LOOKING FORWARD TO MIAMI: BRUSSELS TO MIAMI VIA
LONDON JOHANNESBURG ABUDHABI AND SAO PAOLO
I
have had a long standing love affair with Miami and it is that city in the USA I
try to travel to when the winds take me in that direction.
I
just did a roundabout trip, something that gives me a chance to observe in
rapid succession extremely different cultures in succession.
There
is actually a direct flight from Brussels to Miami, twice a week, geared for
the tourists from that country. It is run by a company TuFly which markets
itself to the leisure travelers who are interested in getting to their
destination, as quickly and cheaply as possible.
For
me, the journey itself is as important as the destination.
So
the nine hour direct flight was substituted by an itinerary the kind that is
closer to my heart.
This
capacity to be in the present fully, rather than longing for or looking forward
to, is very soothing to the soul.
Brussels
to London a short 45 minute flight wait at the British Airways Lounge in
London.
Airbus
380 from London to Johannesburg, flying through the night, arriving early in
the morning at JNB. Stayed at a hotel
near the airport with good connection to Gautrain the fast train to Sandton in
the city. Dinner with a lovely family in
Sandhurst.
Arrival
at JNB airport, the line at the Immigration was short, you get the feeling that
no one was paying any attention to their work, but much laughter among
themselves. Everyone here has to speak more than one language, the guard spoke
northern Sotho, and the driver spoke Venda. South Africa with its complex
history needs a generation or two before it heals well.
(Shadrak, the venda speaking pleasant driver from Aviator Hotel near JNB)
The
next day, a South African airways, service with no smile, but comfortable
flight with very good meals to Abu Dhabi.
(South African Airlines is bankrupt, popped up by the Government, much like the Malaysian Airlines)
Face
to face with gulf insipidity at the Immigration but quickly warmed up by the
Malayalee smiles of workers from Malabar. A very good hotel with reasonable
price.
The
next flight was the crown jewel of this trip, a 777-200 L of Etihad to Sao
Paolo in Brazil, a fifteen hour flight with good food, good wine and extremely
good attention.
(you could order what you want to eat, when you want to eat, repeat it whenever you want, and it was served with a smile. During the fifteen hour flight, I had: Arabic Mezze (twice), Pan fried Nile Perch with capers, tomato ragout, Brazilian white rice and roasted vegetables. Later I tried Pumpkin vegetable pie with tomatoes, portabello mushrooms, creamy spinach and a light rocket sauce)
Made friends with three FAs. A Portuguese with a Mozambican mother,
a Brazilian from Manaus and a lovely Korean lady! A memorable flight indeed!
Arriving
in Brasil was a bit of disappointment. Globalization has left the ordinary
person grumpy. Globalization has made the exotic, rather ordinary. Garuilhos
the suburb where the airport is located is so ordinary a picture of a poor
country, is this the gateway to prosperity?
Think
of the BRIC countries, everyone was touting at their economic potential and
power
BR
is not doing well
I
half the people living in poverty, with no access to health care, meaningful
education or basic services
C I am not sure
BRIC Brazil
India China
I
was very saddened to hear that 13 out of the most 25 polluted cities in the
world are in INDIA, not to mention the lack of infrastructure in Indian cities.
Is this what they call progress? And the few Indians who travel abroad, bloat
about their country, not its glorious history but the achievements of the rich
few, and how their economy will take over that of Italy. A country of 1300
million people can overtake a country of 100 million people, nothing to say
about the equality, liberty and fraternity in India!
Ask
yourself, whether you are in India or Malaysia, does the average person has
good access to Health care, reasonably priced? Does a child can learn to read
and write and aspire to go to University? These are things taken for granted in
enlightened countries of the world. How can you have clean drinking water, when
the rate of public defecation is highest? In the world…
I
respect the vision of Comandante Jefe Fidel Castro when he spoke out against
the Globalization trend decades ago.
The
last part of the journey was on a new plane belonging to American Airlines,
where I met a very nice young FA, who has been flying only for six months. The
rest of the crew were from another time. The USA based airlines claim bias and
discrimination and state support that makes the Gulf based airlines scoop out
their profits. They are wrong, I am loyal to American Airlines and I would fly
only them in the USA but their service cannot hold a candle to the service
provided by Etihad or Qatar Airways. Being a Flight Attendant is a strenuous job
and you cant expect 30 year old veterans of the skies to show any interest in
the flying public, they just want their jobs done and retire to do Sudoku or
read the magazines.
I
am grateful to American Airlines for the courtesies they afford me in the USA
and abroad, and I will be loyal to them. But any chance to fly Etihad or Qatar
airways, I would welcome it with open arms..
It
felt so good to arrive in Miami, this love affair that has been going on for
years. Thank you UBER I was at the home of my sister within a matter of minutes
after clearing the immigration in 30 seconds at Global Entry and customs in one
minute.
Bienvenidos a Miami..
Somehow or other, I was thinking of Leticia in Colombia.. how can I get there?
