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The flight from Sydney stopped in Auckland for 45 mins.I got out and stretched my legs.Met a woman-Corinna- with her daughter-Barbara- who live in NSW but are Peruvian and are going to Peru to visit relatives.We went around Auckland airport together.I had to get a Burger King meal as I was very hungry.I had asked for special meals for the flights- vegan- and they are not "special" at all. Very boring.Just vegies obviously but not enough to make me full!
Back on the plane we got our dinner and I watched a movie- No Reservations- before sleeping for most of the flight-approx 11hrs.
My neighbour on the plane was an 80 something yr old man called Otto.We became friends when I had to explain to him how to use the remote for the TV and how to use the headphones! He is on his way to Sao Paolo where he was going to join a cruise to Antarctica.Adventurous old man.
Santiago Airport is quite nice.Very busy when we got there but became quiet after about 2hrs.It's got free Wi-Fi internet, which I couldn't connect to….bummer!I panicked a bit when I couldn't find the Aerolineas Argentina counter to get my boarding pass but the girl at the LAN service counter told me that I get my boarding pass about an hour before the flight at the gate.I just have to watch the flight information board for when to check in.
I hanged around with Corinna- she does speak Spanish which is helpful to me J
We exchanged contact details as she will be in Cusco in December.We may catch up in Lima as well when I finish the volunteer program.
I slept for most of the flight to Argentina.When we disembarked there was a massive queue for immigration.So that was a long wait.Then I got my luggage and went to queue up for customs. My god that was the longest line I have ever seen. And it moved so slowly.While waiting to go through customs I noticed that the lock on my luggage was missing.I started thinking of Shapelle Corby.I started thinking that anyone could have opened my bag and put something in it!!I wasn't panicking but I was thinking the worst.Then I thought maybe I should tell someone about the missing lock. But the line was so long!!! So I thought of a plan- if someone says something I will just pretend that I just noticed the lock missing.When I went through customs the officers were chatting away and not even looking at the x-ray machine!! That's South America for you!
Outside the airport was busy!! People everywhere.I paid for a shuttle and they told me that I would need to get off at the first stop where a minibus would be arranged to bring me to my hotel. Great. Got to the fist stop and was told that they would organise a taxi for me!I waited nearly an hour!I was so tired that I was nearly in tears.I felt stuck at this shuttle station, with no means of getting my own taxi.I was holding back the tears. I just wanted to sleep by that point.I had been travelling for about 30hrs by then!
Finally the taxi came.The driver was friendly and started to chat to me. I was so tired that I was answering in French!! I was thinking in Polish- what few words I know!! And could not say anything in Spanish!! Was very funny.My brain was so muddled.
I finally got to the hostel and had a moment of panic on seeing the street.I thought, not another red light district!!! The building looks old and the street is dirty. It just looked dodgy.I have since realised that a lot of the streets here look like this. And during the day it looks better.
I checked in and went to my dorm.Again the room looks old but it is very clean.It was 10.30pm by then and I was so exhausted that I went straight to sleep. No shower or anything.
That night was weird for me as this is my first time in a hostel.It's got six beds and people were coming in through the night so I had broken sleep.
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