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.