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Maybe I’d become cocky from all of my no-fuss travel experiences, or maybe my luck had just run out, but things were different this time. In what I can only assume was a karmic joke, all seven of my flights this week were diverted, canceled, rescheduled, or delayed. Instead of 22-hours of round-trip travel time, it took me 40. My bags were searched three times, I was searched twice, and the sun? It ducked behind rain clouds for most of the bumpy flights.
Despite the setbacks, though, I did make it to Montserrat – and had an unbelievable experience touring the volcanic island. I hung out with the locals, ate home-cooked West Indies meals, watched the sunset from a beachfront rum bar, and even joined in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities that included parades, Soca and Calpyso performances and pub crawls. Jackpot. And it got me thinking… by the time I got back home, none of my thoughts or stories had anything to do with the transit. I was so recharged by the destination that the to and from parts didn’t even phase me. In the end, having the chance to explore the island was worth every minute I spent trying to get there.
As for future trips, I believe the airline gods will smile at me once again and things will go smoothly. But if not, at least there are always airport bars.
Have any travel stories of your own to share?
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We were stuck at the airport with the folks from the magazine. We travel to Montserrat several times a year and this time and the recent holiday season were by far the worst in terms of actually making air connections. While everyone tried to keep a good nature about it, the current lack of reliable access to the island will be a huge negative for the casual traveller. As beautiful and fun as Montserrat is, There are simply too many beautiful locations all throughout the caribbean to face the ongoing hassle of getting to and from Montserrat.
ReplyDeleteThe government is aware of the problem and a new charter service is planned, but so far not operational. Hopefully things will improve, but for the vacationer not prepared to spend many needless hours in airports awaiting very unreliable access, the current difficulties are a huge disincentive.