Stuck in London, Missing the Kids
About 40,000 Americans are trapped in Great Britain thanks to the ash cloud which has grounded almost all flights from the main airports in England for six days.
Among the stranded are Colleen and Adriaan Louw, who have two young children and a small business back in Iowa, all of which they'd desperately like to see again very soon.
"I miss my kids, and I know they miss me," Colleen told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith via satellite from a spot overlooking London's unusually quiet Heathrow airport. "Just not knowing when we're going to be back, that's the hardest part."
"I was supposed to get on a flight with American Airlines at 12:15 today, but the volcano erupted again and so that's put everything back on hold," said Colleen.
The couple say the most tedious aspect of their extended stay in London is the lack of information being passed on.
"It's very frustrating, we can't find any information," Adriaan told Smith. "We go from the hotel to the airport, back to the hotel and we cant find any information."
"The problem is we have to stay close to the airport because things can change very quickly," he added.
With grandma and grandpa looking after the kids, and their business missing its managers, the Louws are hoping things change very quickly, for the better.
Authorities have said London's airports will remain shut Tuesday, and the unpredictable nature of the volcano makes looking any further into the future very difficult indeed.
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