydig o bethe - dim popeth, on i wedi blino gormod! Ond wrth agor y bag - darganfod fod rhan fwyaf o'r dillad yn wlyb trwyddyn nhw. Yn amlwg odd y bagiau wedi'u cymryd oddi ar yr awyren a'u gadael yn y glaw achos roedden nhw'n socian! So 2 awr yn ddiweddarach ar ôl hongian dillad lan a rhoi rhai yn y tymbl i sychu, ges i ymlacio a chael cawod, ro'n i wedi bod yn gwisgo'r un dillad am bron i 48 awr (ges i ddim o'r bagiau i fynd i'r gwesty yn Detroit)!
Ma'r fflat yn hyfryd a ma popeth i gael 'na, er efallai i fod e braidd yn dated, a dyw'r aircon ddim y gorau mae e'n neis. Ma'r ardal o gwmpas mor wledig a phert a ma'r bywyd gwyllt yn amesing! Mae na faneri Cymru, America a thalaith Ohio o gwmpas y lle i gyd a ma pawb yn gyfeillgar iawn. Does dim cysylltiad y we yn y fflat ar hyn o bryd, felly wy'n gorfod gwued yr holl ebostio o'r gwaith, sy'n iawn ar hyn o bryd gan nad oes dim arall gyda fi neud ond darllen lan am hanes y mewnfudwyr yn bennaf.
Am ryw reswm rodd yn rhaid casglu bagiau yn Detroit wedyn a'i checio nhw nol mewn ar ôl mynd trwy customs (mwy o giwio). Y cam nesa oedd ffeindio'r gât ar gyfer yn flight i. Mae maes awyr Detroit yn faes awyr weddol newydd a odd na ddigon o lefydd i eistedd wrth bob gât a llefydd bwyta etc o gwmpas.
Wedi ishte wrth y gât dechreuodd rhyw ddyn odd yn ishte gyferbyn â fi siarad da fi ambwyti siwt odd e'n gorfod mynd gytre i Dayton achos odd i gymydog e wedi gweld neidr yn i 'yard' e a odd ci da hi a odd hi ddim ishe i'r ci gal niwed na ofon, so odd rhaid iddo fe fynd i sorto fe mas! Ath e mlan i weud bod e wedi adeiladu i gartref ar gwrs golff, ond bod e braidd byth na a bod yr holl anifeiliaid gwahanol ma yn ymddangos ar i dir e, gan gynnwys ceffyl i gymydog arall e. Wedyn wedodd e stori hollol bisâr am pan ddath dyn lan iddo fe mewn Sauna yn Las Vegas a gofyn iddo fe esgus bod yn Tiger Woods achos odd e wedi addo i'r dynion busnes 'Arabaidd' fel galwodd e nhw y bydden nhw'n cael chware golff gyda Tiger Woods. So gafodd e'i bigo lan mewn limo a chal dillad a clubs fel Tiger Woods a chal i dalu $2,000 wrth adel! Wy ddim yn gwbod os wy'n credu unrhyw beth o'r stori, ond na ni!!
Ar ôl rhyw awren fach arall dyma ni'n cael mynd ar yr awyren. Odd hi'n 6pm amser lleol, ond 11pm amser Sioned, o'n i'n barod i fynd gytre ac i'r gwely. Fuon ni'n iste ar yr awyren am 45 munud tra'u bod nhw'n trwsio rhywbeth bach odd yn bod da'r awyren. Wedyn halon nhw ni off
yr awyren achos bydde hi'n cymryd mwy o amser na'r dishgwl i neud beth bynnag odd angen neud. Newidwyd yr amser hedfan i 8pm, wedyn i 10.45pm, wedyn tua 10, canslwyd y ffleit yn gyfan gwbl. Yn y cyfamser cafodd pob ffleit eu gohirio am gyfnod yn ystod storom o law trwm a mellt a tharane. Ges i ystafell mewn gwesty ac erbyn i fi gyrraedd odd hi'n 11pm, 4am amser Sioned a ro'n i wedi cal digon! Odd Jeanne yn Cincinnati yn chwilio am westy (ma Cincinnati tua 3awr o Rio Grande), ond do'dd dim lle yn y llety! Yn lwcus ro'dd un o'i chydweithwyr wedi hedfan mewn i Cincinnati y noson na a wedi bwcio ystafell ac fe gynnigodd e a'i wraig (a'i fab 3 blwydd oed!) roi lifft nol i fi.Ar ol glanio yn saff ac ar amser am 1pm - mynd i ôl y bagiau, odd ddim yna, ond oedd wrth lwc wedi dod ar ffleit cynharach o Detroit! Nol a ni i Rio Grande, ac erbyn 4pm ron i yn y fflat ac am ddadbacio ychydig o bethe - dim popeth, on i wedi blino gormod! Ond wrth agor y bag - darganfod fod rhan fwyaf o'r dillad yn wlyb trwyddyn nhw. Yn amlwg odd y bagiau wedi'u cymryd oddi ar yr awyren a'u gadael yn y glaw achos roedden nhw'n socian! So 2 awr yn ddiweddarach ar ôl hongian dillad lan a rhoi rhai yn y tymbl i sychu, ges i ymlacio a chael cawod, ro'n i wedi bod yn gwisgo'r un dillad am bron i 48 awr (ges i ddim o'r bagiau i fynd i'r gwesty yn Detroit)!
Ma'r fflat yn hyfryd a ma popeth i gael 'na, er efallai i fod e braidd yn dated, a dyw'r aircon ddim y gorau mae e'n neis. Ma'r ardal o gwmpas mor wledig a phert a ma'r bywyd gwyllt yn amesing! Mae na faneri Cymru, America a thalaith Ohio o gwmpas y lle i gyd a ma pawb yn gyfeillgar iawn. Does dim cysylltiad y we yn y fflat ar hyn o bryd, felly wy'n gorfod gwued yr holl ebostio o'r gwaith, sy'n iawn ar hyn o bryd gan nad oes dim arall gyda fi neud ond darllen lan am hanes y mewnfudwyr yn bennaf. --------------------------------------
Well by now I've arrived safe and well, but here are the main points of my long trip here.
I flew at 6am from Cardiff to Amsterdam, and spent the whole two hours at Amsterdam queueing for the flight to Detroit. We hit quite a bit of turbulence an hour out of Detroit, and the flight time was longer because of it apparently. After landing came the queueing to go through customs and immigration, reclaiming my bags and re-checking them in for the flight to Cincinnati.
Detroit has a new-ish airport and there is plenty of room to sit comfortably, so I went to the gate to sit and read a little. A lovely man started talking to me, he was flying to Dayton, and telling me these stories about how he'd buitl his house on a golf course, and he hadn't planned on going home that weekend but his neighbour had called and said she'd seen a snake in his 'yard', so he had to go home and sort it out. He went on to tell me that once, a horse had appeared on his land (his other neighbour's horse had decided to go for a walk), and the time when a rich man had approached him in a Sauna in Las Vegas and asked him to pose as Tiger Woods (yes he was black, and yes apparently he was quite a good golfer) for a group of what he called Arabian Busienessmen who he was playing golf with the following day. He agreed and was provided with clubs and clothes which he got to keep and was picked up in a limo and paid $2,000 for his troubles. I'm not sure how much, if any of this I believe, but he entertained me for an hour or so!
After he left I had about an hour before my flight, so when we were called to board the (tiny) plane, I was looking forward to getting to Cincinnati and getting home to bed. The flight was due to leave at 6pm Eastern Time (11pm my time, I'd been up since 3.30am - already a loooong day), so we boarded the plane, and sat on it for 45 minutes while the technicians and mechanics worked on the plane, we would be delayed, and many people on the plane would unfortunately miss their connections (4 or 5 were ctching a connecting flight to Frankfurt). We were finally sent off the plane and the flight time was changed to 8pm. Then it was changed to 10.45. Then at 10pm it was taken off the board completely. 4 hours after the orignial take off time it was cancelled. (After being sent off the plane and beofre being told it was finally cancelled, there was a massive rain and thunderstorm that closed all the runways in Detroit. It stopped for a while and then went on though the night). We were all given a room each in a hotel for a night and re-booked on a flight at 12pm the next day. I finally got to my room at around 11pm (4am my time - more than 24 hours after I'd started my journey from Whitchurch!).
By this time Jeanne (the Madog Center Director who had travelled 3 hours to Cincinnati to collect me), was still in Cincinnati waiting for me and trying to find a room for the night to avoid returning home only to come back the next day. She magically bumped into a co-worker in one of the hotels, who were staying the night anyway, and who offered to pick me up the next day, and so they did, and Jeanne got to go home!
I finally arrived in Cincinnati at 1pm on 20 June, 13 hours late!! After thinking that my bags were still in Detroit (they had come on an earlier flight and were in the Delta Baggage Office), we headed to Rio Grande, and arrived about 4pm. I met Jeanne for the first time and my landlord Evelyn Kirkhart and settled into the flat.
I hadn't planned on totally unpacking as I was quite tired and in desperate need of a proper wash and some food and rest. I opened my cases to find most of my clothes soaking wet. They had obviously been taken out of the plane and left on the runway for a significant amount of time. So I spent the next 2 hours hanging clothes up all around the apartment and tumble drying what I could!
It was an extreme journey but I finally got there in the end. Oh the weather is hot and humid, and the flat is out in the wilds with many acres of land - it's beautiful!
Comments