Crossed the Atlantic
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2005
1
192
285
Trip End
Jan 25, 2009
Quito,
Ecuador
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The last 3 days have been the most difficult and stressful of the trip to date. At no stage have I held my breath through anticipation for so long.
The train successfully departed Algecires at 9.45pm and all went well until 5.10am when the train decided to break down and require replacement. We waited for 2 hours at Velches, Spain (3 hours from Madrid) for the replacement train to Madrid. The trip in itself was awful given I shared the 6 seat compartment with a group of very obnoxious Spanish people who talked all night at top volume and laughed at ridiculed me. But when the train decided to chuck a spacky at 5.10am I had had enough. Instantly, I reverted to back up plans such as ringing Iberia to change my flight details.
But, the train departed Velches right on the dot of 7am and got into Madrid at 9.50am. I had 2 hours and 25 minutes till my planeīs departure. I ran out of the train station like a maniac, flagged down a taxi, got rejected by one but found a taxi stand. By 10am, I was in the taxi, and by 10.30am at the airport. Did I have a smile on my face at that time!
Luckily, Gab had not yet checked in and was waiting for me at the checkin counter. The stress of the last 2 nights travel came to an end when Gab and I received our boarding passes and I was on my way to South America. It was a real pleasure to travel on board with a friend... makes the travelling experience so much more rewarding.
Iberia Airlines is probably the worst airline Iīve been with. The service was atrocious... if you wanted a drink, you had to collect it from the back where the flight attendants ate, drank, read magazines (didnīt care one bit about the passengers), the food was awful (Gab and I have upset stomachs) and the landing into Quito was terrifying. Gab said I went white with fright. The airport is situated amongst a housing estate and at one stage I thought we were going to crash. There were screams on board the plane, the landing was absolutely terrible with a few bumps and the people clapped when the plane came to a stop. I was worried given that the locals did these things.
The flight attendans threw Gabbieīs plate of food at her, they didnīt collect the drinks on arrival, and didnīt bother to ask us to put our table and chairs up. I could of been walking around the aeroplane for all they cared.
But here I am... so very relieved that I have successfully navigated my way from Marakesh to Quito, but what a journey. It was bloody hard work and I feel absolutely wrenched now. I havenīt had a proper sleep for 72 hours, have jet lag, feeling the effects of alcohol and am suffering from short breaths... altitude. But I know that I will be a fresh person tomorrow. It takes a few days to adjust.
I am very happy to be staying at the Secret Garden Hostel, overlooking beautiful Quito.
What a few days! I start my next Intrepid tour tomorrow... a terrible gamble with spending 35 days with the SAME people. Definitely not my style but a good introduction to this continent.
