The taxi ride to the airport was uneventful, if somewhat slow. While in the US it seems that everyone on the freeway is going faster than the speed limit, many people on the autopista in Argentina go slower than the speed limit in order to get better mileage. At other times, I've seen drivers shift into neutral to coast downhill and shift into higher gears at very low RPMs in order to save on fuel. So while the speed limit was 130 km/h, we did the entire trip at 90 km/h or less. Michaela was in the car seat and fell asleep soon after we started. Because the car seat has her in a non-reclined position, we held her head so she could be more comfortable.
The autopistas in Argentina don't function as well as toll roads in other places because the toll booths are in the middle of the freeway. You end up waiting in line to pay tolls a few times, which somewhat defeats the speed you gain by taking the autopista in the first place. They should have them at the exits and entrances to the autopistas instead. On the other hand, they are one place where it is easy to get change. In fact, we paid one of the tolls (1.9 pesos) with a 100-peso bill, despite the sign stating that they don't have change for 50 or 100-peso bills.
At the airport, we found out that when I had made flight arrangements with United Airlines, they had given me a round trip ticket while they made one-way flight arrangements for Michaela. Perhaps they thought I intended to abandon her in Argentina? Anyway, it caused us to spend nearly an hour at the counter and we ended up having to spend another $136 for her - and she doesn't even get a seat! Meanwhile, Michaela found a little Argentine girl and was having a blast following her around while the little girl was trying to give Michaela a kiss (at the behest of her parents) and helping Michaela up (which Michaela didn't want). When she and her family left to go elsewhere, Michaela, took off walking after them. I had to chase her down a number of times.
When we finally got the tickets, we discovered that the airport at Ezeiza required an airport tax, which was annoying not included in our purchased tickets. So we paid our US$18 per person and $0 for Michaela, but in order to document that Michaela didn't actually have to pay, they made a copy of her passport. The US$18 per person is for international flights. It is less for domestic flights.
On the way to the gate, we had to pass two security checkpoints complete with metal detector and x-ray screening. When we arrived at the gate, the flight was already boarding.
The nine-hour flight form Buenos Aires started at nearly 9pm and was painful for Margarita and me. We were seated in the economy section of the Boeing 767-300 and the seats were very close to one another. The flight was packed, but for all of our trouble with Michaela's ticket, they left the center seat empty, so at least we had a little space. Michaela spent most of the flight sleeping on Margarita or on the seat. She also walked around some, including an odd episode in which she suddenly started crying for no apparent reason when she was 4-5 rows away. The women behind us congratulated us on what a quiet baby Michaela had been.
When we arrived in Miami, we discovered that, unlike every other previous flight, the baby backpack we had gate-checked in Buenos Aires would not be returned to us at the jetway. Instead, because it was not a baby stroller, we would have to pick it up at baggage claim, which defeated the whole reason behind gate-checking it. Sheesh!
Immigration was easy because people with kids were directed to a separate and shorter line. No stamp in the passports though. After we got our luggage, we went through customs (what kind of food? How old is your daughter? How long were you in Brazil....er Argentina?) which was no problem either. Then we were directed to a line where TSA personnel checked checked luggage for explosives. The man screening ours opened the backpack and swabbed the little white fabric circle all over the place, but when he tried to lift our very heavy suitcase, he decided just to swab the outer zippers. He also ran into a problem with our stroller, which was encased in a plastic bag. He ended up cutting a hole in the plastic, swabbed the fabric circle, and then taped up the hole. Afterwards, a porter was given the luggage to take somewhere where it ended up on the plane.
Margarita and I spent most of the time at the airport arguing with each other. It was the equivalent of about 3am for us and neither of us had slept, so we were cranky. At the security checkpoint, we were forced to take off our shoes, which I thought was odd, since it had never been a requirement any other time we had taken flights in the US. I guess the TSA still hasn't managed to ensure a consistent standard. Also, airline personnel didn't have to take off their shoes. So if you dress like airline personnel with a realistic-looking badge (they don't check it, so it doesn't have to be perfect).....
At the gate this time, we asked about gate-checking the backpack to make sure we could pick it up at the jetway when we got to San Francisco, but the agent said to take it on the plane, since the flight was relatively empty. Indeed it was, I was able to give Margarita and Michaela an entire row of three seats to themselves while I took over a row of two seats. Margarita and I each managed to get about two hours of sleep while Michaela was awake for most of the flight. Fortunately, there were some other little kids nearby, and Michaela spent a lot of time playing with a younger baby. She also woke up the guy sleeping in the next row back as she moved around the back area of the plane.
We arrived in San Francisco quite tired and glad that the trip home was almost over. After a bus ride to BART, a BART ride, and a short walk home, we returned to find our home wonderfully clean and inviting. And then....some lunch.....and most importantly, sleep.
Posted by mike at June 14, 2003 12:50 AM