We had a late afternoon flight out of Manizales to Bogota. We said our goodbyes to his family and got in line at the ticket counter. His family, thankfully, stayed to make sure we boarded the flight safely.
We had a minor problem at the ticket counter. The lady wanted to charge us more because our bags were considered overweight for domestic flights but we our tickets were bought together as an international flight. Lucas had a little argument with the woman and she had to bring her manager over. We eventually got our luggage checked with no extra fees.
Shortly after this minor setback, an airline representative stepped out with a big bullhorn and made an announcement (in Spanish, of course) which I soon found out meant our plane was delayed in arriving. Since they don't have lights at this small town airport and we would no longer be able to take off before the sun had set, our flight was delayed to the next day.
BIG PROBLEM!!! How was I supposed to get home? I had tennis practice and classes to get back to (at the time I was still in college)! I had my family at home worried sick while I was in a foreign country! I wanted REAL American food and to step foot on American soil!!! Yes, I started panic mode!!
There was much discussion about what we would do now until the airline finally figured out this was a big problem and found a way to shuttle everyone from Manizales to Pereira (look it up on the map on Part I) and we could make the last flight of the evening out of Pereira to Bogota.
So they make us form a line to sign up for the shuttle bus. Lucas and I, of course, are the first ones in line. I'm telling you - I was ready to get home! The airline representative hands Lucas a clipboard with a paragraph at the top of the sheet and lines going down the rest of the paper. We are to sign our names and pass it along for the travelers behind us.
Lucas, being the analytical little engineer that he is, will not sign the paper without first reading the paragraph above (which is a very smart thing to do but can be timely - in matters of closing on our house or signing up for auto insurance - and dangerous - as it was in this case). The representative was not very happy with Lucas for reading. She wanted him to just sign and pass. I was encouraging him to do the same at this point. He kept reading. She then jerks the clipboard out of his hands before he can finish signing and passes it along to the next travelers.
I'M LIVID! What does this mean? Are we not getting on the bus?!?!?!? What's going on? Everyone is speaking in Spanish and it is making me very frustrated that I can't comprehend!
We wait, thinking maybe after everyone signs it we will sign it and just be the last ones to board. BUT, no! She says she is calling the passengers by the list on the clipboard and anyone's name not on the list will not be traveling to Bogota. 'OH NO SHE DIDN'T'!!!!!
She begins to call names off the clipboard as Lucas, I, and his family become very upset with the way things are unfolding. Next thing I know, Simon (Lucas's brother) has grabbed the sheets of the clipboard, ripped them into shreds, and thrown them into the air!
OH, God! We're going to jail!!!
Then, a group of military men walk up - WITH MACHINE GUNS STRAPPED TO THEIR BODIES - and then I think "OH, God! We're going to die!!!"
Seriously, I'm flipping out right now. I'm sitting against the wall, knees pulled into my chest, crying like a little baby when a woman handing out free 'samples' of Aguardiente walks up. Aguardiente is a Colombia liquor..... and let me just tell you, it knocks your socks off. She offers me a free shot of the liquor. I gladly accept and throw it back between my fits of sobbing. She tries to calm me down and speaks very broken English with me. "It be okay. You not from here, No? Un otro?"
I nod. She hands me another free 'sample' of the liquor. Oh, thank the heavens for that woman because I'm not sure I would've made it through that debacle without a little liquid courage. Haha!
Somehow, we are given permission to ride the van as long as we sign one of the worker's statements about what happened. Lucas agrees to sign the statement as long as he can write what 'really' happened. The manager doesn't like this idea... of course not. He decides it is best to cut his losses and get us on that bus and away from Manizales. I agree. That was a good decision.
Whew!!! Let me just tell you. That van ride to Pereira was AWK-WARD! Everyone was looking at us like we were some kind of hooligans. I'm sure it appeared that way..... really all I am is a bratty American who must get back to my hamburgers and chicken fingers. Ha!
If my parents only knew then what we were going through!! We told them what happened..... after I had arrived home safely.
Soooooo.... our travel to and from Colombia last time was not the biggest success. I really hope we don't encounter similar problems but this time - if we do - I'll have my camera snapping shots away incognito so that you all can share my fear!! I'm going to have to get a shot of one of these military men so you can seriously know my fear when 5 of them approach our group. Yikes!!!
This concludes my mini-series 'Romancing the Stone'. I hope to be reporting some up-to-the-minute stories with you soon! I can't wait to share my journey with you!!
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