Customs was a breeze and we retrieved our luggage only to find we could not turn it back in at the transfer desk since our next flight wasn't until the next day. We hurried to the airport shuttle for a trip to US Air to request we move our next flight up as there were still seats available. Apparently if you purchase a travel package ticket for International flights you are not allowed to change to an earlier flight, even if there are seats and you are willing to pay a REASONABLE fee. According to the ticket attendant our tickets did not have a value and she therefore could not determine what my fee to change would be. This left us with a 12 hour layover. With that in mind I suggested we do some sight seeing as it was only 6 p.m.; all tours stop in Boston at 4:00 according to the internet. Let's get a room nearby and a good nights sleep; minimum of $200.00 within shuttle distance of the airport. OK, we have cards and the PA system touts a wonderful airport mall; we were not allowed thru security without boarding passes which we could not get until we checked in TOMORROW (3:00 a.m. when counters reopen). Let's have a nice last dinner...our choices on the front side of security were Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, or some cafe with sandwiches at 12.95....at least the good old American tap water with lemon was complimentary and our waitress was sweet. After I talked a table full of young men into competing to see who could uncap Bridget's water bottle (sealed from the flight) we headed off to find a resting spot. The next 5 or 6 hours were spent sleeping on the carpeting (don't think they use padding) in a corner surrounded by our suitcases. We are still here, waiting for the 3:00 a.m. wake-up so we can progress through to the other side of the terminal for our 6:00 a.m. flight to Charlotte. I told Bridget to look upon it as just another adventure. I didn't catch the 12 hour layover when I selected the flight itinerary; I was looking for the departure and arrival times we needed and attributed the timing to the 6-hour time difference. We shall survive and are now closer to home.
Talk with you one last time and then shall upload pics! It was great but sitting on American soil, even on this hard-as-nails carpeting, is the best...I shan't tell Bridget of the mouse I saw scurrying across in front of us while she slept. I kept watch.