Day 1: The departure

Sunday November 3, 2013

The DC departure. After weeks of getting amazon prime mouse trigger happy, I had bought all sorts of camping and backpacking equipment like packing cubes, toiletries, wick away moisture socks, wool socks, convertible pants that turn into shorts, waterproof things, rollable water bottles, deet insect wipes. I was finally packed and ready to go. 

Ok, so I waited till the very last day to really pack and stayed up all night for no reason. And haven't broken in my new hiking boots because I just bought them the day prior to leaving. As I'm sitting on the plane now, I'm thinking to myself that I'm sure I forgot something "mucho importante." Excuse me while I try to practice my Spanish. Haha. My adventure at Dulles international is always fun. This time around it's because I have no idea what anyone's saying. I'm the only Asian on board. I'm the only non Spanish speaking person on board. I really stick out like a sore thumb. 

I tried to fall asleep for the first hour but I couldn't.  The lady in my row is listening to really loud Spanish opera music. (Didn't even know there was such genre of music) I have earplugs but even that's not enough to drown her music out. How is she listening to it so loudly?!  I have the aisle seat. Sucks, because I like the window seat. But I guess it's ok since no ones sitting in the middle and I can lean on that chair. They give out pillows and blankets on this flight! No stupid extra charge for it. But maybe since the flight was like 600 bucks, you'd think it'd be included! You know what else is included? Food. I guess an international flight gets food! They're handing it out now as I type this portion. The plane now reeks. Not even sure if it's "Spanish" food yet. All I can see is that it looks and smells like some frozen TV dinner. (I could only imagine if I was on an Indian flight. The can picture and smell the curry ridden food they'd give out) remind me never to fly on that kind of international flight. Haha jk. 

Ok, so it basically was a TV dinner. 

Some bad pasta and crackers and cheese. I ate most of it, but tell me next time to pass. 

Just landed at my layover destination, El Salvador. From DC to SAL took close to 5 hours. Since we just had our day lights savings time the local time here makes me think it was a 6 hour flight hah. It's on hour ahead in El Salvador. It's also 90 degrees here and I am dying in all my layers. So hot!! And I'm still on the plane! They opened all the doors and you can just feel the humidity. I threw up when we landed. The landing was a little rough and maybe that creamy pasta TV dinner that wasn't all that didn't help either. I used to puke all the time on landings, its been awhile. Normally now I just try not to eat and I'll be fine. But what did I do? Eat. 

The airport in El savador is old and run down. There were a few little stands to buy trinkets from. I wanted to buy a shot glass or something that said el savador, but I thought, oh hell no, I have to carry it! Pass. In hindsight, maybe I should've bought a postcard. Very few outlets available (everyone's stalking them to charge their phone) but I found one! I keep playing I spy. Yes all by myself. And I spy a white guy! A British couple and an old Chinese couple! I'm not the only minority anymore.   Yay.

Back on the plane now, en route to Lima, Peru! The South American Airlines are definitely really relaxed. I'm still allowed to play on my phone and there's this old man who thinks he's a magician in the aisle turning little coins into giant coins and making them disappear and reappear behind his ear. Repeat 4x. No ones telling him to sit down and the flight attendants are just standing there laughing at him. I wish I understood. I just hear him count unos, dos, treiz. Oh great, the magician is still yappin' away and he's sitting right in front of me. Dangit, my ear plugs are still in my bag! 

Another lovely TV dinner is being passed out! But this time you get a choice of pasta or pollo! I choose the chicken this time since the pasta did me no good before. It looks like some sort of Spanish food this time, and surprisingly it's not too shabby! No gingerale available, so she gAve me sprite. Order any soda other than coke and you get a full can. Order coke and they have their weird 1.5 liter bottles they pour from. 

I'm sitting here thinking, this isn't the first time I've gone to a Spanish speaking country. I've gone to cancun mexico like 4 times! But I guess it's different, it's definitely geared towards tourists. And to be honest you only need to know 5 phrases when you go to mexico.

1. (Insert Spanish number) tequila por favor!   -- tequila please

2. Uno mas!  --one more 

3. No mas!  --no more 

4. Gracias  --thank you 

5. Hola! --hi

You can definitely get away with knowing only those phrases. 

About to land in Lima now. It was about a 6 hour flight here. Departed from SAL at 3:08(one hour ahead of ET) and landing here in LMA at 8:23pm. But it's the same time as back home. Yes! I don't have to adjust my watch and my iPhone will automatically do it. Now I'm on my own outside the airports. Getting a little anxious. Theresa sent me an email about what taxi to take, what taxi not to take. 

Ok an hour later, I made it to Theresa. I'll let her take over with the Spanish from here. Hahah

She got this cool little private place. Hostel like, but it's just us two. Definitely no 5 star hotel, but for $17 a day, who's going to complain! 

Tomorrow: Tour the town.