After the three thirty wake up call we packed, showered (cold), and were at the airport by 4:30. We checked in, then while waiting for security heard the announcement that Continental was looking for volunteers to give up their seats. We debated it through security and volunteered at the gate. We had to sit through the entire loading process, but eventually we were watching our plane pull away from the jet way. Then it was back through immigration, down to the ticket counter and some more waiting. We'd been promised a room at the Hilton, but they were full so they found a room at the Grand Plaza - a couple doors down. The hotel's driver wasn't available, so they sent us by taxi.
The hotel was much less than expected - no where near the beach (or the Hilton) - plus the tattoo studio in the lobby didn't impress me. The first room they put us in was occupied when we got there. The second and third rooms reeked so much of smoke that my eyes itched. At this point they admitted to us that there were no non-smoking rooms available. I was pretty exhausted at this point, but also determined, so I called Continental. No one really had an idea what to do until I got the supervisor who promised he'd call around and call us back. Fifteen minutes later he called to tell us to head to the Westin. So another taxi ride and we were at the Westin - on the other side of Tumon beach from the Hilton, but on the beach - and I'm guessing maybe even nicer than the Hilton. At the desk they tell us that a non-smoking room won't be available until after noon but give us coupons for breakfast. We called and changed our hotel / car reservations in Hawaii, had a huge great breakfast, settled down by the pool to wait, then discovered we had free internet access. At 12:30 we moved in to our room - which is as nice of a hotel room as I've ever stayed in. We had another huge buffet meal for lunch.
After lunch we were in need of some exercise so we walked up to the Mall of Micronesia. This was the most evidence (besides not being able to drink tap water) of the devastating super typhoon that passed through a couple of weeks ago (when we were still in Pohnpei) - the mall has huge glass towers that stick out from it - not a single pane of glass survived. In the mall we walked around, checked out the motorcycle show that was going on, and did some shopping at the supermarket. We took a bus back to the hotel. After one night of no sleep and another of just a few hours I was tired. Stacy managed to get me up to go for diner (after all Continental was subsidizing it). The diner coupon was for the hotel's Italian restaurant and it turned out the amount wasn't nearly enough, but we enjoyed an incredible meal and at the end Continental paid for more than half of it. Back at the hotel I pretty much instantly passed out - with only five hours until we had to get up again.
