Catolico Confimado!

One more step in the marriage process completed. On Saturday we went to the cathedral for our confirmations. As you can imagine, as with any ceremony in the catholic church, this was a long evening. We arrived at four o'clock only to find out that Cecy had forgotten that we needed to go to the church in which we are going to marry to pay for the confirmation and to collect the candles for the ceremony. In the end other candles were found in the cathedral and we paid there. Not a big issue from my point of view but it was a worrying moment for a while because this was the final opportunity to attend a confirmation ahead of the wedding day. So with our witnesses on hand (Cecy's dad and sister) we went through the standup, sit down, stand up, sit down, sing, pray, stand up, sit down for an hour or so then approached the cardinal for the confirmation (which takes about fifteen seconds each to do). Done!

Back at the house they tried to tell me that we will be required to dance with other people briefly, fifteen to twenty minutes. Cecy with all the men and me with all the women. I think I managed to upset the tradition a little when I told them that it was our special day and I didn't want to dance with anybody else. We are not getting married until 8 o'clock so will not get back to the house until about ten. I don't want to spend the rest of the evening separated from my new wife! In the end I conceded to a brief period, maybe two or three very brief dances. I can be very stubborn and I don't even want a reception. I have told Cecy that it is our day and as soon as I get the feeling that anyone is interfering with us spending time together we are going to the hotel. I am looking forward to the day from our point of view, we are going to be married. I hope I enjoy the reunion at the house after but if I was a betting man I would say definitely not. We didn't want his, we just wanted to go straight to the hotel after the ceremony. Dozens of guests have been invited, none of whom I know. Who knows I could be updating this blog at the hotel while everyone else is dancing the night away at the house. More to follow.

Paris to Bogotá

Two hours after arriving in Paris I was on my way again en route to Caracas in Venezuela. Ahead of me lay a ten hour flight but no worries because I could watch the in flight DVDs and possibly catch up on some sleep since I hadn't slept since the morning before.

The crew had a surprise in store for me though because the in flight DVD was only partially functional. In the end no problem because I managed to keep myself occupied with the films/programmes available and at least my breathing had returned to near normal although the truth is that my bronchii were still very uncomfortable. It would take another two days for the discomfort to resolve completely. The flight seemed to last forever but eventually we arrived in Caracas where I would get my next surprise of the journey. Yes, Air France had placed a note on the flight that I was a passenger but they had not booked a seat. Perhaps in the baggage hold? In the end sense prevailed so the attendant (who knew the flight had been paid for and that there were spare seats on the flight) booked me into a seat. I had three hours to wait for the connecting flight and would no arrive in Bogotá in time to fly to Valledupar the same day. Also I had not managed to sleep on the flight. Also although I was gasping for a drink I had both UK currency and Colombian currency but was in Venezuela so I was going to have to wait until arriving in Bogotá for a drink.

Just before boarding the flight, an hour late and for no apparent reason other than the fact the flight crew weren't that bothered about punctuality, it began to rain. This statement needs a little explanation because although we think it rains in England in South America rain takes on a whole new meaning.Think of the worst rainfall you have seen and think of that as spitting rain. Then try to imagine torrential in this context. I watch a few successive flights skid their way down the runway and the plumes of spray in their wake and began to wonder if air traffic control in Caracas is actually manned. The conditions were unchanged when my flight took off and I began to understand how religion is still deeply ingrained in the population here. When I looked at the flight path my understanding was even greater because none of the flight appeared to be over level ground, it was all along mountain ranges. We had to wear our safety belts due to the turbulence which did little to reassure me. Have you ever seen a news announcement where they say that a plane has crashed into the side of a mountain...................but luckily all of the passengers were wearing their safety belts! Didn't think so. But no worries, we arrived in Bogotá without incident.

Adams Park to Paris

My brother met me at Adams Park after the friendly fixture with Chelsea XI. It was a good evening with the 5-1 win, a little show of appreciation from the crowd and a nice goodbye from the staff and players in the dressing room post match. I really did appreciate the gesture. My brother dropped me at Heathrow, I didn't want him to wait with me because 1. I hate goodbyes and 2. I had no idea what time my pay would go into the bank and thus how long I would be waiting around in the airport. For all I knew it could end up being a matter of days depending upon flight availability.

As it turns out my pay entered the bank just after three o'clock. I managed to book a flight online for 06:40 in the morning. Brilliant! Then a little later I received confirmation along with a message that my online boarding passes would be processed in the next 48 hours. 48 hours!?! What the fu**!?!?!? I tried my passport in the auto book-in and it registered without issuing a boarding pass but it was prior to the 4:30 opening for my flight. When I went to check-in for boarding I was informed that although the booking was registered a problem was being flagged and I would need to consult the Air France desk. They informed me that the flight had been booked but not paid for. Decision time, what to do now? Pay for the flight again and try to cancel the original booking or take a chance and wait until the boarding passes were confirmed and that they would be valid for the next available flight. I couldn't call the booking agent because they did not accept calls until 9 o'clock in the morning. In the end I booked with the Air France desk and paid again. I went to the check in with ten minutes left to boarding to be told that the tickets I had been given were not boarding passes so had to return to the automated machines to check-in. Nobody was helpful. The desk staff would not allow me to leave my luggage at the desk and no passengers would get out of the way......but then they were French so no surprise there. I checked in at the desk in the final minute of boarding at the time given for gate closing for the flight. I had to make a World record attempt sprint finish over the 1000m to gate 24!! The security staff must have thought I had kryptonite in my cases because I was virtually waved through all security checks after leaving my belt  and throwing my loose change on the floor. I got to gate 24 where the flight had been delayed due to luggage loaded without the passenger (me) having boarded, feeling like I had two collapsed lungs, couldn't feel my hamstrings anymore and that there was no oxygen remaining in the atmosphere. The staff wouldn't allow me to board until my breathing rate had reduced to less than 120 breaths per minute and I had consumed 2 litres of water to replace the sweat pooling on the floor beneath me. Once I had collapsed to the floor I was unwilling to return to the seated position.
45 minutes late the flight left Heathrow for Paris Charles de Gaulle. I was on my way but still sweating heavily and unable to breath without an audible wheeze!

Volver!

 It was more difficult returning to England than I anticipated, for the both of us. As it turns out events transpired to allow me to return to Colombia much earlier than originally planned. So, here I am. Very happy and incredibly busy every day trying to organise things with Cecy. We are working against the clock! I have sixty days on my tourist visa although this can be extended for a price (surprise!) upto the end of November.

I have a story about the return journey which as it turns out was an adventure worthy of the telling. We have to get to town now though to organise a few things. Also we have to attend a course at the Catholic church tonight in preparation for the wedding next month. Nothing happens easily here although paying an extra few thousand pesos seems to ease things through at times, even in the office of DAS, the Colombian Department of Internal Security! More to follow.