June 28, 2017 - Off to Trinidad

Off to Trinidad

Before you assume that I’m going to Trinidad in the Caribbean, there are Trinidads everywhere, even a Trinidad, Texas.  I did visit Trinidad in the Caribbean, but that is a whole different story.  Trinidad, Bolivia is the capital of the Beni department in northern Bolivia.  It is more tropical than Santa Cruz, with nighttime temperatures around 70 and daytime temperatures, even in the winter, topping 95 degrees.

I left early.  Getting a taxi wasn’t a problem, I actually stepped out of my apartment building at 6:15 to flag one.  The taxi wasn’t a problem, but I did discover one when I got my boarding pass.  I don’t have a direct flight, but one that goes through Cochabamba.  Online yesterday, it said it would leave at 7:50 and the flight to Trinidad at 9:30.  The flight to Cochabamba is less than 45 minutes, so there should have been ample time there.  But my boarding passes changed both times.  The Cochabamba flight at 8:00 and the Trinidad flight at 9:00, cutting my stay in Cochabamba to minutes.  So that made me a little nervous.

But I am learning that worry is a waste of time.  But here is how complicated it got.  At 8:00, we still had not boarded.  A flight that was supposed to leave after us boarded and took off.  Around 8:15, they started boarding three families that had someone in a wheelchair.  I was the first in line after them, but still we waited 10 minutes to get the wheelchairs on board.  Note, they do not always use a ramp like you find in the states.  Usually, you walk the tarmac to the plain and then board a stair.  So boarding the wheelchairs took some time.

I got on the plane and an old lady was in my seat.  She was one of the people in a wheelchair.  I am not going to ask her to move – no way!  She reminded me of my grandmother, wrapped in a blanket and asking her daughter where she was.  She was scared and confused.  The flight attendant moved me, but it wasn’t so bad, from 1C to 1D.  

I was worried about catching my connection to Trinidad, but the flight attendant assured me not to worry.  If he wasn’t worried, then why should I be.  It is not like in the United States where it seems the airlines companies don’t care.  Here they treat you well.  So I settled in to enjoy the short flight.

Upon arriving in Cochabamba, there was someone waiting for me and another half dozen people also going to Cochabamba.  The attendant waited until we were all off the plane, then led us to the neighboring plane, where I had the same exact seat.

To be honest with you, I hate air travel.  Nothing ever seems to go right.  There are always delays or I get on board to find my seat has been claimed by someone else.  But I like visiting new places.  Maybe I will take a bus next time.