Los Angeles

Well I managed to check in at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires without too many problems. I mean sure the combined weight of my bag and box were over the limit, a situation which was easily overcome.

I just had to hope none of my fellow traveller's or the Customs people wanted to check the little bag I'd removed from my larger North Face bag cause it contained nothing but my dirty laundry! Given the fun and games I'd had on my way to Quito months ago I sorted of figured if they were going to confiscate anything it could be my smelly socks!

What was pleasing though, was that I got through the whole process / bureaucracy of checking in, negotiating the Customs rigmarole so quickly that I ended up at the Departure Gate a whole two hours early. That's a bit of a first me actually being somewhere early or on time. Pity it's such a boring airport with not a lot to look at or buy......

I did however find a little restaurant that was open, so was able to grab a Cafe con Leche, but once I'd finished that I found myself a sit in the boarding area, quietly humming to myself the well known song by Andrew Lloyd Webber - "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"!

Why, cause as much as I've enjoyed some of my time in the country, it's certainly not the easiest of places to get around!!!! I mean, fix the banking system so that withdrawing cash from ATMs is easier (and more of it would be great as well), get rid of the siesta break, so much of the bureaucracy, spend a little bit of money maintaining things and we might be right! Aggh, hopefully you'll have got it better by the next time I head over...... Okay, Okay, I'll get off my soap box now....

Eventually the boarding gate began to fill up and shortly thereafter we were allowed to board the plane! Whilst Lan Chile aren't ever going to win any awards for "Service Excellence" they did manage to leave the terminal on time, even if the plane lacked an in-flight entertainment system.... At any rate, we got to Lima several hours later and without any drama.... 

Transiting through their airport was quick and easy and provided me with the perfect opportunity to peruse the shops, not that I'd have had the ability to buy anything. Not cause they wouldn't accept my $USD currency, but rather I didn't have the physical ability to carry another thing.

Finally arriving in LAX several hours later, you possibly heard the audible sigh of relief when both my goodies appeared on the luggage carousel, but better than that though, was finally being able to catch up with my dear friend - Betsy!

Now I've just got to get my head around being on another continent and enjoying a totally different type of holiday now!