I’m sitting on a bench outside SCL Airport, waiting for Air Canada to finally accept the luggage. According to an airport worker that won’t happen until 3:30. So much about arriving at the airport in time. I wanted to be outside as once I went in, I will be inside for quite some time, but being outside isn’t a blessing either, as I immediately received a smoking neighbor, and she didn’t get the message when I pulled to the opposite end of the bench.
My last stop, Valparaiso, was really great; I wish I had budgeted more time on it. I skipped Santiago because of the supposed smog, but I don’t feel that either (except the smoke from the neighbor), the weather is sunny and not too cold. In Valparaiso it was warm.
The hotel, which was again very nice, provided good directions to the airport, as a result it cost a lot less than I budgeted. I took first the public city bus to the long distance bus station. That cost 250 pesos total. The driver and the conductor found the old backpacking gringo very amusing, but were very friendly nonetheless, and pointed out where to get off and into which direction to walk. The next step was Tur Bus to Santiago, 2,800 peso and about 1.5 hours. Again, I got off at a metro station upon the hotel’s instructions, and took the public bus to the airport. The only exciting event was that the trolley on which I was pulling the camera/computer backpack suddenly died, letting all its parts falling out and away. I removed the backpack and threw it in the trash when I got out from Tur Bus, now I have one backpack on my back and one front, and a small “personal item” with some extra clothing and food on my shoulder. After a cappuccino I’m still left with 6,000 pesos, that I will try to spend it inside, either on food or on books.
Another smoker, I have to go in.
I spent the leftover money on food and that was a mistake. Even a bottle of Pisco Sour would’ve been a better bet. A soup, a small bottle of carbonated water and a stone-hard roll cost over 5,000 pesos – and the soup originated in a bag (e.g. cup-a-soup), not even properly dissolved, the bottom was full of undissolved clumps, it all tasted like preservative, you couldn’t tell what you were eating if not reading it on the menu. This one was supposedly corn soup -- true, it was yellow. I never believed that even an airport restaurant could get that low as to prepare soups from powder, but one always learns something new. On top it was called “Sebastiana” – like Pablo Neruda’s Valparaiso house, and I don’t think Pablo Neruda (a gourmet) would’ve ever eaten such an artificial thing. Thus a double shame.
***
The flight was a really long one to Toronto. Where we had to go through Customs and Immigration. Which, in itself would’ve been OK. Immigration was a lot less hassle than in Montreal, with no questions asked. But then followed another security inspection, and surprise, surprise, I was selected for full body search again. Although only of the machine kind, without manual addition. Supposedly it’s a random selection, but they should tell that to somebody else. I learned probability theory, and a random selection should show a Gauss distribution, and this is anything but. There were signs all around that verbal abuse would result in denied boarding thus I complied and didn’t ask for explanation. Who knows, even a question might qualify as verbal abuse.
In Montreal, in my half asleep state, I only noticed that I walked past the carousels when I already passed the “Do not enter” sign. I turned and walked back and wasn’t stopped. I could’ve walked all over to the gates and got on a plane without inspection. So much about security.
I got on the 747 bus. By the time it arrived to Lionel Groulx, it was raining, and the downhill section of the escalator didn’t work. Great, I’m home!
But for a few days I will still add to the blog, filling the gaps....
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