Saturday, November 19, 2022
South America Trip - Day 23
Even though I wanted to sleep in later because of my long travel day, I was still wide awake by 0545. Ever since arriving in Rio, I’d been hoping to get a late checkout from my hotel on this day but the desk clerks told me I had to wait until today to ask ("hotel policy"). So, on the way to breakfast (0715), I checked on this perk and they confirmed I could keep the room until 1400. After that, I sat down to a nice breakfast (eggs, sausage, yogurt, pastries) in the pleasant morning air. Unlike all the previous days at the Hotel Mercure, I noticed many more people in the dining area - it must be the weekend crowd. Also many people I encountered (including hotel staff) were wearing masks - that seemed ominous. After I was done with my meal, I walked back to Droga Raia and picked up some more cough drops (0745). Subsequently, I returned to my room and did some packing. I also watched more movies, did some reading and tried to get mentally prepared for my long journey home. At 1300, I left my room and headed for the lobby. I checked out of the hotel and then ordered another Uber (1305) and was soon on my way back to Galeo Airport. My driver (Nelson) was quite aggressive, which seemed to be a helpful trait for those driving the chaotic city streets of Copacabana and Lagoa. We passed the lake again and it had lots of sailboats on it this time. Eventually, we made it onto the highway and I was whisked out of the city that I’ve been enjoying for the last several days - sad to leave. We reached the airport by 1345 and then I had to locate the LATAM counter - not an easy task. After walking almost the entire length of the terminal, I finally managed to find it. Hoping to take advantage of my early arrival, I asked one of the LATAM employees who spoke English if it were possible to “start early” in the check-in-process. They said that it was and directed me towards the self-check-in kiosks. The last two flights in my vacation itinerary seemed a bit more challenging because I had to check bags to New York (international) but then fly to Sao Paolo (Guarulhos) within Brazil's domestic system. Somehow, I managed to navigate the Portuguese prompts (including tagging my own bags) and got in the queue for the baggage weight/submission step in the process. It took a while to turn in my bags because the lines were slow. However, I was able to get both bags checked for free again and was soon headed to the security gate for Domestic Departures. As I’ve seen for most of my stops through airports on this vacation, the security process was much quicker and straightforward here. I then had to make another journey through the Duty Free shop to get to the date area. By this point (1415), I was hungry for lunch and began looking for a place to eat. After scoping out a few small bistro counters, I decided to take advantage of the short line at Subway. Even though the ladies there didn't speak English, we were able to work together to construct a 30 cm Italian BMT for me (and I even was able to help an English speaking lady with her order). After I got my food, I sat in the dining area to enjoy it (1425). I didn’t have to be in a hurry because I had almost three hours until my flight - it was nice to not feel rushed. After finishing the sandwich, I walked a bit deeper into the gate area, passing lots of crowds, and eventually found a place to sit quietly and charge my phone. Until it was time to board, I pretty much stayed right there, reading. During the same interval, I heard very little English and the sign with gate assignments was very slow to update. With this in mind, I paid very close attention to announcements and crowd behavior. By using some of my few Portuguese words, was ultimately able to arrive at the proper gate on time (1630). While standing in the boarding queue, I witnessed a tremendous amount of annoyance on the part of other passengers because the cabin crew had apparently decided not to allow anyone to bring any carry-on luggage aboard. Tensions were high but we eventually started down the jetway. Even then, though, we got to stand in a big line that stretched all the war from the gate to the back of the airplane (A321). I was finally in my seat by 1715 and we pushed back from the gate shortly afterwards. This time, I was in a middle seat and it meant I had very little room to move (meanwhile, there were six empty seats in front of me in the exit row...). We got airborne at around 1735 and, departing south, got a spectacular view of the entire part of Rio I’d been visiting for the last few days. The evening sky was filled with clouds and scattered showers but the glow of the setting sun made the images of the city quire memorable. After all the logistics in getting onboard, we had a very quick flight to Sao Paolo (landed at 1825). When our plane parked, I believe I witnessed a flight attendant rendition of “who is our favorite section?” because they made everyone stay seated and called random rows to exit. This was annoying, actually, but they were completely in charge. Once off the plane, I found that I had to enter yet another series of queues that took me from the domestic area to the international area. Along the way, I had to scan a ticket, visit Brazilian customs and then pass through the heaviest security I’ve yet seen on the trip, My carry-on backpack got flagged for a search but I was ultimately cleared, unlike several other poor folks who had to throw things away. After that, I found myself inside the huge international terminal - it was full of people and I had to walk clear across the entire place in my search for a bar/pub. Along the way, I passed a busy area where a Doha-bound flight from was boarding - everyone looked like they were psyched for Brasil in the World Cup. Although the National Team didn't actually play until the following Thursday, I guess everyone wanted to see the other matches too. After finding no where to sit down for a drink, I backtracked to the beginning of my tour of the terminal and noticed a small place called Bleriot where I was able to get some beers (Sol Cerveza Mexicana) and a snack. While there, I heard a lot of English being spoken and a few folks even engaged me in conversation. Overall, there was lots of friendly banter. After a nice break (2045), I moved to another area so I could charge my phone and wait for the departure of my next flight. By 2200, I decided to go looking for the gate and found it nearby. Group 1 was already loading! Wanting to use some more of my Reals, I bought a bunch of candy at a store nearby (2215). Back at the gate, I waited a little longer before my group was called. After that, it took a while to reach my seat, on the aisle in a middle trio near the back of the plane. The aircraft was mostly full. A lady in the seat next to me said hello and I realized she had sat next to me on the previous flight. Behind me, two toddler-aged kids sat down with their mother - it could be a long night... The doors closed at 2300 and we took off almost on time. Even though I was exhausted and ready for sleep, I started watching movies because the crew didn’t seem to be planning to “darken ship” for the nine hour flight. Just before midnight (Sao Paulo time), I was surprised when the flight attendants brought me some dinner (pasta, veggies, bread, candy). Since it was available, I didn’t pass up the opportunity and add a cup of wine too... After getting done with my meal, I wrapped up in my blanket and tried to sleep. We were over the Atlantic Ocean when the LONG day finally ended...