eight hours, two ambien and a full row juss para mi

I’m sure glad I didn’t pay for a business class upgrade that’s for sure. Late last night at the Hartsfield gate I inquired as to the fullness of the plane..to my surprise, it had really filled up since I had last checked just one day prior. I was dreading the idea of some smelly tort slob eating kippered snacks sitting next to me so once aboard I did what I could to pull the ole jedi mind trick on one of the unknowing Chilean flight attendants. She behaved just like a storm trooper and basically said that she had blocked out a few rows to store her headphones etc..and that I could have my pick. NICE!! So a couple grainy sips on the rocks, two little delicious ambiens and a stack of pillows, made for a nearly dream like flight. No disruptions, no issues and hey,…as much as I thought I might,…I didn’t even pee my pants.

Smooth transition through what appeared to be an extremely defensive and vigilant immigration and customs program . Many folks were crying and tossing wildly about as there Diamond brand smoked almonds and pecan brittle they had purchased at some roadside stand outside Gatlinburg TN were scoffed away and chucked into the enormous bio-hazard like red barrel already brimming with various and sundry items dubbed as no pinche bueno para Chile. Any how, on board the Mercedes tour van, a 30 min trip from the airport to the brand new “W” hotel was quite a scene. If you think it’s a damn warzone in south Atlanta, you ought ta try south Santiago. As we drove along, a large viaduct or canal paralleled the road for most of the ride. Flanked by classic barrios made of scrap wood and jagged torn and rusty pieces of galvanized steel, these makeshift dwellings at times, went on for many many blocks deep and wide. The canal had dump sites about every 50 or so feet that looked as if they were the standard dumping zone for everything and anything. Some burned, some clothes, and lots and lots of trash. Hmmmmm, fresh water from the Andes eh?

In any case , I have nothing to bitch about from where im sitting right now …im 25 minutes away from my first seminar sitting in front of a floor to ceiling window in my 10th floor room, listening to vintage Rastafarian music overlooking the much different, ripened , groomed and muy metropolitan downtown area. Stunning backdrop of the Andes with only a few foothills makes for a dramatic and totally awe inspiring view. More later ~