Leg Two and Three

December 9

The rest of our flights are with American Airlines which we found to be very dated and not in good repair.  The flight was a true red-eye special; we tried to sleep in the tight seats that didn’t recline and were not very successful.  We arrived in Miami around 8:00 in the morning, found a pastry shop with yummy guava and cheese pastries and hot chocolate, and then settled into our seats in the airport surrounded by Brazilians heading for home.  As far as we know, we were the only native English speaking passengers.  Fortunately, we could usually find someone who could understand and speak enough English to help take care of us.  We departed at 9:45 am ready for an eight hour flight to Curitiba, Brazil.  On our first trip to Brazil, we spent a day in this city and attended a temple session.

Eight hours is a long time to sit in a cramped airplane – with no TV, WiFi, or anything else for entertainment.  Sleep was almost an impossibility and eyes too tired to read.  The flight was smooth enough to keep Merl happy, so in the end all went well. . . until we landed in Curitiba about 8:40 p.m.  The schedule was for everyone to disembark while the plane was refueled and then to reboard at 9:55 p.m.  Around 11:00, we were informed that they were working on some mechanical issues, and we should be in the air around midnight.  We had a very kind, young Brazilian mother traveling with her two children and nanny call our hotel in Porto Alegre to let them know we would be arriving later than planned.  About 1:30 a.m., the decision was made to cancel the flight leaving everyone needing to make new flight plans for the following day.  It was interesting to watch the reactions of people during the whole series of events.  At one time, tempers became quite heated, and we thought there might be a mutiny.  The Customs Police had to be called in from home to stamp passports as we were officially entering the country.  More waiting and more long lines.  We must have stood out in the crowd as we had several offers of help.  We exchanged contact information with some and hope to meet again sometime while we are here.  The American Airline staff worked through the night and were gracious in dealing with everyone.  They called our hotel again and let them know we would not be coming at all – our prepaid night was transferred to the next night.  We finally left the airport at 5:00 a.m. in a taxi heading to a hotel for the night.  What a very long day. . . going on two days with no sleep.