We were on the airplane and I was just getting a couple of things out of my carry-on before sitting down, and a high-vis coated person asked me if I was Thompson, and I said yes, and she said that I needed to come check something to do with a bag.
Well, I assumed that there was a problem with the stupid chair that we'd checked, that they didn't like handling something only clad in a garbage bag ... so I followed her off the plane.
This is the way that it looked when it made it home, so there is a happy end to this story ...
She didn't speak much English and I assumed that we'd be just looking at something at the drop-off area on the jetway, but no, we went by all the people still boarding and back into the terminal. I queried her some more and she said something to do with the "Policia". Oh oh. Had that chair been in touch with drugs ? Had a dog sniffed out something ?
Through the terminal to the end of the concourse, I followed her, thinking to myself -- here I am, in an almost third world country, could I be here for life ? Could I be heading to jail ?
Down some stairs into a largish room with glass on one side where I could see pavement and baggage handling, dogs etc. In the room was a table with some people with open bags. On the floor were 6-8 bags and she indicated that I should get my bag. Well, none of them were mine. She looked confused and asked someone who said, I guess, that the bag was on its way. A couple more bags came in but they weren't mine. She asked someone about more AA bags, didn't get much response. Then, not sure where this came from, one of the people at the table with an open bag was identified as Thompson.
They had the wrong person ! i.e. me. Was he on our flight or was he from some other flight ? I don't know. Was I upset ? I was amused. Perhaps they assumed that I'd be upset but no, this is just another entertaining story from life. LIFE is forever entertaining if you look at it the correct way. You can stress about it, you can get angry, you can blame someone, but it won't change anything and it will only make life less pleasant.
The Ecuadorians are unbelievably thorough with respect to luggage leaving the country. Don't try and take antiquities, something from the Galapagos, whatever. Dogs, searches, forms to sign, you name it, they'll do it. It's the most thorough that I've ever seen LEAVING the country.
So we trotted back to where the gate agents were still handling the last stragglers getting onto the plane. She walked past and I followed, saying "I'm with her", and they laughed. I was challenged on the jetway as well but no problem.
Sandy had the presence of mind to get my carry-on into the overhead bin so that I wasn't stuck with it under the seat for the flight, so I got that down and got organized and seated.
What fun !
.............
We snoozed for about two hours yesterday, perhaps less. Sandy went out and picked up some groceries, food for dinner, saying that she couldn't face a restaurant. If she hadn't gone, I would have. I already had a menu planned -- fish, rice, peas. She bought fish, cauliflower, broccoli and we already had rice.
Jerry was back before 5pm, having put in 100 miles. He showered, we chatted, we ate, I introduced him to Border Security (Sara's show) and went to bed at 8pm. Sandy wasn't too far behind me ? I have no idea. When I came out of my first deep sleep cycle at 1am, she was there. For me, that's a long cycle. I mostly slept from 8:00 - 6:30 ... and now I'm ready to roll !
Today, on the bike. Onward !
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