Marooned

So I'm stuck here in Tierra del Fuego thanks to the evil machinations of Aerolineas Argentinas and the Russians, if you believe my mother's theory about the control they exercise over the weather. I was supposed to fly out of here this morning to Buenos Aires, have a 7 hour layover, and then fly back to the US tonight. The 7 hours was key, as my experience with Aerolineas Argentinas is that most flights are several hours late, for no apparent reason.

This morning, the Beagle Channel and surrounds were blanketed by a thick fog, that I'm told "never happens." So Aerolineas waited two hours after the flight time -- which is about when the flight probably would have taken off under so-called "normal" circumstances-- and then cancelled the flight altogether, with no other flight out of this god foresaken place until 9 pm at night. Goodbye 7 hour cushion. Meanwhile, shortly after the flight was cancelled the weather cleared up and the sun came out.

I spent the afternoon fighting with Aerolineas Argentinas and Delta (who holds my BA-US ticket). Basically, both airlines told me it wasn't their fault, and Delta said that if I missed my flight and wanted to fly out tomorrow (or any other day this week) it would cost the pretty sum of $1000 USD. I shite you not. Talk about extortion. This prompted a minor emotional meltdown, complete with tears, which none of the Argentine men working at the airlines reacted well too. Finally, I went to a locutorio and called Delta directly in Phat-lanta, where a kind woman named Judy worked the system for me and got me a flight out tomorrow with minor ticket-change fees.

Bottom-line: Aerolineas Argentinas is dead to me. I declare a pox on all their houses. Too bad they don't seem to care. At all. Delta managed to squeak onto my probation list, largely because of Judy -- although if I had ended up paying $1000 to fly home I would have insisted on free drinks on the international flight. And, by association, every time I am forced to say "Tierra del Fuego," instead of getting all excited about the fuego part like I used to, I shall spit, with a french accent. Tierra del Fuego -- Ptwah.

The silver-lining in this cloudy fog is that I get to have one last afternoon in Buenos Aires, where I plan to get a pedicure and fill my belly with all the steak, wine, and empanadas it can hold before my 12+ hour flight home.