Flight to Santiago and first few days here

My alarm went off at 3:30 AM, and I got changed and brought the last of my luggage downstairs to be ready for my taxi at 4.  The girl working at the hostel assured me that I would have plenty of time to get there for my 6:05 flight, but I still felt uneasy about it.

I got to the airport around 4:15, and the line to check in to TAM Linheas Areas (my airline) was stretching haflway down the terminal.  I was mad at myself for not insisting on catching my taxi early, but figured all I could do at that point was get in line and hope for the best.

I got checked in 5:05 or so, and according to my ticket I was supposed to be boarding right then.  I hurried to get to security but was misled by the signs and was down in a shopping area.  After talking to a few people I made it there and got through security quickly.

It's about 5:20, and I'm in the line for the immigration police.  I clutched my passport and paperwork they gave me when I entered, hoping things will go quickly.  I finally get through around 5:35 and dash to my gate.  I get there, and nothing is showing on the screen, and no one is there from the airlines.  I was puzzled and asked a woman holding a small child if it was the correct gate for the flight to Sao Paulo, and she assured me that it was.

The airline staff casually strolled up to the gate at 5:55 and proceeded to go through the gate and disappear without talking to anyone.  They came back about 5 minutes later and were bombarded by passengers with questions.  We started boarding around 6:15, and I had a surprise on board.

I was trying to find seat 10K and wasn't able to do so at first.  Then I realized that for some reason they put me in the last row of first class.  This was totally awesome and unexpected, but actually my 2nd time flying 1st class on an international flight.  Here I am enjoying my seat that reclines:

I just wish that this would have happened on my flight that was 4 hours from Sao Paulo to Santiago instead of the 1 hour flight from Rio to Sao Paulo.

By the time we take off, it is almost 7:00.  We landed at 8:00, and my connecting flight is scheduled to leave at 8:55.  Luckily I am one of the first off the plane, but we had to all pile into a shuttle bus and take it to the terminal.  By the time I get to the terminal it is now 8:15, and I'm assuring myself that everything is going to be OK.  I checked the monitors, and they are all flashing that they are making the last call for my flight.

After a few wrong turns, I find my way to gate 27.  Of course, my gate is the one furthest away from where I am.  I break into a run for short times, as I am not as in shape as I could be and also am carrying my laptop case and a backpack.

I got to the gate at 8:30 and noticed the plane pulled up.  A few seconds later a woman walked up from the connector, and I asked her about boarding.  She gave me a confused look, and I eventually figured out that they changed the gate from when they printed my boarding pass earlier that morning.

I rushed to the nearest monitor, but it had just changed to a screen for advertisements.  The next 30 seconds felt like an eterninty, but the screen finally switched, and I noticed it moved to gate 20A.  I made a quick dash and was out of breath when I got there, but I was able to board with 20 minutes to spare.

I sat down in my seat and breathed a huge sigh of relief.  I was starving and was planning on getting something to eat in the airport, but that didn't happen given the circumstances.  Then of course the flight was delayed for over an hour while we sat on the plane.

I arrived around 1:00 that afternoon, and got my bags and to the hostel without a problem.  After a quick phone call home, I got to meet some of the other people in the program.  It turns out we are all roommates for this first month, and Rochelle had already bought a bottle of wine to celebrate our first night here:

Afterwards I took a trip to the supermarket, and when I was back some others had arrived and we all went out for dinner.  We went to Patio Bellavista, which is comparable to the Americana in Glendale.  There were all types of restaurants and small shops, and we ate at a nice restaurant overlooking a patio where live jazz was being played.  There were people seated all over enjoying dinner and walking around enjoying the ambiance.  Sadly I didn't think to bring my camera with me, but others told me they will send pictures to me.

Today I was up early and made breakfast and unpacked a bit before going out to explore on my own.  I went to the Santa Lucia area, which apparently has lots of shops and a good place to get a haircut.  I wandered around and explored the area and got a haircut for 3300 pesos (or about $6.60).  I also stopped and got some tea and toast:

 In a department store later on I got a nice pair of sandals for 5000 pesos (about $10) and then headed back.  A bit later on everyone decided to head out to explore, and we got to ride on the Metro for the first time and ate some Doner kebabs at a local place.  I haven't had one since I was in Europe last time in 2005, so it was really delicious.


Then we headed to Patio Bellavista again, as some people were craving yogurt.  While we were there I snapped some pictures, but they don't do justice to the night ambiance and jazz that was playing last night.

It's hard to believe that the entire day has gone by already. I'm so happy to be here and want to enjoy every moment of it.

The beach, ATMs, public transportation, and new friends

So today I started out by going to the beach at Copacobana with Kristie and Ben, the English couple that I explored with yesterday.  It was surprisingly easy to get to using the bus.  It really reminded me of the beaches in New Jersey with the water especially.  We took turns in the ocean so that we could always have an eye on our things, and when we were all together we had good conversation about traveling and our lives and how different things are here in Rio and back home.

When I asked them what time it was, I realized it didn´t mater at all, and we all laughed.  We then debated what time we thought it was.  Seeing that we are traveling now, the time of day, day of the week, or month are pretty meaningless to all of us.

After getting some ice cream we packed up and headed back to the hoste to rest.  We all discovered our sunburn, with Ben and Kristie having it over most of their bodies (they opted to stay in the sun almost the entire time), but me only being burned on my knees a bit and on my tops of my hands a bit.

I got a bite to eat at a place specializing in chicken dishes, and I got Chicken Bora Bora.  It was grilled chicken breast with some seasonings along with rice with fried potato, egg, onion, and ham.  I was only able to eat about half of it so I got a doggy bag.  I didn´t have my camera on hand, so I will post a picture of what it looks like once I eat there again.

A bit later others at the hostel told me about a big party happening in Ipanema, and an Autralian named Luke offered to help me get to a bank to get more money.  It turns out a few others also needed money, so the journey began.  Bank 1 was closed. We waited at Bank 2 while a young guy took about 20 minutes to complete a transaction, and after all that we figured out that the ATM didn´t allow you withdraw money.  Bank 3 didn´t accept visa, but with the tip of a young guy who spoke English we made it to Bank 4 and were able to get money.  I sure hope this won´t be as difficult for the rest of my travels.

Around 7:30 we headed out for Ipanema for the party.  We met a bunch of Brazilians that were starting the party in the metro, and they were friendly.  I asked if I could join them (since that is the way to truly appreciate another culture), and they offered to take me under the wing.  They seemed interested in me being American and loved hearing me sing Linkin Park and Beyonce, and we were communicating between English, Spanish, and Portuguese.  They bought me a Carneval shirt and took me along with them, and I was really surprised (but in a good way) with their hopsitality.  We took pictures all along the way, and they gave me their email addreses so we could stay in contact.  As they helped me get a taxi back to my hostel, we promised to meet up at least once more before I leave for Santiago.

To end this entry, I would like to share the philosopies of both taxi and bus drivers in Rio.  These are based on my observations and experiences over the past few days:

Taxi driver rules
1. Variety is the spice of life, so treat red lights the same way.  The first time you encounter one, go completely through it at full speed.  The next time, come to a quick halt, even if it minds jerking you and the passenger forward.  The third time, approach cautiously and go through it only when it is safe.
2. If other cars are stopped or in your way, this is by no means a reason to slow down or change lanes.  Changing lanes is acceptable only at the very last minute, and of course without the use of a turn signal.
3. Driving as fast as possible between cars that are halfway in your lane on each side is not only acceptable but encouarged.  One way or another somoene will move out of the way.

Bus driver rules
1. Brakes and brake pads are to be abused.  Passengers need to be tossed around as much as possible.  Stop as abruptly and as often as possible. 
2. Consequently, passengers should hold onto hand rails with the jaws of life with both hands until seated.
3. Pedestrians are a nuisance that need to be taught a lesson.  If one tries to cross your path, do not slow down.  In fact, speed up a bit.

I just heard that there is another party going on tonight, and I´m debating if I should go to it or not.  Will update with pictures soon enough.

First day traveling and first day in Rio

So the trip out of New York was the start of one big adventure.  I am on a public computer now so pictures will be inserted once I have wifi.

Here I am camping out at the airport:

I befriended a native Brazilian that was on the 4:15 flight from JFK going directly to Rio, and with the snow getting worse he suggested trying to get on that flight rather than the 5:40 one I was scheduled for.  I tried, but apparently I was too late to do so.  Here is what things looked like while I waited:

The snow was piling up, but we boarded around 5:40.  For the next 3 hours we sat while huge machines were de-icing the wings and entire plane.  Looking out the window I could see frost and ice accumulating on the window, and I thought that was not a good sign.  When I asked a flight atendant when we would take off, he told me that the captain was debating cancelling it at that moment.  Here's what it looked like:

Luckily the plane took off around 9 at night.  The flight was pretty comfortable, as I had a seat free next to me and they had video screens in front of us to watch movies and play all types of games.  The food was good, and we landed in Sao Paulo around 9 the following morning.  Here we are touching down:

By that point I missed my connecting flight, but they had rebooked me on a flight leaving at 12:30.  There were 2 problems with this: 1.One of my luggage pieces did not show up and 2. The new flight was leaving from another airport in Sao Paulo.  I spent about 45 minutes trying to get to talk to somoene from the airline about my bag but finally got to file a report.  I then spent half an hour standing in the wrong line waiting to get info on how to get to the other airport.  Once I found out I was supposed to be outside waiting for a shuttle but, it was already 11.

I got on the shuttle bus at 11:30, and I thought there was no chance of me making the 12:30 flight.  Luckily flights to Rio from there run every half hour, so when I arrived I got booked on the 2:00 flight and had to board right away.  I made a mad dash to the gate and made it there at about 1:35.

The next flight was uneventful, and after asking for help with a taxi I was able to get a legit one for 37 reales (about 20 dollars).  I got checked into my hostel around 3:30 or so, and it was such a relief to be there.  The heat here is crazy, as it must be about 90 degrees and there is humidity on top of that.  Once I got settled I went out exploring with an English couple, and we got some nice pictures of the Santa Teresa area and then got a bite to eat.  I got a hamburger made of lamb, but it was served without the bun.

Now I am working on plans for hang gliding and taking tours over the next few days.  I am in serious need of a tan, so the beach is definitely on the agenda for tomorrow.  It is such a good feeling to finally be here and that everything has worked out.