Awake and up at the ungodly hour of 4:00 am (oh, Maggi is probably so happy still sound asleep in her own little bed!!!). Guess what? Looked out the window and…..no freaking snow!! Not a flake! Oh, yeah, rain, but it’s RAIN! For heaven’s sake! The bright side of that is – No FREAKING SNOW! So getting a taxi will be easier and the drive to the airport a lot smoother – but come on! Weather! Weather forecasters! Skittish airlines!
Ed (who of course couldn’t sleep and got us all up early – we had planned on 4:30) started checking email. Good thing he’s so anal! The American Airline confirmation email on all the flight changes was so wrong! Had the 7 am flight series to Miami, but no Quito flight. Big Oops! Then it also had a bunch of flights on Saturday! So, back to the phone for us. Only ½ an hour this time and our Quito flight was back, and all was well, so far!
In the meantime, Cathy had called down to the desk to ask for a cab at 5:15. At 4:30 the desk call and says “Your cab is here”. Duh – don’t need it now – heck Ed was still on hold with American Airlines at that point! Luckily after packing up and going downstairs a little before 5, the cab was still there! Or our adventure officially begins. (Poor cabbie! Waited around for ½ hour cooling his heals. Wasn’t at all happy with “that fat desk clerk”, when we apologized, he said “it’s HIM!” OK!)
Now its kind of sleeting, but we’re on our way to the airport – so all is good. It’s 5:15 am, but looks like rush hour….in Richmond! Cars everywhere – amazing for that time of the morning, but that’s DC traffic for you. Cabbie got us to the terminal in not time. $17.95 fare – needless to say he got a big tip.
Walked right into Delta ticket area, only about 10 people in line. It went really quickly until…..got to the agent and she can’t issue our tickets because American Airlines hasn’t booked the flight, they’ve just made the reservations. So, off we trundle, bags in tow, to the American Airlines desk to get our tickets. Thankfully there’s no line there either and the agent prints out our cancelled 11:15 flight ticket. Back we go to Delta. The precious ticket gannet looks at the ticket and still can’t get us everything. American has it all messed up still. So – with a “I’m not supposed to do this but…” under her breath, off she goes to the American counter to straighten them out!
Thank heavens we got here early! The poor thing is gone FOREVER! We’re standing at her empty ticketing position, staring forlornly down the concourse, knowing in our heart of hearts something else has gone horribly awry and we’ll never get to Quito! Finally, after Ed goes down to check it out, our little angel had 3 American agents all huddled around the computer but she managed to come back with our entire itinerary printed out and proceeds to check us through to Quito – we might just make it!
Off we go to the gate – we’re the lucky couple who gets the extra security scan – patted down, luggage scanned for substances – the whole kit and kaboodle (I hid in my back pack and tried to look very inconspicuous and innocent during the whole ordeal!). Finally to the gate, actually got seats together – last row, back of the bus, closest to he rear exit J The plane is packed – and they are assigning seats at the gate to distribute the weight evenly – I’m feeling good about this! No changing seats – they keep saying! Oh boy!
Ed gets hungry (I’m not supposed to tell you this – but I will) and he eats a Sausage egg McMuffin! Yuk! Cathy wisely chooses only coffee!
We board right on time; pilot Dave must have been taking lessons from SouthWest airlines – he’s Personality Plus, joking, telling us we’re flying South towards New Orleans. No we’re not going to New Orleans, he’s just checking to make sure we’re all awake! Robert the co-pilot is flying, so we’re blaming anything bad on him. But so far, Robert gets good marks! De-iced and off the ground at 7:32. Promised to get us in early, which will be helpful sine we need to catch our connection to Miami.
Robert got us to Atlanta 15 minutes late (shame on him!!) but in one piece. Unfortunately, visibility in Atlanta was about 0, so we weren’t quite certain about the flight to Miami. Off we raced to the next terminal. The flight was actually listed on time, boarded right on tine we had bulkhead seats – Nice! But unfortunately, we didn’t have any pilots. Not nice! Oh well – we did have time. Scheduled on time arrival at 12:37, the Quito flight wasn’t until 3:40 – a 3 hour window. Pilots can be late!
They arrived around 11, we were taxi-ing by 11:20, but there is a long line of planes waiting to depart in front of us. At 11:30 we are 4th for take off, finally up and out, we arrive in Miami at 1:30. Not too bad considering the East Coast weather situation. Of course, since we were now back to flying American, we were in a completely different terminal. Got our exercise walking from one end of the Delta terminal to the other end of the American one. Then had to wait forever in security line to re-enter the gate corridor – they are doing construction and you couldn’t get from the corridor we came in to the American corridor behind security. What a pain!!!!!!
Phew! 2:00 and finally at the gate!!! Got a beer and chocolate covered peanuts to celebrate! Then proceeded to wait for boarding call. In the meantime, checked messages and found that Richard and Maggi made it to Richmond and managed to successfully change their return tickets to fly back into RIC as opposed to DCA. Yea! But, their plane was late arriving in RIC and they were boarding at 2:25 (original departure time was 2:20). They have a tight connection but if they arrive at the gate we think they will, they will be literally right next to the Quito flight gate. All should be fine - left voicemails telling them which gate and that it was really close to where they would come in.
Boarding our Quito flight, we were 2 people behind some Xpedition cruise mates – cabin 302 (they had their baggage tag on their carry on). Couldn’t reach them to say hi, but will have plenty of time over the next 11 days. Got to our seats, they boarded really early, but the A/C wasn’t working. Yeah, Miami, plane full of people, no Air, Ed in a sweater, we’re all ready to pass out! Me especially, fur, extreme heat, I’m not used to this! I’m a Bavarian pup for Pete’s sake! Get me back to at least a little more temperate climes! I’ll settle for Atlanta right now…..argh!
Seems to be a problem with the on-ground air conditioning system (no lie? Really?). It won’t affect us in flight, but the mechanics won’t sign off on the paper work to let us fly because it’s malfunctioning. Come on, we want to leave!
3:25 – Engines finally on, air finally on – we’re at least comfortable.
3:50 – Doors finally close, pushing back
Landed ½ hour late – but the flight itself was fine. Food….was food….alcohol $5 each, no more freebies on American. Sigh.
Our seatmate was a lovely gentleman from Ecuador, Jack. He alternates between Charlotte and Quito (export fruit and veggie business) and was a wonderful companion. Talked about the language, Ecuador, Politics, South America – particularly Argentina which he likes a lot. Nice way to spend a 4 hour flight learning a little more about where we will be visiting.
Landed and made our way through the very small Quito airport. From the gate to Passport control takes no time at all. On the way, you walk along a 2nd floor corridor which is open to the terminal. Big glass windows allow people waiting to watch arrivals come through. There were, no kidding, 100’s of people there pressed up against the windows. Also in the corridor were gigantic vases with roses – probably 200 – 300 roses in each vase. Ecuador is famous for it’s flowers, the number 1 export, and roses in particular. These were incredible and Jack had already told us how cheap they are here - $1 for 24 roses!
Smooth passage through Passport control – but very disappointing immigration stamp! It’s an electronic print out. Boo hiss! We stamp collectors are not pleased with this new electronic development! Baggage claim was right outside passport control and the bags were already circling the carousel when we got there (told you it was a small airport!). Fifteen minutes later, carousel stops, no mas equipaje. Oops! Ed and Cathy are missing the one bag they need – the Galapagos bag. Well, this is not good, not good at all. Off they truck to the American baggage folks, along with several others from the flight (at least they aren’t alone). Baggage claim guy was incredibly nice – told us this happens all the time because of weight. Bags normally will come in on the next Quito flight in 2 hours. Filled out the paperwork and he assured us he’d call the hotel and deliver the bag to us immediately.
Disheartened, but ever hopeful, we head out through agricultural control and found the Celebrity rep in the melee outside the security control (where 100’s more people were waiting for arrivals!). The Celebrity reps walked us to the bus – one girl actually taking our bag and walking it through the rain to the bus with us. Being every paranoid, particularly now, Ed and Cathy watched their remaining bags loaded on to the bus, then followed to join the 16 or so others already there.
Celebrity guide boarded the bus, then asked if the Stevenson’s were there. Si! Do you have all your luggage? No! OH! Filled out papers? Yes. OK – we go! Headed out of the airport through the dark and rainy night.
It’s a very short 15 minute ride from the airport to the JW Marriott. Of course the airport should be a short ride from anywhere – it’s smack dab in the middle of the city – and I mean literally! Houses and buildings surround the airport with no more than a few hundred yards separating them from the #35 runway – the only runway I might add! It’s an amazing flight in and out of that place!
On the way to the hotel, the guide gave us an overview of the city then, warned us on security in Quito: don’t take purses, passports, wear jewelry, always be aware of pick pockets. It’s a safe city, no guns, or bombs, but beware of pick pockets. Eat chocolate for altitude sickness. And more. It’s really funny, because later we find that other guides had a completely different spiel to their passengers! Never said anything about jewelry or purses, etc.
Greeted with glasses of fruit juice (not the Celebrity mimosa style, but still nice) and hot towels. Check in was at a table set up across from the main registration. Filled out form, handed over credit card, received room key and schedule. Marriott rooms are fantastic – plush, king size bed, bathroom almost as large as the guest room, huge garden tub and separate stalls for toilet and shower. Closet light turned on when the doors are opened. Ed and Cathy got settled and then abandoned me for the bar to wait for Maggi and Richard. Darn! I could use a good Pilsner right about now!
Before heading downstairs, they checked out the Executive lounge (somehow – maybe the Celebrity Elite status? – they had scored an executive floor room). They settled into comfy chairs with snacks (desserts from 8-10, but also peanuts and crackers) and the obligatory beer and wine. Just what they needed to soothe their tired, tortured bodies!
After checking out the lounge, they headed down to the Exchange bar with David the Bartender. American rock music serenaded them as they ordered drinks and waited for Maggi and Richard to arrive. Cathy ended up drinking Argentinean Chardonnay (thanks to David who let her try a Riesling which was way too sweet!) and Ed had his Club beer.
Maggi and Richard arrived a little after 11, no worse for wear! Checked them in and proceeded to the bar to celebrate the 1st night of the great Xpedition! They all recounted their travel horror stories. Maggi and Richard’s Richmond flight was late, they only had 10 minutes to connect – but made it on board safely and connected with all their luggage intact!
A few beers and wine later, they all groggily headed up for a well deserved night’s sleep.
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