Misreading a reservation - that's a first!

I am supposed to be in Bogota, Colombia. But, for the first time ever, I misread my ticket reservation! Yes, it said Friday July 25. And I showed up at the airport more than three hours ahead of departure at 1.55 am. I’d printed out the boarding pass a couple of days earlier, thinking this airline, Avianca, gives a lot of time to do so! When I got to Security the officer couldn’t read the QR Code. She was puzzled and called a colleague. Then it dawned. The ticket was the correct time, just the previous day! How could this have happened? I really can’t explain it except that since the departure was at 1.55 am I associated it with July 25 – as in arriving at the airport for that overnight flight. Rather than arriving at the airport on July 24 for the 1.55 departure on July 25. Get it? A cluster mind f--- admittedly. Then again, I’ve never left at such an ungodly hour. I immediately walked over to the Avianca (Colombia’s national airline) desk. Chuckling, the clerk couldn’t believe it either. But he eventually offered me a free one-way replacement ticket. That was generous. But as tonight’s other flight was full, he could only offer it for the next night’s flight. I started to walk away then turned and asked, “what about the return ticket?” He seemed to suggest I should “deal with that with the airline” as in phoning the call center. Mind you, I had just driven four hours from Windsor to Toronto and now had to drive all the way home, after two massive Hwy. 401 traffic snarls, arriving 4 am. I got four hours sleep. Waking, I wondered if it was still worth making the trip to Colombia since it would mean having to drive back to Toronto, a grueling task at the best of times. Then I thought: what the hell am I going to do the next five days at home – time I’d booked off anyway. So, I phoned the Avianca call center to try to claim the full ticket. After more than a half hour the agent said she couldn’t do it, saying the airport had made a mistake, and to return to the airport for the ticket. I got in the car and drove up the 401 once again. I parked, took the airport shuttle, arriving 8 pm, four hours before departure. Only to discover a massive line waiting for the desk to open. (Do all Colombians travel with checked baggage?) After more than an hour my turn came, I walked to the desk, explained my situation. The same dude who’d given me the free ticket the night before – the “supervisor” – was there and the desk clerk spoke to him. But they said the agent at the call center was wrong and a free return ticket couldn't be issued under any circumstances. But I could purchase one - for $791! That was more expensive than my original two way ticket - $785. I declined and walked away; I didn't want to go to Colombia that badly. Later it occurred to me that that “free” first ticket was nothing more than a coupon. The airline pretended it was being generous only to try to hook me into buying a needed return ticket. In other words, a way for the airline to make more money. 

Park 'N Fly: I tried Park 'N Fly for the first time. It’s a massive airport shuttle service from several neighboring Pearson airport lots. But when waiting for it at the terminal, the bus pulled up but the driver didn’t open the door. I waited and waited while he fiddled with his cell phone. What was he waiting for! After 10 minutes I finally caught his eye. I raised my voice and asked why he hadn’t opened the door? “Oh, you should have knocked on it,” he said, because some people mistake his bus for another shuttle and just walk on. He later apologized. But at least the gate attendant didn’t charge me for the five days I’d pre-booked. A small mercy.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller

Learning a foreign language? Forget it!

Learning a language for travel or just learning a language. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion: forget it! This is all in theory of course. I still practice languages – French, Spanish and German. Spanish I find the easiest. The reason I started learning them (via Duolingo) is because of travel. I spend a lot of time in Spain, I go to Montreal frequently and occasionally I head to Germany, where I have friends. I usually practice for an hour every day. I just finished my Spanish routine for the day, as I’m heading to Spanish-speaking Bogota Colombia next. But, I ask you, what good does it do me? Regardless of the country I’m in I hardly ever know enough of the local lingo to strike up a conversation, let alone keep one going, or even to string together a basic phrase -i.e., do you have ketchup? ("Tienes ketchup") Even that is wrong as it should be “tienes el ketchup” since some languages are more formal than English. That’s why you hear people from other countries use articles “the this” and “the that” because that’s how they speak in their native tongue. Often, when in Spain or Germany or Montreal, when confronted with a question from a native, or if I need to ask the most basic question or make a statement, I get flustered or “freeze.” Yet a minute later, if I think about it, I would have been able to string at least a few words together to maybe have gotten my point across. The problem is that I never spend enough time in any country. At most I’m two months somewhere. I think if I’d spend six months I’d start to be fluent…I think. It does please me that I can at least say a few things, like “mi maleta” (my suitcase), “un boleto para Barcelona” (a ticket for Barcelona), or my fave in grocery stores, “dos bolsas por favor” (two bags please) or “tengo una bolsa” (I have a bag). It’s not that I don’t like speaking another language, I prefer it. And I know it brings an inner smile to the native person when I do so. (I feel guilty that they always have to change.) Now I’ll be heading to Greece at the end of summer. After Hello (“ya”), Yes (“nay”) thank you (“esfratistow”) that’s about all I can handle. Okay, I’ll try to learn a few more words, please! ("parakalo") 

Meanwhile, I’m heading to Colombia this month, my first trip to South America. It appears very Spanish, as in hardly anyone speaks English. I’m not intimidated since I have some Spanish – some being relative – and it forces me to use that language. I chose Bogota for three reasons: it has a superb Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and I’m a transit freak. It also has a great cycling network through I’m less a bike enthusiast. Its airport looks sprawling and hosts myriad international flights, indicating the scale of the city. And famed local coffee sellers in Windsor and Amherstburg, Monteneros, are from Colombia. Hey, you’ve got to have some reason to go, right? From a few pictures the city is surrounded by mountains so there might be some enticing walks and hikes. The city also seems to have a lively arts and gay scene, though I’m not gay. But after having signed on to several online Colombian travel groups, virtually everyone is not going to Bogota but to myriad other places including Medellin or Cartagena, or doing remote weeks-long cross-country expeditions, and all seem more sophisticated in their plans than me. I.e., “Are there buses that go from La Pintada to Peñalisa or Bolombolo that not go via Medellin?” or “From Filandia to Jardin with public transport on a Sunday. What is the best option?” I’ll keep you updated. 

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller