Ok I have been in Calif for a week. It's Tuesday nite and I arrived last Wedneday nite. I wish I would have posted sooner cause I'm sure I've already forgotten some stuff. So- my trip to the airport- ha ha or maybe aaarrrggghh would be a better description. I took the shuttle, the one I was worrying about for the 2 weeks leading up to my trip. But we called the day before and the guy said no problem- ask for me and I'll take her (me) right to the airport. Well we got up early and drove up to Sonoyta, arriving about 7:15, cause the guy said he might be able to leave a little early; especially if nobody was on the shuttle coming from Puerto Penasco. I mean what's the chance on a Wednesday at 7am...it's not like the place is brimming with tourists. So we get there, and walk into the border office, my passport gets checked, but only I can pass thru the other door. So we decide to walk back to the Mexico side and see if the shuttle got there yet, and Everardo walks back to the shuttle office, calls the guy and finds out he has to buy the ticket there, but I get on the bus on the US side. But the office isn't open- BIG SURPRISE (yeah- that's sarcasm). The guy calls back and says the shuttle is on the way. AN HOUR goes by, then the guy calls and says no problem, the shuttle will be there at 8:30. Oh did I say the trip is 3 hours, so 8:30 gets me there at 11:30am, and my flight is at 1pm. Ok that's acceptable. EXCEPT- the shuttle shows up at 9:15! Two guys and me jump on, after the driver, who only speaks Spanish- even though he did not come from Puerto Penasco, he came from Phoenix, he complains about the size of my suitcase- and that's because he has a bunch of crap loaded in the back of the shuttle, but he shoves my suitcase in. (the van had about 5 bench seats and we were only using 2, but my suitcase was shoved in the back doors.
We drop one guy about 10 miles in, in the town of Ajo. Then we head across the desert towards Phoenix. I am so anxious! Will we make it? Hmmm, about an hour later, we have a flat tire! In the desert! And of course, no spare. The driver and the other passenger get out and look, and decide we can go slowly. Oh- the driver- have you ever seen the video game Mario Cart? The short guy, thick mustache, red hat..well he was driving the shuttle! We slugged along at 30 miles an hour, until we came to the next town, Gila Bend. We stay on the highway (2 lane) until we come to this shack that's a tire shop....we're in Arizona but the guy there only spoke Spanish. I asked for a bathroom and directed around the corner. One door had a running washing machine and a toilet. The other door had a toilet, but beyond that was an opening and a breakroom table...so I returned to the first door. By then I really had to pee, and noticed a hose going into the toilet bowl. I'm not sure if it was the drain for the washer or maybe the water source, but the hose would not come out of the toilet. Well.....did I say I had to pee? So I went on the hose! Then I went to flush and the handle wasn't attached to anything! I looked in the tank and saw the chain, under water- which I had no intention of grabbing.
So- actually buying and changing the tire only took about 10 minutes. We got back on the road and I swear he was still driving 30, ok maybe 55 but the speed limit was 65! I asked him to pls pls drive a little faster (of course all conversation was in Spanish), and he did for a minute, then slowed to a stop. He asked the passenger to get out and check the back doors so my suitcase wouldn't fall out- since the border patrol had opened it (about 2 hours prior). We get close to Phoenix but I know I have missed my plane. I ask if he is familiar with the airport, that I need United. The response is that he's not taking me to the airport- he's taking me to their office and a car will take me, that it will be faster. I'm ready to kill somebody. The passenger gets out, after we have left the highway and then we jump back on. We get to the office and a guy is outside waving his arms. He jumps in the driver seat and starts going about 80miles an hour. He tells me the price is $60, but he has a coupon so it's $55. oops he can't find the coupon so the price is back to $60, but NEXT time I get the discount. Ha ha ha ha ha like I will ever use them again! He tells me it's not the driver's fault cause he got a flat, and I say no- it's cause he was 45 min late. Oh yeah- this part is in English so he doesn't know i can understand Spanish, and he starts yelling at the other guy, who had previously told him (I guess) that he was on time to pick us up.
Ok he pulls up in front of the United counters, jumps out and whips my suitcase out of the back. I run in and there's a line. The guy in front of me asks when my flight is and I say- about 20 minutes. He says go to the front of the line- and everybody was cool with it. I did the same thing at security, after running there and everybody was so nice about it! So then I start running to the gate, huffing and puffing- really I could barely breathe...and I know the plane is full and the door is closed. I get to the gate and there's no plane so I know I missed it. I see a woman with a United uniform and I ask how long ago the flight left for San Francisco. She look at me and says- oh it's late, it hasn't come in yet, it's half an hour behind! Can you believe it??!! I made the plane cause it was late getting to Phoenix.
So that's day 1.
We drop one guy about 10 miles in, in the town of Ajo. Then we head across the desert towards Phoenix. I am so anxious! Will we make it? Hmmm, about an hour later, we have a flat tire! In the desert! And of course, no spare. The driver and the other passenger get out and look, and decide we can go slowly. Oh- the driver- have you ever seen the video game Mario Cart? The short guy, thick mustache, red hat..well he was driving the shuttle! We slugged along at 30 miles an hour, until we came to the next town, Gila Bend. We stay on the highway (2 lane) until we come to this shack that's a tire shop....we're in Arizona but the guy there only spoke Spanish. I asked for a bathroom and directed around the corner. One door had a running washing machine and a toilet. The other door had a toilet, but beyond that was an opening and a breakroom table...so I returned to the first door. By then I really had to pee, and noticed a hose going into the toilet bowl. I'm not sure if it was the drain for the washer or maybe the water source, but the hose would not come out of the toilet. Well.....did I say I had to pee? So I went on the hose! Then I went to flush and the handle wasn't attached to anything! I looked in the tank and saw the chain, under water- which I had no intention of grabbing.
So- actually buying and changing the tire only took about 10 minutes. We got back on the road and I swear he was still driving 30, ok maybe 55 but the speed limit was 65! I asked him to pls pls drive a little faster (of course all conversation was in Spanish), and he did for a minute, then slowed to a stop. He asked the passenger to get out and check the back doors so my suitcase wouldn't fall out- since the border patrol had opened it (about 2 hours prior). We get close to Phoenix but I know I have missed my plane. I ask if he is familiar with the airport, that I need United. The response is that he's not taking me to the airport- he's taking me to their office and a car will take me, that it will be faster. I'm ready to kill somebody. The passenger gets out, after we have left the highway and then we jump back on. We get to the office and a guy is outside waving his arms. He jumps in the driver seat and starts going about 80miles an hour. He tells me the price is $60, but he has a coupon so it's $55. oops he can't find the coupon so the price is back to $60, but NEXT time I get the discount. Ha ha ha ha ha like I will ever use them again! He tells me it's not the driver's fault cause he got a flat, and I say no- it's cause he was 45 min late. Oh yeah- this part is in English so he doesn't know i can understand Spanish, and he starts yelling at the other guy, who had previously told him (I guess) that he was on time to pick us up.
Ok he pulls up in front of the United counters, jumps out and whips my suitcase out of the back. I run in and there's a line. The guy in front of me asks when my flight is and I say- about 20 minutes. He says go to the front of the line- and everybody was cool with it. I did the same thing at security, after running there and everybody was so nice about it! So then I start running to the gate, huffing and puffing- really I could barely breathe...and I know the plane is full and the door is closed. I get to the gate and there's no plane so I know I missed it. I see a woman with a United uniform and I ask how long ago the flight left for San Francisco. She look at me and says- oh it's late, it hasn't come in yet, it's half an hour behind! Can you believe it??!! I made the plane cause it was late getting to Phoenix.
So that's day 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment