Monday, February 11, 2002
We begin our journey by dropping the dog off at camp, driving
to Atlanta, and taking MARTA to the airport. We got there plenty
early for our 4:50 p.m. flight because we didn't know what security
would have in store for us since 9/11. Atlanta Hartsfield Airport
security was good. They detected the foil on Tom's pack of
cigarettes, the metal on his lighter; they opened my bag, and they
checked my shoes for bombs. The flight was uneventful, just like
we'd hoped.
On arrival at Lima's Jorge Chavez Airport, we breezed through
customs and immigration, then encountered a madhouse. It looked
like everyone in Lima had turned out to greet the arriving
passengers with offers of a taxi ride or hotel accommodations. What
a zoo! Not really what one wants to deal with at 11:30 p.m. after a
full day of travel. Luckily, we had arranged a room for the night
with a Belgian guy, Jean-Paul, who has a hostel, SafeInLima, in the
neighboring town of Barranco, and he was there at the airport
waiting for us.
Our room at SafeInLima was very comfortable and had a balcony
with a hammock. We picked the brain of our host for a couple of
hours, then Tom and I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. enjoying the night
air and celebrating our arrival in South America.
Jean-Paul y Tom en SafeInLima
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