Of course, packing for the return trip is a trip in itself. For us, at least this year, the key was figuring out what NOT to pack. Since this year’s condo, like the past year, was a rental unit, Geri came prepared just in case she was invited to participate in The Iron Chef competition. Pots, pans, machete size knives and sharpeners, spices, pepper grinders, garlic press and sorted kitchen tools, all made the trip from NC to Costa Rica. The good news is, that all these cooking utensils, as well as most of our clothing and many miscellaneous household items, did not have to make the trip back. Friends took pity upon us, presented us with a key and offered storage space in their condo where upon our arrival this Fall, we can reclaim the goods and add them to the already fully stocked condo that will be our Playa del Coco residence for all future stays.
So, following a few hugs and handshakes, promises to stay in touch, and reciprocal invitations to visit in the States, it was off to LIR to meet the 3 hour advance check-in recommendation for international travel. OK, I’ll admit we cheated on that by nearly an hour, but still….!
In spite of leaving quantities of household items and clothing that would require hauling by a team of pack mules, we still managed to show up at the airport with our carry-on luggage plus two large suitcases which were 1 lb and 1.5 lbs OVER the 50 lb weight limit respectively.
Now, here is where I plan to share a tip that will save you the $50 extra charge per bag when your luggage is over the weight limit. I’m doing this for free, as a public service only for the benefit of those on my little “Friends and Family” email/blog list. All others should send royalties of $5.00 per bag…US currency preferred.
Always pack a light-weight nylon duffle bag that can be rolled, folded or wadded up so as to take up a very small space inside one of your main suitcases. Then when confronted with the “over weight” baggage issue, step back, remove the nylon duffle bag, transfer some items from the over weight luggage into it so everything comes in at under 50 lbs and check it all again. Happy trails to you! No excess weight charges!
As we all know, flying in this day and age is a mode of travel that makes the camel caravan seem attractive. What with the marvelous work of our Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Agency, and others who want to get into your pants, going through airports is not a welcome experience for the faint of heart, the impatient, or those modest types with a regard for privacy. Add to that, the suspicious and doubting looks from Customs and Immigration Agents. Their glares are enough to stir paranoia among even the most sane and law abiding travelers. Rarely do I pass through this portion of the journey without feeling like maybe I really am a criminal and I am just being given the benefit of that insight by these agents of doom who upon staring intently into Big Brother’s digital database gradually determine whether or not I shall be allowed to proceed.
But this says nothing of the waiting…..the lines where a time warp morphs minutes into hours. Where those in charge, who have the ability to move things along with efficient action, work as though they are Olympic contenders in the slow motion event. Where the relay becomes a delay and he who comes in last….WINS.
But the real reason that our journey from LIR to AVL took from noon on Monday until nearly 4:00am on Tuesday was a potpourri of insults to the great sidereal movement by which time is generally reckoned. Yes, there were the lines… the TSA lines, the Customs lines, the Immigration lines, more TSA lines, baggage check lines, flight delays, etc. But somehow, these individual swindlers of time managed to conspire so that the sum of the parts far exceeded the whole. It was puzzling even to me, a longtime student of calculus. A total of nearly 16 hours, of which only four were actually spent in the air.
Flying…… isn’t it fun!!!
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