A trip to Nicaragua would not seem right unless something went wrong with the outgoing travel. Major glitches in the past include luggage that did not arrive, and officious customs officials who confiscated supplies.
The problem started on the 23rd when my flight from Calgary to Houston didn't happen. The pilot advised that the repair crews swapped out multiple computers and the plane was repeatedly powered up and down,
but all to no avail. The fuel tank, definitely full of fuel, did not say full. Safety is important and rules are meant to be followed in the interest of public safety. So, after several hours on the tarmac, without any hope of making my connecting flight to Managua, I re-booked for the next day. Sounds simple, but that was not my karma.
Christmas travel is generally complicated. Everybody is traveling. Seats are in short supply. Patience is thin. Even so, I did manage a flight to Houston on the 24th, but there was simply no possibility of a connection to Managua the same day. So, last night I enjoyed the Houston Marriott. Nice hotel with a revolving restaurant at the top.
The good news is that I am now in Nicaragua, with my luggage, and the supplies were not confiscated.
The bad news is that I arrived two days late, and I am still in Managua.
The 4 Wheel Drive Toyota Land Cruiser that I rented with Hertz was not waiting for me. I had phoned to make sure they would hold my car, and I had offered and was happy to pay for the two missed-use days before I arrived. I arranged a very early morning flight from Houston so that I could pick up the vehicle and drive the same day to Limon, the nearest community to the clinic. Not only was the car not waiting for me, but the Hertz booth at the airport was not even open. A confirmation number is worthless when there is no one to discuss this with. All the other car rental agencies were open. Of course none had vehicles.
So, I took a taxi to the Hotel Intercontinental. I had been scheduled to stay there on the 23rd, and ended up paying for the room because by the time the airplane computer thing ended, I had passed the cancel-before deadline. Not that I hoped that the hotel would offer me a free room. That doesn't happen. But, I did want to check the Hertz counter at the Hotel and I hoped to enlist the concierge in my quest for a car.
The Hertz counter at the hotel was also closed, of course.
I checked in. The Hotel Intercontinental is definitely the best hotel in Managua. I'm lucky there was accommodation. In fact, the availability of the room lifted my spirits and I thought, surely fortune is now smiling on me.
I enlisted the help of the concierge and thanked him with a large monetary encouragement. He phoned the person who was on local-Hertz-Christmas-duty, and this person apparently agreed to contact the Manager, or more likely, to try and contact the Manager on Christmas Day. They are to call back. Hmm.
The rainy season ended in Nicaragua a month ago, but you could have fooled me. The palm trees are swaying very briskly, the sky is grey, and there is rain falling. But, I am on the Hotel veranda, which is very dry, and somehow I know that tomorrow will be sunny.
That's Longfellow quoted by a Shortfellow.
The problem started on the 23rd when my flight from Calgary to Houston didn't happen. The pilot advised that the repair crews swapped out multiple computers and the plane was repeatedly powered up and down,
but all to no avail. The fuel tank, definitely full of fuel, did not say full. Safety is important and rules are meant to be followed in the interest of public safety. So, after several hours on the tarmac, without any hope of making my connecting flight to Managua, I re-booked for the next day. Sounds simple, but that was not my karma.
Christmas travel is generally complicated. Everybody is traveling. Seats are in short supply. Patience is thin. Even so, I did manage a flight to Houston on the 24th, but there was simply no possibility of a connection to Managua the same day. So, last night I enjoyed the Houston Marriott. Nice hotel with a revolving restaurant at the top.
The good news is that I am now in Nicaragua, with my luggage, and the supplies were not confiscated.
The bad news is that I arrived two days late, and I am still in Managua.
The 4 Wheel Drive Toyota Land Cruiser that I rented with Hertz was not waiting for me. I had phoned to make sure they would hold my car, and I had offered and was happy to pay for the two missed-use days before I arrived. I arranged a very early morning flight from Houston so that I could pick up the vehicle and drive the same day to Limon, the nearest community to the clinic. Not only was the car not waiting for me, but the Hertz booth at the airport was not even open. A confirmation number is worthless when there is no one to discuss this with. All the other car rental agencies were open. Of course none had vehicles.
So, I took a taxi to the Hotel Intercontinental. I had been scheduled to stay there on the 23rd, and ended up paying for the room because by the time the airplane computer thing ended, I had passed the cancel-before deadline. Not that I hoped that the hotel would offer me a free room. That doesn't happen. But, I did want to check the Hertz counter at the Hotel and I hoped to enlist the concierge in my quest for a car.
The Hertz counter at the hotel was also closed, of course.
I checked in. The Hotel Intercontinental is definitely the best hotel in Managua. I'm lucky there was accommodation. In fact, the availability of the room lifted my spirits and I thought, surely fortune is now smiling on me.
I enlisted the help of the concierge and thanked him with a large monetary encouragement. He phoned the person who was on local-Hertz-Christmas-duty, and this person apparently agreed to contact the Manager, or more likely, to try and contact the Manager on Christmas Day. They are to call back. Hmm.
The rainy season ended in Nicaragua a month ago, but you could have fooled me. The palm trees are swaying very briskly, the sky is grey, and there is rain falling. But, I am on the Hotel veranda, which is very dry, and somehow I know that tomorrow will be sunny.
"Into every life, some rain must fall."
That's Longfellow quoted by a Shortfellow.
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