Twelve hours of travel went surprisingly fast, when I think back on it. At the time, four and six hour flights seemed very long – especially as I am not one to sit still for 30 minutes, let alone several hours. But my flights were fine, and I arrived safely in Lima.
I passed through Vancouver airport security shortly after six o’clock in the morning, after a short and sweet goodbye to Gelly, lest I dissolve into an emotional mess or something resembling it. By the time I passed through security, I had just enough time to pick up a bagel B.E.L.T and a large tea from Tim Hortons and find my gate.
I love travelling, hotels, planes, and adventures in general. I always ask for a window seat so I can see the ground (or clouds) below, and so I can watch from inside as the plane takes off. I have never taken detailed aerodynamic courses, but I do know the basic physics of flight. But - outside of equations and calculations, what an incredible feat – to lift such a large and heavy body off the ground, and suspend it in mid-air with two small flat popsicle stick-like appendages. Have you ever watched the wings of the plane as it leaves earth and heads into the clouds? They bend a significant amount! Aside from the physics of lifting such a large body, I find it amazing that the materials can bend so much but provide enough strength and stiffness to support the weight of the structure. As an engineer, you might think I am used to the things that the fields of Science and Engineering have conquered, but I think some things will never lose their wonder.
My first flight (Vancouver-Houston) was 4 h 20 min. I tried unsuccessfully to nap, and wound up spending most of the flight half dozing and half thinking about where I was headed. In-flight movies and TV cost $6, which I could not talk myself into spending for a short four hour flight. Halfway through the flight, of course, I wished I had purchased the entertainment. But – with only two hours left, I decided it certainly wasn’t worth it at that point. Oh well. I do enjoy flying – it’s exciting and fun – but sitting still for so many hours is not.
We arrived in Houston to the pouring rain, almost a half hour early. I disembarked and found my departure terminal, then went in search of lunch and a good book for the next flight (I ended up with Steig Larson’s ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’). At twice the price of the in-flight entertainment, a good book will last me at least 6 or 8 hours, and will be a far more satisfying experience. My next flight (Houston-Lima) boarded almost 30 minutes late. The flight was long, but thanks to my book and (this time - complimentary) in-flight entertainment, it certainly wasn’t unbearable. As we passed over the coast into Ecuador, I tried again to nap but wasn’t able to fall asleep for more than a few minutes. The flight landed almost an hour late, I think mostly due to the late start. When we finally arrived in Lima, I made my way to customs. The air was warm and a little bit sticky, although not near as humid as Japan was in the summertime.
Once I got through customs and picked up my bag, I ventured to find my taxi. I was told two things: 1) If you need a taxi, get one from someone inside the airport. Do not leave the airport to find a taxi; 2) Taxi America will be picking you up. In the first area through customs there were many signs on a board with people’s names. I could not see my name, but didn’t relish the thought of accidently taking the wrong taxi. The man by the sign was sending people out to the right, but people were also leaving to the left. I asked him where I could find Taxi America, and he told me to go left. Through the left door was a wide cordoned off walkway, with dozens and dozens of people standing against it, looking for people to come through the door. Some held signs, most seemed to be waiting for friends or family.
A uniformed security man asked if I needed a taxi, but I saw someone holding a sign with my name ‘Estefanie Wilson’. The man took my bag and I followed him outside. He was saying things in Spanish, and I was doing what you should always do in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language – smile and nod. Then he said “Ablo espagnol”? This I understood – “No ablo espagnol!” He laughed, I laughed. We made our way to the taxi, where he let me in, put my bags in the trunk, and locked my door. As he walked around to get in the driver’s side, I laughed to myself and thought how strange it was that I was more than 5000 miles from home. He asked where I was going – and I only know this because I heard the words ‘hotel’ and ‘casa’ (house).
As we drove through Lima, into San Isidoro, and into Miraflores, I tried to take it all in. It reminds me more of Thailand than Japan. There were dark houses and buildings, some very torn down, lots of graffiti in some parts. He drove fast, and there were certainly moments I thought we were going to rear-end the car in front of us at a red light. Also – the lines on the road didn’t always seems to mean anything.
We were driving down dark narrow streets, with quiet & dark houses. A few scattered people were taking out garbage, sweeping, or riding a bike along the side of the road. For no particular reason, I remember thinking, “I’m going to really like it here.”
We made a left and he started talking again, motioning out the right of the car. Immediately to our right was a big dark space – the ocean. I couldn’t see it, but I could smell it. Warm salty air filled the car, and I realized – I don’t go to the beach enough in Vancouver. The beach was beautiful at night. Across a large and long bay was a big brightly lit cross, shining on a hill. Along the beach was alternating sandy and park areas, with playgrounds and decorative statues. When we reached the address I was staying at, a man came out and motioned me inside. I said goodbye and thank you to the driver, and the door man brought me upstairs. It was a very small elevator - fitting five people in the space would have been difficult. Four would have been barely comfortable. It had an outside door that swung open. Once inside, the inside door slid across.
The Lima office manager has been kind enough to invite me to stay with her. The doorman let me in to the apartment and gave me the keys. I wondered if she wasn’t home, but when I asked, he motioned that she was sleeping. I went inside and found what I guessed was my room – a nice sized room with a big bed and fresh towels. I wasn’t particularly tired, but figured I should try to get some sleep. I set my alarm for 6:30am, unsure what time I should be up, but knowing I wanted a shower. I called Gelly to tell him I had arrived safely, then crawled into bed and realized I was more tired than I thought.
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