Vulcano god hates me

First my flight got cancelled because of the ash cloud. Although it was last minute, at least I found out before heading off to the airport, and the airline had very efficiently already put me on the next flight out. They did forget to mention that the new route was going to double my flight time.

Then my suitcase's zipper broke as I was heading to the airport, 6am with taxi waiting outside. Fortunately only one side so managed that crisis too. I also pulled my neck in the process. I should have started suspecting something was up.

The airport was ok, not too crowded and not too much chaos, although more security than usual, (I guess in case volcano god struck again and the passengers got rowdy.) I got tapped down, which is a common occurrence in airports these days, apparently I look more and more suspicious as I grow older. My stamp collection doesn’t exactly help (Sudan, Vietnam, Uganda, Laos……)

Quick run into the public bathrooms to morph from mommy into aid worker, and off we go, which is when the length of the detour struck me (i.e. after I didn’t buy enough magazines.)

The plane must have been prewashed, cause it certainly felt like it had shrunk. My knees firmly dug into the seat in front of me, as I watched old movies at a ridiculous volume so that I could make out anything at all, with painful earphones that kept falling off.

Stop over in Houston Texas, never been there before, but US immigration was as unpleasant there as I’ve relied on them being anywhere else. What is it about their manner that makes you feel like you better shut up and respond quietly while avoiding eye contact?

(they tapped me down too).

After another 5 hours I finally arrived to El Dorado airport in Bogota absolutely beat. I ran as fast as I could to get in front of the immigration line, then strategically switched to the slower lane, (I always pull that one.) Once I reached immigration I realized that the airline had cracked the spine of my passport while boarding the plane.

Fortunately they let me through, but am pretty sure I am not going to get through Texas with that, even if it’s just transit.

Arrived to my hotel at 11pm local time, 6am my time, and 25 hours after I set out. Next evening I was scheduled to fly to Pereira. Shortly after boarding I had to laugh when the captain asked us to get off the plane. An electric storm at destination made it impossible for us to land there.

True story.