Airport Hell!!

Inbound to Miami
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After a three day triathlon trip this last weekend to TN  I was ready for a little downtime. We made it back at home Monday afternoon. I packed up by six and was in bed by eight. Cinda whisked me to the airport by 7am followed by a nice two hour flight to Miami on American. First class in row A in a forty person prop plane. I knew it was long layover but I would chill in a lounge or two.

Hit the Miami Airport with vigor. What a zoo! I do not who came up with this place but it the dandiest maze I have every seen. It has ten large terminals strung together kind of. American is in D and E so you got to claim luggage and clear the TSA clear zone.

Too much "Crowne" and "Hanks" in my life!!

After 30 minutes I was on my way for the Brazilian airline, TAM. After a few “ask arounds” found out it was in J. No big deal right? After 40 minutes of walking D, E, F, G, H I found my self at TAM with two small counters with one person working it. The guard with the submachine gun on his chest should have been a forewarning. So I came up to check my 50 body bag of trip luggage. The nice lady reported she was not with TAM and the counter would open up at 3:30 PM.

Damn 5 hours stuck with this bag. Machinegun boy reported that there was one bag check-in back in D. So I started the “Death March” back. At Terminal H I noticed there was a Delta Crown Room --Ahhh an Oasis in the desert. I approached the TSA folks who said I could make it through with the big bag but I needed a boarding pass.

So I was off to Delta at terminal F. Jumped the 100 person queue line by posing as first class. The Delta guy was very cool. Called up the Crown room and ask if they would take another day- pass scum boy. He talked them into it and just like that I had a security pass to clear TSA without a boarding pass. Back to H. I made it through the TSA zone minus all sorts of 12 oz liquids. After a ten minute walk to the very end of the terminal came the oasis. I opened the door to find a room about 30 by 40 feet with no windows. What was this?? “Sorry this is our temporary room” “Our new Crown will open next week.” Oh well beggars can not be choosy. I made myself at home. Started off with a well deserved “Bloody Mary” and then hit the laptop and office phone.

By three I was stir crazy and was off to TAM. They had two folks this time so after 40 minutes bags checked and back to Delta Crown for three more hours. Half way there. I found a connector from G to J so I did some walking to check out the airplane at 6PM. No airplane- Just a gate full of fifty teenage Brazilian kids returning from Disney. “The flight will be delayed two hours for a ten PM departure”

Back to the Crown. At 8 PM a bid them all a found goodbye as they were closing for the night. I was off to look for Tom Hanks to see how he maintained his sanity under such conditions.

By 9PM I was exhausted but we finally boarded a small two engine old beat up A320 Airbus that was packed. After the safety brief was in Portuguese with no signs for life rafts or vests other than a seat cushion I started to say my prays. Wheels up at ten. After a quick dinner and post meal movie on the Blackberry- “Charlie Wilson’s War” (Great movie by the way) I was trying not to think about that third Tom Hanks movie where he ends up on a beach.

We finally landed at 3AM in the middle of the Amazon Jungle city of Manaus. To bad my final destination was still two air hours away. No deplaning. 60 of us hung out for an hour while service cleaned the plane.

Off at 4AM and finally at Belem at 7: 30 AM (lost an hour). Nice airport – first class. The company had an English speaking taxi pick me up and made sure I was ok for check in the Crowne Plaza Hotel. I lot of “Crowne” in my life this day.

Made it to the room and hooked up the Skype (Username nbaker2) Made a few calls and a cat nap I am heading to the rooftop pool bar waiting on my partner Andrew from NYC to arrive.