Dusseldorf Airport almost empty at its first semi normal day after the ashes crisis.

I´m already at home! :D But I should say I was having a good time in Germany… but you see, with the uncertainty of whether yes or no and for how long have to wait plus bothering people in their normal working life if I had to go to the airport, as well as being aware that we talk about an event with negative consequences quite an impact in many sectors, it wasn´t the best for enjoying a few extra days in Germany.

I got a seat at Iberia´s flight of 19.10 from Dusseldorf. I was in Dortmund and going to Dusseldorf Airport with time enough for doing the check in (check in online wasn´t available), cross the control and be on time at the respective door meant to leave the place I was no later than at 15.30.

I´d call several times to Iberia but they insisted that they really can´t give me warranties, that the first flight of the day was cancelled, the second one was delayed 2 hours, but it was due the plain going out from Madrid was delayed. The last time I´d called I explained my situation to the girl at the phone (btw: of all who attended the phone these days just had a nasty girl, everyone else, very kind and giving their best for giving me the best possible recommendations) checked and told me that actually the best for knowing if, from Iberia´s part, the flight would be ok or not, would be to check around 16.00 if the flight going from Madrid to Dusseldorf went on time, but anyway due the ashes problem, could be the airport the one that closes. For me to wait half of hour for knowing almost for sure if all was ok with the flight could meant to not to be on time and actually would be a terrible joke to lose the flight!

I decided to take the risk of going. I went by train because, I insist, it wasn´t a nice plan to bother a friend and not to fly finally. I also had already decided to follow my own recommendation and if the case was that this flight didn´t gone, to ask for a new seat in a weekend flight. I had the good luck of find an ICE train that goes straight to the airport (well, straight in this case means without having to move to another train, but this train does several stops in different cities).

Luckily I decided to go with more time, because since it was the first time I went by train to the airport, which had not foreseen is that from where I left the train to the respective terminal had to take the Sky train, something that actually I would have liked, of course, but I had the bad luck that was out of service and then had to go on normal bus, which found a stretch of traffic and this took a while to get to the terminal, besides that passed first to the parking. So, if I would go just in time, in a normal day that would cost me to be at the airport once the flight would be closed.

Other interesting place at the airport that I didn´t knew even after being there at least 5 times, is that in the part where you leave the train there is an observatory where you can see a panoramic view of the airport and departure and arrival of aircraft. Entry costs 2.50 Euros. And yes, I really was tempted about going to the observatory even just 10 minutes, but I didn´t want to risk.

Finally, I arrived at the terminal and was surprised to see the airport near empty. Even the queues at the counters of Iberia, with people, but far less than I expected. I could say that we were just the ones going to take some airplane. On the screen you could see that in general everything was normal, except for some Lufthansa flights canceled. Yes, I also was tempted about taking videos of the terminal near empty, but still believed that I will find crowdy lines at the control point, it wasn´t possible for me to give a look to it before going because it was one that is upstairs in Terminal B.
Once at the control point… it was empty! Well, I passed it and started to walk looking for the gate of my flight… it was like a ghost airport! See it by your own!



There were some plains taking off and arriving, but not so many actually.



In general the atmosphere was extremely rare.

I gave a look at different stores (I was with enough time to), I can say that in most stores I was the only one that entered. Took the opportunity to chat a bit with the staff of some shops and ask them how they had experienced the situation, they told me that in the preceding days they had been told not to go. I insisted on at least if they had been told to be aware to see if they had to go in the afternoon or something, they said no, that it was not going the whole day and until further notice. This puzzled me much, because in some way meant or that they knew the airport would not open the whole day (even if they were saying on the news that would open at 2 am, then at 2 pm, then at 6 pm ...) or even it it get open, passengers were not going to be able to eat and/or a drink at the airport and they haven´t reported that.

In the corridor I had the feeling that we were not many passengers, but when the plane was already in flight I got up to see the occupation of it ... there were many empty seats! I noted a few in this photo, but there were more.

I must say that I expected some comment from the captain at the microphone ... something like "Iberia laments the setbacks for the problem caused by volcano Eyjafjall ashes..." but no, not a word of this.

We arrived at Barajas, and yes, the T4 was quite empty. I mentioned it to the taxi driver and he agreed with me that there were few people.

About Dusseldorf I thought it was due being the first day semi normal and maybe just few people wanted to risk to do a booking without knowing for sure if they will really be able to fly, but about the T4 I really don´t know what to say.

I really hope the airports go back to real normal life asap and that someone gives economic help to those who had to pay expenses not foreseen due this situation.

Info for the travelers loosing flights due the volcano ashes problem.

Well, yes… I´m one of the thousands of people that can´t flight due the volcano ashes.

I think maybe the worst part of this all is the lack of information about how to proceed, that´s why I decided to write this post.

If you are in the same situation, this is for you:

Each airline will resolve the problem by they own rules. Iberia in Germany is doing this way:

You should call (there´s no other way) and ask for a new booking in the next aviable flight. Iberia phone numbers in Germany are:

069-7166322

069-7166178

069-7166320

069-7166172

069-7166358
069-7166364

069-7166356

It´s really hard to finally have someone at the other side, but you should insist. My recommendation: remember the person at the other side of the line is not responsible of what´s going on so, it´s not the right person for you to be mad with, this person is there for helping you as far as it´s possible.

What´s the problem with this system?

As far as nobody knows 100% sure when the planes will really go out, they give you a new flight with the info they have. So, you even should be taken care about the info provided by the airports and once you know the airport will be closed again so it won´t be possible for you new flight to go out, you should call again for asking about a new flight. My recommendation: if you already know that you have no problem about staying a bit more, better if you ask at once for a flight during the weekend, which seems to be the real moment when the flights will be really normal. With this you avoid to be calling day by day and you also help other passengers with more urgency.

NOBODY IS PAYING HOTEL NIGHTS NEITHER FOOD till the moment, no airlines, nor governments, no one. It´s being saying they will in different media, but actually the truth is nobody is doing so. Then, don´t take decisions thinking they will give you the money back, especially because I think if finally they will give helps, it will be as low as possible.
If you are in a hurry for being at your destination, instead of paying a lot to a taxi driver, it´s better if you search people that would like to share a rented car with you. For example, National Atesa, allows you to take a car in one country and to turn it back in a different want with very good prices. The price will be even better if you book it with the travel agency Halcon Viajes, their web: http://coches.halconviajes.com/

Right now this is all I can tell, in case I get more info, I´ll place it here.

Good luck!

Going from Margarita Island to the Orinoco´s Delta. Canaima: First Part.

It was 6:20 in a Sunday morning. Esther, Rosa, Curro and I were already at the Hotel Dunes ´ reception waiting for our taxi. The night before we haven´t went to sleep soon, as far as that was the night of the end of the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship, but our illusion about what was coming up made us to be there that early with a big smile in our faces! :D

When we arrived at the airport they went to take a coffee to at least pretend to be awake! ;P I haven’t, because if I eat or drink something before 9:00 I usually have stomach problems, and wasn´t a good idea to take that risk before travelling by plane! We did the check in so quickly and went inside the waiting room talking about the experiences of the last days. In a point, I don´t remember exactly why, I started to sign and dance a bit of “valió la pena”, the song Esther and I sang at the karaoke… and she placed at my side to sign and dance as well! All this at the airport, full of Europeans and USA tourists! Hehehehe ;D

Our plane was a small one of the company LTA. At the waiting room we meet some Germans that would do the several days tour (lucky them!). Their guide explained all of us our respecting tours.



We should go first to an airport close to the Orinoco´s delta (sorry, I forgot the name!) :/ there the other group would start their adventure and we should continue to Canaima, flying over Salto Angel in our route to Canaima. So, it was important to choose a good window for taking the best photos and videos… something that I´m afraid wasn´t easy even being just few people, due the windows were with a lot of scratches or/and dirty.

The view was magnificent! Quite a lot of green, so brilliant, full of life! Sometimes you don´t released about how big is a country since you watch it from the air. It really wondered me, because other countries of the area, like Argentina or Brazil, exploit a lot their natural resources in a touristic way, but Venezuela, at least as far of what I had heard or watch before going there, doesn’t do it as how they should.

Here a pice of the beauty you can watch from the skye going from Margarita Island to that airport close to the Orinoco´s delta:



We arrived at the first airport, the other group went out and I took advantage to try to find a better place with a window without scratches neither dirty, but actually I haven´t found it, the best window I found was with a sight of a wing and part of one motor and I had to ask for a napkin to clean it up. After few minutes the steward told us that we should go out of the plane as well. We left our belongs at the plane, but nobody told us that more people will come in as well, so, I left the bag at the seat, but actually the right thing was to left them at the lockers of the plain, that´s what Curro did, for example. We went in different seats, in order to have a window of our own each one.

So, we went out of the plain, but nobody told us we should go inside the airport, so we stayed right there, at the side of the plain… till someone told us by signs to go inside. We stayed in a waiting room with a cafeteria, at that time I was able to eat something with no stomach problems, so I went straight to ask for a coffee and something to eat. Another lady came after me and she tried to ask about her food before me. Actually this is something “so Latin-American” so, I had life training on it, so I know perfectly what to do to avoid it (that means I asked about the food the first) ;P

Immediately I went to choose a table, they were doing the line to ask about food as well. I got sit giving them my back, as far as we had no idea of how long we´ll stay there; I started to eat as fast as I can. I wasn’t watching them, so, I couldn´t avoid laughing a lot when I heard Esther claiming so angry: “Ok! Does someone else would like to cut in the line like if I would be invisible! Damn!” :D Yeap, she was out of training for Latin-Americans´ customs! ;P

We were waiting for another group that was coming late from nobodyknows ;P they were a lot, mostly Germans. (Just that nobody explained that to us). Thanks of God we had our seats reserved! Well, more or less, in Curro´s case, as far as he left his belongs inside the locker, the seat looked like an empty one and somebody took it. So he had to sit in another one with the window with a lot of scratches. All this for finally not over flying Salto Angel! They said we´ll do coming back to Margarita, but with no explanations about why. Actually, if there´s something I really should complain about in that tour, is about the constant lack of information.

(To be continued.)

Argentina. Second Part: From Madrid to Buenos Aires with Madonna´s concert in Valencia in between.

As I mentioned in the first part, the second time I went to Argentina my departure was a night after Madonna´s concert in Valencia, where I have gone with my friend Topo.

The concert was great, it was my first Madonna´s concert. I had heard that she wasn´t a good singer in lives. Maybe with the new technology her team had changed it because from my point of view, just in one song she didn´t sounded fine, but all the rest she was great.

I´m afraid I really haven´t seen her in live more or less 3/4 of the concert due I was in the yard and I´m not exactly so tall… actually I´m small… so what I have seen more were others´ necks. :( I´ve decided not to stay at the yard in a concert so long ago. I have done that for so many years, with 20 something but I started to appreciate to watch a concert being sit (or at least with the possibility to get sit if I want), more or less in my 30s. You enjoy better the performance in general, you are comfortable, you can rest every time you want, you don´t lose anything from the scenario and nobody pushes you for having a better place. The problem in Madonna´s concert was the price. Sometimes it´s not about if you could or not to pay a higher price, but about if you think the concert/theater piece/whatever, deserves the price. Yes, I like Madonna (otherwise I wouldn´t travel to Valencia before travelling to Argentina just for her concert), but I do think the prices of her concerts are so high. The point here is that she will continue with those prices as far as her fans pay them.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the concert and was great to share it with Topo and his friends.



The ones in Spain that will participate in a Scrabble in Spanish World Championship usually can´t plan to go together in the same plane. First of all, because we are from different locations, but also due we are sure about if we are or not classified just when the season is over. In some works you have to give advice about when you´ll have vacations in January, so, if you think you could be classified, you should take that in consideration. Sometimes you need to wait to know if you´ll have the money. For others the problem is about family matters. So, usually what we do is to do our own plans and then to see if by coincidence your plans match with others´. In this case it was funny because a lot of us had planned to travel on Sept. 19th. but in different airlines. So, Topo had a flight from Madrid, but some hours after mine, he will travel with Patxi and Montse, in my case I´ll travel with Blai… and yes, I have to admit that I did it with Aerolineas Argentinas again (it was the cheapest option).



So, my journey to Buenos Aires was: Madrid – Valencia on Thursday 18th by train. Madonna´s concert that night. Valencia – Madrid on Friday 19th morning with Topo, in his car and playing things like anagramming with the words of the signs or to know who was the faster one adding the cars´ numbers or singing out loud. :D We had lunch at my home and had gone together to the airport in a cab. He had to wait a bit more. I was lucky and found a way to have sit with Blai.



Blai is a quite interesting person. He´s teacher in Lloret, but his talents are multiples. He´s brilliant with math and with letters as well. He had done different games that you can find at his web. He also likes to draw (and has great ones) and to build scale models (right now he´s doing a cathedral, for example). He had read and travel a lot and you notice about that when you talk with him, you always learn something with him. He had been in the whole life of the Scrabble Association of Spain one of the best players and even had won the World Championship in 1992. Plus this all… he also dances sooo fine!!! :D Yeap, it was an honor to share with him this travel!

Of course we had been playing a bit during the flight, but also talking about his experiences in other Championships, our travels, our lives… we arrived in Buenos Aires at 5.30 hrs. more or less.



(To be continued)

Argentina. First Part: Going There

Argentina is a big country with an incredible mix of contrasts. I had the very good luck to visit it twice.

The first time was due work in 2004. I traveled with Aerolineas Argentinas,from Madrid, and I should say I don´t recommend this airline. I´d traveled alone. The sits in tourist class are bigger but their status is a pity.

Also that travel was terrible due something that wasn´t the airline fault at all: when we were close to the landing time, the captain advices us that due a storm in Buenos Aires, we should land first in Córdoba, but, as far as that wasn´t an international airport, it won´t be possible for us to go out of the plane, he couldn´t know for how long we should stay there, but will keep us informed. Well, you see, you can´t blame anybody for that, at least we had a place to stay. They played again the movies we had seen already, but at least you have the feeling there´s something to do while waiting.

Every 20 minutes, more or less, the captain tried to give us news and more planes in the same circumstances were arriving as well. The real problem was that the time was running and we had no food, no drinks, the smokers can´t go outside to smoke and they weren´t allowed to smoke inside neither.

Some kids and babies were at the flight as well. A couple with a 2 y/o baby was at the row behind the mine. During the whole flight I had seen her taking care of the baby and him enjoying the entertainment of the plane. After more than 12 hours flying and several more at the airport, inside the plane, of course the poor baby was bored! And the mummy as well! But the daddy instead of helping a bit started to complain about the baby and at that time the mummy was tired enough to just accept what he was claiming and then they started to fight. :( People that know me closer, already know I´m not exactly the kind of person that would even to play with kids that I don´t know. And I´m afraid I have some kind of allergy to the babies crying. Of course with the fight the baby started to cry more… so, again one of those situations that I really can´t explain even to me why, but I told the mummy to give me the baby and I started to play with him, you know that kind of games like “hey! Look at this! This is a light! Now it´s here… now it isn´t… where´s the light?” Yeap! For sure I was desperate! ;)

Other dramas were worst. People losing flights. People that their final destination was Cordoba and they weren´t allowed to go out of the plane as well (but well, that´s normal, as I said, they didn´t have a way to receive people coming from out of Argentina), people starting to complain to the crew as if it would be their fault… A smoker didn´t want to wait more and had smoke at the toilette and then the alarm started to ring and the captain told us to please give information, in case we can, about the person that have done that due it was against the law no matter if we weren´t flying; someone said the fine will be expensive but the real problem was that they also forbid to use any other airline for 3 years…

In my case, I would be just for the weekend in Buenos Aires and had reserved a city tour that was already lost, of course. :(

After six hours…. Yes! SIX HOURS! Finally the captain told us the storm was over. We arrived at Buenos Aires at 13.00 more or less, without having eat since the diner (we supposed to arrive at 6.00 in the morning, no breakfast then) and no way to claim anything, as far as it wasn´t the airline fault… BUT! I was finally in Buenos Aires!! :D

Yes, I know… this is not exactly the happiest or nicest story about going to Buenos Aires! But I thought it should be told!




The second time I went to Argentina was in September 2008, due the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship. (This time I really deserved to be selected!) ;)

The journal started a bit before, because Madonna was giving a concert the night before my departure (and the departure of a lot of us, actually). I asked Topo if he would like to go to the concert, as far as he lives in a location of Valencia, one of the places Madonna selected for her concerts in Spain (she didn´t done one in Madrid, somehow Valencia was the best option for me).

Then, as I said, my journal started on Thursday Sept. 18th. at midday, going to Valencia by train! Of course, previously leaving the bags ready! :D

(To be continued)

Scrabble weekend in Catalunya.First part: Girona

Hi! I know, there´s still pending the last part of the Girls´s weekend story, but I´m with my Scrabble Club in Girona right now and tomorrow (Sunday) will be the tourney at torneo de Sant Andreu… and I´ll try to put my own version of it in my blog in real time!

Friday 17

Going to Girona

Curro and I are going by plane, with Ryanair. I love low cost airlines! I got a super price for this flight, so, would be expensive to stay in Madrid! :D

All was fine, but I had a bad episode with a ground stewardess that made me to keep my purse at the hand luggage… if it would be a big purse, I could understand it… but is just a bit bigger than a cap! Gggrrr! And I had been watching afterwards, of course, she didn´t told anybody else to do the same, even when other purses were quite bigger than mine! Well, I won´t let this girl to spoil my weekend!



It was raining in Girona… that´s why it is so green! :)



Lunch

The landing was around 15.00, we went from the airport to the city by bus and we decided to eat in a mexican restaurant before going to Patxi and Montse´s home, they will be our hosts this weekend.

Sadly the Mexican rest. was already closed, so we went to the König, that is a great fast food place with hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches and similars. It has a great quality/price relation place.



Scrabbe night

Once at Patxi and Montse place, we start talking a lot, long time without being together! I had play 2 games with each one and I feel really happy to notice that I´m not in that bad fit as I thought.

That night a lovely couple joined us: David and Susana, also club SG members. We start a game with Patxi, at our side Susana and David play as well, while we wait the dinner to be ready, Montse and Curro are on it.

The dinner was great! Patxi have done some marvelous Spanish Omelets and Montse some delicious “tigres”. Plus some cheese, olives, bread and sausages and you got a great dinner!

We keep on playing after the dinner, the 2 last games were the classic: girls against boys, at that time Curro and Montse were already sleeping, but I know Curro´s snores were trails to give them clues of what to play! ;) David and Susana left around 4.00 a.m., I could say it was just about being shy about the time it was, because I noticed they would prefer to keep on playing! (I´ll put the video and pics on next week).