Challenges

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Now here is my experience with the airport and the boarding pass I don’t have yet. I get on a local bus and realize I don’t have tik and driver doesn’t take cash. The hotel gave me a small map showed me where to get bus and I asked where it returns and that’s it – nothing extra with information. Like how to get a tik and what bus to get back. So Im on bus and it said to Airport or Aeroporto – and still Im not sure where Im going or how to return. Then Im watching and see sign to Aeroporto so I know its going. I get there and of course its same Marco Polo Airport I came to last month. I find someone with English and I have to go upstairs and there I am and no US Air no United open. Someone tells me they have no flights today and sends me to another place – this smart lady explains I cant get boarding pass if US Air isn’t open and she tells me where they are tomorrow so I walk and I find US Airways of course closed.
Remind me never again to fly United and to finish up my miles with them!
Anyway nothing I can do so time to move on but how and where and I have no bus tik. So I go to the same place where I got boat tik into Venice and next to it says bus to Mestre. He says its different than my bus #15 (and more money) so now I am trying to find out where to buy 2 bus tiks on #15 and I go round and round. Someone helps me and I get there to the right booth and I have my tiks and then I go outside and find place with #15. Waiting a young couple speak English and ask if they need tiks and I tell them yes and direct them. That felt good to help someone not go thru my experience. The bus comes – I get on and validate my tik and they too. And then I figure out my stop. I made progress altho no boarding pass.
So tomorrow morning I take #15 to Aeroporto and at least I know where to get my boarding pass. So on to the next challenge and then I am on my way home. And of course I am intending to take on my bags.
That’s it and its 6pm here so Im going out.
I was thinking on bus coming back here that I wish I could start this trip again knowing what I know. There were so many issues and problems to solve. And yet I managed it all – the biggest regret of course is my carelessness losing Pentax and zoom lens. However maybe it had to happen to wake me up to pay attention. Always I have a lot of different important things with me like passport and different kinds of money and credit cards and other camera and of course the keys. I lost a book and that’s all. No phone was a definite issue and I knew that coming here – just the alternative was too costly for month. I could have made that work better – I got from
http://www.cloncom.com
800 europe # and pin however what I bought was not for pay phone and everything outside is pay phone and doesn’t take coins. Looking back the issue with credit cards blocked I overreacted. I reacted cause of cards blocked and not able to call
Here is what I think about travel in another country when you are not in a Bubble of Protection as if you hadn’t left US – any issues you have about control will emerge. You don’t have the usual control and that’s a fact when you are in another country not speaking language and without a guide. You have to navigate and that begins with Relax and then you can think things through how to solve this on your own .... after you let go...
I know someone with a lot of money and many free miles and his job ended and he probably wont get another one – his life is spent in Starbucks near his home. That’s safe and secure and he keeps the control. And the world in which he lives is very small.
It takes courage to step outside the box