Wherein the U.S. airports actually beat somebody.
Trip Start
Jan 09, 2007
1
10
11
Trip End
Jan 17, 2007
Phoenix,
Arizona,
United States
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Then we saw the line for security. It went out the door of the airport and stretched down the sidewalk. Its only redeeming feature was once you were in the line, it was fun to watch other people's faces as they spotted the line for the first time and started checking their watches. I never thought I'd say this, but the process at U.S. airports actually beats someone all hollow. Finally, at about 7:30, we got through, and split up to hit the airport stores as fast possible. I think that is the only time I have managed to shop for seven distinct people in twenty minutes, hitting three different stores in the process. Speedwalking to the gate, I noticed the plane was boarding, but I didn't see Sarah anywhere around. Which could be a problem.
So I hung back a moment to try and buy some water, only to be told that I wasn't allowed to take the water on the plane even if I bought it from the stand *at* the gate. Again, the U.S. is actually more sensible. Weird. After waiting until last call for Sarah, I boarded the plane. I don't think I've ever actually been the last in line before. Where Sarah already was. And where I noted for the first time they'd changed my seat at check-in, and that someone was already in my seat. Though the plane was packed, the two back rows were completely empty, so I took one of those over, and Sarah came back to join me.
The flight back was kind of bumpy again, but not awful, and we had a very voluble pilot. He was constantly on the intercom, telling us interesting facts about the landscape we were passing over (Lake Nicaragua and the volcanic islands were cool), and, near the end, about the entire deplaning process. In great detail. "And from there, you will take either the stairs or an escalator up to the next floor. Here, you will either meet someone, or continue out either the north or the south exits..."
Landing in Phoenix was the usual disappointment of brown desert, but at least getting through immigration and customs went really fast. Another expedition safely ended. Look, ma, we weren't (too) dumb!
Costa Rica gets major kudos for the scenery and people and whatever the opposite of kudos is for the transportation. I can understand not wanting express highways everywhere, but hiding the bus stations, not running more than a few buses a day, and canceling half of those is just not cricket. I definitely want to go back to see much of the rest of the country: Corcovado, the Caribbean coast, Manuel Antonio, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and some of the highland towns, off the top of my head. And next time I will be prepared for the tricksy transportation.
