This morning I woke, well before my alarm. But I decided that as I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere this morning, that I would just lie in bed.
It soon came time to get up, I got ready and then headed down for breakfast. It was a pretty basic breakfast, but I was happy to get a cup of coffee, even if it did have a slight dirt undertone.
After breakfast, I returned to my room, grabbed my bags, headed down to the foyer to check out and wait for my transfer to the airport.
As I approached the foyer, I soon realised that it was snowing outside. It reminded me of a winter wonderland.
I checked out the weather app, and found out that Bariloche was only expected to get to 3 degrees today, and pretty much snow all day, not bad for a spring day huh? The 26 degrees expected in Santiago tomorrow, seems positively balmy compared to this!!! I'm glad that I will be contained to airports today, making my way back to Santiago..... even if I am taking the long way round.
I was picked up from the hotel, and driven to Bariloche airport. I wasn't even sure if planes fly out when it's snowing..... but thought obviously they do, otherwise you wouldn't be able to fly into half of the world during the winter months.
The Spanish conversation in the van on the way to the airport was madly swinging between the guide and the rest of the occupants, ok, something's going in here. The 5 minutes of Spanish conversation, was condensed down into one English sentence.... 'The airport was closed this morning, so there may be no flights today'. Ok. There's no point stressing about it. I can't control or change the weather. The guide asked if I was meant to be in Buenos Aires for a few days, I told him no, that I actually fly on to Santiago this evening, and then on to Easter island tomorrow. The guide, along with everyone else on the bus just looked at me, all with cringes on their faces, all obviously thinking 'yeah good luck with that one!!'.
We continue to drive to the airport, and I watched as the snow became heavier and heavier. Hmmmm, this isn't looking good!
We arrived at the airport, and we were escorted in with our bags. I arrived at the checkin counter, and they checked me in, just like any other flight. The waiting begins.... will we fly out of this airport today, or will it be delayed. Either way, it's an experience. There was no mention of a delay, that has to be good, right??
After a couple of hours waiting, and the time fast approaching that we are meant to be boarding our plane, a representative from LAN comes over and starts explaining that our plane had been delayed. It had attempted to land here at Bariloche, however didn't feel that it was safe to do so. So the plane had to be diverted to an airport 500km away. It looks like it is going to be another couple of hours waiting to see if we can fly out today!!
The snow continued to fall quite heavily from the sky.... The weather really wasn't playing nice today. For another couple of hours the snow fell, and then it eventually turned to a sleet, or some form of mix between rain and snow. I don't know the correct terms to use, considering I never see the snow, but I'm sure sleet is what you would call it!!
Word soon filters through, the plane is on the way to save us!! Yay!!! Everyone waiting at the airport started to clap! By this stage people were going stir crazy!!! There's not much to do at an airport... I was lucky I had an iBook to read, but I felt sorry for those people who had kids to entertain in the very small airport that was Bariloche!!
After 4 hours of waiting, another standing ovation takes place, and this time it marks the arrival of the plane on the run way!!! We are getting out of here today!!
The mad scramble was on, trying to organise a quick turn around, however it seemed like it took forever. Everyone was just so sick of waiting, that the thought of jumping on that plane and leaving was exciting!!
I eventually boarded the plane to find I had an exit row seat. Which, to be honest isn't my first choice in seats. Yes you may get more leg room, however my legs really aren't that long to begin with!! To me it comes with a lot of responsibility, and everything just seems so inconveniently placed!!
I read all I the leaflets that I need to read, just in case I actually have to open this emergency door, and then settle in for the 2hr flight to Buenos Aires.
The flight was ok, a little bit of turbulence during the flight, however considering we were flying through snow it was pretty good. The problem soon came, when we were about to land at Buenos Aires. There were storms over Buenos Aires airport, which made the descend in for landing very, very turbulent. It was then that I took my emergency door duties very seriously!! I could very well need to open this door!!! So I sat and studied the instructions very hard..... Staring at the images and diagrams on the door, making sure I knew which way I needed to pull and swing the latch!!
As we neared the runway, I would say that we didn't glide our way onto the runway, more so that a rush of turbulence dropped us the last 10m onto it!! Somehow we managed to make it safely on to the ground, and as we taxied our way to the airport, the rain battered the plane windows. The realisation soon hits me..... I still need to fly out of here in a few hours... Hopefully it settles down!!!
We pull up, and it appears that we have not been allocated a gate. Instead we have to make our way down the stairs, and we are herded onto awaiting buses. The rain was falling quite heavily, however we all managed to make it on to the bus without getting too wet. Our bags on the other hand didn't fair so well.
I had been told that my bags had only been checked as far as Buenos Aires, so therefore I had to collect my bag at the airport, and then recheck it at Buenos Aires airport, to make sure that it makes it to Santiago.
So, like everyone else I line up at the baggage carousel belt and wait for my bag to spin around. I initially started off with an alright view point, however soon found myself inundated with Latino men, pushing in to get their bags. However many were just pushing their way to the front, and standing there waiting for their bags to come around. 2 guys had pushed right in front of me, I had let them in thinking that they had seen their bags, however when they continued to just stand there watching the belt for their luggage, I then knew I ha been duped. I did get a sense of satisfaction though, when my bag appeared and I made both of them grab my really heavy bag off the carousel. I think one of the guys actually groaned under the weight of my bag!! That's what you get for pushing in!!
As I got my bag, I realised that it was soaked!! In fact, looking at everyone's bags on the carousel, they are all completely soaked!!! It really is raining quite heavily out there!!!
I wheel my bag out of domestic arrivals, and then make my way through to international checkin, where I went through and checked my bag in for Santiago.
I headed through immigration and security, and then found a seat near my boarding gate. I had initially thought that I would have had to wait around 6 hours in Buenos Aires for my next flight on to Santiago, however with the delays in Bariloche, and then by the time I waited for my bag, checked it in, went through immigration and security, I only had an hour to wait. So I sat and continued to read my book. I was so disappointed though when I had read and used my phone so much whilst waiting at Bariloche, that my phone went dead. There was no place to plug it in and charge either. Damn.... I was so into my book as well.... it will have to wait until I can get some charge on it!!!
The call goes out, that it is time to board the flight. As I look outside, I see that the weather hasn't let up, in fact I think it had intensified.
We walk through the gate, and again realise that the plane we are about to board had not been allocated a gate with a gateway. No, it is another bus, and then walk up the stairs to the plane special.
We wait on the bus..... and it seems to be going no where!! Yep, this is annoying. Finally a guy gets off the bus and runs through the pouring rain over to the security guards who are standing round having a good old laugh and chat. 30secs later, one of the guys standing there chatting runs towards the bus and it takes off. Great, so we had been standing uncomfortably in this bus whilst the driver was out chatting to the security guards.... yeah gotta love that!
We pull up to the plane, and some serious rain is hammering down on this bus. Everyone makes a run for the stairs leading up to the plane, and can do nothing but stand and get continually battered by the now sideways rain. The wind, so strong was tearing its way across us, making the stairs swing and move as we all climbed up. We file into the plane one by one, and the true extent of how wet we are hits us. People sitting on the plane just look at us in pure astonishment at how drenched we actually were!!! Our hair, completely soaked, our clothes, completely soaked through, yes we are wet.
I make my way down to my seat, which again is the very last row of the plane. I at least have a window this time!!!
As the plane starts to fill up with people more soaked than the last, the smell of wet dog soon took over the plane!!! Everyone's wet clothes obviously took on a scent of its own!!
As we sat in the plane, we waited for everyone to get on board, and I realised that our plane had hit turbulence, and we weren't even off the ground yet. The wind and the rain was hitting the plane so hard, that it was jerking around and moving. Hmmmmm, if this is what it is like on the ground, I can't wait to see what it will be like up in the air!!!
Finally, with everyone accounted for, and the doors in lock down mode, we are taxied to the runway. The captain announces over the PA system that the weather conditions in Argentina are terrible, and to be prepared for a turbulent flight ahead!! At least he warned us!!!
So we take off, and it doesn't take long for the terrorising flight to commence. I am a good flyer, but even this was the most terrifying flight I have ever been on!! EVER!!!
The plane was dropping metres at a time, and continually jerking from side to side. People were screaming.... the only thing missing was the oxygen masks falling from the roof. This flight was seriously like something out of a movie when the plane is just about to crash!! Just as you thought the turbulence was over, it again would start up again, leaving your arms to instinctively try to grab on to something sturdy, whilst your body feels like it is free falling.
The turbulence starts to settles down, and we all begin to settle into relaxing, only to be punished for relaxing too much as we fly straight in to a lightening storm. Again the turbulence starts up again, as the pilot madly tries to fly us out of the clouds, flashing with bolts of lightening. As we ascended high up above the clouds giving us so much grief, it was actually nice to then look back as the clouds lit up with a purple tinge, every few seconds with another bolt of lightening!!
As we made our way over Argentina and into Chile, the turbulence started to die down. The inflight tv screens turned from showing Big Bang Theory, to the boring flight tracker screen, occasionally flicking up another blue screen indicating how many more miles to Santiago, and the estimated time of arrival. I soon found a radio station that was playing 80's and 90's power ballads!! So I sat and listened to those as we flew into Santiago airport.
Being down the back of the plane, I was half expecting to be the last person through immigration. However, as I approached immigration, I notice that everyone was heading to the nationals line, not the foreigners line. So I bypassed the very, very busy nationals line, and pretty much went straight through immigration, no need to wait... I was one of the first people through!!! Now that's a first. Normally foreigners need to wait until all of the nationals are through!! Well not here, not today!!
I collected my still wet bag, and then went though customs. I declared the bag of coffee beans that I have carried since Colombia, but was waved through. Coffee beans are obviously ok!!
I then had to battle through the stack of men standing at the exit doors, all bustling to get you into their waiting taxis. It is crazy!!!
It's nice to know that there are no taxis for me tonight. No long trips into downtown Santiago. No..... I'm walking the 50 metres from the airport exit doors to the airport hotel entry doors!! Argh, now that's what I need at 11 o'clock at night!!
I check in, and head to my room.... time for sleep, after a long, long day!!!