THE LONGEST DAY

TUESDAY 31st MAY

  What a day! What a day! I had to check out at 10.00am and then adjourned to the lounge with my computer and whiled away the time until 2.00pm when the hotel van took me to the airport.  I went to see where I needed to check in but there was no Qantas flight to Santiago and no flight at 4.40pm to Santiago.  Mild panic stations setting in.  I went to information and enquired, "Ah! it's a code shared flight you want LAN 800", the man replied.  All well and good but that was taking off half an hour earlier than the time my Trailfinders ininerary indicated and presumably landing half an hour earlier than the time I had asked the hotel for a pick-up at the airport.  Well there was nothing I could do about it but check-in.  The nice young lady at the check-in told me my bag was overweight, although it had passed muster on all previous flights, but in the end she said she would let me off this time and pass it through. She also gave me an aisle seat in row 39 which turned out to be right at the back.  It was surprising that the case was so heavy as I had endeavoured to put all heavy items in my shoulder bag which was positively bulging.  As I headed for passport control another lady was standing by a pair of scales asking everybody to weight their hand luggage.  No way would mine have passed this scrutiny.  I waited until she was calling back another passenger who hadn't stopped, and nipped forward with alacrity.  I could hear her voice behind me but whether it was directed at me or someone else I did not stop to enquire but kept looking straight ahead and moving in the same direction!  I got through!  Once airside I changed my remaining NZ dollars into US dollars and Chilean pesos.

  My back was giving me real hell, and things didn't improve much on the plane although there was nobody on the window seat inside me.  The flight was 10 hours 40 mins long and included an evening meal and breakfast.  I got through passport control fairly quickly and went down to the baggage collect area, but couldn't see a carousel with LAN 800 indicated, but as I got to the last carousel there was my suitcase standing next to it.  I grabbed it and went in search of a sign stating "Adam Komorowski" but failed to find one.  An English speaking gent came forward and asked me what my problem was and I explained.  He asked if I had the hotel phone number so I gave it to him, and then he dialled it and passed the phone over to me.  I spoke in English and the guy said that they had ordered a cab for 2.00pm, and went on to say to just catch a cab from the airport.  It struck me of course that the chap may not have phoned the hotel but simply an accomplice who set me up.  This fear was very much confirmed when he led me down to some taxis and said this was his boss, I would negotiate the price with him.  He asked for 80 pesos, but all my notes were from 1000 up to 50,000.  I thought that's cheap, but when I offered the 1000 note he said that was one peso, in other words they knock the thousands off.  I very quickly tried to work out what that would be in sterling, converting the pesos into NZ dollars and those back into sterling.  By my calculations it was about £70.  I asked how long the journey would take and he told me about half an hour.  I told him that was far too much, so he said "For you special  price 60 pesos.  I offered him 30 he stuck out for 40.  I had to get to the hotel, and despite being fairly sure I was being ripped off I decided to go for it.

  We got to the Infinity by Ameristar appartments which are very close to the town centre.  My appartment has a bedroom, living/kitchenette area and yes, a bathroom with a bath!  I'm on the seventh floor with a balcony, with not a very enticing view, but you can see the mountains in the background.

  I unpacked my computer and then realised that none of my adaptors fitted Chilean plugs.  However I had more in the suitcase, so I got out my keys to unlock my suitcase, only to discover it wasn't my suitcase at all but a virtually identical one!  I must admit this was a pretty low point.  I gathered myself and went in search of the young man who had checked me in, and tried to explain to him what had happened.  I asked him if he could ring the airport and give my flight details and the flight number on the case I had.  He successfully did this and said that the other man at the airport was very angry!  Least of my troubles I thought.  I told him I needed to go to an ATM as the taxi fare had swallowed the bulk of my Chilean pesos.  I eventually found one, but all the instructions were in Spanish, and although I tried twice nothing happened.  I went to another ATM and it looked identical to the previous one, but then I spotted right at the bottom a line with "Foreign Cards" to click on.   Thankfully this worked, and once more cash rich I hastened back to the hotel.  I asked the lad if he could order me a cab, ask it to wait for me and bring me back, and confirm the price.  The return journey worked out a fraction under what I had paid for a single leg, which conformed the rip off!  My man Louis (he pronounced it "Lewis") got me to the airport, parked, then caught up with me, took the case over from me - I must admit my mouth was dry and I was puffing.  He went into the office explained everything to the girl, all I had to do was sign a book and show my baggage slip, and I had my case back!  Never had to meet with the unlucky and angry owner of the case I had walked off with. What a relief!

  On the way back Louis discovered that I was going to Easter Island in eight days and I promised I would book him for the trip to the airport.  He insisted on bringing my case into the hotel for me, having noticed that I was still suffering with my back.  I decided to give him a tip, he had proved to be a real trouper.

  After unpacking I found an adapter that fitted Chilean plugs and connected the computer.  Almost immediately Alex came through on Skype.  (I might add that Alan came through on my last night in Auckland, but as I had had a lengthy chat with Mark just before, my internet time ran out shortly after Alan phoned so that curtailed that!). Alex has suggested meeting me in the main bus station in Quito and is e-mailing me all the details.  Not long afterwards Peter came through on Skype.  He told me of his trip to Krasyczyn, Lwow and Swirz with his sister Jenny, husband Chris and friend.  Chris remembered he had left his passport in Warsaw upon arriving in Krasyczyn, so Peter drove back to Warsaw to get it - I'm guessing a round trip of 500-600 miles.  It turns out Peter played a blues harmonica concert in Lwow backed by Ukranian blues musicians, a little surprise a Ukrainian friend had arranged for him!

  I intend to have a long hot soak tonight and see if I can find somewhere to eat.  It is coming up to 6pm and dusk is falling.  Boy has it been a long day!