Emotional Ups and Downs of Flying/Stuffing My Gut in Mexico
Thursday, Mar. 9, Mexico City
Well, I made it to Mexico with lots of emotional stress. Here are the ups and downs:
Down: Setting my alarm for 3:50 a.m. on the night of the 6th.
Down: Getting up at 3:50 while still wanting to sleep.
Down: Paying for an expensive taxi because public buses do not run so early
Up: Getting to the airport in time
Up: Being only second in line for checkin and getting through security easily
Up: Boarding on time and ready for take-off
Down: Hearing an announcement that Curitiba airport (where we are scheduled for an intermediate stop on our way to Sao Paulo) is closed because of fog and we have to wait
Down: Getting warm on the plane and worrying whether the fog will life soon, since I only have 2 hours for my change of planes in Sao Paulo
Down: Being told we should leave the plane and return to the terminal since there is no idea how long the delay will be
Up: Being told that they are considering flying straight to Sao Paulo so that those of us with connections can make them
Down: Knowing that enough time has passed that I definitely will be late for my flight if we go to Curitiba
Up: The announcement that we should board for a flight to Sao Paulo which will then continue to Curitiba
Down: Announcement and quick turn around in the air stating that Curitiba has opened and we can stop there after all on the way to Sao Paulo
Down: Realizing while on the land in Curitba that we cannot arrive in Sao Paulo until time for my plane to take off for Mexico City and knowing there is only that one plane per day.
Up: Actually landing 15 minutes before my plane is scheduled to take off and thinking there might be a chance they would hold it for me
Down: When we get to the gate and stand up, being told that an international flight is disembarquing next to us and rules do not allow a domestic flight to disembarque at the same time; we must remain seated for 10 more minutes
Up: Passagengers across the aisle seeing my ticket and saying that they are going to Mexico, too (and they speak Portuguese); realizing that 3 of us make the plane being held more likely
Down: Finding out we have to exit and then go through emigration and security before getting to our plane.
Down: Trying to enter emigration and finding out that our boarding passes lack a sticker that is necessary and must be obtained at the ticket counter.
Down: Seeing long lines at the checkin counters
Up: The other man walking to the front and telling them we are late for a Mexico plane schedule to depart at that time
Up, but fearful of the time: Rushing through emigration (line again) and security without knowing if our plane has departed or is waiting and not even knowing what gate it is at
Up: Seeing a screen saying that our plane at Gate 22 is delayed
Down: Realizing the delay is not to wait on us but is for another reason and starting to wonder if it will make me get to Mexico after dark without a hotel reservation
Up: Departing only 1 hour late meaning that we should arrive around 5:45 p.m. in Mexico
Down: The plane looks crappy. My seat has no electronics to allow me to hear sound if I want to see the films.
Up: No one sits in the middle seat, so I can plug into their sound system
Down: My seatback declines slightly and won´t stay up for takeoff or landing
Down: My dining tray pops apart when lowered, so that the top portion bows as I try to eat my lunch
Down: The lady across the aisle and about 8 other people around me do not have electronics either (just holes where they should be) and complains and complains. I join in telling the man they shouldn´t sell the seats if he is telling us the truth that it is a leased plane with a contract that does not allow them to change any of the electronics. He never explained why my seatback and tray weren´t fixed.
Up: We made it to Mexico safely.
Up: Although it was dark as I arrived at the hotel, they had a room available.
Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed the good food here. I was so tired of the bland offerings in Argentina and Chile. I ordered breakfast yesterday (a migas kind of mixture of eggs, peppers, onions, tortilla chips, etc. served with black beans and topped with cheese) and kept bouncing my leg in anticipation of their arrival. Umm, they were so good. For lunch, I had cream of zuchinni soup and a pork rib in a dark red salsa with rice and refried brown beans which was served with half a pitcher of strawberry water. For dinner, I had a torta--French bread filled with a layer of refried beans, shredded seasoned pork from the Yucatan, a layer of sliced pickled onions, and a layer of mashed avocadoes. This morning, I had a mixture of eggs, tortilla chips, and shredded chicken topped with a creamy orangish-color sauce with beans. I can't wait for lunch today!!
I return to Texas tomorrow.
Spending Update for Brazil: I was in Brazil for two days spending $66.37 for a daily average of $33.19.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Monday, March 06, 2006
Last Day in South America
Last Day in South America
Monday, Mar. 6, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil
It was a long trip here, but I am back in Iguacu awaiting my flight early tomorrow morning...
Although the bus from Cordobá ran, it ran late. As 1 p.m. approached and there was no bus, I became worried. I paced up and down the platform in case it came to a different place from where I had been told to expect it. I didn´t want to leave to go to the ticket counter to ask about it, because it could arrive and depart in the meantime if it was a bus that started elsewhere and was just making a stop here (which could have been a reason for it not being exactly on time). I walked to an attendant with a walkie talkie, and all he did was read my ticket and imply I was waiting in the right place. A woman came up and asked if I spoke English. She told me just to wait and talked about her son in Montreal; she was leaving the next day to visit him and talked about how hard life is in Argentina and how proud she is that he is a resident of Canada. I was a little worried about her. Why was she at the bus station today if she was flying out of Cordobá tomorrow? Since she was talking about the problems in Argentina, was she going to ask for money? I excused myself by saying I wanted to check up and down the platform in case the bus arrived at a different location.
I noticed a Japanese-looking young man who was also walking up and down and looked worried. I approached him and asked if he was waiting for the Singer bus. He was. That made me feel better, since I wasn´t alone anymore. Then the lady arrived again. She had been nice enough to go downstairs and ask. She said that the ticket agent told her the bus would arrive at 2:15. I had misjudged her.
Yo Suzuki is the name of the Japanese man. He just finished university this month with a major in economics and has been traveling in Canada and Argentina. He visited Niagara Falls in Canada and now was on his way to see Iguacu Falls. I told him it is good he went to Niagara first, since nothing looks very good after one has seen Iguacu! He and I sat and visited while we awaited our bus. In the meantime, an Argentinean woman approached us and I could tell from what she said that she also was waiting for Singer. Now, we were three. The bus finally arrived at 2:30 and many people came from various places to board it. There had really been many of us all along.
My seat was upstairs where they are wide. I had a single seat on one side of the aisle by itself. So I could move around and sleep quite well. The only problem was the cold air conditioner part of the night. It was so bad that I even covered my head! Yo was downstairs in a smaller seat and said that his seatmate moved all night.
Yo and I connected again when we arrived in Iguacu after about 19 hours of travel. I took him to the place where I stayed last year, and he got a room there. Then we walked around town. I was staying over in Argentina until after lunch because I wanted to go back to my good lomito sandwich place one more time. We went together at noon and had a lomito and fries. He liked it so much he said he would probably go back there every day he remains here.
We picked up my luggage and I caught a bus to Brazil right after lunch. Yo thanked me for being helpful. I could tell he was as comfortable with me as I was with him. It´s too bad we didn´t have another day or two to travel together. Anyway, I was off for Brazil, and he was off to try to buy shorts, since it is so hot here compared to elsewhere.
I am staying at a new hotel on the Brazil side which is next to the one where I have stayed before. They are almost twins, but the new one is about $3.50 cheaper per day. Today, I am doing last-minute things. I went to Varig to check on my flight and to ask when I should be at the airport tomorrow (5 a.m.!). I will arrange for a taxi for tomorrow morning. I´m trying to plan my money so I spend it all. I´ve been carrying currencies for all the countries I go back to regularly or will return to next year--South Korea, Thailand, India, Denmark, UK, Euro, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, U.S. It´s too much. This will be my last time for some time in Argentina and Brazil, so I am trying to get rid of all my money from here. (Actually, it is a matter of trying to end by spending my last money at the last moment. I have a limited supply and am trying to make it work. I may have made it sound like I had lots of money and was just throwing it away on things.)
I will be in Mexico City tomorrow night and then fly from there to San Antonio on Friday.
Spending Update for Argentina: During this part of my visit to Argentina this year, I spent $680.03 over a total of 19 days for an average of $35.79 per day.
Monday, Mar. 6, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil
It was a long trip here, but I am back in Iguacu awaiting my flight early tomorrow morning...
Although the bus from Cordobá ran, it ran late. As 1 p.m. approached and there was no bus, I became worried. I paced up and down the platform in case it came to a different place from where I had been told to expect it. I didn´t want to leave to go to the ticket counter to ask about it, because it could arrive and depart in the meantime if it was a bus that started elsewhere and was just making a stop here (which could have been a reason for it not being exactly on time). I walked to an attendant with a walkie talkie, and all he did was read my ticket and imply I was waiting in the right place. A woman came up and asked if I spoke English. She told me just to wait and talked about her son in Montreal; she was leaving the next day to visit him and talked about how hard life is in Argentina and how proud she is that he is a resident of Canada. I was a little worried about her. Why was she at the bus station today if she was flying out of Cordobá tomorrow? Since she was talking about the problems in Argentina, was she going to ask for money? I excused myself by saying I wanted to check up and down the platform in case the bus arrived at a different location.
I noticed a Japanese-looking young man who was also walking up and down and looked worried. I approached him and asked if he was waiting for the Singer bus. He was. That made me feel better, since I wasn´t alone anymore. Then the lady arrived again. She had been nice enough to go downstairs and ask. She said that the ticket agent told her the bus would arrive at 2:15. I had misjudged her.
Yo Suzuki is the name of the Japanese man. He just finished university this month with a major in economics and has been traveling in Canada and Argentina. He visited Niagara Falls in Canada and now was on his way to see Iguacu Falls. I told him it is good he went to Niagara first, since nothing looks very good after one has seen Iguacu! He and I sat and visited while we awaited our bus. In the meantime, an Argentinean woman approached us and I could tell from what she said that she also was waiting for Singer. Now, we were three. The bus finally arrived at 2:30 and many people came from various places to board it. There had really been many of us all along.
My seat was upstairs where they are wide. I had a single seat on one side of the aisle by itself. So I could move around and sleep quite well. The only problem was the cold air conditioner part of the night. It was so bad that I even covered my head! Yo was downstairs in a smaller seat and said that his seatmate moved all night.
Yo and I connected again when we arrived in Iguacu after about 19 hours of travel. I took him to the place where I stayed last year, and he got a room there. Then we walked around town. I was staying over in Argentina until after lunch because I wanted to go back to my good lomito sandwich place one more time. We went together at noon and had a lomito and fries. He liked it so much he said he would probably go back there every day he remains here.
We picked up my luggage and I caught a bus to Brazil right after lunch. Yo thanked me for being helpful. I could tell he was as comfortable with me as I was with him. It´s too bad we didn´t have another day or two to travel together. Anyway, I was off for Brazil, and he was off to try to buy shorts, since it is so hot here compared to elsewhere.
I am staying at a new hotel on the Brazil side which is next to the one where I have stayed before. They are almost twins, but the new one is about $3.50 cheaper per day. Today, I am doing last-minute things. I went to Varig to check on my flight and to ask when I should be at the airport tomorrow (5 a.m.!). I will arrange for a taxi for tomorrow morning. I´m trying to plan my money so I spend it all. I´ve been carrying currencies for all the countries I go back to regularly or will return to next year--South Korea, Thailand, India, Denmark, UK, Euro, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, U.S. It´s too much. This will be my last time for some time in Argentina and Brazil, so I am trying to get rid of all my money from here. (Actually, it is a matter of trying to end by spending my last money at the last moment. I have a limited supply and am trying to make it work. I may have made it sound like I had lots of money and was just throwing it away on things.)
I will be in Mexico City tomorrow night and then fly from there to San Antonio on Friday.
Spending Update for Argentina: During this part of my visit to Argentina this year, I spent $680.03 over a total of 19 days for an average of $35.79 per day.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Buses are on the Platform
Buses are on the Platform
Saturday, Mar. 4, Cordobá, Argentina
I checked out of the hotel at 10:00, because that is the normal checkout time here. My bus isn´t until 1:00 p.m. I went to the bus station to check to see what is happening. Buses were moving into and out of the platforms. I guess there will be no problem traveling today. I have now walked almost all the way back to my hotel to find an Internet place.
I will be traveling the rest of today and all night. I should arrive in Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. I want to eat a sandwich there before crossing to the Brazilian side, so I probably will wait until early afternoon to catch a bus onward to Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. I have a hotel reservation in Foz do Iguacu for two nights, then I will catch my flight out early on Tuesday, Mar. 7. I fly to Curitiba, then to Sao Paulo, and finally to Mexico City that day. I´ll be in Mexico city for two days and then catch a flight to San Antonio on Friday, Mar. 10. I will be online in Iguacu and in Mexico City, I´m sure.
Saturday, Mar. 4, Cordobá, Argentina
I checked out of the hotel at 10:00, because that is the normal checkout time here. My bus isn´t until 1:00 p.m. I went to the bus station to check to see what is happening. Buses were moving into and out of the platforms. I guess there will be no problem traveling today. I have now walked almost all the way back to my hotel to find an Internet place.
I will be traveling the rest of today and all night. I should arrive in Puerto Iguazu (Argentina) at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. I want to eat a sandwich there before crossing to the Brazilian side, so I probably will wait until early afternoon to catch a bus onward to Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. I have a hotel reservation in Foz do Iguacu for two nights, then I will catch my flight out early on Tuesday, Mar. 7. I fly to Curitiba, then to Sao Paulo, and finally to Mexico City that day. I´ll be in Mexico city for two days and then catch a flight to San Antonio on Friday, Mar. 10. I will be online in Iguacu and in Mexico City, I´m sure.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Panic at Lunch
Panic at Lunch
Friday, Mar. 3, Cordobá, Argentina
I had enjoyed a nice morning of wandering around town and stopping to see an exhibit of 150 years of Argentine art. I was on my way back to the hotel looking for a place for lunch when I found one just beside the laundry where I stopped to pick up my clothes. It had a TV running. As I waited for my food--stewed chicken with carrots, onions, and mashed potatoes--I looked up at the TV and they were giving a news report from the Cordobá bus station. The strike of bus drivers that was in Buenos Aires a couple of weeks ago is now in Cordobá! I tried to convince myself that maybe it was just an action for an hour or two. I went back to the hotel and relaxed and read. Then in the late afternoon I walked to the bus station to check. As I got close, I noticed there were no buses coming and going as there should be. When I got into the station I rushed upstairs to the departure area as I heard drums beating and people chanting. Sure enough, there were no buses in any of the parking stalls, and there were men holding banners making the noice I had heard. I rushed back downstairs to the tourist office where I knew someone would speak English. I showed them my ticket for tomorrow and asked if there would be a problem. The lady said everything should be okay tomorrow. Then she said, "That is a good company," which made me wonder if there was a chance that everything wouldn´t necessarily be okay. Why would she single that company out if all companies would be running buses. I headed to the bus company desk, knowing that they would not speak English. I showed my ticket and said, "Para mañana. Es okay? No problema?" The lady smiled at me and said, "No problema." I hope she was right. I´m sure the buses for Sunday are already sold out, so if my bus doesn´t run tomorrow, I probably would not be able to get to Iguazu for the first of my flights home on Tuesday morning.
Friday, Mar. 3, Cordobá, Argentina
I had enjoyed a nice morning of wandering around town and stopping to see an exhibit of 150 years of Argentine art. I was on my way back to the hotel looking for a place for lunch when I found one just beside the laundry where I stopped to pick up my clothes. It had a TV running. As I waited for my food--stewed chicken with carrots, onions, and mashed potatoes--I looked up at the TV and they were giving a news report from the Cordobá bus station. The strike of bus drivers that was in Buenos Aires a couple of weeks ago is now in Cordobá! I tried to convince myself that maybe it was just an action for an hour or two. I went back to the hotel and relaxed and read. Then in the late afternoon I walked to the bus station to check. As I got close, I noticed there were no buses coming and going as there should be. When I got into the station I rushed upstairs to the departure area as I heard drums beating and people chanting. Sure enough, there were no buses in any of the parking stalls, and there were men holding banners making the noice I had heard. I rushed back downstairs to the tourist office where I knew someone would speak English. I showed them my ticket for tomorrow and asked if there would be a problem. The lady said everything should be okay tomorrow. Then she said, "That is a good company," which made me wonder if there was a chance that everything wouldn´t necessarily be okay. Why would she single that company out if all companies would be running buses. I headed to the bus company desk, knowing that they would not speak English. I showed my ticket and said, "Para mañana. Es okay? No problema?" The lady smiled at me and said, "No problema." I hope she was right. I´m sure the buses for Sunday are already sold out, so if my bus doesn´t run tomorrow, I probably would not be able to get to Iguazu for the first of my flights home on Tuesday morning.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Winding Down
Winding Down
Thursday, Mar. 2, Cordobá, Argentina
Well, I am back in Cordobá, a city I visited for several days last year. I´m here because it is the best place for me to catch a bus back to Iguazu on the border with Brazil for my flight to Mexico next Tuesday. And I needed to get here early to be sure I could get a bus over the weekend; they tend to sell out in advance. It´s a 20-hour trip to the border, so I had to leave no later than Sunday. I´ve chosen to leave on Saturday just to make sure there is not problem related to a breakdown, a strike, etc.
Two days ago and continuing to the present:
I had Arabic food for lunch in Merlo on Tuesday. I had read that the popular place where I had eaten on Monday specialized in it. On Monday, I had their luncheon special. So I went back on Tuesday for Arabic. I started with an Arabic empanada. It was rather tasty with a meat mixture inside that was spicy and was probably lamb. Then I had a plate that had a huge meatloaf-like entre with a large portion of tabouli salad on the side. The meatloaf was spicy, too, with a layer of onions inside it. I was happy with the meal, and it was nice to have something totally different for a change from what I have been eating here in South America.
The skies cleared, so I decided to walk up into the green mountains a ways. Just as I got to the edge of town, it clouded up again and started sprinkling. I turned around and returned to the center. Of course, when I got there, it cleared again. I just sat in the plaza and read and watched people.
I had to get up early on Wednesday, because the bus to Mina Clavera was scheduled at 7:15. I actually got to the bus station at 6:50 and the bus was pulling in. I can´t believe it, but the bus dropped off passengers, filled up, and went ahead and left at 6:55. I´m so glad I was early. Wonder if anyone showed up at 7:00 thinking they could get the bus at 7:15?
Although it had been clear when I left Merlo, it clouded up on the way to Mina Clavera. It started sprinkling just as the bus arrived and turned cool. I got my bags and went into the waiting room thinking about whether I should get a bus onward to Cordobá instead of waiting. My question was answered within a few minutes later when it started lightning, thundering, raining hard, and hailing. It was so dark that I couldn´t even see well enough to read even though I was sitting by a huge plate glass window in the waiting room. The town didn´t really look that much different from Merlo where I had been, and I knew it wouldn´t be fun to stay in a mountain resort with it cold and raining. So I bought a ticket for Cordobá.
Wednesday must have been the first day of school in this province (Cordobá). Parents were taking their children to the school across the street from the bus station in Mina Clavera, and many parents and children got on the bus as we traveled through the mountains on the way to Cordobá and then got off at a junction that apparently led to their area school. One interesting thing I thought is their uniform here. In both cases--in town and in the country--the kids did not wear a true uniform. They wore their normal clothes. But they wore a smock (3/4-length lab coat) over their regular clothes. That was the uniform. Actually, it seems like a good idea. Lab coats are cheap and can be worn and washed over and over and over without worrying about color fading or anything.
It feels nice to be back in a city I know. Cordobá is the second-largest city in Argentina and is rather nice. I am staying at the same hotel where I stayed last year. So far, I am just taking care of business. I took my dirty clothes to a laundry this morning. Then I went to a barber shop and got a haircut. The barber shop was near the market, so I walked through there. I may go back there to find a place for lunch. There are a couple of museums I will visit to see their latest exhibits; otherwise, I have seen all the tourist sites here. I will just wander, relax, watch people, etc.
My bus will leave here at 1 p.m. on Saturday and will arrive in Iguazu at 9 a.m. Sunday. I´m on one that is "business class." There is only one seat on the side of the aisle where I will be. It is semi-cama (semi-bed), so the seat will go far back, and there will be a leg rest. There will be movies on TV and the food should be fairly good that they will serve--lunch, dinner, and breakfast. When I get there, I will have to cross the border to Brazil. Then I will have two nights and one day before my morning flight on Tuesday.
Thursday, Mar. 2, Cordobá, Argentina
Well, I am back in Cordobá, a city I visited for several days last year. I´m here because it is the best place for me to catch a bus back to Iguazu on the border with Brazil for my flight to Mexico next Tuesday. And I needed to get here early to be sure I could get a bus over the weekend; they tend to sell out in advance. It´s a 20-hour trip to the border, so I had to leave no later than Sunday. I´ve chosen to leave on Saturday just to make sure there is not problem related to a breakdown, a strike, etc.
Two days ago and continuing to the present:
I had Arabic food for lunch in Merlo on Tuesday. I had read that the popular place where I had eaten on Monday specialized in it. On Monday, I had their luncheon special. So I went back on Tuesday for Arabic. I started with an Arabic empanada. It was rather tasty with a meat mixture inside that was spicy and was probably lamb. Then I had a plate that had a huge meatloaf-like entre with a large portion of tabouli salad on the side. The meatloaf was spicy, too, with a layer of onions inside it. I was happy with the meal, and it was nice to have something totally different for a change from what I have been eating here in South America.
The skies cleared, so I decided to walk up into the green mountains a ways. Just as I got to the edge of town, it clouded up again and started sprinkling. I turned around and returned to the center. Of course, when I got there, it cleared again. I just sat in the plaza and read and watched people.
I had to get up early on Wednesday, because the bus to Mina Clavera was scheduled at 7:15. I actually got to the bus station at 6:50 and the bus was pulling in. I can´t believe it, but the bus dropped off passengers, filled up, and went ahead and left at 6:55. I´m so glad I was early. Wonder if anyone showed up at 7:00 thinking they could get the bus at 7:15?
Although it had been clear when I left Merlo, it clouded up on the way to Mina Clavera. It started sprinkling just as the bus arrived and turned cool. I got my bags and went into the waiting room thinking about whether I should get a bus onward to Cordobá instead of waiting. My question was answered within a few minutes later when it started lightning, thundering, raining hard, and hailing. It was so dark that I couldn´t even see well enough to read even though I was sitting by a huge plate glass window in the waiting room. The town didn´t really look that much different from Merlo where I had been, and I knew it wouldn´t be fun to stay in a mountain resort with it cold and raining. So I bought a ticket for Cordobá.
Wednesday must have been the first day of school in this province (Cordobá). Parents were taking their children to the school across the street from the bus station in Mina Clavera, and many parents and children got on the bus as we traveled through the mountains on the way to Cordobá and then got off at a junction that apparently led to their area school. One interesting thing I thought is their uniform here. In both cases--in town and in the country--the kids did not wear a true uniform. They wore their normal clothes. But they wore a smock (3/4-length lab coat) over their regular clothes. That was the uniform. Actually, it seems like a good idea. Lab coats are cheap and can be worn and washed over and over and over without worrying about color fading or anything.
It feels nice to be back in a city I know. Cordobá is the second-largest city in Argentina and is rather nice. I am staying at the same hotel where I stayed last year. So far, I am just taking care of business. I took my dirty clothes to a laundry this morning. Then I went to a barber shop and got a haircut. The barber shop was near the market, so I walked through there. I may go back there to find a place for lunch. There are a couple of museums I will visit to see their latest exhibits; otherwise, I have seen all the tourist sites here. I will just wander, relax, watch people, etc.
My bus will leave here at 1 p.m. on Saturday and will arrive in Iguazu at 9 a.m. Sunday. I´m on one that is "business class." There is only one seat on the side of the aisle where I will be. It is semi-cama (semi-bed), so the seat will go far back, and there will be a leg rest. There will be movies on TV and the food should be fairly good that they will serve--lunch, dinner, and breakfast. When I get there, I will have to cross the border to Brazil. Then I will have two nights and one day before my morning flight on Tuesday.
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