Well... here Heather and I are, sitting at the free-internet desk at a hotel in Lima, only two days behind schedule. By tomorrow, I will have spent 5 consecutive days in different airports around the world, I´m beginning to think I should rename this blog "Amy in Airports, Summer 2008". It all started when we were checking in at Heathrow Terminal 4, officially the Most Unhelpful Place Ever. I didn´t have a seat number on my boarding pass for the connecting flight to Newark, we saw about 5 different people who, with varying degrees of rudeness, told us that basically they couldn´t give a toss. We took off for Lima, I had a bit of a sad moment on the plane but felt much better after watching the three back-to-back episodes of House provided as part of the in-flight entertainment.
Ironically, I never needed that boarding pass, cos our flight was delayed by an hour so that we missed our connecting Newark flight "by two minutes" (as a kindly old American porter told us with a wince). Actually, we met a random guy at the payphones who had also missed the flight, and he told us he´d been there half an hour earlier than us (queue for security was looong) and they´d said the same to him, so we didn´t feel so bad. Continental Airlines, officially the Most Helpful People Ever ´(that´s in a non sarcastic way, they really were amazing) put us up in a hotel, paid for our food and arranged transfers to the airport, before booking us on the next flight they could to Lima. Unfortunately, this meant we were a day late and so we would miss our Cuzco flight, but thanks to some quick organising from Heather´s dad back in Manchester, STAR Peru agreed to put us on a flight on Tuesday, because there were none left for Monday, for a $50 fee, which we´d pay when we got to Lima airport and which would confirm our place on the flight. He also sorted us a hotel which would meet us at the airport.
Via room service, Nickleodeon TV, amazingly comfy beds and the friendliest people in the world ever at the Holiday Inn, New Jersey (plus blueberry pancakes for breakfast of course-- when in Rome...), we got to the Airport. We were chosen by our airline for "additional security checks"-- we didn´t quite get the full American security experience, but our bags definitely did-- and managed to board the plane to Lima. No in-flight entertainment on this flight really, so it was quite long, but we made it to Lima, got through immigration (although there was a minor disaster when Heather´s passport wasn´t recognised), found our bags (Heather´s strap was missing from hers) and got out into Lima Airport. We were offered about 17million taxis immediately, but headed for the STAR Peru desk to confirm our flight. Yeah, that didn´t happen. After a long, mixed-language argument where none of us really understood anything the others said, and after being offered the choice of either not being on the flight or coming back at 5am to pay for it and confirm, because the correct personnel were "not currently available", we managed to convince the woman to let us come back at 5pm instead. So another airport visit is ahead-- joy of joys-- and we´re just hoping we´re still on the flight. We were at that desk for 40mins, and when we got back, the taxi driver wasn´t there, apparently "stuck in traffic", so two 18 year old girls alone in Lima airport waited around outside for a bit until the taxi driver finally got there, looking a little sheepish and like he hadn´t really been stuck in traffic at all. I tried out some of my limited spanish on the way back, which was funny, although we weren´t really in the mood to laugh at that point.
Hotel is very basic but ok and everyone is very friendly, we went into Miraflores this morning with our new friend Juan the 21-year-old taxi driver (he´s not really called Juan, but I called him that in my head), I´ve got lots of photos of crazy Lima stuff. There are no road dividing lines as such and we feared for our lives several times, as hooting seems to be a method of general communication, but it´s all good. The woman at the front desk serenaded us with "She Loves You" by The Beatles as well when she found out we were from London-- amazing.
So we are headed to the airport now, and then again tomorrow, and hopefully this time we´ll actually get to Cuzco! Will update more then.
Lots of love
amy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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2 comments:
Hi Amy,
Meant to call before you went. Have a realy great time. Seems the adventure has already started. Take care. lots love Rich
Well I just wrote you a very long answer and had forgotten my password from when Alix was away,so it chucked it away. What a nightmare journey, but you have survived, and I hope by now you and Heather are in lovely Cuzco and not suffering too much with altitude. I took the train up there so the change was gradual. ANyway you will get used to it.
I cannot believe what a series of unfortunate events you had, still you seem to have come across the best and worst of what people can be...and that is life I guess.
Will post this, won't write too much in case I fail again.
Tiene suerte and have fun. Lots o love catiexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoo
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