As my blog automatically posts photos first and then the descriptions after you will have no doubt seen the breathtaking photos from my flight over from Madrid to Brazil, and all I can say is that anyone who is not moved by such sights of heavenly glory is either blind or mad and in both cases I pity you.
There were some times when the sun touched the ground below on rivers and lakes and with the angle of the suns light it was as if there was pools of liquid silver.
Last night before my flight this afternoon I popped round with my friend to say farewell to her parents, and like an idiot I couldn't get my internet working and had to get my friends brother to sort it out for me, as I've alwas been terrible at network settings, I can't quite get it to do what I tell it to do.
After I headed on back and then as I had to leave early the next morning I packed before bed, but although I thought I checked everything I somehow managed to miss the fact that my wallet was not there. Morning of the flight and there was I running around like a headless chicken, the clock ticking down and having to go back to her parents house and check there, luckily finding that it had fallen down the side of their sofa.
Then we had to hop on a bus to central Madrid in order to catch another one to the airport, and wouldn't you know that no only wouldn't the ticket that I had bought the night before work, but also we had to wait for the next bus as the one that was in the station had somehow managed to get its driver seat window all smashed in and that of course meant that with all the glass everywhere it was unsafe to drive.
I might have already said that I have had a few airlines make flight changes on me after I booked them, well this was the first and not only had they moved the time early but the changed the stop over airport to Sao Paolo instead of Rio De Janeiro, and this was after I took my printouts.
Arriving at the airport was not a problem, as my friends mother had kindly offered to escort me there and so I had a local who spoke fluent language to help guide me through the problems of having different paperwork to what as actually happening, so in the end this was no big deal.
The flight was a long 10 hour flight, made weirder by the fact that I had to reset my clock back 5 hours during the flight, but en route I managed to take some wonderful snaps out my wing side window, and a reason why as much as possible I always try to have that, plus I get up less than other people and hate it when I have to forever get up or get climbed over cos the passenger next to me has ants in their pants!
Something not a lot of people mention is that when you are about 50,000 feet up in the air the temperature outside the cabin is about minus 60 degrees, but if you open the window blind you can be almost blinded by the suns rays coming in, and if the plane was flying on a slightly more southerly direction I am sure that I could have caught the best tan ever just lying on my seat.
Airline food is not TAM's strong point, neither is providing movies in multi languages, so I watch Kung Fu Panda in English about 4 times as it was the only thing in English and I didn't really care to watch Hulk or Get Smart in Spanish.
Much like annoying people in cinemas with big hats, the two rhino women in front of me insisted in tilting their chairs back to full recline for the entire 10 hours, which meant that I had to do likewise or have my head and legs crushed. I considered saying someone at one point, but they seemed oblivious to any ones comments when they were blocking the gangway just chatting and getting stuff from their overhead lockers, so why bother listen to some guy who's sitting behind you just cos your making his flight a misery?!?
I did get a chance however to browse my lonely planet guides to Brazil and its cities, and personally I think that they should go a little bit less history dating back to the 1500's and a little more where to shop, where to club, etc, etc as I know all about its immigration and sugar cane roots but not a lot about where I can eat for under a $5!
For some reason there was a passenger dispute upon arrival and so we sat on the runway for what I am told was only 40 minutes but felt like an eternity, and all the while the rhino women were blocking the gangway so I couldn't even attempt to ask an air stewardess what the delay was.
Being a Brit I had to complete two forms that fort the Brazilian Visa, the first is an import document saying that I am not bringing in food, drink, animals, plants or money and the second was for the background check prior to stamping my passport at the control, and yay they did stamp it, a first I think for my new passport and I've had it over a year!!!
The change over in Sao Paolo was better than I thought, I just had to collect my baggage and recheck it in at the domestic connection desk right next to where I picked it up and then go through security a second time, already being checked in to the connecting flight.
As I had tasted, or attempted to taste, TAM's food twice already I didn't care much for a potential third helping on the second flight and so I went to a rather novel buffet style restaurant, where you can grab anything you like but you are charged by the weight that you took, so any inconsiderate gluttons who like to load up a plate and then leave most cos 'it just doesn't taste like it does back home', are penalised for their greed.
Having to take your plate up and have it weighed before you eat was unusual to say the least, but on reflection I think that its a great idea and I think more places should adopt this style as I believe that it will cut down a lot on wastage and could even help educate then people into only taking what they know they can eat.
My nerves were a bit on edge as I wanted so much for this part of the trip to go well, that I sent out some text messages and was very happy to have them replied with kind and encouraging words.
As one of my friends put, you have a lot of friends who have faith and trust in you, so you really should have more faith and trust in yourself, especially as this is not the first time that you have been overseas. Sound advice and altogether they did a lot to reassure my doubts.
The flight to Salvador left at about 11pm, and again it did not help allay my fears that they changed the gate at the last second, as that was exactly what happened to me when I lost my luggage in America, so it was with trepidation that I waited at the carousel for my luggage upon arrival in Salvador.
Although not first, thankfully I was not last and as it had arrived in good time I found myself in Salvador, on a wet and rainy night without a hotel as due to the airlines flight change I had not arrived at 7am but 1am and no chance of checking into my hostel that early as normally they only let you check in after 1pm not am.
There was a big poster for an Ibis hotel right neat the airport, but they were either fully booked or refuse to accept short notice reservations as they declined to let me book a room for then and there while I was at the airport and so I was momentarily at a loss for what to do next.
Then the taxi company clerk, who had overheard my conversations, offered to help me book a hotel at short notice, and not wanting to stay there in the airport any longer I accepted, at a price that I found out when I reached the hotel that was discounted from their usual due to the short notice and as luck would have it only five minutes walk from my hostel.
One thing that slightly threw me for a moment however, was that she asked me "Are you scared as you seem to be on your own?", and though I have been to many airports that is the first time that I have ever been asked that, and again all the rumours and advice of friends and fellow travellers came flooding back through my ears.
But the hotel she suggested did seem to be close to the airport, had a 24 check in, wifi in the room, breakfast included, was not having to use buckets to chuck out water like some of the other hotels we passed en route from the airport and most amusing to me was that it had a huge wooden carved and painted naked lady built into the side of the main reception desk, and although after all day travelling and being single now for many months I would have preferred a real one in my bed, it was a nice touch and certainly not something I am likely to forget in a hurry.
There were some times when the sun touched the ground below on rivers and lakes and with the angle of the suns light it was as if there was pools of liquid silver.
Last night before my flight this afternoon I popped round with my friend to say farewell to her parents, and like an idiot I couldn't get my internet working and had to get my friends brother to sort it out for me, as I've alwas been terrible at network settings, I can't quite get it to do what I tell it to do.
After I headed on back and then as I had to leave early the next morning I packed before bed, but although I thought I checked everything I somehow managed to miss the fact that my wallet was not there. Morning of the flight and there was I running around like a headless chicken, the clock ticking down and having to go back to her parents house and check there, luckily finding that it had fallen down the side of their sofa.
Then we had to hop on a bus to central Madrid in order to catch another one to the airport, and wouldn't you know that no only wouldn't the ticket that I had bought the night before work, but also we had to wait for the next bus as the one that was in the station had somehow managed to get its driver seat window all smashed in and that of course meant that with all the glass everywhere it was unsafe to drive.
I might have already said that I have had a few airlines make flight changes on me after I booked them, well this was the first and not only had they moved the time early but the changed the stop over airport to Sao Paolo instead of Rio De Janeiro, and this was after I took my printouts.
Arriving at the airport was not a problem, as my friends mother had kindly offered to escort me there and so I had a local who spoke fluent language to help guide me through the problems of having different paperwork to what as actually happening, so in the end this was no big deal.
The flight was a long 10 hour flight, made weirder by the fact that I had to reset my clock back 5 hours during the flight, but en route I managed to take some wonderful snaps out my wing side window, and a reason why as much as possible I always try to have that, plus I get up less than other people and hate it when I have to forever get up or get climbed over cos the passenger next to me has ants in their pants!
Something not a lot of people mention is that when you are about 50,000 feet up in the air the temperature outside the cabin is about minus 60 degrees, but if you open the window blind you can be almost blinded by the suns rays coming in, and if the plane was flying on a slightly more southerly direction I am sure that I could have caught the best tan ever just lying on my seat.
Airline food is not TAM's strong point, neither is providing movies in multi languages, so I watch Kung Fu Panda in English about 4 times as it was the only thing in English and I didn't really care to watch Hulk or Get Smart in Spanish.
Much like annoying people in cinemas with big hats, the two rhino women in front of me insisted in tilting their chairs back to full recline for the entire 10 hours, which meant that I had to do likewise or have my head and legs crushed. I considered saying someone at one point, but they seemed oblivious to any ones comments when they were blocking the gangway just chatting and getting stuff from their overhead lockers, so why bother listen to some guy who's sitting behind you just cos your making his flight a misery?!?
I did get a chance however to browse my lonely planet guides to Brazil and its cities, and personally I think that they should go a little bit less history dating back to the 1500's and a little more where to shop, where to club, etc, etc as I know all about its immigration and sugar cane roots but not a lot about where I can eat for under a $5!
For some reason there was a passenger dispute upon arrival and so we sat on the runway for what I am told was only 40 minutes but felt like an eternity, and all the while the rhino women were blocking the gangway so I couldn't even attempt to ask an air stewardess what the delay was.
Being a Brit I had to complete two forms that fort the Brazilian Visa, the first is an import document saying that I am not bringing in food, drink, animals, plants or money and the second was for the background check prior to stamping my passport at the control, and yay they did stamp it, a first I think for my new passport and I've had it over a year!!!
The change over in Sao Paolo was better than I thought, I just had to collect my baggage and recheck it in at the domestic connection desk right next to where I picked it up and then go through security a second time, already being checked in to the connecting flight.
As I had tasted, or attempted to taste, TAM's food twice already I didn't care much for a potential third helping on the second flight and so I went to a rather novel buffet style restaurant, where you can grab anything you like but you are charged by the weight that you took, so any inconsiderate gluttons who like to load up a plate and then leave most cos 'it just doesn't taste like it does back home', are penalised for their greed.
Having to take your plate up and have it weighed before you eat was unusual to say the least, but on reflection I think that its a great idea and I think more places should adopt this style as I believe that it will cut down a lot on wastage and could even help educate then people into only taking what they know they can eat.
My nerves were a bit on edge as I wanted so much for this part of the trip to go well, that I sent out some text messages and was very happy to have them replied with kind and encouraging words.
As one of my friends put, you have a lot of friends who have faith and trust in you, so you really should have more faith and trust in yourself, especially as this is not the first time that you have been overseas. Sound advice and altogether they did a lot to reassure my doubts.
The flight to Salvador left at about 11pm, and again it did not help allay my fears that they changed the gate at the last second, as that was exactly what happened to me when I lost my luggage in America, so it was with trepidation that I waited at the carousel for my luggage upon arrival in Salvador.
Although not first, thankfully I was not last and as it had arrived in good time I found myself in Salvador, on a wet and rainy night without a hotel as due to the airlines flight change I had not arrived at 7am but 1am and no chance of checking into my hostel that early as normally they only let you check in after 1pm not am.
There was a big poster for an Ibis hotel right neat the airport, but they were either fully booked or refuse to accept short notice reservations as they declined to let me book a room for then and there while I was at the airport and so I was momentarily at a loss for what to do next.
Then the taxi company clerk, who had overheard my conversations, offered to help me book a hotel at short notice, and not wanting to stay there in the airport any longer I accepted, at a price that I found out when I reached the hotel that was discounted from their usual due to the short notice and as luck would have it only five minutes walk from my hostel.
One thing that slightly threw me for a moment however, was that she asked me "Are you scared as you seem to be on your own?", and though I have been to many airports that is the first time that I have ever been asked that, and again all the rumours and advice of friends and fellow travellers came flooding back through my ears.
But the hotel she suggested did seem to be close to the airport, had a 24 check in, wifi in the room, breakfast included, was not having to use buckets to chuck out water like some of the other hotels we passed en route from the airport and most amusing to me was that it had a huge wooden carved and painted naked lady built into the side of the main reception desk, and although after all day travelling and being single now for many months I would have preferred a real one in my bed, it was a nice touch and certainly not something I am likely to forget in a hurry.
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