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Travel Trivia: What do you blog about when there's nothing going on on your trip? You make something up.
Today was a travel day. I didn't take my camera out at all, and Liz took hers out for just one picture (posted). We were up at 6, flew from San Cristobal (Galapagos) to Guayaquil (mainland Ecuador) where we had a 5hr stopover - enough for Liz to take a picture. We had access to the local Hilton, which was nice. We could sit by the pull on alcohol-free Sunday. But fear not, because we figured out that beer is a necessity that bypasses that silly law, so we could at least have a frosty one.
From there, back to the airport to fly to Lima (Peru), where we met up with the new travel team (a little more than half the Galapagos group size). From there, we went across the street to the hotel. No, really, we went across the street. It was closer than the park-n-ride buses are in Atlanta. I'm not complaining. It was 9pm, and we were all tired of the trip (3hrs flying time out of 15hrs travel time).
So this is a rather business-like update. What can I say? It was a boring day. This may be a good time to introduce the story of my suitcase. For years (12? 15?) I've had this really good suitcase. It's a good size and it's light. Perfect for going away for 3.5 weeks on, essentially, 3 different trips (diving, cruise, machu picchu). But when I got to Quito, the zipper started to break, and on my way to Galapagos and then back to Quito it got worse, because every time someone would pull on the zipper to see what's going on. So I decide to by a cheap "interim" suitcase in Quito for the rest of the trip. It needs to be at least as big as my current one, and it needs to be cheap. Basically to get me through this and home, so I can make the right investment there.
We find one. It's $70. Not bad. It's bigger than what I have. Also good. So I buy it. Then it begins. First, the lock doesn't work, but that's okay, because the zippers do. On my first trip, the suitcase is about 2/3 full with clothes (only) and weighs about 40lbs. At the Quito airport, the taxi driver breaks the top strap. When it gets to Galapagos (Baltra Airport), the top is totally gone, and the side handle is broken. When it gets on to the boat, the side handle is totally gone, and the metal frame for the rollers is broken. I fix that (the frame).
When we get off the boat and back to Guayaquil, it appears the luggage has not deteriorated further. When it gets to Lima, The frame for the wheels is broken again, and the zipper for the inside compartment is broken. It's clearly made in China.
But I'm okay with it. You see, we don't handle our own luggage until we get to our last flight home. And right now the only way to move it is by giving the suitcase a good old Qatsha-style bear hug and picking it up. If you've ever seen those guys at the world's strongest man competition picking up those big stone boulders and move them, you've got the right visual. Fingers crossed, it'll make it back to Atlanta.
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