Airport Madness

       I have a problem with getting to the airport on time.  I’ve missed so many flights its ridiculous.  But, I was able to make my flight by 5 minutes; they did not let the lady that came 30 seconds after me however get on the flight.  They told her she would have to wait till the next day to get to Bogota I guess I got lucky.

        Once I got to Ft. Lauderdale is when things started to get heated.  I only had purchased a one-way flight to Colombia, which was $200.  During my layover in Ft. Lauderdale I asked the Airline Agent if I could move to the emergency exit aisle as it had more leg room and they had done this for me before.  She looked up my reservation and proceeded to tell me that I would not be allowed into the country once I landed in Bogota.  I told her that was impossible and that she did not know what she was talking about, I had done my research and knew this was not the case.  

       She told me that she would email the office in Bogota, and get back to me.  My layover was only for 45 minutes.  Supposedly no one ever got back to her, so I had the manager called and they still refused to let me board.  They said my only option was to book a return flight right then or I would miss my flight and I was not going to let that happen.  So with no email and the gate about to close I just bit the bullet and purchased a return flight from Lima, Peru back to the states on August 11th.

     Come to find out once I got into Colombia, like I had already known and researched I did not need to have a return flight.  The Colombian custom official did not ask to see any of my papers he just asked if I was there for tourism and he stamped my passport giving me a 60 day visa, then let me go on my way.  Needless to say I was heated I had to spend $700 on a flight that I did not want to plan till I was sure of what country I would be ending my travels in.  Anyway, on the bright side I am now in the Bogota, Colombia having a wonderful time.