First off, my plane left from Houston at midnight, and I had about a 5-hour flight from there to Caracas, Venezuela. Luckily the flight wasn't full and I could stretch out and lay down. I think I slept for a couple hours...but it wasn't very good sleep.
When I got off the plane in Caracas, I followed the crowd along to immigration, where I handed my passport to the guy behind the counter. The only thing he said to me was "Tourista?"...to which I answered yes and moved on. I had to pick up my checked bag there and exit the International airport and head over to the National airport to catch my next flight. Fortunately, they had a "driver" set up at the exit for the baggage to help me out. He spoke very good English and he directed me towards the taxis where we hopped in and he paid the taxi-driver to take us to the other airport. We got out and when we get inside, there'a huge line at check-in. It's probably good to point out that it's 5:30 AM...but it looks like it's about 7 or 8 AM U.S. time...it's bright outside and the airport is packed!
We get in line to get my ticket and re-check my bag...he takes a look at the line and asks me for my passport. Without really thinking, I hand the guy my passport and he tells me he's going to try and bypass the long line and get me checked-in. He wanders off toward the beginning of the line...and as I'm standing there and getting my bearings, I quickly realize that I'm surrounded by people that mostly don't speak English...I speak very very little Spanish...and I don't even have my passport. I didn't have long to worry about it, because the guy was only gone for a couple minutes before he returns to get my bag to check it and he runs off again. He returns in another couple of minutes with my ticket and my baggage claim....he probably saved us at least 30 minutes.
We then go stand in the next line in order to pay the airport taxes. I guess they don't ever include the taxes whenever you buy your tickets in Venezuela...and everyone just pays the same tax. This line is much shorter...and we stand there for a little bit and then the guy pays my taxes. He then directs me to security and tells me where my gate is and sends me on my way.
My next flight to Puerto Ordaz isn't until just after 10 AM, and so I have a few hours to wait. I grab a bite to eat and mostly just sit around and check out the locals. I've always enjoyed people-watching, and airports are generally good places for that activity...and the fact that I was in a different country didn't change that. 10 o'clock is quickly approaching and so I head over to the boarding area where I see the flight and the boarding time up on the screen. I can't understand any of the announcements over the loud-speaker...so I figure I'll just get up whenever everyone else stands up to board.
And then the worst thing happens...Puerto Ordaz disappears off the screen and another city is put up in it's place. I wait a couple of minutes to see if there's some kind of announcement directing people to go to another gate...but I don't hear anything like that...and everyone else sitting around me is just staying there. So now I'm questioning whether or not everyone around me is even on the same flight. I walk up to the desk and show them my ticket and I say the only thing I know to say..."Puerto Ordaz?". I think the guy realizes I probably don't speak much Spanish...he looks at his screen and then says "nueve" and holds up 9 fingers. I assume he means Gate 9, since I'm at gate 5. And since the plane was supposed to be boarding at that time, I rush down to Gate 9 and see a bunch of people sitting there. Something doesn't seem right...if the gate just changed, how were all these people here already. And so I walk up to the desk and once again show them my ticket and say "Puerto Ordaz?". This time the lady looks frustrated and is shaking her head and gets on her walkie talkie and talks for a couple of minutes before pointing down the hall and saying "ocho". So I walk over to Gate 8...but there's still a bunch of people sitting at that gate, although not nearly as many as the last one. I look up at the screen, and the flight says Barcelona (Venezuela, not Spain) and not Puerto Ordaz...I'm thoroughly confused. Nobody is boarding, there is no plane waiting, and there is no one behind the desk to ask any questions...not that I had any idea what or how I might ask anything...but I figure I'm safe for a little while. I walk over to the big screen that has all the flights listed...and there is Puerto Ordaz with the comment "Joinning" listed next to it...and NO Gate number. However, the time listed for boarding is now 30 minutes later than it was originally supposed to board...and now I'm even more confused.
So I go sit down. Shortly thereafter a women behind me starts speaking Spanish, asking myself and the guy next to me a question. She's pointing at her ticket, and the guy next to me says "Puerto Ordaz...wah wah...blah blah blah." So I respond with "Puerto Ordaz", assuming that she's asking where my ticket is for. You know that "annoying" Spanish/Mexican person in the U.S. who doesn't speak any English...and I always wondered how they made it anywhere in the U.S without being able to speak the language...and now realized that I was that guy.
An hour later, a plane showed up at the gate...passengers exited the plane...and then almost everyone waiting in our area stood up to get in line. I stood up too, but then the lady who was now behind the desk shouted something to everyone...obviously explaining something about the flight or the plane. Half of the people sat back down, but I figured since I was already standing up, I'd just stay in line. There was an older gentleman in front of me in line...I pointed at his ticket and said, "Puerto Ordaz?" (...notice a pattern here?) He says "Si"...and so at that point I'm fairly certain I'm in the right place...but I have no idea how long before the plane will leave...or why it was late...or why the screen still says that the flight is going to Barcelona.
We finally board the plane...now 2 hours after we were originally supposed to board. Right before I get on the plane, the flight attendant says something, which I somehow translated to mean that we could sit anywhere. Everyone boards and there are a few Japanese passengers who probably also spoke English and very little Spanish. I think this was the reason that the flight attendant decided to translate every announcement he made on the plane into English as well as Spanish. This was to my benefit...because I soon found out per his announcements, that this plane was eventually going to Puerto Ordaz, with a quick stop-over in Barcelona. Had the flight attendant not translated, I probably wouldn't have had any idea...and I might have gotten off the plane in Barcelona instead.
So we finally landed in Puerto Ordaz...3 hours after we were originally supposed to land. I had been in an airport or airplane for nearly 24 hours at that point. I got my bag...and I met my new "driver". I was exhausted and worn out. I hadn't showered and I smelled like airplane/airport. I called in to the job-site and they suggested that I just go to the hotel and start the next day. So the driver took me the to my hotel. I showered, took a nap, and finally came to the realization that I was in another country, far from home, and that this was only the beginning of my interesting trip.
