Psuedo-South America

It is currently 8:01AM EST on November 10th, Miami - USA. Yes, Miami.

I am living to rue my words to Matt the night before we left. I was ruminating on the poor mail service in Argentina/South America and I said, "We may just find that the world is a lot bigger than we think."

I didn't think we'd find out so soon!

Two of three flights yesterday went off without a hitch. Upon arriving in Miami we made our way to baggage claim, because our flight from Miami to Buenos Aires was on a different airline: Aerolineas Argentina

After we got our bags we went to the information desk to get directions to the Aerolineas check-in

We walk up to the desk and ask the gentleman, "We were just looking for the A-A check-in desk."
The man leans back in his chair, lowers is head, and purses his lips - "Y'all are brave, damn, y'all are brave..."

"Excuse me?"

The man proceeded to explain that A-A is the bane of the Miami airport. That there is an "industry joke" about the airline: That airline is held together with bubble gum and duct tape.
He was also kind enough to elaborate by explaining that they often try to take off with two..even one engine working - instead of four.

GREAT! AWESOME! THANKS FOR THE HEADS-UP! ..as we are about to get onto our flight..

But, we are hardy traveleres - we soldier on! After sitting infront of the Aerolineas Argentina check-in desk for a few hours (we didn't want to check-in too early - in order to reduce the likelihood that our bags would be misplaced so early before the flight) we slap our knees and say, "LETS DO THIS!"

We tie up all of the loose straps on our packs and stride galantly over to the check-in desk. We wait for the clerks to finish their conversation. We place our identification on the counter. We wait. The woman says, "No flight today." It doesn't sink in to either one of us. Kaitlin talks to the woman - I continue to imagine that the form she is filling out is our boarding pass, "Gee, that's odd that she is hand-writing our boarding pass."
"If you go out the door and take a left, that is where the shuttle will pick you up. We are giving you breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

...um...wait, what?

So, I jinxed us. And, the "big world" got bigger a lot faster than I expected.

Thus - here - in Miami - not Buenos Aires - but that's okay!

It has been a good while since I have been in Miami. I look at it as Miami is our "warm-up" to BA. The minute we stepped off the plane, we smiled at the humidity. As I felt my fingers get sticky for the first time since early September - sentimentality for the south crept in.
More so, everyone speaks Spanish here. We more or less feel immersed, although I'm sure my first day in BA will blow this feeling out of the water.

So, that is the first update from life after Denver. We are crossing our fingers for a flight today. The weather looks clearer today, I'm taking that as our good omen. More tomorrow from Buenos Aires - ojala!