A tale of a (semi)long trip - Part II/II

The real challenge of the trip began just as I thought I was about to board the plane that would take us from Caracas, Venezuela to Milan, Italy. Instead of hearing the common announcement of "Passengers with children, please step forward", I was asked to step in a different line and had to give EVERY single detail of the purpose of my trip. The pages of our passports with our German visas were scanned and after a long questioning I was told to wait aside (while the rest of the people made a line to board the plane).

I thought I was getting special attention and that soon, a crew member would escort me to my seat. In the meantime, I recognized a couple of Indian men who were also being questioned throughly. The instructions were being shouted at them and it made me mad to see that immigration officers didn´t realize that the Indians were not deaf...it was just that they didn´t understand Spanish. I got really mad when I saw that the Indians had to wear a special reflector vest, that looked like it was necessary to point them out from the crowd. "That´s racism!", I thought. But then my real surprise came when I was told to wear the same vest...and I started to get really nervous when someone from the airport staff warned me not to let go of Fabi for one second. I thought he meant that Fabi could be taken away from me (kidnapped?) if I was not holding him at all times.

A young airport staff member gave me and the Indians some instructions. We were to follow her -always walking directly behind her in a straight line and to have our luggage keys in our hands. I translated for the Indians and they obviously felt very relieved, but I think the staff member felt more relieved because she didn´t have to use her poor English anymore when addressing the Indians. I still didn´t know what was going on and everytime I tried to ask I was given a very short reply to "wait for one moment, please".

After a very uncomfortable wait, the airport staff member lead us down some stairs into the airport runway! In the middle of all those airplanes and buses and luggage carts! No wonder we needed reflector vests! No wonder we´re suppossed to stay together - in a straight line behind the staff member! No wonder I´m not suppossed to let go of Fabi! But....why are we on the runway (when everybody else is comfortably bording the plane upstairs?)

Well...because we were "randomly" chosen to undergo an extra luggage check...in the presence of army soldiers! (I have to mention here the fact that in Costa Rica there is no army and that the sight of a soldier right next to me holding a huge rifle while I opened my suitcase with one hand and held Fabi with the other one, was very intimidating!)

Luckily, my suitcase was not too messed up once it was opened. And I was glad to get help while closing it again. The other (Indian) passengers also successfully passed the check and we were guided back to the waiting room where the rest of the passengers where boarding. By the time I had to go back up the steps with Fabi and my hand luggage I thought I was going to loose grasp of something...everything was just too heavy and I had to slow down the pace ---while the others just watched!

I could not believe when I realized that we were being guided to the end of the (very long) line of people who were still boarding the plane. The split second I was just about to react and protest, someone tapped on my shoulder and said: "You just came back up from the luggage check at runway level, didn´t you? You don´t need to stand at the end of the boarding line. Go ahead and walk into the plane and find your seat." Ah! Finally someone who makes sense!

The long flight from Venezuela to Italy was very pleasant (actually, *ANYTHING* would have been very pleasant after the horrible experience at the airport in Caracas). When we reached the airport in Milan, I had to collect my luggage and wait for a few hours before my flight to Frankfurt. I was able to put all my luggage in a cart and leave it in a storage room during the time of my wait. I don´t remember what I paid to have my luggage stored, but it was expensive. However, to me it was worth every cent because it allowed me to only worry about Fabi (his food, his diaper change) and it made it very easy for me to get familiar with the airport as I needed to find the place where I had to check in for my next flight.

Fabi and I walked up and down the airport in Milan for hours (actually I ran after him most of the time). We spent so much time at the airport in Milan that I was starting to feel at home. I don´t regret the decision I made to travel without a stroller, and the idea of having him strapped from his waist to my wrist at all times was a complete success!

By the time I was checking in for the 3rd flight of our entire trip, Fabi had slept on my shoulder. However, I didn´t have trouble getting help from a German passenger to hand in my heavy luggage at the Lufthansa counter. Even later, when we were boarding our (4th!) plane from Frankfurt to Nuremberg I was surprised to see so many kind gestures of German gentlemen helping us.

Finally when we reached Nuremberg, we met Ishan who was waiting with a cab that would take us to our temporary apartment in Erlangen center. I was very curious to see Fabi´s reaction towards his father after six long months. But he recognized him immediately ("Papa! Papa!") and walked straight into his arms. I was very happy about that, especially because that meant I could go to the toilet *all by myself*. :)

And that, my loyal reader, is the end of the long story of the trip that brought our family together in Erlangen, Germany in the middle of December of 2006.