Up bright and early at 4:15 am. We’d done as much as humanly possible the night before because – well, 4:15 am was early enough. So we fed the kids, brushed teeth, and loaded the bags as quickly as we could.
There was a brief moment of panic when we tried to drink from our LifeStraw water bottles, and found that we were only sucking air instead. It turns out that the carbon filter “straw” needs to be saturated with water before it draws properly, so something to consider if you are ever only able to partially fill your water bottle.
I think we’ve reached the absolute maximum in terms of how much we can fit inside of our diminutive Honda SUV. Here’s hoping this is going to be enough for next year, when we travel from Chile to Antarctica and on to South Africa.
We managed to get out the door at 5:30 am. The drive to the airport was relatively smooth sailing – multiple accidents on Highway 401, so we went with a 407/427 route to save time.
We then followed our usual airport protocol – I dropped my wife and kids at Terminal 3, then went to the Park ‘n’ Fly valet. Checking in my car went relatively smoothly this time around, and I was able to quickly drop off our vehicle using the Park ‘n’ Fly app. (Previously I’d had to register the vehicle at the Park ‘n’ Fly front desk.)
Advance reservations are highly recommended for Park ‘n’ Fly, as it can save hundreds of dollars compared to an unscheduled drop off. Also worth checking for discount codes.
I managed to register quickly enough to catch the shuttle seconds before it departed, and then it was just a few minutes’ drive to Terminal 3.
I wish I could say that bag check went equally smoothly. The SkyPriority check-in counter wasn’t staffed when we first arrived, so we waited to have our bags tagged and then again to drop them off using the automated scanners. Apparently the bag being dropped needs to match the boarding pass being scanned – or it triggers a mechanical failure that must be overridden by the attendant. We eventually figured out the procedure, but it was much slower than having our bags loaded directly by the check-in desk.
Then off to security and customs, aided by our Nexus cards – which we highly recommend for any Canadians that travel regularly. We’d hoped that we might be able to access the same prototype security system as they have in Terminal 1, which is able to scan bags without removing liquids or electronics. Alas, it was not meant to be. But we didn’t have to take off our shoes or light coats or wait in line, so that’s something at least.
Customs, however, was where the Nexus cards really paid off – they’re using some sort of face-scanning system that took only a few seconds but which meant we were able to essentially walk to the customs agent – who then waved us through. This easily saved us 20 to 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, Delta doesn’t have a lounge in Terminal 3 so we went for breakfast at UrbanCrave (tagline: “Authentic street cuisine.”) where we enjoyed an Authentic Street Breakfast that was visually indistinguishable from a non-street breakfast. The food was good, though, and our waiter Vigo was super upbeat for someone working at an airport at 8 in the morning. So worth the stop if you find yourself loungeless in Terminal 3.
Photo Credit: Peter M. on Yelp
At this point I remembered that we have access to other lounges via our RBC Visa Infinite Card. I’d hoped we’d be able to access the KLM lounge, but that apparently is only available for international passengers. We tried the Plaza Premium lounge – our last resort given that it is regularly at maximum capacity, only to abandon that plan due to their absurd waitlist.
(At least they have moved their waitlist to a QR-code based system, which is a distinct improvement from the hot, sweaty line we stood in when travelling to Dublin last year.)
We only had an hour to go before boarding at this stage, so we elected to head back to the gate to grab a seat and take our Malarone. For the uninitiated, Malarone reduces the risk of catching malaria but it can also cause nausea and some craaaazzzy dreams. We debated when to start taking these meds, and settled on waiting until we were at the airport where we could have a filling, full-fat breakfast and settle ourselves somewhere comfortable.
Well, one out of two ain’t bad.
The flight was due to board almost an hour before departure, so we soon joined the gaggle of passengers hanging out in front of the gate. I’ve never understood why people felt the need to line up when they’re in Zone 3 or 4, but at least some of them were hanging back. Others just contributed to the crowd for reasons that will forever remain mysterious.
But soon Zone 1 was called and we were on our way down the gangway, then settled into our business class seats. We had yet again lucked out with seats purchased with our RBC Avion Infinite reward points – and even though we would not be flying overnight, the extra legroom was very much appreciated.
Can you spot the CN Tower?
No meal on today’s flight, but there were a wide array of snacks, not to mention a well-deserved Mimosa.
Kids were also thrilled to discover that Kung Fu Panda 4 was available via the in-flight entertainment system.
It wasn’t a long flight, and we landed less than two hours after we left our gate. Then we were off to the Delta SkyLounge, which was not too crowded and had a really good spread. I particularly enjoyed the shredded beef fajitas with lime rice, while my wife loved the hummus and pita.
The highlight of the kids’ lounge visit – though they still prefer the pancake-printing machine at the Alaska Airlines lounge
Our global eSIM took a few minutes to establish itself on American soil, but was soon working as advertised. Atlanta also has free public wifi for anyone brave enough to surrender an e-mail address.
I’d already burned through my first book (Starter Villain by John Scalzi – highly recommended) so I had to set up the world’s most convoluted download system wherein my laptop connected to the public wifi and created its own mobile hotspot, which my eReader could then access. But despite the duct-tape-and-baling-wire approach, I soon had three new books ready to go.
We then settled in for the long haul. We had a three and a half hour layover, so plenty of time for lunch and a book and / or show.
Our flight was pushed back a half hour, so we figured that gave us enough time to get the kids some $10-a-slice airport pizza in case they weren’t big fans of the food on DeltaOne. (My wife and I were excited for the short ribs and mushroom pasta – the kids, less so.)
There was already a crowd milling around the gate when we arrived, so we figured we didn’t have long to wait before boarding. Alas, the half hour delay stretched to an hour. We ended up being an hour and a half late before we pushed back – but thankfully most of that was spent on the plane, so at least we had time to make ourselves comfortable.
The Delta One lie-flat seats are nice, but a bit cramped in full lie-flat mode for anyone who’s over 6 feet tall. The bedding is also comfortable, though I prefer the way Air Canada also provides an underpad and sheets (as opposed to just a duvet and pillow). Service was exceptional, food was very good, and the drinks were flowing – they even served real champagne.
Chicken breast and quinoa
Beef short rib and mashed potatoes
Mushroom pasta
Apple cheesecake
I read for a bit, then settled in for a quick nap. I wanted to have some gas in the tank when we landed, but I didn’t want to have trouble sleeping later that evening.
Apart from some minor turbulence – and a forecast arrival of 11 pm compared to the planned arrival of 9:20 pm – the flight was mostly uneventful. The kids were pretty zonked by the time we finally touched down, but Quito is a small-yet-efficient airport. Aided by our business class seats and priority bag tags, we were through customs and outside perhaps 25 minutes after our flight landed.
We initially missed the hotel representative holding the sign with our name on it, but found her soon thereafter. That wasn’t anyone fault in particular, just a lot of name placards floating around at that time. The hotel rep called her husband Carlos, the driver, and we were soon loaded up and on our way (albeit with one of the bags on my wife’s lap, as there wasn’t quite enough room in the vehicle).
Quito was dark, cool and wrapped in fog at that late hour. It also seems quite lush. We’re looking forward to exploring further in daylight.
Typically it should only take about 15 to 20 minutes to go from the Quito airport to our hotel, Hacienda Jimenita. Unfortunately our driver got stopped by the transportation police and was found to have too little tread on his tires. Rather than take the demerits, he opted to pay the fine – so we had to wait until his wife came by with some extra cash before we could leave.
This was another 20 minutes at the end of a very long day. It was midnight Quito time when we finally cleared the roadblock, or 1 am Toronto time – roughly 21 hours after we woke up at 4 am that morning.
It would be easy to be mad at the driver, or the police – or everyone, really. But it’s just one of those things that happens when you travel. Same sort of stop happened when we were in Morocco. It’s just the way of the world. “Pack your patience,” is the mantra of this trip, and we’ve been practicing it the best we can.
But it wasn’t long after that we were driving up the bumpy cobbled road to Hacienda Jimenita, and checking in to the beautiful Gran suite – a two bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house. And it is gorgeous:
Reception met us right at the gate with our key, then came by shortly afterward to check on us and deliver a traditional beverage with sugar cane alcohol. Delicious.
It took a few minutes for the hot water to get going, but otherwise it’s a great property. And now the kids are in bed, and sleep is creeping in from the corner of my eyes. So it’s time to bid adieu – until tomorrow, where we take a day to recover and enjoy this beautiful property and its myriad trails, wildlife and archaeological sites.
Continue reading Ecuador and the Galapagos – Day 2.