April 5 – Miami International Airport –

We were about 45 minutes out of Miami – as Bill likes to say, likely over Cuba, when the pilot announced that there was a problem with one of the cockpit windows and we would be returning to Miami and would be greeted by emergency vehicles – just as a precaution. Sure enough, we had a very hard landing (likely because the plane was still full of fuel) and there were at least a dozen fire trucks lining the runway as the pilots slowed the plane to a stop on the tarmac. We sat there for several minutes while a couple of the fire trucks circled the plane to be sure there wasn’t a safety issue. Fortunately, that was all the excitement we experienced. There were no flames and we didn’t evacuate by slide.

After a few false delay messages, they finally notified us that we would be departing at 3 pm. American Airlines was quick to provide hotel and meal vouchers all via text. At 2 am we were checked into the Fairfield.

The $12 per person meal voucher was so generous. LOL I was able to acquire this lovely Easter dinner at the Miami airport on Sunday afternoon before our delayed departure.

I will give the shower at the Fairfield a solid 8. It was a walk-in, but the water took a bit of time to warm up.

Our arrival in Santiago was just before midnight on Sunday and by the time we cleared immigration, customs and baggage claim (having our bike bags x-rayed for agricultural purposes) and found a taxi that could carry four large bags, it was 2 am when we reached our hotel.

The shower in the Eco Boutique Bidosia is a solid 8. We will return there on Friday for a couple of nights before we start the bicycle tour portion of the trip.