Antarctica Day 1: get to buenos aires Argentina

After checking loads, and debating between united and delta, we decided to try and catch he delta direct flight from Atlanta to Eze (buenos aires) there were 15ish seats open (all first class) and we were 18-19 on the lost. That flight was departing at 9 then there was a delta direct flight to Santiago chile with 2 first and 55 coach seats open as our backup as flights from chile to buenos aires were about 200$ and matt could zed fare. So at 8am Wednesday we awoke grabbed our bags and made our way to the airport.

Let me retreat, our bags, in true form I was able to pack 16 days including winter gear into a carry on bag a piece. Plus our entertainment. Pieces in our backpacks. Thank goodness for roll tight plastic bags otherwise our snow pants would be the only pants we were allowed to pack.

Anyway, to get to Atlanta we were planning on going through Milwaukee. Checked the Atl direct which had 30 seats open the night previous and low and behold it was oversold. Good things we were planning on going through Milwaukee. Made that flight with our middle seat vacant. Had a quick breakfast burrito in Mke before boarding our flight to Atl. Made that flight too along with our middle seat vacant.

In Atlanta we stopped for a bit to eat at tgifridays and then found an isolated area in the international terminal where matt did some work stuff and I watched a few episodes of revenge. Then we started along our way o the Eze buenos aires direct flight gate. Spoke with the gate agent about verifying our passports to find out the plane is weight restricted. I then informed her of our plan to catch the Santiago flight if we don't make the Eze direct. She worked some magic to ensure we would be allowed onto that flight if we missed the direct.

40 minutes before take off (100 minutes before the Santiago flight) no word on he weight restriction being lifted. 20 minutes prior, there were 17 seats we were 15 and 16. 14 first class seats. A few standbys were cleared fingers crossed. Then seven standbys were cleared and 10 minutes before take off thy closed the doors. No more allowed per the weight restriction. So we hurried to the Santiago gate in another terminal, and I checked in with the gage agent there to see if she needed to clear out passports. 3 first class seats 55 in back. We are 2 and 3 on the list. She cleared the first standby then gave us seats together in first class. Score! Lay flats on the ten hour flight down to Santiago chile. We boarded and I attempted to buy the klm flight from Scl to Eze only to have an error online stating "it is too soon to take off online purchases are not allowed" matt verified the zed and it was a green smiley meaning his chances are good to get on. We end it at ok well try and book in the airport my ticket and if not then we will catch the flight Saturday.

Our cruise itinerary starts Saturday with us checking into a buenos aires hotel for the night, having breakfast and then catching an early morning flight to Ushuaia to embark on the ship.

Trying to not stress, we capture our cheers welcome drinks and get situated in our seats and I complete watching the new version of Cinderella before matt and I sync our screens and watch the minion movie. The purser was informed of our trip and my stress of trying to book a flight to Eze and told us to just party with the crew in Santiago instead.

Flight takes off and our five course dinner delivered. I had the chicken matt the beef brisket then he fell asleep. I enjoyed my hot fudge Sunday and creme brûlée before too falling asleep. Woke up about 5 hours later to breakfast a nice quiche and landed in Santiago chile.

Made out way through customs, as now we had been traveling for 20 hours and got the chile stamp. Then I went to the klm desk and requested to purchase a ticket on then flight to buenos aires departing in 2.5 hours. 250$, which was much better than the 908$ they quoted me on the phone the night before. I'll take it! Bought it and sent matt to wait in line to check in

I must say, I've always wondered who would go to the airport to buy a ticket, but now it makes sense. It's for us last minute people who book on airlines which don't allow purchase online within 24 hours of the flight. (And in my years of doing that, this is the first time I've experienced it.) having carried out bags on, I got a boarding pass from a kiosk then tried Matt's passport in the kiosk as well, which after the line of people all the way out the q and weaving twice more, had only moved about a foot in twenty minutes, was glad that his standby ticket printed as well. Thinking it better to ask forgiveness than permission with our bags, we headed for security. (And the person I bought my ticket from said I could have 1 carry on bag less than 25kg and 1 personal item less than 12kg) having not weighed our bags because we can shove them into the overhead bins ourselves I'm hoping our bags meet that restriction!

Anyway. Through the border patrol exit, and through airport security and to our gate. Matt talked to a young copa captain based out of panama flying 737s. Panama is close to Puerto Rico! Haha. Anyway. Get to the gate. Verify Matt's documents are okay and just wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Boarding started 1 hour 20monites for departure. And it wasn't until 30 minutes prior that the gate agent started clearing standbys. Luckily he got a seat and got me a seat 20 rows closer to the front with him, with our middle seat open. Yay! Watched a movie. Were served a chicken sandwich, a Heineken and a stropwaffel! All on the 1 hour 30 minute flight.

Landed. Waited in line to get through border patrol. And waited and waited and waited. We learned there is a pearl jam concert in town but it's Saturday night so we wouldn't be able to swing it. Apparently they were in Santiago a few nights previous. A lot of fans on our flight. Anyway. Made it through border patrol and then waited and waited and waited some more to get through customs. Then found an ATM and a taxi to the city center where we booked a hotel for two nights just around the corned of the hotel we have to be at Saturday night.

Thank goodness we've been watching hotel impossible. Made it into our room to find half Dranken water bottles in the bathroom. Dirty towels. Dirty linens a random pill (tried to id it but wasn't in my American system) and requested a new room. They upgraded us to a site with a much can better view and slightly larger floor plan. Took an hour long nap as it took us 26 hours of travel time to get here. And then went and walked the shops of Florida street. Found a nice cafe, had a drink and pizza, stopped at a convenience shop picked up a bottle of Malbec for 4$us. And returned to our hotel where he bar tender opened the bottle, gave us two wine glasses and we retreated to our room ready for a full day of who knows what sight seeing in buenos aires.

Travel count thus far: 4 flights, 14 hours in the air. 26 hours of total time spent traveling.