My Trip to Greece - Part 2

First Flight Complete

We made it safely to our first destination, the Washington Dulles International Airport without any issues, though there was a small medical emergency on the plane. Unknown as to what it was. Anywho, by the time we landed, it was two minutes until the next flight took off. The gate which that plane was at was on the opposite end of the building. I ran like hell to catch that flight. I got to the gate, with stiff legs and knots, and a racing heart, the door was closed and nobody was there. I was too late.

I called my boss and informed him of the situation. He told me to reschedule my flight and to get a room in case I need to spend the night in Washington. I worked my way to baggage claim area. In doing so, I had to ride an underground subway to a different section of the airport. It was night, though at the time, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be on my way. Once I claimed my bag, I headed to the ticketing counter for the airline I was on. I have to say, that these were the most unprofessional people I have ever dealt with. There was only one guy in front of me. After he was done, they called me up. I probably stood there for 45 minutes, carrying a heavy backpack and my rollaway. They had no idea what they were doing, and there was an issue with my check-in. Eventually they gave me a new ticket for the same flight, only it would be the next day. I also got a voucher with a list of hotels at a reduced cost, meant for passengers that got delayed and missed their flights.

The next part of my journey to Greece would actually take me through Germany, at the Frankfurt airport. Because my flight was delayed by a day, I had a new problem. The COVID test that I took back in San Antonio would no longer be accepted. I asked the lady at the counter where I could be tested. She said that I could take a test at the airport and that I would not be charged as the delay was due to a factor out of my control. Then she said that she would forward my information to the testing clinic downstairs. I went down to the clinic and they said that they did not have any information on me. I had to go back up to the ticketing counter and I asked about my test. The lady helping me told me that even though the delay was not my fault, it was also not the fault of the airline, since it was weather related. As such, the new COVID test would not be covered. I went back down and scheduled a test for tomorrow, and then left the airport.

I called my aunt to let her know that I was in Washington, but then realized that I made a small error. When I made my reservation at the hotel, I noticed that the number that I had called had a 571 area code. Looking at the call history on my phone, the location was Sterling, Virgina. I had a chance to see on the map where I actually was, and realized that I was NOT in Washington, DC, but rather in Virginia. I felt like an idiot, even though it was a small oversite. A shuttle van picked me up and took me to the hotel.

When I got to the hotel, I checked and went up to my room. I didn’t like this hotel at all. The other customers looked like thugs that had been out to commit a crime or were in the process of doing a deal somewhere. I went straight to my room. When I got in, I felt like I had taken a trip back in time to 2004. The room felt like a cheap motel from the late 90’s / early 2000’s. There was no sound insulation, so I had to stay quiet. The only nice thing about that room was that the sheets looked brand new.

https://deadmotelsusa.com/post/618231117979484160/motel-rooms-of-the-2000s

Look at this to get an idea. I didn't have a photo, and didn't want to jack someone else's...

I got on my laptop to finish some stuff for work. We had a new guy start, and he needed access to his online tools in order to work. I put in some tickets and then put the laptop away. As I was a bit hungry, I went outside to the vending machine to get a soda and some chips. When I got back to my room, I found that my card key was no longer working. This key was different than what I was used to working with. While the hotel in Arizona had a key that you just hold near the receiver in the door, this was an older type which had a tape strip. I went downstairs to ask for help, and the guy told me that the card was corrupted. It appears that the magnet for my phone wallet case was messing up the card. He reset it, and I was able to get back into the room. I went to sleep as I had to wake up early to take my COVID test at the airport. That’s all for tonight!

The Next Day...

I woke up at just the right time and went downstairs. There was breakfast, and actually, for being an ugly hotel, the food wasn’t bad. I got a plate of potatoes and ate them while waiting for the Uber driver to arrive to take me to the airport. When I got there, I took my test. There was a 15 minute waiting period before I would get my results. At the, I was called up and given a paper with my results. I was negative! I was relieved as I wanted to get on with my journey.

Being that it was about 9:30 in the morning, and my flight was at 5:30 PM, I had a lot of time in my hands. I thought to myself, while I had no interest in visiting the Capitol of the United States, I thought that I better do so as I may not have the chance to come out here in the future. I called an Uber and got a ride to DC. It was a bit of a pricey, but I did get to see a few things.

Time to Go...

After taking a few photos from the car, I had reached my destination, only to find that the US Captiol Visitor Center was closed and not taking visitors at my end. I looked for a place to have lunch, and found a taco place about 15 minutes from my location. Once done eating, I got a ride back to the hotel to get my stuff and check out. This trip was a bit expensive as it was 30 minutes each time and cost about $45 dollars.

Once arriving at the airport, I got checked in and made my way to the terminal. This time, I was VERY early. I ate again at an airport Chick-Fil-A and played video games on my computer until it was time to board the plane. When flying over a long distance, one common issue is jet lag. Fortunately, I had something that would make my life a whole lot easier.

Once I was settled in the plane, I took some medicine which had me sleeping right after we took off. I was woken by a flight attendant so I could eat. What I was given was a plate of macaroni and cheese with mushrooms. I gobbled that down, and went back to sleep. See y’all again in Germany!

-Carlos