Santiago airport was quiet compared with Sydney. Met up with Andrea R and Sam G and had beer and greasy pizza. Experienced the usual feeling of not entirely knowing what we had ordered but we got there. The café even had a power-point so the others could charge their laptops. Bluebell (my new 11 inch dell laptop) was still telling me it had 8 hrs battery life left – amazing.
I was on my own for the flight to Buenos Aires and almost every announcement was in Spanish only. Although it was only a 2 hr flight it wasn’t great as I was stuck in a middle seat between two blokes who both fell asleep almost straight away and snored. I fell asleep too but was jolted awake every few minutes with falling head syndrome. I couldn’t get up to the overhead locker to get my neck pillow without waking the snortle pig next to me.
Buenos Aires airport immigration and customs was a breeze – especially compared with Santiago. Reciprocity paid beforehand and shown on check-in was better than paying it when you got there. Out through arrivals to meet my hotel transfer… no one with my name on their sign. Oh dear. Hmmm. Spoke to one of the drivers waiting, he didn’t speak great English but said there had been someone with my name on a sign but he had gone. Whaatt?? He took me over to a transfer company’s desk where a really nice (and I mean really nice) Argentinian man rang the company I’d booked with and worked out the driver had got sick, so they would have to send another driver but it would be a 45 minute wait. Bugger.
Finally mad it to the hotel. All good just for an overnight. Probably the best shower and sleep I’ve ever had. Wifi working ok too so managed a skype call to Harv.
Off for breakfast downstairs in a few minutes then I begin the journey to Ushuaia. By the time I get there I will certainly have had enough of planes – and collecting baggage. Interestingly, though, my backpack in Santiago weighed in for the BA flight was only 16.2 kg. I wonder where and what that 500g was that it lost since Sydney?
Imagine planes taking off and landing immediately above this view but can you hear them? Neither can I – incredible sound-proofing.
