An Unplanned Stop--in Newcastle

After a train trip that turned into Bedlam,  I’m compensating myself with a big, cold glass of wine and a dish of mixed seafood in a little Thai restaurant in Quayside, Newcastle. 

You’re right! At the time you're reading this, I should be home in Sydney. But not to be, just yet, I’m afraid.

I’m not sure when I can get home now. Flights are tight. 

The train I was travelling in from Aberdeen to London was held up for two hours because of a problem with overhead electrical wires between Newcastle and London. It held up all the trains on the network. Then, after we sat waiting in the train for two hours, they told us the train had been cancelled. This was at 2:00 pm, and my flight left at 9:05, about half an hour ago. 

The Station Master called a taxi for me to take me to the Newcastle airport to see if I could get a plane from Newcastle to London.

No seats available. 

I waited on the phone for an hour to I talk to the Philippina at the Qantas call centre, who quoted me $10,000 to fly home tomorrow in Business Class. I think it will be cheaper to hang out in a hotel for a week until I can get an economy flight, but I’ll know more about that later, I hope, when I get a chance to speak to Scott at Helloworld, Baulkham Hills.

That may be harder than I thought because I've just run out of data, which I wouldn't have needed if I hadn't missed my flight, and I might not have run out of if I hadn't had to wait for an hour to speak to QANTAS. I may have to wait until the shops open tomorrow to do anything because I can't do it without data, and I don't understand the app.

I've been looking for Vera everywhere. She'd know how to solve this one. But she wasn't out and about this evening when I was roaming the Quayside.