Hyde Park, Guyana – November 2, 2013
Today is the day Leslie is due home after being away for four months. Her Caribbean Airlines flight was due in at 06:25. One of my colleagues was departing that day, so I shared a ride. That meant leaving home at 03:00. After dropping off my colleague, the driver and I sat in the VIP parking area, waiting for Leslie’s flight.
At about 06:00, I decided to go up to the observation area of the terminal. I got up there shortly after sunrise. Unlike the United States, many people here that are seeing off friends or relatives will wait at the airport until the aircraft is airborne before they leave. Many of them spend time in the observation area. I thought it was unique to see several people lined up in front of the window facing their reflections, waiting for their particular plane to depart.
Sunrise over the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana.
I decided I would take a photo of Leslie’s plane when it landed. Well, 06:25 came and went. Finally, at 07:15, I decided to leave the observation area. When I got back down to the waiting area, I saw on the arrival screen that the new arrival time was 08:15. So, I went back to the vehicle to wait.
Ultimately the plane landed at about 08:25. I went into the immigration area to wait for Leslie and to help with her luggage. After clearing immigration, we went to the baggage claim area to wait for her bags. We waited and waited and waited. The last bag came off the conveyor, but Leslie’s luggage was nowhere to be found. We walked over to the baggage inquiry counter. Although it was disappointing, Leslie described her bags to the agent. Hopefully, it will be found and delivered soon.
We took her carry-on and got in the Embassy vehicle. Since I had my camera with me, I decided to take some photos out of the window as we drove toward home. As the pictures show, we live in a fascinating place.
Visa consultation available near Georgetown, Guyana.
