Learning my ABCs: Algeria, Bahama, Cuba and the Cubana IL-96
Dec 3, 2015, 11:35 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: EK
Posts: 6
crazy nice ironmanjt
What make your report outstanding...
Clear, fresh and funny syntaxes, nice photos never repetitive or boring, explained routing and planes, wine and cheese....
Thank you, your stories are really enjoyable.
Man, no te mueras nunca, stay safe and keep walking....
NB & PS: May I suggest one photo of each aircraft, before and/or after boarding ?
Clear, fresh and funny syntaxes, nice photos never repetitive or boring, explained routing and planes, wine and cheese....
Thank you, your stories are really enjoyable.
Man, no te mueras nunca, stay safe and keep walking....
NB & PS: May I suggest one photo of each aircraft, before and/or after boarding ?
Dec 4, 2015, 7:52 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
I try and get external, but using an iPhone and lots of flights leaving in the dark it's hard. I do try that one though!
Dec 7, 2015, 7:58 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
That's what happens when you choose places like Kraplapastan for vacation 
...sorry for the delays, last minute work trip to Bangkok, and forgot to load my images on my laptop before leaving. I'll resume in a couple days!
...sorry for the delays, last minute work trip to Bangkok, and forgot to load my images on my laptop before leaving. I'll resume in a couple days!
Dec 13, 2015, 10:54 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
That said, does anyone really want to see a review of UA business first, TG business, or OS longhaul business to BKK now?
Dec 14, 2015, 12:22 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Dec 15, 2015, 6:32 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
III. Visiting Algiers, Algieria
Upon landing in Algiers, immigration was a piece of cake, and not a single question was answered. I was a bit surprised since the visa took quite a bit of bureaucratic paperwork to procure, to the point I actually used a visa expediter to ensure it got done on time. That said, immigration was a piece of cake, and I was out to the taxi queue quickly.
Finding a taxi was easy, but the best price I could get out of the four drivers I talked to was "pay what you wish." I had an estimate from online, so I decided to just go with it. When we arrived at the hotel I offered 10 euros, which I knew was still slightly generous based on advice I'd read online. Of course, as predicted, the driver became indignant and started a big scene, and demanded 15. I probably should have started at 5 and gone up to 10, but hey - I was tired and just wanted to get to the hotel. At the end of the day it wasn't worth the argument, so I gave him the 15.
Checked into the hotel, which I'll describe more later, and then took a quick hour nap to try and fight the jet lag a bit. It was mid afternoon when I woke up, so after a quick snack decided to wander the neighbourhood a bit. Just down the street was the Jardin d'Essai du Hamma. The gardens are a large green urban oasis, subdivided into a french garden and an english garden. I couldn't tell you what the difference is, but....It's said to be probably the best botanical gardens in Africa, and from what I saw I'd certainly believe it.
I wandered the garden for a bit, which was absolutely packed with families and couples out for a weekend stroll. The clouds were pretty dark and threatening, but I figured it wasn't too long of a run to the hotel if the skies opened up, so decided to keep walking. A couple of pics of the french gardens:
Nice wide lane, with a place on the left that sold delicious banana nutella crepes. I may have stopped for a snack...
Now onto the english gardens. Family walking along a small pond/stream:
Couple strolling through the english gardens:
After about 90 minutes of walking the sun had almost set, so decided to head back to the hotel. Timing was perfect, because the minute I got back the skies absolutely opened up and it started pouring. Which went on for at least the next several hours until I went to bed. Given the combination of jet lag and rain I wasn't leaving the hotel, which was fine because they made a pretty reasonable attempt at a croque madame sandwich for dinner:
Passed out for nearly 10 hours, which I didn't feel too bad about when I woke up and the rain was still coming down in bucketfulls. I decided I might as well enjoy a leisurely breakfast and see if it stopped, which was a good thing because...they did a darn good breakfast. Even made french press coffee and brought an entire basket of breads along with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. YUM!
Around 10:30 the rain finally let up to a very light drizzle, so I decided to start my exploring for the day. First stop was the Martyr's Monument on top of the hill, which required either taking a taxi or the funicular. Since I put the fun in funicular, that was to be the obvious option! Walking from my hotel to the funicular:
At the funicular I attempted to pay for my ride, but when she saw all I had were large bills (obtained from the ATM at the official exchange rate of 115 to the euro) she just waved me through without paying. Score! Short ride to the top, followed by a short walk, and I was at the monument.
Police standing guard at the monument, erected to commemorate the martyrs who died fighting for Algeria's independence:
After hanging around people watching for a bit, the skies had cleared, so back to the funicular to head back to the hotel. Picture of the funicular (called the Télépherique in Algiers) station at the top of the hill:
View from the car, descending back down to the city:
After grabbing some quick lunch at a small place packed with locals near my hotel (where I had some delicious lamb couscous) it was time to plan out the rest of the day. I only had a few hours of daylight to see the remaining sights I wanted to see (rain holding off, inshallah), so it was time to get strategic. I struck up with a taxi driver parked at my hotel, and he agreed to drive me around for 4 hours for a reasonable price which I don't remember more.
Our first stop was the Notre Dame d'Afrique Cathedral, located on the outskirts of town and high up in the hills. To get there, we drove through the Casbah where we stopped for a short walk. It was just another run down bazaar to me, so we continued onto the cathedral, which felt very out of place in north africa:
Good views from the cathedral as well down to the water:
After the cathedral we drove back to the casbah and parked to take a bit of a longer walk through another part. I tried to take pictures several times, but was always asked for money first. I kinda felt like a cross between a working market and a tourist trap, so I got frustrated pretty quickly and said I'd had enough. He also drove me past several of the squares and sights downtown, but it was hard to get a picture from the car. No problem since I planned to come back in the morning.
He insisted I had to see the Martyr's Monument again by nightlight, and he was right, it was pretty cool:
This is where the evening got kind of weird. I'd been asking him all afternoon to help me with exchanging some money. Seems up until a month or two ago, it was easy to do on the black market in the casbah or in a place called Port Said Square, but the police have recently cracked down (due to counterfeit bills) so now it's much harder. But don't worry, he has a friend, he will find.
After calling several people, and lots of loud talking in Arabic, he assured me he had a friend would could handle the sum I needed to change. I should note at this point the driver spoke no English, so we were getting by in French, and doing a pretty good job of things. Eventually, we got to his friend's restaurant, which was a small local restaurant that looked a bit like a hole in the wall cafeteria. But, it also had a nice walk-in fridge where business was conducted. He was happy to exchange my euros at 165 to the euro as opposed to the official 115, saving me over 40% on my meals and hotel. Score! He wasn't even offended when I double-counted and checked the currency. Big win for my driver, and ensured him a good tip.
At this point, the light drizzle had turned into a total downpour again, so decided to go back to the hotel and call it an early night. I got an early printout of the hotel bill, and realized I actually had quite a bit more cash than needed to pay for things after the fantastic exchange, so decided to enjoy a nice leisurely dinner in the hotel's "fine dining" Algerian restaurant. It was good, but definitely overpriced, so I'm not sure I would give it a high recommendation. That said, I had the extra money to spend, so it was a good experience.
Fortunately, it wasn't raining the next morning, so I could head out and explore on my own. Algiers' relatively new subway system wasn't far from my hotel, so decided to use that for exploring. Heading down into the station:
Inside the station, looking along the platform at Hamma station:
Train arriving on the other side:
Empty station:
http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-[IMG]content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_3223-1024x774.jpg[/IMG]
Overall I give the subway high marks. It was quick, clean, efficient, people were polite on it, and very reasonably priced. First stop was the Place de la Grande Poste:
La Grande Poste itself. Great old post office building:
I walked around for another 30 minutes or so before I had to head back to the hotel and pack up to leave for the airport. A few thoughts on the hotel. I stayed at the Sofitel, and overall it was a great choice. Fantastic location near the subway and the gardens, also the funicular to the martyrs monument. Also, it had a good lounge and restaurant, so it was easy to stay at the hotel during back weather.
The service was also quite good overall, and staff were friendly and helpful, especially the staff in the lounge and the breakfast/buffet restaurant. As far as the rooms go, they were clean, comfortable, and functional, and a very reasonable temperature. Picture from the elevator area - all rooms were arrange around a large atrium:
Overall I'd definitely stay here again the next time I visit. The price was a bit on the high side and it wasn't in the middle of downtown, but it was still in the city and accessible. As far as the high price, after paying in cash with the 40% discount thanks to my friend it felt like a reasonable price and I was quite happy with my choice. Now, time to check out and head to the airport for the next adventure!
Finding a taxi was easy, but the best price I could get out of the four drivers I talked to was "pay what you wish." I had an estimate from online, so I decided to just go with it. When we arrived at the hotel I offered 10 euros, which I knew was still slightly generous based on advice I'd read online. Of course, as predicted, the driver became indignant and started a big scene, and demanded 15. I probably should have started at 5 and gone up to 10, but hey - I was tired and just wanted to get to the hotel. At the end of the day it wasn't worth the argument, so I gave him the 15.
Checked into the hotel, which I'll describe more later, and then took a quick hour nap to try and fight the jet lag a bit. It was mid afternoon when I woke up, so after a quick snack decided to wander the neighbourhood a bit. Just down the street was the Jardin d'Essai du Hamma. The gardens are a large green urban oasis, subdivided into a french garden and an english garden. I couldn't tell you what the difference is, but....It's said to be probably the best botanical gardens in Africa, and from what I saw I'd certainly believe it.
I wandered the garden for a bit, which was absolutely packed with families and couples out for a weekend stroll. The clouds were pretty dark and threatening, but I figured it wasn't too long of a run to the hotel if the skies opened up, so decided to keep walking. A couple of pics of the french gardens:
Nice wide lane, with a place on the left that sold delicious banana nutella crepes. I may have stopped for a snack...
Now onto the english gardens. Family walking along a small pond/stream:
Couple strolling through the english gardens:
After about 90 minutes of walking the sun had almost set, so decided to head back to the hotel. Timing was perfect, because the minute I got back the skies absolutely opened up and it started pouring. Which went on for at least the next several hours until I went to bed. Given the combination of jet lag and rain I wasn't leaving the hotel, which was fine because they made a pretty reasonable attempt at a croque madame sandwich for dinner:
Passed out for nearly 10 hours, which I didn't feel too bad about when I woke up and the rain was still coming down in bucketfulls. I decided I might as well enjoy a leisurely breakfast and see if it stopped, which was a good thing because...they did a darn good breakfast. Even made french press coffee and brought an entire basket of breads along with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. YUM!
Around 10:30 the rain finally let up to a very light drizzle, so I decided to start my exploring for the day. First stop was the Martyr's Monument on top of the hill, which required either taking a taxi or the funicular. Since I put the fun in funicular, that was to be the obvious option! Walking from my hotel to the funicular:
At the funicular I attempted to pay for my ride, but when she saw all I had were large bills (obtained from the ATM at the official exchange rate of 115 to the euro) she just waved me through without paying. Score! Short ride to the top, followed by a short walk, and I was at the monument.
Police standing guard at the monument, erected to commemorate the martyrs who died fighting for Algeria's independence:
After hanging around people watching for a bit, the skies had cleared, so back to the funicular to head back to the hotel. Picture of the funicular (called the Télépherique in Algiers) station at the top of the hill:
View from the car, descending back down to the city:
After grabbing some quick lunch at a small place packed with locals near my hotel (where I had some delicious lamb couscous) it was time to plan out the rest of the day. I only had a few hours of daylight to see the remaining sights I wanted to see (rain holding off, inshallah), so it was time to get strategic. I struck up with a taxi driver parked at my hotel, and he agreed to drive me around for 4 hours for a reasonable price which I don't remember more.
Our first stop was the Notre Dame d'Afrique Cathedral, located on the outskirts of town and high up in the hills. To get there, we drove through the Casbah where we stopped for a short walk. It was just another run down bazaar to me, so we continued onto the cathedral, which felt very out of place in north africa:
Good views from the cathedral as well down to the water:
After the cathedral we drove back to the casbah and parked to take a bit of a longer walk through another part. I tried to take pictures several times, but was always asked for money first. I kinda felt like a cross between a working market and a tourist trap, so I got frustrated pretty quickly and said I'd had enough. He also drove me past several of the squares and sights downtown, but it was hard to get a picture from the car. No problem since I planned to come back in the morning.
He insisted I had to see the Martyr's Monument again by nightlight, and he was right, it was pretty cool:
This is where the evening got kind of weird. I'd been asking him all afternoon to help me with exchanging some money. Seems up until a month or two ago, it was easy to do on the black market in the casbah or in a place called Port Said Square, but the police have recently cracked down (due to counterfeit bills) so now it's much harder. But don't worry, he has a friend, he will find.
After calling several people, and lots of loud talking in Arabic, he assured me he had a friend would could handle the sum I needed to change. I should note at this point the driver spoke no English, so we were getting by in French, and doing a pretty good job of things. Eventually, we got to his friend's restaurant, which was a small local restaurant that looked a bit like a hole in the wall cafeteria. But, it also had a nice walk-in fridge where business was conducted. He was happy to exchange my euros at 165 to the euro as opposed to the official 115, saving me over 40% on my meals and hotel. Score! He wasn't even offended when I double-counted and checked the currency. Big win for my driver, and ensured him a good tip.
At this point, the light drizzle had turned into a total downpour again, so decided to go back to the hotel and call it an early night. I got an early printout of the hotel bill, and realized I actually had quite a bit more cash than needed to pay for things after the fantastic exchange, so decided to enjoy a nice leisurely dinner in the hotel's "fine dining" Algerian restaurant. It was good, but definitely overpriced, so I'm not sure I would give it a high recommendation. That said, I had the extra money to spend, so it was a good experience.
Fortunately, it wasn't raining the next morning, so I could head out and explore on my own. Algiers' relatively new subway system wasn't far from my hotel, so decided to use that for exploring. Heading down into the station:
Inside the station, looking along the platform at Hamma station:
Train arriving on the other side:
Empty station:
http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/wp-[IMG]content/uploads/2015/12/IMG_3223-1024x774.jpg[/IMG]
Overall I give the subway high marks. It was quick, clean, efficient, people were polite on it, and very reasonably priced. First stop was the Place de la Grande Poste:
La Grande Poste itself. Great old post office building:
I walked around for another 30 minutes or so before I had to head back to the hotel and pack up to leave for the airport. A few thoughts on the hotel. I stayed at the Sofitel, and overall it was a great choice. Fantastic location near the subway and the gardens, also the funicular to the martyrs monument. Also, it had a good lounge and restaurant, so it was easy to stay at the hotel during back weather.
The service was also quite good overall, and staff were friendly and helpful, especially the staff in the lounge and the breakfast/buffet restaurant. As far as the rooms go, they were clean, comfortable, and functional, and a very reasonable temperature. Picture from the elevator area - all rooms were arrange around a large atrium:
Overall I'd definitely stay here again the next time I visit. The price was a bit on the high side and it wasn't in the middle of downtown, but it was still in the city and accessible. As far as the high price, after paying in cash with the 40% discount thanks to my friend it felt like a reasonable price and I was quite happy with my choice. Now, time to check out and head to the airport for the next adventure!
Dec 16, 2015, 7:40 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
Looks like a cool time in the capital of Africa's largest country
.
Pity they were asking for money for photo's, I guess a few errant tourists gave them some and now they expect everyone to do so.
Looking forward to the Latin experience, on both side of the Atlantic.
.Pity they were asking for money for photo's, I guess a few errant tourists gave them some and now they expect everyone to do so.
Looking forward to the Latin experience, on both side of the Atlantic
.
Dec 16, 2015, 8:18 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
IV. Algiers to Madrid on Iberia EuroBusiness, overnight Madrid
My driver from the previous day showed up right on time as promised, and it was quite a short ride to the airport. We had already negotiated the price, so I knew exactly how much cash to save (plus a tip) to ensure I wouldn't have any (relatively useless) Algerian Dinars left over. The arrivals area a couple days earlier had seemed rather small, so upon arrival I was surprised to see just how big the check-in area was, with over 50 different counters and three halls:
Immigration was pretty simple, and security was a bit longer, mainly because there were a ton of Chinese construction workers in front of me who spoke neither the French or English to be able to communicate with the screeners. Of course, they also had belts on, phones in their pockets, etc etc, so the whole thing took way longer than it should. Once through, there was also a strange manual check on the other side. This may have been a shake-down for the Chinese (because he was making them empty their pockets) but we had a good chat in French (his brother lives in Montreal it seems) and off I went to the Air Algerie lounge, where I was greeted by:
The lounge was actually quite spacious, rather empty, with big comfy faux leather chairs:
The food selection was poor, but at least there was Coke Zero. One bite of each pastry since they were completely dry, but it was good to know that even though I wasn't flying them, Air Algerie is always caring for me!
However, while in the lounge, drama ensued. I got an e-mail from Cubana that my "flight had been modified, due to the IL-96 out of repair. You are rebooked on 767 flight instead in economy class."
Hell. To. The. No.
Checking more details, Cubana had chartered a 767 from some German tour operator, with 29 inch seat pitch, so instead of being comfy in business class, they expected I would be fine sitting not only in economy, but in a super cramped economy for 11+ hours with my knees in my chest. Not happening. I started making some plans, and knew it would be drama. Unfortunately, it was time to bord.
Boarded right on time for what appeared to be (at least in coach) a relatively full flight.
Iberia flight 3305
Algiers, Algeria (ALG) to Madrid, Spain (MAD)
Depart 14:05, Arrive 15:35, Flight Time: 1:30
Airbus A319, Registration EC-HKO, Manufactured 2000, Seat 4D
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 114,729
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,153,562
Coach looked pretty full, but in the four rows of business there were only three people, so I was able to move over to a window for takeoff. My first time (I'm pretty sure) on Iberia, and like many places in Spain there was no English spoke. Thankfully I understand the words for pasta and wine. Well, pasta wasn't really necessary, since it was only being used to tell me my only choice was pasta and would I like it. My meal came sealed in saran wrap...for my protection?
Flight was incredibly...average. Usual EuroBusiness flight, and a piece of cake. Immigration was also simple, and I headed off to find the express bus to Madrid, which supposedly would drop me just a couple of blocks from my hotel. It was easy to find, super cheap at five euros, and after a maybe 30 minute ride I was dropped off for my short walk. No rain, much nicer than Algeria!
Passing the Monumento a los Caidos por España on the walk, a monument to all those who have given their lives for Spain over more than two centuries:
So, got to my hotel, and here's where the drama would start. The check-in person at the Westin Palace was rather cold, but informed me she had oh so generously upgraded me to a "renovated" room and I "should be happy with that, because you pay a discounted rate, no?" Ok, so the room was nice enough when I got to it...except the suitcase in the middle of the room. I called down to have them remove it...but then noticed the bathroom hadn't been cleaned either.
Went to the front desk, threw a small fit, and told them I'd like a better room, especially one that was clean and didn't have other peoples' belongings in it. I'm going for coffee, and when I get back, please have me in a new room and have my bags moved. I went to Starbucks down the street for some coffee to wake up, where the barista decided my name sounded like Juan and wrote that on the cup. Hah.
Back to the hotel, got the keys to my new room just a few doors down, and all seemed good. My bags had been moved and I was at least mildly happy. Did some work for a couple hours, then went to hang up my clothes...only to find out this room also had clothes already hanging in the closet. Ugh. Do these people every check their rooms? It was a complete disaster. This time, the clothes was removed, and the fight was out of me, so I retired to the hotel bar to enjoy the "complimentary 2-for-1 drink" for platinum members. That's right no free drink, but if you buy one you can get a second one. How...generous?
While I enjoyed my two glasses of wine, I was frantically looking for alternatives on my laptop. Finally found one that was a reasonable price, Avianca via Cali and Bogota on the 787 to Havana. Unfortunately instead of a 9p arrival it would be a noon arrival the next day, but figured that might not be too bad. Sure, I'd miss 2-3 hours of touring in the morning, but I figured the overnight hotel in Bogota might be nicer than whatever I'd get in Havana, so I booked it...praying Cubana would let me cancel.
Went out for a walk after the drink, and headed to the Mercado San Miguel to get some dinner and drinks...and people watch!
Wandered around the various market stalls, and finally found one that had some reasonable (and cheap) house wine! Had a couple of glasses, chatted with some interesting Australian tourists, and then hung out with a group of guys from Quebec for a bit before decided it was time to wander the market a bit more and find something to eat.
Found a stall selling wagyu beef burgers, and they did look pretty good. Again, English wasn't a strong suit, so when asked how I wanted it cooked, I dragged out my useful Argentinian Spanish and told them "medio - a punto." He seemed to understand....
but, apparently in Madrid, that means, kill it, and while it's still mooing, serve it to me:
That said, it was delicious, and I didn't get food poisoning, so life was awesome! While eating I also got the email back from Cubana that they were happy to do a refund and a few seconds later I got the notice from Amex that it posted. Talk about efficient...even United can't manage that. So say what you will about unreliable aircraft, at least Cubana delivered on the customer recovery front!
More wine with the Quebecers, and we were eventually joined by a group of Swiss women whose husbands had disappeared to "somewhere" and much wine was consumed. I did, however, find my way back to my hotel before midnight, which is practically child's play in Spain. I also managed to take a non-blurry picture:
Off to bed for a good night's sleep, because it was time for Cuba in the morning!
Immigration was pretty simple, and security was a bit longer, mainly because there were a ton of Chinese construction workers in front of me who spoke neither the French or English to be able to communicate with the screeners. Of course, they also had belts on, phones in their pockets, etc etc, so the whole thing took way longer than it should. Once through, there was also a strange manual check on the other side. This may have been a shake-down for the Chinese (because he was making them empty their pockets) but we had a good chat in French (his brother lives in Montreal it seems) and off I went to the Air Algerie lounge, where I was greeted by:
The lounge was actually quite spacious, rather empty, with big comfy faux leather chairs:
The food selection was poor, but at least there was Coke Zero. One bite of each pastry since they were completely dry, but it was good to know that even though I wasn't flying them, Air Algerie is always caring for me!
However, while in the lounge, drama ensued. I got an e-mail from Cubana that my "flight had been modified, due to the IL-96 out of repair. You are rebooked on 767 flight instead in economy class."
Hell. To. The. No.
Checking more details, Cubana had chartered a 767 from some German tour operator, with 29 inch seat pitch, so instead of being comfy in business class, they expected I would be fine sitting not only in economy, but in a super cramped economy for 11+ hours with my knees in my chest. Not happening. I started making some plans, and knew it would be drama. Unfortunately, it was time to bord.
Boarded right on time for what appeared to be (at least in coach) a relatively full flight.
Iberia flight 3305
Algiers, Algeria (ALG) to Madrid, Spain (MAD)
Depart 14:05, Arrive 15:35, Flight Time: 1:30
Airbus A319, Registration EC-HKO, Manufactured 2000, Seat 4D
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 114,729
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,153,562
Coach looked pretty full, but in the four rows of business there were only three people, so I was able to move over to a window for takeoff. My first time (I'm pretty sure) on Iberia, and like many places in Spain there was no English spoke. Thankfully I understand the words for pasta and wine. Well, pasta wasn't really necessary, since it was only being used to tell me my only choice was pasta and would I like it. My meal came sealed in saran wrap...for my protection?
Flight was incredibly...average. Usual EuroBusiness flight, and a piece of cake. Immigration was also simple, and I headed off to find the express bus to Madrid, which supposedly would drop me just a couple of blocks from my hotel. It was easy to find, super cheap at five euros, and after a maybe 30 minute ride I was dropped off for my short walk. No rain, much nicer than Algeria!
Passing the Monumento a los Caidos por España on the walk, a monument to all those who have given their lives for Spain over more than two centuries:
So, got to my hotel, and here's where the drama would start. The check-in person at the Westin Palace was rather cold, but informed me she had oh so generously upgraded me to a "renovated" room and I "should be happy with that, because you pay a discounted rate, no?" Ok, so the room was nice enough when I got to it...except the suitcase in the middle of the room. I called down to have them remove it...but then noticed the bathroom hadn't been cleaned either.
Went to the front desk, threw a small fit, and told them I'd like a better room, especially one that was clean and didn't have other peoples' belongings in it. I'm going for coffee, and when I get back, please have me in a new room and have my bags moved. I went to Starbucks down the street for some coffee to wake up, where the barista decided my name sounded like Juan and wrote that on the cup. Hah.
Back to the hotel, got the keys to my new room just a few doors down, and all seemed good. My bags had been moved and I was at least mildly happy. Did some work for a couple hours, then went to hang up my clothes...only to find out this room also had clothes already hanging in the closet. Ugh. Do these people every check their rooms? It was a complete disaster. This time, the clothes was removed, and the fight was out of me, so I retired to the hotel bar to enjoy the "complimentary 2-for-1 drink" for platinum members. That's right no free drink, but if you buy one you can get a second one. How...generous?
While I enjoyed my two glasses of wine, I was frantically looking for alternatives on my laptop. Finally found one that was a reasonable price, Avianca via Cali and Bogota on the 787 to Havana. Unfortunately instead of a 9p arrival it would be a noon arrival the next day, but figured that might not be too bad. Sure, I'd miss 2-3 hours of touring in the morning, but I figured the overnight hotel in Bogota might be nicer than whatever I'd get in Havana, so I booked it...praying Cubana would let me cancel.
Went out for a walk after the drink, and headed to the Mercado San Miguel to get some dinner and drinks...and people watch!
Wandered around the various market stalls, and finally found one that had some reasonable (and cheap) house wine! Had a couple of glasses, chatted with some interesting Australian tourists, and then hung out with a group of guys from Quebec for a bit before decided it was time to wander the market a bit more and find something to eat.
Found a stall selling wagyu beef burgers, and they did look pretty good. Again, English wasn't a strong suit, so when asked how I wanted it cooked, I dragged out my useful Argentinian Spanish and told them "medio - a punto." He seemed to understand....
but, apparently in Madrid, that means, kill it, and while it's still mooing, serve it to me:
That said, it was delicious, and I didn't get food poisoning, so life was awesome! While eating I also got the email back from Cubana that they were happy to do a refund and a few seconds later I got the notice from Amex that it posted. Talk about efficient...even United can't manage that. So say what you will about unreliable aircraft, at least Cubana delivered on the customer recovery front!
More wine with the Quebecers, and we were eventually joined by a group of Swiss women whose husbands had disappeared to "somewhere" and much wine was consumed. I did, however, find my way back to my hotel before midnight, which is practically child's play in Spain. I also managed to take a non-blurry picture:
Off to bed for a good night's sleep, because it was time for Cuba in the morning!
Dec 19, 2015, 10:24 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
V. Madrid to Havana on the Cubana Ilyushin IL-96 in Business
Well, not actually.
Unfortunately as you read in the last entry, Cubana was having a bit of a problem with its Ilyushin 96s, so they would not be flying them between Madrid and Havana today. As excited as the offered alternative of 13+ hours in charter economy (read: economy with even less legroom than normal) was, I decided to see who else could get me there. Avianca had a flight on their new 787 that left at the same time as the Cubana flight, and with two stops in Cali and Bogota (and a short overnight in Bogota) would get me there at noon the next day. It meant I would lose a morning of touring in Havana, but in the end be much more comfortable. Plus, I admit I was swayed by the chance to not only fly my first ever Europe to South America flight, but to do it on a slightly unusual route like Madrid to Cali.
The nice thing about the departure time is it allowed me to have a leisurely morning in Madrid, enjoy some coffee and a short walk before taking the bus to the airport to save a bit of money. It was a bright and sunny day in Madrid, but fairly cold...but the sun won out and it was nice for strolling around. At check-in, there was a good deal of confusion...could they issue my boarding passes all the way to Havana, or not? Do I need a visa for Havana, or not. Apparently, this isn't a very common connection - especially via Cali and not the nonstop to Bogotá. That flight, however, was thousands more due to being nearly sold out in business. In contrast, .my 787 to Cali with continuing flight number to Bogotá only had two people in business. Score!
I had forgotten to ask about the lounge, but after taking the train out to the far gates and checking, Avianca did indeed use the Iberia lounge instead of the contract lounge which looked to be packed with Emirates and Qatar passengers and not nearly as nice. The Iberia lounge, by contrast, was rather nice and offered a substantial pre-flight snack and lots of places for charging the computer:
After catching up on a few things, it was time to walk over to the gate where my ride to Cali was getting ready to board:
Boarding was a mad rush to the plane, with no respect for queues or boarding business class first. It was every man, woman, and child for themselves, pushing towards the boarding pass scanner and onto the jetway. Fortunately, in the last several years of travel I've learned to put politeness aside in these situations and fend for myself.
Avianca flight 15
Madrid, Spain (MAD) to Cali, Colombia (CLO)
Depart 15:25, Arrive 19:56, Flight Time: 10:31
Boeing 787-8, Registration N781AV, Manufactured 2014, Seat 5K
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 119,829
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,158,723
Somehow my flight had gone from two people in business class to eleven in the two hours since I'd checked in. Not a problem, and from a service point of view it probably helped because it prevented the crew from just throwing things at two people and then disappearing. I was told no moving seats until the door was closed because there still might be more passengers. Where does Avianca get all these last minute business class passengers on such a new route? Regardless, after closing I moved back to 5K to "hide" a bit in the back of the cabin, which was much quieter since almost all the other passengers were in the first three rows. Welcome aboard champagne and nuts in my original seat of 3A:
Tumi amenity kit. Definitely saving this one for use on future trips. Great storage:
Today's menu to Cali. One small note, English was pretty much non-existent with this crew, but on a flight from Spain to Colombia I expected that:
Somewhat strange combo for a starter, but the cheese was super tasty, and...hey...cheese for a starter! Mmmm!
Meal service was all on one tray, and the chicken was quite juicy, which surprised me:
Delicious desert:
After the meal, the crew disappeared and I crashed for about three hours of sleep. The cabin was completely darkened, and the crew used the override on the windows to prevent them from being opened. Not sure if this is a positive or negative of the 787, where you often have no control over daylight because the crew can override the mechanical windows. But, I got a good nap, it just made it really hard to adjust having 9 hours of the flight completely in darkness.
Before arrival, a rather tasty quiche-like snack was served, but the grilled mushrooms served with it were foul. Unfortunately, the fruit was also quite dry and lacked any flavour. Not the best snack.
Immigration was pretty simple, but it was clear Cali wasn't designed to handle large numbers of international arrivals. There was a long hallway to immigration, and at the end of the hallway three counters. Despite being in business, there were a good 50 people in line in front of me, from a previous Avianca arrival from Miami. It was pretty quick, however, and a bit entertaining. The immigration guy spoke very rapid Spanish despite being asked to slow down, and finally I relented and asked if we could speak English please. "No! Español Señor!" Ugh, lol. I eventually answered all his questions, which wasn't easy, because he also couldn't understand for the life of him why I wasn't on the nonstop flight to Bogotá once I told him I was in transit. Anyways, that solved, it was out into baggage claim and then...to the curbside.
There were no directions to domestic transfers, so this was going to take a bit of searching. Eventually I found the check-in area, which was several times bigger than the international area. Cali is clearly a domestic airport that just happens to handle a few international flights as well. The bigger problem is the domestic check-in area was all open air, and it was extremely hot and humid in Cali. I was rapidly getting gross after having been on a 10 hour flight and now sweating in the humidity. Eventually, after going to like five counters I confirmed that yes, since I had my boarding pass, I could go straight to the gate.
Problem was, the gates were unmarked, and there was a lot of construction going on. ...and nobody had thought to, you know, maybe put some signs pointing to where the gates were. They turned out to be down an unmarked makeshift hallway, where I finally found security and eventually the domestic terminal. I also found...air conditioning! Whew!
The Avianca lounge was upstairs, and had quite a sad looking set of snacks, which the passengers were attacking like hungry vultures. I normally avoid scary looking sandwiches at all costs, but I figured dozens of Colombians couldn't be wrong so decided to take one for the team and give it a try. Washed down with a glass of wine it was actually reasonable.
Our flight kept fluctuating from two hours late, to fifteen minutes late, back to an hour late on the monitors. Seems there had been weather in Bogotá all day and flights were backed up. I asked about getting on the flights before mine, but there was no telling when they would leave either, so no, I couldn't go on an earlier flight...which might actually end up leaving later.
Then, ten minutes before my original flight time...it suddenly became on-time. I rushed to the gate, where everyone was already on board, and was pretty much the last one on before closing the door. My seatmate was nice and slowly explained that the four flights to Bogotá were all in the same area, and when it became clear 10 minutes before that mine would suddenly be the first to leave, everyone from the other flights stormed the gate and switched. Fortunately, my original seat was still in tact.
Avianca flight 15
Cali, Colombia (CLO) to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
Depart 22:15, Arrive 23:16, Flight Time: 1:01
Airbus A320, Registration N862AV, Manufactured 2011, Seat 2C
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 120,003
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,158,897
Lots of people seem to complain in different online forums about people who put their feet on the bulkhead. You'll be glad to know Avianca is looking out for you:
Flight was short, barely 30-40 minutes in the air, and the crew remained seated the entire flight due to turbulence. Arrivals were easy, and there was actually quite a long walk to get to the arrivals area. After asking around a bit, I found where the hotel shuttles were supposed to arrive, so I went there...where I was pretty much the only person standing around, and hoped that the "every 30 minutes" Aloft shuttle would actually show up.
After 20 minutes, if eventually did, and it was a short ride to the Aloft Bogotá airport for my four hour nap. I've always avoided Alofts and Four Points, but I have no clue why. Almost universally abroad I have good experiences at them, and this one was no exception. Friendly welcome, clean (if simple) facilities, comfortable, and english-speaking staff. Plus, they'd left a small welcome gift in my room...complete with a handwritten English welcome. It's the little touches like this that leave a positive impression:
Great four hour nap/sleep, and then checked out the breakfast, which was apparently included for all guests...and included quite the nice spread along with an eggs-to-order station and fresh squeezed orange juice...impressive! ...not to mention 100% Colombian Coffee...Juan Valdez would be impressed!
Caught the shuttle back to the airport, check-in was easy and it was no problem getting my boarding pass. They were much more familiar with the requirements for Cuba here, and it was then off to immigration and security. Only problem was, the line was super long due to all the departures to the U.S. and looked like it would be 30+ minutes. Managed to sneak my way into the "crew and diplomats" line with a Delta crew, no problem, and even had 15 minutes to spend in the Avianca lounge before heading to my bus gate to board.
Avianca flight 254
Bogotá, Colombia (BOG) to Havana, Cuba (HAV)
Depart 8:42, Arrive 12:20, Flight Time: 3:38
Airbus A319, Registration N741AV, Manufactured 2015, Seat 2C
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 121,303
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,160,270
Took quite a while to eventually board, but soon everyone was on board. While we waited for the economy folks to board, orange juice or water were offered, along with the same nuts:
Today's route to Havana, 1379 miles to go:
A rather reasonable omelette and fruit were offered, but the melon and strawberries were again sad and devoid of flavour. I'm not sure what the little orange fruits were, but they were sweet and tart and delicious.
Flight was quick and uneventful, and immigration was a complete non-event. I didn't even have to ask, but the agent winked and said he didn't need to stamp my passport, and that was it. I was in Cuba, and ready to begin my adventure!
Unfortunately as you read in the last entry, Cubana was having a bit of a problem with its Ilyushin 96s, so they would not be flying them between Madrid and Havana today. As excited as the offered alternative of 13+ hours in charter economy (read: economy with even less legroom than normal) was, I decided to see who else could get me there. Avianca had a flight on their new 787 that left at the same time as the Cubana flight, and with two stops in Cali and Bogota (and a short overnight in Bogota) would get me there at noon the next day. It meant I would lose a morning of touring in Havana, but in the end be much more comfortable. Plus, I admit I was swayed by the chance to not only fly my first ever Europe to South America flight, but to do it on a slightly unusual route like Madrid to Cali.
The nice thing about the departure time is it allowed me to have a leisurely morning in Madrid, enjoy some coffee and a short walk before taking the bus to the airport to save a bit of money. It was a bright and sunny day in Madrid, but fairly cold...but the sun won out and it was nice for strolling around. At check-in, there was a good deal of confusion...could they issue my boarding passes all the way to Havana, or not? Do I need a visa for Havana, or not. Apparently, this isn't a very common connection - especially via Cali and not the nonstop to Bogotá. That flight, however, was thousands more due to being nearly sold out in business. In contrast, .my 787 to Cali with continuing flight number to Bogotá only had two people in business. Score!
I had forgotten to ask about the lounge, but after taking the train out to the far gates and checking, Avianca did indeed use the Iberia lounge instead of the contract lounge which looked to be packed with Emirates and Qatar passengers and not nearly as nice. The Iberia lounge, by contrast, was rather nice and offered a substantial pre-flight snack and lots of places for charging the computer:
After catching up on a few things, it was time to walk over to the gate where my ride to Cali was getting ready to board:
Boarding was a mad rush to the plane, with no respect for queues or boarding business class first. It was every man, woman, and child for themselves, pushing towards the boarding pass scanner and onto the jetway. Fortunately, in the last several years of travel I've learned to put politeness aside in these situations and fend for myself.
Avianca flight 15
Madrid, Spain (MAD) to Cali, Colombia (CLO)
Depart 15:25, Arrive 19:56, Flight Time: 10:31
Boeing 787-8, Registration N781AV, Manufactured 2014, Seat 5K
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 119,829
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,158,723
Somehow my flight had gone from two people in business class to eleven in the two hours since I'd checked in. Not a problem, and from a service point of view it probably helped because it prevented the crew from just throwing things at two people and then disappearing. I was told no moving seats until the door was closed because there still might be more passengers. Where does Avianca get all these last minute business class passengers on such a new route? Regardless, after closing I moved back to 5K to "hide" a bit in the back of the cabin, which was much quieter since almost all the other passengers were in the first three rows. Welcome aboard champagne and nuts in my original seat of 3A:
Tumi amenity kit. Definitely saving this one for use on future trips. Great storage:
Today's menu to Cali. One small note, English was pretty much non-existent with this crew, but on a flight from Spain to Colombia I expected that:
Somewhat strange combo for a starter, but the cheese was super tasty, and...hey...cheese for a starter! Mmmm!
Meal service was all on one tray, and the chicken was quite juicy, which surprised me:
Delicious desert:
After the meal, the crew disappeared and I crashed for about three hours of sleep. The cabin was completely darkened, and the crew used the override on the windows to prevent them from being opened. Not sure if this is a positive or negative of the 787, where you often have no control over daylight because the crew can override the mechanical windows. But, I got a good nap, it just made it really hard to adjust having 9 hours of the flight completely in darkness.
Before arrival, a rather tasty quiche-like snack was served, but the grilled mushrooms served with it were foul. Unfortunately, the fruit was also quite dry and lacked any flavour. Not the best snack.
Immigration was pretty simple, but it was clear Cali wasn't designed to handle large numbers of international arrivals. There was a long hallway to immigration, and at the end of the hallway three counters. Despite being in business, there were a good 50 people in line in front of me, from a previous Avianca arrival from Miami. It was pretty quick, however, and a bit entertaining. The immigration guy spoke very rapid Spanish despite being asked to slow down, and finally I relented and asked if we could speak English please. "No! Español Señor!" Ugh, lol. I eventually answered all his questions, which wasn't easy, because he also couldn't understand for the life of him why I wasn't on the nonstop flight to Bogotá once I told him I was in transit. Anyways, that solved, it was out into baggage claim and then...to the curbside.
There were no directions to domestic transfers, so this was going to take a bit of searching. Eventually I found the check-in area, which was several times bigger than the international area. Cali is clearly a domestic airport that just happens to handle a few international flights as well. The bigger problem is the domestic check-in area was all open air, and it was extremely hot and humid in Cali. I was rapidly getting gross after having been on a 10 hour flight and now sweating in the humidity. Eventually, after going to like five counters I confirmed that yes, since I had my boarding pass, I could go straight to the gate.
Problem was, the gates were unmarked, and there was a lot of construction going on. ...and nobody had thought to, you know, maybe put some signs pointing to where the gates were. They turned out to be down an unmarked makeshift hallway, where I finally found security and eventually the domestic terminal. I also found...air conditioning! Whew!
The Avianca lounge was upstairs, and had quite a sad looking set of snacks, which the passengers were attacking like hungry vultures. I normally avoid scary looking sandwiches at all costs, but I figured dozens of Colombians couldn't be wrong so decided to take one for the team and give it a try. Washed down with a glass of wine it was actually reasonable.
Our flight kept fluctuating from two hours late, to fifteen minutes late, back to an hour late on the monitors. Seems there had been weather in Bogotá all day and flights were backed up. I asked about getting on the flights before mine, but there was no telling when they would leave either, so no, I couldn't go on an earlier flight...which might actually end up leaving later.
Then, ten minutes before my original flight time...it suddenly became on-time. I rushed to the gate, where everyone was already on board, and was pretty much the last one on before closing the door. My seatmate was nice and slowly explained that the four flights to Bogotá were all in the same area, and when it became clear 10 minutes before that mine would suddenly be the first to leave, everyone from the other flights stormed the gate and switched. Fortunately, my original seat was still in tact.
Avianca flight 15
Cali, Colombia (CLO) to Bogotá, Colombia (BOG)
Depart 22:15, Arrive 23:16, Flight Time: 1:01
Airbus A320, Registration N862AV, Manufactured 2011, Seat 2C
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 120,003
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,158,897
Lots of people seem to complain in different online forums about people who put their feet on the bulkhead. You'll be glad to know Avianca is looking out for you:
Flight was short, barely 30-40 minutes in the air, and the crew remained seated the entire flight due to turbulence. Arrivals were easy, and there was actually quite a long walk to get to the arrivals area. After asking around a bit, I found where the hotel shuttles were supposed to arrive, so I went there...where I was pretty much the only person standing around, and hoped that the "every 30 minutes" Aloft shuttle would actually show up.
After 20 minutes, if eventually did, and it was a short ride to the Aloft Bogotá airport for my four hour nap. I've always avoided Alofts and Four Points, but I have no clue why. Almost universally abroad I have good experiences at them, and this one was no exception. Friendly welcome, clean (if simple) facilities, comfortable, and english-speaking staff. Plus, they'd left a small welcome gift in my room...complete with a handwritten English welcome. It's the little touches like this that leave a positive impression:
Great four hour nap/sleep, and then checked out the breakfast, which was apparently included for all guests...and included quite the nice spread along with an eggs-to-order station and fresh squeezed orange juice...impressive! ...not to mention 100% Colombian Coffee...Juan Valdez would be impressed!
Caught the shuttle back to the airport, check-in was easy and it was no problem getting my boarding pass. They were much more familiar with the requirements for Cuba here, and it was then off to immigration and security. Only problem was, the line was super long due to all the departures to the U.S. and looked like it would be 30+ minutes. Managed to sneak my way into the "crew and diplomats" line with a Delta crew, no problem, and even had 15 minutes to spend in the Avianca lounge before heading to my bus gate to board.
Avianca flight 254
Bogotá, Colombia (BOG) to Havana, Cuba (HAV)
Depart 8:42, Arrive 12:20, Flight Time: 3:38
Airbus A319, Registration N741AV, Manufactured 2015, Seat 2C
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 121,303
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,160,270
Took quite a while to eventually board, but soon everyone was on board. While we waited for the economy folks to board, orange juice or water were offered, along with the same nuts:
Today's route to Havana, 1379 miles to go:
A rather reasonable omelette and fruit were offered, but the melon and strawberries were again sad and devoid of flavour. I'm not sure what the little orange fruits were, but they were sweet and tart and delicious.
Flight was quick and uneventful, and immigration was a complete non-event. I didn't even have to ask, but the agent winked and said he didn't need to stamp my passport, and that was it. I was in Cuba, and ready to begin my adventure!