Faffing About the Motherland: Days 0 - 3
Thanks to Mother Nature, I'm going to be staying in bed for most of the day. Thanks, TMI Time! Just what I always wanted for Christmas!
So, I'll take the opportunity to talk about the trip thus far.
Day 0
There's a Day 0 because I knew there'd be a long-ass layover involved when I booked the trip. I left LaGuardia at around 9 PM, arrived in Atlanta near midnight, and then pretty much booked the first hotel I saw that had free WiFi. It was only after I booked that I checked Trip Advisor. Priorities, I have them. Well, the hotel turned out to be comfortable, regardless. Stayed up way past my bedtime, but that was cool because check out was at noon.
Day 1
This morning, I discovered that I left the flash drive with most of what I'd planned to read back at home. Then I finished reading Fearless Fourteen in the tub. Having something to read is very high on the list of things for me to have, you know.
Got to the airport with lots of time to spare, and wandered around. Got The Swerve, whose praises were sung on NPR, so I thought that merited a look. Managed to spill most of my soda when I knocked over my cup, but managed to avoid soaking my carry on and the person sitting next to me. I managed to consume the rest of my lunch without incident.
The flight was delayed due to rain, and I had to hear one half of some other family's drama while they started complaining. I also got to hear some jackass imply to a flight attendant that it wasn't fair that people were going to Peru to visit their families, he and his wife wanted to visit and had been waiting for open spaces for days. I really want to have misinterpreted what he wanted to say. The alternative would make me rage. The airline made sure we were fed and watered, so things weren't too bad. I slept when I could. There were a few crying babies on the flight, but it wasn't too bad.
And then came touchdown.
Because of various things, about four planes landed at around the same time. So, the lines for immigration and customs were obscene. I kept calm through immigration because of the adorable dog that the couple in front of me had brought. I wasn't selected for random inspection for customs, so I went through quickly enough. I met my uncle and cousin, and we left for my grandmother's house.
Day 2
Today involved running some errands with my cousin Marta, and pretty much relaxing the rest of the day. We took my cousin's cat to the vet, picked up her dad's mom (We're related through her mother and my father being siblings.), and then did some of my last-minute shopping. I finished with everyone, so I'm good. I also got the book of supernatural creatures I mentioned last year. There was a discount from last time, but with the rate of exchange going down, I think I paid just about the same amount. Lolsob. The only thing left is to get the things that my family want from here. (Food, mainly)
Day 3
This was another day of errand-running with Marta, only now we also had some more of my family over for "lunch" (It was a pretty late lunch). This is the portion with the bratty cousins I mentioned in the last entry. They're picky eaters, so I had to make a reference to A Christmas Story. (I'd started watching it with Marta before they arrived.)
After lunch came the errand running. The first stop was Centro Commercial Arenales, which is pretty much an otaku mall. There are a few other businesses, like a salon, some clothing stores, a church, and a supermarket, but most of the place is given over to gift shops and LAN centers. For those of you who've been there, think of the basement of Elizabeth Center in New York's Chinatown. Multiply this by 4. That gives you the general feeling of Arenales.
My cousin gave me the choice of going to another mall, closer to home, or going to Miraflores to check out a Christmas store. Miraflores won, so we took a bus over. And then she forgot where it was. We wandered around Miraflores looking for the damn thing, and I was amazed that my cousin could do it in kitten heel sandals. (I was in Croc sandals, so my feet were fine.) We managed to find the store right after it closed. Damn. But the windows were very nice-looking, and suited to my mother's tastes. (Gold, sparkly, baroque.)
Took two more buses to get back home, and did so in once one piece.
So, I'll take the opportunity to talk about the trip thus far.
Day 0
There's a Day 0 because I knew there'd be a long-ass layover involved when I booked the trip. I left LaGuardia at around 9 PM, arrived in Atlanta near midnight, and then pretty much booked the first hotel I saw that had free WiFi. It was only after I booked that I checked Trip Advisor. Priorities, I have them. Well, the hotel turned out to be comfortable, regardless. Stayed up way past my bedtime, but that was cool because check out was at noon.
Day 1
This morning, I discovered that I left the flash drive with most of what I'd planned to read back at home. Then I finished reading Fearless Fourteen in the tub. Having something to read is very high on the list of things for me to have, you know.
Got to the airport with lots of time to spare, and wandered around. Got The Swerve, whose praises were sung on NPR, so I thought that merited a look. Managed to spill most of my soda when I knocked over my cup, but managed to avoid soaking my carry on and the person sitting next to me. I managed to consume the rest of my lunch without incident.
The flight was delayed due to rain, and I had to hear one half of some other family's drama while they started complaining. I also got to hear some jackass imply to a flight attendant that it wasn't fair that people were going to Peru to visit their families, he and his wife wanted to visit and had been waiting for open spaces for days. I really want to have misinterpreted what he wanted to say. The alternative would make me rage. The airline made sure we were fed and watered, so things weren't too bad. I slept when I could. There were a few crying babies on the flight, but it wasn't too bad.
And then came touchdown.
Because of various things, about four planes landed at around the same time. So, the lines for immigration and customs were obscene. I kept calm through immigration because of the adorable dog that the couple in front of me had brought. I wasn't selected for random inspection for customs, so I went through quickly enough. I met my uncle and cousin, and we left for my grandmother's house.
Day 2
Today involved running some errands with my cousin Marta, and pretty much relaxing the rest of the day. We took my cousin's cat to the vet, picked up her dad's mom (We're related through her mother and my father being siblings.), and then did some of my last-minute shopping. I finished with everyone, so I'm good. I also got the book of supernatural creatures I mentioned last year. There was a discount from last time, but with the rate of exchange going down, I think I paid just about the same amount. Lolsob. The only thing left is to get the things that my family want from here. (Food, mainly)
Day 3
This was another day of errand-running with Marta, only now we also had some more of my family over for "lunch" (It was a pretty late lunch). This is the portion with the bratty cousins I mentioned in the last entry. They're picky eaters, so I had to make a reference to A Christmas Story. (I'd started watching it with Marta before they arrived.)
After lunch came the errand running. The first stop was Centro Commercial Arenales, which is pretty much an otaku mall. There are a few other businesses, like a salon, some clothing stores, a church, and a supermarket, but most of the place is given over to gift shops and LAN centers. For those of you who've been there, think of the basement of Elizabeth Center in New York's Chinatown. Multiply this by 4. That gives you the general feeling of Arenales.
My cousin gave me the choice of going to another mall, closer to home, or going to Miraflores to check out a Christmas store. Miraflores won, so we took a bus over. And then she forgot where it was. We wandered around Miraflores looking for the damn thing, and I was amazed that my cousin could do it in kitten heel sandals. (I was in Croc sandals, so my feet were fine.) We managed to find the store right after it closed. Damn. But the windows were very nice-looking, and suited to my mother's tastes. (Gold, sparkly, baroque.)
Took two more buses to get back home, and did so in once one piece.