Day 54 - We MADE it

Day 54 Thursday October 6

D day dawned and we assembled in the parking lot for the last driving day of our memorable excursion. The excitement is palpable as the convoy rolls out of the hotel. We are booked on the 3.30 pm P & O ferry which will take us from Calais to Dover.

At Calais port

We whizzed past Belgium (country # 20) and France (country # 21) and reached the Calais port at 1.30 pm. We got our boarding tickets and came to the 'Border Control' of the UK. Once our passports are stamped, we are now officially in country # 22, the UK. We had lunch on the ship and settled down in the lounge area. An elderly English couple who had parked their car near ours and who we later discovered were also road-trippers, waved to us and wanted to know more about our journey. They too shared their experiences of the various trips they had done.

Disembarking from the ship, we had to consciously remember to drive on the left side, especially on a roundabout, as for the past 53 days we were on the "wrong" side of the road. There is a parking area near Premier Inn, Dover where we came together to take photos. Adrian and his lovely wife who have traveled with AO on previous occasions had come to receive us there.

There is construction work on the way to London and this slowed our progress into the city. Due to traffic for the last few miles it was dark by the time we were in Central London. At the foot of the bridge is St. Thomas hospital and we kept our cars in the paid parking lot.

Twisha, Shuchi and Kiritbhai were waiting to welcome us as we proceeded towards the Westminster bridge.

We walked on the bridge with a sense of accomplishment, laughing, shouting and congratulating each other. It was like running the "winning lap".

Many pictures and videos were taken as we proudly waved the Indian flag and celebrated the culmination of a wonderful adventure.

A banquet hall was booked at our hotel, Copthorne Tara, Kensington where we had dinner and watched a video that AO had made of our journey so far. We were given certificates and each person said a few words. It was a great way to end the day on a happy, triumphant note.

For the record:

Hotel Movenpick, Amsterdam 8.15 am 27429

Diesel 10.15 am - 10.40 am - 12 L EUR 25.67 - 112 kms 27541

Calais car ferry 1.30 pm - 289 kms 27830

Westminster bridge 7.00 pm - 105 kms 27935

Hotel Copthorne Tara, Kensington 9.15 pm - 30 kms 27965

Traveled today 536 kms

Total distance 15853 kms