Take Off and Landing

OK -- time to board. Did not want to get kicked off the plane like a Baldwin -- so I quit the Words With Friends app. 

Walking down the jet way. 

Entering the plane. 

Oh the inhumanity of it all. Jostle, elbow, kick and jab. 

I don't understand why people are not more aware. They know their seat is coming up, they should have their things gathered such that they can swing into their seat and get out of the aisle. Not everybody seems to grasp this concept. 

My last look at San Francisco -- assuming I'm not coming back. 

Guinea pigs as featured in the airline magazine. This is a restaurant is Cusco.

Cheese pasta. I wanted to get a picture before I ate it -- I thought that would be more attractive -- but being a pretzel in a seat I couldn't reach the phone.

The seat screen has the plane's flight path. Just entered Mexico. 

Flying at 569 miles an hour and it's very cold outside the plane.

Sunrise over a cloudy Pacific Ocean just north of Lima, Peru. The color at the bottom of the screen is a cabin reflection.  I tried covering the window with a pillow to get the best shot. 

I must have slept more than I thought because when I looked around during this shot I saw that I missed breakfast...

A bit brighter. About to land! Landing in Lima the land is ugly. Gray overcast, torn up shore, gray bleak industrial building and car storage lots. I understand that Lima receives very little rain -- so that would explain the dusty, barren look.  A lot of fishing nets spread out and drying.

The plane landed on the tarmac outside of the terminal. We had to walk down the jetway and take a shuttle bus to the terminal.

This airport is not as fancy as SFO -- but they do have art. 

They kind of put one through the ringer here! I had to find Baggage Claim, go through Customs (easy), up to the gates, whoops, was told to go down stairs, down to bag check in, I see the bag check in line, I was stopped -- can't go that way. I had to walk outside, go a few feet and then walk back in. Stand and be ignored. And for once I was (rather) confidant that I was in the right place as the upstairs guy said to go the 53/54 -- and I was at 53. 

After a bit I decided to escalate the confrontation. As the gate peeps ignored me I just started talking more -- finally got to the right place. 

Checked my bag and went back upstairs. The escalators are not working by the way -- but at least this time I am not carrying my heavy bag. Another plus -- since I am going back to stand in the same line -- I deft like a confident local. Been there, done that. 

Here is a Day of the Dead display at a gift shop. 

Since I slept through breakfast on the plane I bought coffee at the airport. This is my first transaction in a foreign land. I paid $2 American and received my first foreign coin as change.