On my way

The day begins early, way too early for my liking, but that´s something I have to live with if I want to get to Munich airport in time for the first leg of the journey. The flight to Frankfurt and catching my connecting flight to Caracas is uneventful (thank goodness!) and the ten hours on board the fully booked Airbus A 340 are boring and not as comfortable as it could be (OK, I was spoilt by Singapore Airlines last year, I admit it). My next-seat neighbour from Colombia sports an intimidating array of gang-style tattoos on his arms and makes it clear that Colombians need less personal space... 

But finally, after twenty minutes circling over the Caribbean sea, we reach Maiquetía Airport. There are no lights (and no a/c) when I reach the terminal building but there are huge posters telling everyone in various languages about Hugo Chávez´s new socialism and all the benefits it has brouught the Venezuelan people... Apart from these gigantic propaganda eyesores there is only chaos. Queues form and dissolve for no apparent reason and the staff hasn´t got the faintest idea where I should go, if I need anything before being admitted on the connecting flight to Bogotá... So I boldly pass the safety inspection and then wait for 3 1/2 boring and chilly (yes, the a/c has eventually started working - full blast - again) hours. Only the last 45 minutes are somewhat more interesting, because it gives me the opportunity to watch the formation of a new chaotic situation - the boarding procedure of my flight to Bogotá. When I finally get on board the jam-packed plane, I am confronted with three "problems": a) the airport hasn´t had enough energy to support the aircraft´s a/c (and it was baking hot inside, around 40°C), b) the luggage compartments were all full (and carry-on luggage comes in very different sizes...) and c) last but not least, my seat had been assigned to 2 people... which turned out  to be a good thing as they upgraded me to Business class and thus I spent the last 2 hours in heaven, being pampered and enjoying Avianca´s great onboard entertainment. 

At Caracas airport

Almost too soon we landed in Bogotá and it took hardly any time at all to clear immigration and pick up my bag - only to spend 20 minutes searching for the driver of my hostel in downtown Bogotá. When I was ready to surrender to the waiting taxi drivers I saw my name written on a big sign and minutes later I was on my way to the hostel. I was tired I could hardly keep my eyes open and so it was no surprise that I was in bed and fast asleep within 30 minutes...not even a partying trio in the patio (it´s really cold in Bogotá at night!) could delay my slumber thanks to my bright orange earplugs (and 26 hours without sleep)!

Cosy and clean - my home in Bogotá