Transit in La Paz, Bolivia
It was quite a bit cooler at this altitude - indeed a chilly day around 6C early afternoon mid summer. The terminal was warm enough though.
We'd arrived long after departure for my onward flight, but I was not too worried as I expected it to be on the same aircraft we arrived on, and I could see the airport was small so hopefully transfer will be quick and easy. After Yemen, and other tricky transits/turnarounds, I knew that it isn't always as easy as it could be but I had high hopes for simplicity.
As we pulled up to the terminal I was pleased to see airbridges. Easier to get on and off the aircraft in the thin air. I was feeling rather light headed, as if I'd just polished off a bottle of wine on the flight up, but was breathing okay.
I had some doubt when taxiing in to the terminal, as an announcement was made about connections that made me wonder if I'd missed seeing another flight and was not turning around on the same aircraft after all. Just as I was disembarking a ground staff asked for me. Hmmm. This could be good news or really bad news.
As she was also handing out some customs forms (for some reason Bolivia has 2 customs forms as well as an immigration form and in flight we were only given 2 of the 3 forms), I had to wait while every other passenger streamed past me. So much for being first off the aircraft!
There is no transit facility at La Paz.
At immigration she escorted me to the front of the immigration queue apparently oblivious to the fact I'd already be through by now if I hadn't had to wait for her at the airbridge. Another stamp, another empty page no longer empty. They don't have machine reader for the passports and so photocopy them (the front page plus the page with the Bolivian entry stamp) instead.
At customs they have the red light / green light system I'd previously encountered at MEX. I got lucky, the passenger in front of me got red and a baggage inspection while I got green, good to go. The ground staff told me to hurry to pay departure tax and report to the check in counter, and please hurry.
It is a few steps around the corner to check in area, which is devoid of passengers. No exemption for transito. The tax is USD24 or local equivalent, no change given. The check in staff see me leave the tax booth and wave me over shouting "Are you Kiwi Flyer? Please come here." They type in some passport details - I have no idea why this information isn't already in their system. Please hurry through immigration to the gate.
At immigration I win a minor battle by convincing the officer to stamp on a used page. Hooray for small mercies. Another photocopy of my passport is taken. Then security. Apparently my power adaptor looked strange on the x-ray so I had to open the bag for them to inspect it.
The gate area was tiny and boarding was already 3/4 complete. I joined the end of the line. The transit took less than 30 minutes. I am sure I could have reached the gate quicker on my own.