So here i sit at a table in a jazz bar in the caribbean, drinking a heineken that cost me about 1.20 pounds. The sunlight is fading but its still very warm and theres a candle on the table which is probably bright enough for me to read my book by. Tomorrow i will try to head to the beach, if there is a bus on sundays. Surely this is heaven?
Of course, i had to go through hell to get here. Heres a summary starting from around thr time i finished my last post.
I spent a few days with my parents in los angeles (mostly mum as dads flight was a few days sooner). This was great for a number of reasons: foremost being that its great to be seeing sights with somebody familiar. it also helped that my parents always have somewhere else they want to see (no aimless wandering like me!), they had a hire car, and they were paying for everything! The attractions of the city proved to be very elusive, with cloudy days to start with, and every possible tourist sight being closed on the one day we happened to arrive - the observatory shut on a monday, a famous house and gardens shut on tuesday, and so on. In the end though, we had a great time. The sun even put in a grand appearance on the last 2 days. I'm still finding sand in my pockets and shoes!
What followed was an exercise in futility. On the last night in LA i sat down with the internet to book some accomodation and look up transport in venezuela. After a few hours i concluded that finding cheap accomodation was going to be impossible, and anything else was WAY out of my price range. And so, i looked at going somewhere else instead! Somehow (no idea how!) I ended up looking at curacao, a caribbean island very close to venezuela. I found there were very reasonable flights too - 130 dollara from miami, and 120 dollars on to caracas in time to catch my flight to peru! Perfect! I booked the flights and emailed some qccomodation places, then slept soundly, worry-free. The next day, it all fell apart.
Arriving at LAX, i told american airlines i intended to catch the first flight to miami, but miss the connection and take my (also AA) flight to curacao. Yes i understood i would get no refund for the miami-caracas flight, but that was fine by me. They then told me i would have to pay 1400 dollars if i did not take the connection to caracas, as it would void my other flights from the same reservation (bolivia back to the uk). I gave them a look was a mixture of skepticism, outrage, humour and confusion. It was a complicated look, so i accompanied it with the words "you want me to pay 1400 dillars to NOT take a flight?". Apparently so. I then suggested a possible, though frustrating, alternative. Why not cancel the miami-curacao flight (i could get full refund on it), take the flight to caracas, then buy a new flight to curacao the same day? They looked at me, clearly recogniding my genius. I checked in. and went to the gate for my flight. Next to it was an info desk, where i asked for a list of fliflights from caracas to curacao after i was to arrive. This was smart, as i knew my spanish wasnt great so it would. be easier in the US. There were several flights with seats, i felt confident.
Then my flight was delayed 3 hours (though only 15mins at a time, so u couldnt walk off). This delay included the time at the end where they fixed the plane, boarded everyone, taxied to the runway, and THEN realised the fuel pump was still broken, so back to the terminal and onto a new plane. I was most frustrated by the fact this vindicated the idiot i overheard as we were boarding who said "says you should never board a flight after they SAY itd fixed." This meant i missed the connection they had so insisted on, but they booked me on the next one. However, this meant that only 1 flight would be available by the time i landed, instead of 5.
I landed in caracas to find my rucksack had been left in miami. After 2 hours queuing to find this out, they knew it would arrrive with the next flight, 30mins before the curacao flight i hoped to board would be - at 9pm (originally i was set to land at 9.45am). I went to the appropriate ticket desk to find it would cost me the equivalent of 500 dollars. No thanks! I'll book one on the internet for much less tomorrow! I wandered to the exit, askung various official-looking people if there was a hotel nearby. One said yes, and he could call a taxi too, and did i need currency exchange? I decided that all these things were good, so i ended up exchanging money with a car rental employee at $1 to 6.5BsF instead of the official 4BsF, counting it in the lift to avoid the eyes of the police and cameras (apparently). With a buddy, they then tried to persuade me they could get me a cheaper flight, but i decided to stick with the internet, and adked for the taxi to a hotel. One of the men took me outside, past the official taxis, to his car (having agreed a fee), at which point he removed the shoulder tab things (eppaulets maybe?) from his airport uniform. I admit to worrying when we drove through some dodgy areas of caracas, but it turned our he was honest. We got to a hotel (like a US motel) and i got a room which wasnt too expensive. It was noisy though. i think the windows were to blame, since i could feel a strong breeze when in bed, despite the window being shut (no ac or fan).
I got on the internet, booked my flight (250dollars, more than i wanted but cheaper than the airport!). I also explained to my parents (and the people on whats app - shout out!) what had happened, and that all was well.
In the morning i collected my bag, decided against changing my clothes (i wad getting on another flight, after all). I checked my bag on the new flight (after taking out my phonr charger at last! It died just after the alarm i set in the morning). Ot turned iut to be a 30 minute flight (complimentary juice though) and i landed happily in the sun, with no idea where i was going. I shared a taxi to the capital, willemstad, and booked a room in the cheapest place i could find (still 60 dollars though!). It has a bed, a sidetable, a bathroom and a tv. Hardly my moneys worth, but i was content to spend 1 night there (i have since discp ered thats actually the cheapest). The shower dribbles out lukewarm water (there is only a cold tap). I left swiftly to explore the town.
And so here i sit with my beer in the dark, content to blather away on my blog listening to jazz, safe in the knowlege i have a place to sleep tonight. Lesson learnt since last post: gcse spanish doesnt cover "i have lost my baggage, but if i leave the terminal and book another flight for just after my bag arrives, can it be transferred directly across?"
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