Greetings and Salutations in this new year of 2010!!
Juni here, back once again with the start of a new blog. I just turned two and want to thank the one of you who sent me a card. Nice to know I have so many loyal friends.
Well, anyhow, the new year began with a bang for me and I just wanted to share some of it with you. In order to do that, though, I have to bring you up to speed with my folks and the trip from which they recently returned. Might have something to do with the general funk I'm in......might.
So, when we were all in Washington state last summer, Uncle Al and Uncle Charlie thought it would be a good idea for mom and dad to visit them in Colombia over the upcoming winter holidays. The uncles go there in the winter for about three months, and they were in the middle of building a new house high in the Andes Mountains. Wouldn't it be fun, they say, to come and see how it's being built and meet all of the family and have a new experience? Oh, Juni? Well, can't you find a place for her to stay?? Oh, yeah, pawn her off on one of the relatives and go have a wonderful time. And isn't that just what they did! Not that I minded, you understand. I got to stay with Auntie Em, mom's cousin in Starksboro, and she has so many really fun doggie friends, so I had a lot of people to play with. And there were treats all the time, not just once in awhile like here at home. I may have become somewhat spoiled while there, but isn't that what I'm for??? But I digress.......
So begins the trip of a lifetime......in the eyes of mom and dad. From my perspective? Not so much. Let's just begin at the beginning, shall we?
On December 12, Auntie Em and I dropped mom and dad off at the Burlington Airport. It was cold, but sunny and clear, so we knew they would have a smooth flight. Once through the security stuff, they settled down to wait the two hours before they could board the little Delta plane that would take them to Kennedy Airport in NYC. Five minutes before boarding, the flight attendant announced that everyone who needed to use the bathroom should do so before boarding the plane, because, if you can believe this, the potty didn't work! As it was only an hour flight to NYC, no one was particularly worried....except Mommy, who, as those of you who know her best know, has somewhat of a problem with holding her water....or anything else, for that matter. Now, here's where I, the bowl is half empty sort of dog, wonder......OK.....the potty doesn't work, soooooo.....is there anything else that might not work???? The #2 engine, for instance???? Landing gear????? Radar???? Should we wait for another flight where everything seems to be working fine??? Or do we take the chance and hope it wasn't foolish to NOT have finished the will before we left....... Well, anyhow, the trip was made successfully, but with only a small amount of fear and trepidation on mom's part. An auspicious beginning to the trip of a lifetime.....methinks......
Landing in NYC, mom and dad had a five hour wait for their flight to Bogota, Colombia. Understand, please, that Delta makes one flight in and has one flight out per day, and, at the time of booking way back in July, this was the least expensive of the choices. So Delta it was. Uncle Al was a little concerned about the Bogota airport as it is big and confusing, but mom is a seasoned traveler, so what the heck? Cheaper? Go for it. OK....so, the plane from NYC to Bogota was full.....not one seat was empty. People were going home for Christmas, so most everyone on the plane spoke Spanish. Not so mom and dad. Interesting. Not really a problem, however, as the potties had pictures on them and what else does one need? The seats on this plane were made for midgets and poor daddy had to sit with his knees holding up his chin. Not his favorite position, and although this was a night flight....midnight to 6AM, no sleep was able to be gotten. At 4AM, the attendants came around with sandwiches....really bad tasting sandwiches, and orange juice. Coffee, please? Oh, so sorry, senora, no coffee. Excuse me? Colombia? Coffee? So, so sorry, senor, coffee pot se le paro......broken, not working......very similar to the other pot, remember?? Delta airlines.....none of their pots work. Choose another airline for your future flights. World, take note.
Alas, arrival at Bogota....the third highest capital in South America......and....sorry, folks, to have to tell you this, but mom says it was COLD! Like, put on your extra shirt, jacket, and scarf cold!
Sunny, yes, and very pretty......but damn cold. They were pushed through immigration...not a big deal....just talk to a little man in a uniform, wearing a side arm, behind bullet-proof glass...have your passport stamped and on you go. Uncle Alberto had told them to find a porter to help with the luggage and get them to the national terminal where they would find their flight on Avianca Airlines to Cali. Sooo, mom snagged an elderly man in a nice uniform, and he took them through an alley-like place, to a bus that eventually got them to the Avianca terminal. Uncle Al told her to pay him 10,000 pesos, which sounds like a lot of money but in reality, it's only $5.00 in our money. So she did, and he did, and they did and there they were. All safe and sound in the Avianca gate to Cali....and still no coffee and no place to get any!! Not only that, somehow they had bypassed customs....anywhere.....imagine that!!
So far, so good, right? The flight to Cali was an hour and everything was working! That's a very nice airline....newer planes, very comfortable, more modern, and daddy could sit in a more natural position. Delta should take notes here......AND....they had coffee!! Colombian coffee!! Now all is right with the world.
So, the views coming into Cali were beautiful. All you could see were mountains and sugar cane fields......and they were pretty sure it would be warmer as most of the people on the plane were very scantily dressed. Daddy was beginning to like this trip a lot more......
Juni here, back once again with the start of a new blog. I just turned two and want to thank the one of you who sent me a card. Nice to know I have so many loyal friends.
Well, anyhow, the new year began with a bang for me and I just wanted to share some of it with you. In order to do that, though, I have to bring you up to speed with my folks and the trip from which they recently returned. Might have something to do with the general funk I'm in......might.
So, when we were all in Washington state last summer, Uncle Al and Uncle Charlie thought it would be a good idea for mom and dad to visit them in Colombia over the upcoming winter holidays. The uncles go there in the winter for about three months, and they were in the middle of building a new house high in the Andes Mountains. Wouldn't it be fun, they say, to come and see how it's being built and meet all of the family and have a new experience? Oh, Juni? Well, can't you find a place for her to stay?? Oh, yeah, pawn her off on one of the relatives and go have a wonderful time. And isn't that just what they did! Not that I minded, you understand. I got to stay with Auntie Em, mom's cousin in Starksboro, and she has so many really fun doggie friends, so I had a lot of people to play with. And there were treats all the time, not just once in awhile like here at home. I may have become somewhat spoiled while there, but isn't that what I'm for??? But I digress.......
So begins the trip of a lifetime......in the eyes of mom and dad. From my perspective? Not so much. Let's just begin at the beginning, shall we?
On December 12, Auntie Em and I dropped mom and dad off at the Burlington Airport. It was cold, but sunny and clear, so we knew they would have a smooth flight. Once through the security stuff, they settled down to wait the two hours before they could board the little Delta plane that would take them to Kennedy Airport in NYC. Five minutes before boarding, the flight attendant announced that everyone who needed to use the bathroom should do so before boarding the plane, because, if you can believe this, the potty didn't work! As it was only an hour flight to NYC, no one was particularly worried....except Mommy, who, as those of you who know her best know, has somewhat of a problem with holding her water....or anything else, for that matter. Now, here's where I, the bowl is half empty sort of dog, wonder......OK.....the potty doesn't work, soooooo.....is there anything else that might not work???? The #2 engine, for instance???? Landing gear????? Radar???? Should we wait for another flight where everything seems to be working fine??? Or do we take the chance and hope it wasn't foolish to NOT have finished the will before we left....... Well, anyhow, the trip was made successfully, but with only a small amount of fear and trepidation on mom's part. An auspicious beginning to the trip of a lifetime.....methinks......
Landing in NYC, mom and dad had a five hour wait for their flight to Bogota, Colombia. Understand, please, that Delta makes one flight in and has one flight out per day, and, at the time of booking way back in July, this was the least expensive of the choices. So Delta it was. Uncle Al was a little concerned about the Bogota airport as it is big and confusing, but mom is a seasoned traveler, so what the heck? Cheaper? Go for it. OK....so, the plane from NYC to Bogota was full.....not one seat was empty. People were going home for Christmas, so most everyone on the plane spoke Spanish. Not so mom and dad. Interesting. Not really a problem, however, as the potties had pictures on them and what else does one need? The seats on this plane were made for midgets and poor daddy had to sit with his knees holding up his chin. Not his favorite position, and although this was a night flight....midnight to 6AM, no sleep was able to be gotten. At 4AM, the attendants came around with sandwiches....really bad tasting sandwiches, and orange juice. Coffee, please? Oh, so sorry, senora, no coffee. Excuse me? Colombia? Coffee? So, so sorry, senor, coffee pot se le paro......broken, not working......very similar to the other pot, remember?? Delta airlines.....none of their pots work. Choose another airline for your future flights. World, take note.
Alas, arrival at Bogota....the third highest capital in South America......and....sorry, folks, to have to tell you this, but mom says it was COLD! Like, put on your extra shirt, jacket, and scarf cold!
Sunny, yes, and very pretty......but damn cold. They were pushed through immigration...not a big deal....just talk to a little man in a uniform, wearing a side arm, behind bullet-proof glass...have your passport stamped and on you go. Uncle Alberto had told them to find a porter to help with the luggage and get them to the national terminal where they would find their flight on Avianca Airlines to Cali. Sooo, mom snagged an elderly man in a nice uniform, and he took them through an alley-like place, to a bus that eventually got them to the Avianca terminal. Uncle Al told her to pay him 10,000 pesos, which sounds like a lot of money but in reality, it's only $5.00 in our money. So she did, and he did, and they did and there they were. All safe and sound in the Avianca gate to Cali....and still no coffee and no place to get any!! Not only that, somehow they had bypassed customs....anywhere.....imagine that!!
So far, so good, right? The flight to Cali was an hour and everything was working! That's a very nice airline....newer planes, very comfortable, more modern, and daddy could sit in a more natural position. Delta should take notes here......AND....they had coffee!! Colombian coffee!! Now all is right with the world.
So, the views coming into Cali were beautiful. All you could see were mountains and sugar cane fields......and they were pretty sure it would be warmer as most of the people on the plane were very scantily dressed. Daddy was beginning to like this trip a lot more......
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