Airport Trouble

     On the 5th day, my family went to Guayaquil, Ecuador, the largest and most popular city in Ecuador. We visited the boardwalk and wrapped up our Ecuadorial experience. Because out flight was that night, we did not get an expensive hotel to stay in. Instead, we stayed in a hostel room, with one bedroom without air conditioning and a tiny bathroom. Because it was very uncomfortable and tiny, we took quick showers and headed to the airport early to get out of the place. My family and I probably spent three hours sitting at the Guayaquil airport playing an Indian card game, Bukharo, a favorite during family vacations. Finally, we boarded out flight to Atlanta, Georgia, where we would have a connecting flight to JFK Airport in New York.

     Unfortunately, when we landed in Atlanta, we were forced to go through customs, retrieve our baggage, and check in again to board the next flight. Our flight ended up being the last of three to land at the terminal and we were at the end of the customs line. Running from the international side of the airport to the domestic side, my family tried our hardest to catch out scheduled flight. When we finally got to the gate, we had missed out flight by only five minutes! Because of the big snow storms in New York, all the flights were booked, and many people were already backed up. The agents at the airport put my family on a waiting list. If someone on a plane did not show up, they would call us last minute and put us on that plane. However, because we are a family of four, there was a very small chance that we would get on the same flight. It was possible that we would have to find a hotel at our own expense and wait for a flight the next day! Finally, we decided to split up. My brother contacted my cousin in New Jersey, who was constantly checking for flight tickets. He found two tickets going to Newark Airport in New Jersey for my mom and brother to grab. At the same time, my dad and I checked the screen at the gate of the waiting list we were on, and our names appeared on the very bottom! My dad and I flew to JFK, while my brother and mom flew to Newark. After landing in Newark, fixing our baggage problems and sitting through hours of traffic, we reached my cousin's house in New Jersey in the late evening. Because we were tired, we waited till the next day to drive home. What a hassle!