Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Travel Hell

I'm back in Paraguay.

It took 59 hours door-to-door due to various snafus and a reroute through Buenos Aires (that's Argentina, folks). I know there are people who probably thing I'm a whiny bitch and wish they could be so fortunate as to have such a travel adventure, but this weren't no picnic. It wasn't just that I was traveling with a toddler and an infant (the two, especially my almost-four-year-old, are quite used to these journeys and extremely sedate/well-behaved)...no it was the quarter-ton of baggage that we had to deal with. When your family is gearing up to live in the Third World for seven months, you pack a lot of shit. The snafus and reroutes ended up meaning a lot of shlepping of giant, heavy suitcases by Yours Truly through multiple airport check-ins, customs, whatnot. We got into town Monday night and my back is still killing me. I should probably chew some ibuprofen.

So here we are. About two-and-a-half days of travel, and I killed my first cockroach (in home) less than 24 hours later (and my second one a couple hours after that...God, I hate cockroaches). We actually got in Monday night (it's Wednesday now, right?), but we're all still adjusting back to the five hour time difference. The fact that the coffee maker broke sometime while we were gone hasn't helped.

Ah, well.

I hope to write (or at least start writing) another blog post of more immediate (i.e. gaming) interest later today. Or maybe right now. Everyone besides me is still asleep (I've been up since 4am or so), and the morning's been quiet. Well, you're still going to have to wait for it, okay.

BTW: One positive thing to come out of our mishaps? I found that I've been grossly misled about the character and personality of Argentine folks. Certainly it was a small sample size (we were in town a bit less than 24 hours), but every person with whom we met and interacted (I count 17 off the top of my head) was kind, helpful, friendly, and positive/cheerful (a little no-nonsense at times...but always professional). Our brief stint in B.A. was a highlight of the journey...though I would've happily skipped the experience to arrive Sunday morning, as planned.

10 comments:

  1. Despite being British and being in BA on the 30th anniversary of the Late Unpleasantness, I too found them very relaxed and friendly.

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  2. A wee bit of flying annoyance is a lot better than walking would have been.

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  3. In my earlier traveling years I found that most people when treated with respect are nice, out going and enjoy helping. (There was that guy in Naples, though....) while I can sympathize about traveling with tots, my reaction was really 'the next seven months in South America? Luck bastard, I already had -20 F windchill and won't see the end of the snow til April.'

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    1. @ Rod:

      Today is absolutely beautiful, and I'm sure the warmth and sunlight won't get annoying until, O say February or so. But I miss the cold wet of Seattle in the November-December months.

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  4. -20 F windchill? What luxury.

    I swear, JB, I better start hearing something about the healing properties of yerba mate pretty soon - and when are you going to go on an adventure into the Chaco? Could you at least describe the Parana River for us stay-at-homes?

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    1. @ Alexis:

      The Chaco's not really like the Australian outback...here you're either looking for oil, or using the area for rally car races.

      As for the mate...I haven't yet found myself able to drink hot beverages out of metal straws/cups. I'm happy to vouch for the rejuvenating properties of coffee, however...even if it's pretty weak-sauce stuff.

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    2. Yeah, I should come clean. I've heard that no one in their right mind would ever go to the Chaco; and that yerba mate is awful.

      If it helps at all, JB, regarding your suffering and all, the act of spending any time in the 3rd world is a sign of integrity and personal resolve. Most of us can't do it, can't imagine doing it. I've been pokin' at you a few times over it, but the fact is that the step you've taken is admirable.

      Lift your chin a little. You're adventuring for real.

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    3. @ Alexis:

      Now you're just buttering me up.
      ; )

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  5. See, this is what I was afraid of...no respect for my personal suffering!
    ; )

    @ JD:
    It is indeed an amazing age in which we live.

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    1. The last time I flew I could see the sun sinking, almost burning, into the clouds on my left while on my right the moon was pulling up out of a se of clouds and I realized no one no matter how important, brilliant, or wealthy no one alive saw such a thing over a century ago (without a mountain under their feet).

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