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Cheapo Ticket便宜货

Terri:   Did you see that television series with Michael Palin?

Simon:  The one where hewent around the world (环游世界)in eighty days?

Terri:   Yeah.

Simon:  Yeah, it was really good. You know, that's something I've always wanted to do.

Terri:   Me too. Mind you, you have to put up with a lot of hassles（麻烦事）. I mean. I went to Hong Kong last year and it was one long disaster!

Simon:  Really?

Terri:   Yeah, I was stuck in Moscow for three days!

Simon:  How on earth did that happen?

Terri:   Well, it was like one of those bucket shop（低价位的旅行社） tickets, you know, from the back of a magazine. I went down to this little place in central London, in Soho and paid cash.

Simon:  But they're usually OK, aren't they?

Terri:   That's what I thought at the time. Now I know better! I mean the plane was delayed two hours leaving Heathrow and we were doing a stopover at Moscow. It was Aeroflot*. So we arrived late at Moscow, in the middle of the night, and we all went into the transit lounge（转机候机室） and after about two hours this official came in and told us we'dmissed the connection（误了联运的车、船、飞机） to Hong Kong; We’d have to stay the night in the airport hotel ...

Simon:  But why?

Terri:   The late departure from Heathrow apparently.

Simon:  So, what was the hotel like?

Terri:   Grim* ... more like a prison really. Anyway, the next morning I went down to reception and asked what was happening. Disaster! They'd checked my ticket or something and decided it wasn't a proper Aeroflot one, only valid for the twice-a-week flight, not the daily flight. So I had to sit there and watch all the other passengers go off to catch the next plane to Hong Kong while I was stuck in this terrible hotel.

Simon:  Well, a good chance to explore Moscow. 

Terri:   No way! I didn't have a Russian visa, of course, so they wouldn't let me out. I had to stay there for three days. The pits! No TV, no newspapers, no phone lines and the food was gross. All because I had this cheapo ticket,

Simon:  I guess you won't be buying cheap tickets again.

Terri:   You're not wrong!