Well, what a long day. We started nice and early UK time 5 am ready to go to the airport with a very kind lift from mikes dad, thank you, John. Really dreading that bit as we knew that the bikes were too heavy and We would get stung financially.
Mike’s was 32.5kgs and my bike was 27kgs however it wasn’t as bad as we were dreading small worry mikes being 0.5kgs over max allowed but staff very friendly and let it go we both had to pay £65 each extra.
Happily arrived in Boston with no problems customs was easy straight through and the nice man asked us how long did we need, we said about 4 months so he gave us 6! I guess we don’t look that fit!
We had posted a box from the UK to a contact here in Boston ( should have been the easy option). That was a nightmare in itself, we had to pay £150 to send via DHL it was big and weighed 17kgs. We also had to print out content labels, but by this time the printer was now in storage. Mad panic Susie our next door neighbour to the rescue.
It arrived in Boston In time. However, it incurred import duties. We weren’t aware of a separate form that we needed to fill in. We should have filled in a temporary import form. Another fee of $98 oh joy. Elinor our Boston contact very kindly paid this for us taking our word that we would pay back on arrival.
We also had brought a new tent and ground sheet so needed to go to the shop for that. So two things to pick up on day one.
Taxi straight to our previously booked hotel. We leave both bikes in the boxes in the hotel reception. It’s to early to check in it’s now 11am Boston time.
We decide to go to the tent shop over to the other side of Boston. Taxi driver number 2. What a character, really loved his city and was proud to fill our heads with its history. He wanted to know where we were going after picking up the tent ,we explained that we we had to pick up a box from another site. This coincidentally was near to where he was going so offered to just charge us the one way and drop us off there. All well and good but we hadn’t made contact with Elinor who’s got the box. So now we’re left on a complete strangers doorstep in a place we don’t know. Not a problem apart from we haven’t sorted our phones out yet so no way of contacting them, their not answering the door. What to do!
It’s now 2pm she’s probably at work, we wonder around the neighbourhood looking for somewhere with free WiFi and find a small Mexican cafe. Order omelette each but no WiFi. The waiter was lovely and shared his data so kind. We sent a email but she didn’t answer not knowing what else to do the waiter let us use the cafe phone to ring her, no joy. We hung around a bit killing time but with No idea what time she would finish work we decided not to outstay our welcome in the cafe and started wondering around the streets.
Luckily we find a gorgeous looking Spanish bakery that smelled as good as it looked. All goods were freshly baked on the premises in a small family run business. We would of loved to taste everything but we were full from the omelette which was served with spicy diced fried potatoes and fresh fruit all on the same plate with a side of toast and jam! Maybe that’s normal around here but a bit strange to us. The bakery was to good not to go in though so we went in to chat about all the lovely food and cheekily ask the girl if she could call a taxi for us.
Taxi number 3. 4pm we can check into the hotel lovely room with a view over Boston harbour and airport.
Now all we have to do is get that box !
We’ve been on the go all day it may only be 4pm here but it’s 9pm at home but we need that box today because it’s got all the tools we need to put the bikes together. Please Elinor get in touch!
5:30 Elinor emails us to say she’s home, can we please come now, yes. Taxi number 4 ordered no problem. We wait and wait a hour later we ring the taxi number and ask if it was still coming. No problem it’s 5 minutes away so we wait and wait 45 minutes later ring again yes it’s on it’s way it’s stuck in traffic. We wait it’s now 8:30pm it turns up but there’s a problem we ordered a round trip literally just to pick up box turn around and come straight back. He can’t do that as it’s only him working two members of staff have gone home sick and he has a regular 9pm booking the other side of town.
He was a larger than life Italian America just like we see on uk tv and came to the solution that we go with him and gave us a tour of Boston by cab talking nonstop but at least we got the box and a tour and he brought us cokes from a Mac Donald’s drive thru. We finally get back to our hotel 10 pm so that’s now on the go 22hours time for bed the bikes will have to wait to tomorrow. Night.
Day 2 relaxing and bike building.
