Eastbay1K
Jan 3, 06, 9:14 pm
When late December comes, it must be time to go to Chile. And so, for the fifth year in a row, I did. For those of you who have read the prior reports, I this one won't have as much flight detail. And for all of you, this one will have several hotels, several Lan flights, and who knows where else it will go. If you want details of every menu and seat, this is not a report for you.
The trip started well enough, with a night at the Hampton Inn SFO which included 2 weeks of parking for $139. Alas, the wake up call came all too early the next morning, and it was off to SFO. After an uneventful check-in and bags tagged to go SFO/LAX/SCL/EZE, with fingers crossed, it was off to the Alaska Boardoom. Scary how it becomes when the Boardoom concierge sees you on a late December morning and asks if you are off to Chile. Even scarier was that since I booked the flights many moons ago, AS had an equipment change to an MD80. The thing is that since the last one I got off of in 2000 fell into the ocean 8 hours after stepping off the plane, I don’t fly on them... well, until that day. Many more times than once I considered buying another ticket on another airline... but I didn’t, and the plane made it in less than 2 pieces. The flight to LAX was just entirely unexceptional, which is what I wanted. I can’t remember if I had tea, or a diet coke, or water, but I’m sure whatever I ordered is what the FA brought. And those are the service notes.
After an unexceptional flight and an unexceptional arrival @ LAX, came the unexceptional walk to the international terminal, whereupon the Lan F check-in counter had no waiting. Check-in was polite (where I asked for and received row 1 on the SCL/EZE segment, which gets an F seat with J service), and then it was off to the shared, unexceptional lounge, where I had a small unexceptional snack with some marginal, and also, unexceptional, wine. And finally, it was off to Lan 601, LAX (LIM) SCL. It was a 767 on that day, but in F, it was still fine. The flight was probably the worst F flight I’ve had on Lan, but it was still not bad.
The food: Nuts with beverage prior to take off. Canapes with the first beverages. (Who cares about hot nuts!) Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. However, without exception, the bubbles are never cold enough on the LAX departures. A selection of tasty appetizers with salad tossed to order on the first cart. A soup course afterwards, which for the first time ever, wasn’t even offered (although it existed and was on the menu). The main courses consisted of a dead cow filet in sauce, dead pig slices in sauce, and a pasta. I had the pig, which was overdone, but not too bad. The appetizer tray was great as usual. Then came ample selections of dessert, fruit and cheeses. I had the dessert, with some port. Dinner service was polite but quite rushed, so much so that before dessert, I asked it to be held off until I requested it, about an hour later.
2 wines on the flight were exceptional, a red by Almaviva, and a Sauvignon Blanc by Anakena. I tasted one other wine which was good, and didn’t taste the other 5.
Almaviva (http://conchaytoro.com/company/related_almaviva.html)
Anakena (http://www.anakenawines.cl)
Prior to LIM, snack service consisted of something unremarkable enough that I don’t remember it, but I’m sure it wasn’t bad, otherwise I would have remembered it. 2 shots of XO cognac allowed me to take a little snooze. The annoying stop in LIM lasted about an hour, and then it was off to SCL. The SCL arrival is easy enough, with a quick no-wait security stop, and then off to the lounge. I could hear names being paged from the upstairs boarding area (including mine) from down in the lounge, and went to the counter to find out that the plane had been changed to a 1 cabin, but there was another flight leaving at the exact same time that had business service, and so I grabbed the seats.
SCL/EZE - The “exact same time” turned into an hour-plus delay. The breakfast service was unremarkable, although I wasn’t really hungry. Sitting across the aisle from me was either someone really famous, or someone who wanted to really be famous in Argentina. Anorexic, young, blond, wore hoochiepants, and shades that made you really think that she wants to be seen, yet not seen. Alas, she wasn’t the only passenger in such attire, just the most obvious one. Arrival EZE was really unpleasant, as we had no idea which flight the luggage was on, and the baggage claim area was a lost sea of unhappy humanity. I finally found the bags at the far other end, off the carousel, for how long, who knows.
Sweet Home Buenos Aires Donde el cielo es tan gris,
Sweet Home Buenos Aires Condenado País
I had not been to Buenos Aires since the economy took its historic dump. There was a marked and noticeable change. It is still a fine place to visit with good food and whatnot, but the shades of gray are much more than before. It isn’t a matter of safety, or anything of that sort, and maybe if I’d never been, I wouldn’t feel the same, but it just wasn’t the same. That said, I’ll be back. Even the ice cream at Freddo, which I had dreamed of for the past 5 years, wasn’t the same. The plate of dead grilled animal parts for “nochebuena” dinner (24 December) was very tasty, as was the vino tinto and sliced tomato salad that not only was red, but tasted red. Most of Puerto Madero wasn’t there in its present form on my last visit, and that was impressive.
Unfortunately, a scene that will probably last my lifetime interrupted dinner on the 23d. As we were sitting outside at the table, eating (at maybe 11:30pm), and having a great bottle of vino, we heard a screeching car not more than 4 meters away and then heard a yelp from a dog. A dad and his young daughter were walking down the pedestrian street with her puppy, not on a leash, and the puppy went into the intersection first. What made it even worse was that within two or three seconds of this happening, the little girl hysterical, the dad just grabbed the girl and took her away, with the puppy lying not yet dead in the street. Some other witnesses grabbed a box and put it in the box after a short while. The whole incident was rather surreal.
The hotel - the Sheraton Libertador was just as expected. For US$99 including breakfast (unexceptional, of course ;) ), and an upgrade to the “Presidential Suite” (although I’m not quite sure which president from which country would ever stay there), it was worth every centavo. 2 nights in Buenos Aires was enough, and it was time to return to mi querido Chile.
Ironic it is that people kvetch and moan about the Chile reciprocity fee when all these other South American airports hit you up for departure fees on EACH DEPARTURE, not included in the ticket, and Chile does not. And then, waiting for the exit migration lines, in EZE there’s a sign saying something to the effect of “you are in the finest departure hall in Latin America” (I may be somewhat off on exactly what it says), which was no doubt either written by TOMMY when he was deaf, dumb and blind, or by someone who has never been to Santiago de Chile.
Ten Paz
As much as I wanted to return to Buenos Aires for this trip, I was eager to get back to Chile and was pleased to be on the A340, which was very lightly loaded on this late afternoon of the 25th December. The Anakena Sauvignon Blanc was abundantly flowing with the snack. Alas, back to Santiago, and after a quick immigration and baggage stop, it was off to the San Cristobal Tower. For the first time ever in either the Sheraton or the Tower side, I didn’t have a suite. I have no complaints at this place. For such a short stay in Santiago, there was only time for the obligatory “welcome drink” and then off to Lomit’s on Av. Providencia for the Gran Lomito Tomate Palta I’d been dreaming of for months. Oh yes, with a pisco sour, and wine. Sleep, breakfast, back to SCL. At checkout, I asked if a suite might be available for the return 3 nights later, and he confirmed it on the spot.
SCL/PMC - After awhile in the PacificClub (Diners Club affiliated), an unremarkable but pleasant flight on Lan, on a 1 cabin plane, where “servicio snack” consisted of a somewhat dry sandwich and a sweet, for 1:15 flight. Baggage, as usual, was quick, and the flight arrived early.
Continued in Part II (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5102338#post5102338)
The trip started well enough, with a night at the Hampton Inn SFO which included 2 weeks of parking for $139. Alas, the wake up call came all too early the next morning, and it was off to SFO. After an uneventful check-in and bags tagged to go SFO/LAX/SCL/EZE, with fingers crossed, it was off to the Alaska Boardoom. Scary how it becomes when the Boardoom concierge sees you on a late December morning and asks if you are off to Chile. Even scarier was that since I booked the flights many moons ago, AS had an equipment change to an MD80. The thing is that since the last one I got off of in 2000 fell into the ocean 8 hours after stepping off the plane, I don’t fly on them... well, until that day. Many more times than once I considered buying another ticket on another airline... but I didn’t, and the plane made it in less than 2 pieces. The flight to LAX was just entirely unexceptional, which is what I wanted. I can’t remember if I had tea, or a diet coke, or water, but I’m sure whatever I ordered is what the FA brought. And those are the service notes.
After an unexceptional flight and an unexceptional arrival @ LAX, came the unexceptional walk to the international terminal, whereupon the Lan F check-in counter had no waiting. Check-in was polite (where I asked for and received row 1 on the SCL/EZE segment, which gets an F seat with J service), and then it was off to the shared, unexceptional lounge, where I had a small unexceptional snack with some marginal, and also, unexceptional, wine. And finally, it was off to Lan 601, LAX (LIM) SCL. It was a 767 on that day, but in F, it was still fine. The flight was probably the worst F flight I’ve had on Lan, but it was still not bad.
The food: Nuts with beverage prior to take off. Canapes with the first beverages. (Who cares about hot nuts!) Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. However, without exception, the bubbles are never cold enough on the LAX departures. A selection of tasty appetizers with salad tossed to order on the first cart. A soup course afterwards, which for the first time ever, wasn’t even offered (although it existed and was on the menu). The main courses consisted of a dead cow filet in sauce, dead pig slices in sauce, and a pasta. I had the pig, which was overdone, but not too bad. The appetizer tray was great as usual. Then came ample selections of dessert, fruit and cheeses. I had the dessert, with some port. Dinner service was polite but quite rushed, so much so that before dessert, I asked it to be held off until I requested it, about an hour later.
2 wines on the flight were exceptional, a red by Almaviva, and a Sauvignon Blanc by Anakena. I tasted one other wine which was good, and didn’t taste the other 5.
Almaviva (http://conchaytoro.com/company/related_almaviva.html)
Anakena (http://www.anakenawines.cl)
Prior to LIM, snack service consisted of something unremarkable enough that I don’t remember it, but I’m sure it wasn’t bad, otherwise I would have remembered it. 2 shots of XO cognac allowed me to take a little snooze. The annoying stop in LIM lasted about an hour, and then it was off to SCL. The SCL arrival is easy enough, with a quick no-wait security stop, and then off to the lounge. I could hear names being paged from the upstairs boarding area (including mine) from down in the lounge, and went to the counter to find out that the plane had been changed to a 1 cabin, but there was another flight leaving at the exact same time that had business service, and so I grabbed the seats.
SCL/EZE - The “exact same time” turned into an hour-plus delay. The breakfast service was unremarkable, although I wasn’t really hungry. Sitting across the aisle from me was either someone really famous, or someone who wanted to really be famous in Argentina. Anorexic, young, blond, wore hoochiepants, and shades that made you really think that she wants to be seen, yet not seen. Alas, she wasn’t the only passenger in such attire, just the most obvious one. Arrival EZE was really unpleasant, as we had no idea which flight the luggage was on, and the baggage claim area was a lost sea of unhappy humanity. I finally found the bags at the far other end, off the carousel, for how long, who knows.
Sweet Home Buenos Aires Donde el cielo es tan gris,
Sweet Home Buenos Aires Condenado País
I had not been to Buenos Aires since the economy took its historic dump. There was a marked and noticeable change. It is still a fine place to visit with good food and whatnot, but the shades of gray are much more than before. It isn’t a matter of safety, or anything of that sort, and maybe if I’d never been, I wouldn’t feel the same, but it just wasn’t the same. That said, I’ll be back. Even the ice cream at Freddo, which I had dreamed of for the past 5 years, wasn’t the same. The plate of dead grilled animal parts for “nochebuena” dinner (24 December) was very tasty, as was the vino tinto and sliced tomato salad that not only was red, but tasted red. Most of Puerto Madero wasn’t there in its present form on my last visit, and that was impressive.
Unfortunately, a scene that will probably last my lifetime interrupted dinner on the 23d. As we were sitting outside at the table, eating (at maybe 11:30pm), and having a great bottle of vino, we heard a screeching car not more than 4 meters away and then heard a yelp from a dog. A dad and his young daughter were walking down the pedestrian street with her puppy, not on a leash, and the puppy went into the intersection first. What made it even worse was that within two or three seconds of this happening, the little girl hysterical, the dad just grabbed the girl and took her away, with the puppy lying not yet dead in the street. Some other witnesses grabbed a box and put it in the box after a short while. The whole incident was rather surreal.
The hotel - the Sheraton Libertador was just as expected. For US$99 including breakfast (unexceptional, of course ;) ), and an upgrade to the “Presidential Suite” (although I’m not quite sure which president from which country would ever stay there), it was worth every centavo. 2 nights in Buenos Aires was enough, and it was time to return to mi querido Chile.
Ironic it is that people kvetch and moan about the Chile reciprocity fee when all these other South American airports hit you up for departure fees on EACH DEPARTURE, not included in the ticket, and Chile does not. And then, waiting for the exit migration lines, in EZE there’s a sign saying something to the effect of “you are in the finest departure hall in Latin America” (I may be somewhat off on exactly what it says), which was no doubt either written by TOMMY when he was deaf, dumb and blind, or by someone who has never been to Santiago de Chile.
Ten Paz
As much as I wanted to return to Buenos Aires for this trip, I was eager to get back to Chile and was pleased to be on the A340, which was very lightly loaded on this late afternoon of the 25th December. The Anakena Sauvignon Blanc was abundantly flowing with the snack. Alas, back to Santiago, and after a quick immigration and baggage stop, it was off to the San Cristobal Tower. For the first time ever in either the Sheraton or the Tower side, I didn’t have a suite. I have no complaints at this place. For such a short stay in Santiago, there was only time for the obligatory “welcome drink” and then off to Lomit’s on Av. Providencia for the Gran Lomito Tomate Palta I’d been dreaming of for months. Oh yes, with a pisco sour, and wine. Sleep, breakfast, back to SCL. At checkout, I asked if a suite might be available for the return 3 nights later, and he confirmed it on the spot.
SCL/PMC - After awhile in the PacificClub (Diners Club affiliated), an unremarkable but pleasant flight on Lan, on a 1 cabin plane, where “servicio snack” consisted of a somewhat dry sandwich and a sweet, for 1:15 flight. Baggage, as usual, was quick, and the flight arrived early.
Continued in Part II (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5102338#post5102338)