South America...here we come!

Hey travelin’ fans!  Globe Trotting Jim is back with more bloggage.  This time we are going to South America for a couple of weeks.  Specifically Buenos Aries, Argentina for a week and then off to Rio for Carnival!  That’s right, while I have never been to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I am jumping right up to the big leagues and doing Carnival in Rio.  I hope I survive.  I am meeting up with my travel buddy, Marci (she of Thailand and Hawaii blog fame) in Buenos Aries.  She has been traveling South America for the last month or so on her own and has loved it.  Now I am crashing her party for the next two weeks. 

Currently, I am in the middle of a 6 hour layover in NYC’s JFK airport…so there isn't a ton to report but I figured I would dust off my blogging skills and update to where we are so far.  Due to the 6 hour nature of the layover, I blew the $50 and bought a day pass to the Admirals lounge.  Free wi-fi, complimentary adult beverages, more comfy chairs, nice bathroom and, if I so desired, showers...highly recommended for long layovers.  I am attempting to earn my money back via complimentary beverages.  The nice lady at the front desk asked if I perhaps had AmEx Platinum ($400 annual fee) as you get in these places for free...but alas, I don't pay for the privilege of using a credit card.

I had to wake up at 4am to get ready for a shuttle pick-up to the airport.  I am going to be gone a total of 18 days and the $50 fee each way comes to less than $10 per day parking.  It is actually nice to be picked up and dropped off. 

Got to the airport early enough to not only check in with Delta (the to NYC leg) but also wander over to the American desk to get seat assignments for my flight from NYC to BA (how I am going to refer to Buenos Aries from now on because 2 letters is easier to type than more than 2 letters…my apologies to all native Argentinians who may read this in the future if you feel this insults your, I am sure, beautiful city).  This had been the one “oh crap” portion of the entire planning as I wasn't able to reserve seats when I booked and visions of “middle of a row of 5 for 10 hours” was the fear de jour.  But the nice people at the completely empty American Airlines desk hooked me up with bulkhead aisle!  SCORE!  Unfortunately exit row was already taken, but bulkhead = more leg room AND no one leaning back into your knees. 

Speaking of knees, Delta’s between seat distance sucks.  I guess I have been taking Southwest for granted.  My knees never touch the seat in front of me on southwest, but in Delta, I was totally scraping for the entire 4.5 hour flight.  No one in the middle seat though so overall, not too sucky.  Just would prefer a little more legroom without having to pay for economy plus.  One of the drawbacks of being tall.  Plus = can see over short people and usually have a good time at a standing room only GA concert.  Minus = leg room in planes.  Whatareyougonnado?

I have never been to JFK airport before.  I experienced a “how big is this airport” moment on landing.  Looked outside the window as we were landing to see another plane about ¼ a mile away landing AT THE SAME TIME!  How about them apples?  I have never seen that before.  Plus each terminal here is about the size of the entire Portland Airport…and there are 8 of them.  I work with a guy who grew up in Long Island and asked him if there was anything to do with the ~4 hours I would have discounting the need to get back and through security…he just gloomily shook his head no.  Oh well.

That’s about it for now.  I was going to wait and add more after I get to BA, but what the heck, get this out there and dust off the distribution list.

For your viewing pleasure, how they roll with the complimentary well drinks...bourbon and diet coke....Makers Mark this ain't.

Once again it’s our time…the people’s time! 

Love to all

Jim