I’m going to start Monday at dark in Quito “last night.” This is the main entrance to our hotel-home. The wide entry shoots straight past the desk to the pool area at the rear of the property. Off to the left on this side is the restaurant. Opposite to the right is the lobby where we used the hotel wifi for several hours after we checked out at 2pm. Around 5:30 we moved to the restaurant for a simple meal before catching the hotel’s shuttle to the airport at almost 7:15pm.
We people-watched in the main entry area until 9:15, when the Delta employees showed up. Then, we queued to check ourselves in and check our big suitcase. We relocated past security and bureaucratic whatnot to seats by gate A11, and finally got to board about 10:40pm, for departure before 11:30pm. The flight was almost full, three seats on each side of the aisle in the main cabin. We were oh so fortunate to have a row to ourselves, and an exit row to boot, so relative comfort.
Overnight flights are by definition a trial. Short overnight flights are an even more intense trial. Our flight time was 4 hrs 44 mins, and we gained an hour while in the air. I got maybe two hours of sleep.
We landed on schedule, or was it a bit early?, at perhaps 5:20am. We got through the necessary inspections of documents, luggage collection, etc., and queued anew here outside to wait for the airport shuttle to carry us from the international terminal to the main terminal, where the MARTA trains arrive/depart. Considerable energy has been expended complaining about this awkward situation. We waited just to the right of this frame for something like twenty-five minutes for a bus to arrive, in oppressive, humid 75°F. Nevertheless, we were home shortly after 7:30am, having transferred from the MARTA train to a MARTA bus. Sooo glad we’re home.
We found the house fine, and not too large a pile of mail awaiting us. I started some laundry, as that was pretty much the maximum braininess that I could muster. I also took a ninety-minute nap before noon. Two more loads of laundry and some dry mopping, and what else? Somehow the time ticked by, and I predict an early night. Duh.