Thursday, February 1.  Dropped off Yoriko at 7:30 for her flight to Japan.  Then I went to 24 Hour Fitness for 2 hours.  (Past habits would have had me going to McDonald’s.)  Flew an Air France A380 double-decker for the first time.  Oddly the lower deck’s walls curve inward to simulate a single deck plane.  Anxiety prevention?  During the flight I took the rear stairs up to the attendants’ station for a glass of wine!  Two people were ill enough to receive medical assistance.  Fortunately there wasn’t a need for a flight deviation.

I had three hot meals on the two flights.  All were acceptable.  All three had the same hard rolls.  They should switch them up a bit.  The attendants were excellent.   In Casablanca a woman having trouble at customs thought raising her voice would cause them to let her go through.  She’d yell, then wait for a desired response (which was always an undesired “so?” shrug), then look through her purse and cell phone.  Repeat.  Funny.  We had to put our bags through an X-ray leaving the airport.  I’d learned that drones are illegal here by reading about a guy who was stopped with one (and lost it, permanently).  I wondered how they found it.  Now I know.  Apparently, they REALLY don’t want drones in the country.

Hour long drive to go maybe 15 miles.  Heavy traffic, lots of people gathered around place.  Don’t know why.  Nightfall before arrival.  Hotel is no different than any other world hotel.  I met the six others who are doing the pre-extension tour.  Used the fitness center.

The Tour begins proper tomorrow.  A 9:15 start.  Way too late for me.  I guess I’ll hit the fitness center again.