Off to Columbia

Got up at the ungodly hour of 2:45 (after sleeping about three hours – thanks to too much zootoo, a bubble bath and wanting to watch the DVD of Africa Akos just sent). Nothing unusual happened. Taxi on time. Flight to Panama on time. Panama’s airport was gorgeous (albeit there seemed to be 20 chocolate stores and nowhere to get some water! Flight to Bogota on time. I fear that somehow compared the Indiana Jones pace of Africa, anything else will feel like a church picnic!

A bit of excitement in Bogota. Not real obvious how to get from the International to the Domestic terminal. And not knowing the answer does not seem to deter Columbians from advising you. Both the flight attendant and the guy next to us on the plane insisted we did not need to go through customs in Bogota – of course Santa Marta would have a customs agent (yes – this is soooo common – countries let people in and then they can wander through their domestic system unimpeded). Anyhow we did go through customs and then decided that since we had a boarding pass we didn’t need to check in with our airline. We further decided we should just get on the Avianca bus (never mind that Avianca was NOT our airline). So we ride around – I verify with a Columbian airline agent that we are on the right bus. Oh, yes, of course – just get off where everyone else got off. But of course we end up in the wrong place – so I have to ask someone to get us back and trust that they know what they are talking about ….

Anyhow an Avianca bus driver did take us to the right stop. Which was just round the corner from where we started. By now we has squandered all the extra time we had and barely made it to the gate with half an hour to go. But our flight was delayed because of a “mechanical inspection” and we would be advised by the mechanics at 3:30 PM. Had no clue what that meant. Funny though I understand all the words, I do not really know what people mean. The Columbian nuances and meanings somehow elude me. At 3:30 they boarded us – so I guess that’s what that meant! So off to Santa Marta.