Got off to a rough start. The flight to San Francisco was fine, Alaska even checked my two bags for free because I was flying international with delta later on. However, the flight to San Francisco to Atlanta wasn't so nice. We ended up sitting at the gate for hours trying to get engineering paper work through, before the plane could take off. After arriving in Atlanta late, and late at night, I missed my flight to Santiago and was forced to deal with their mostly incompetent staff. The first 4 Delta personnel I tried to receive help from failed to help me at all. Nobody was able to find any flights I could take to avoid missing my layover in Santiago to Punta Arenas and gave me no option besides wait 24hrs for the next fight. They also told me they aren't able to provide a hotel room for the night (and I didn't know where my checked baggage was) because the city was full. After multiple failed attempts, i finally finagled a 25 dollar food voucher and 100 dollar flight voucher from them; none of which I could use because the airport food vendors were all closed and I was headed to SA. So I was still screwed. I ended up walking to Concourse F where some delta staff mocked the questions I was asking, giving me little advice. I then walked to the check in counter at the International Terminal's lobby and luckily met one of the only decent Delta employees yet. His name was Michael and he was very patient and helping me solve my problem. Eventually Michael helped me find another flight that landed in Santiago before my connecting flight to PA (via Miami and LAN airlines). He then confirmed that my bags were safe and would make it to my final destination. Also he confirmed that there were no hotels for me, but gave me advice that delta would reimburse anything that I spent for the night. So I said thanks and goodbye to Michael, and after getting a bus to the domestic terminal and another county, I was dropped next to 10 vans all going to different hotels (which were overbooked). Luckily this one sketchy buy kind guy told me to get into his van, and that he had room for the night. After a series of illegal U-turns, dropping someone off a a bar, gas station stops, etc, we finally reach an Econo Lodge hotel where I got a room. The hotel lobby guy grudgidly gave me and another a ride to get food (at 2am) at this place called the Waffle House in the burbs of Atlanta. Upon walking up to the waffle house, the windows were covered with condensation so you couldn't see in but it turned out the food wasn't half bad.
And now I sit waiting for my flights that will eventually fly me over thousands of amazing miles (of which I would like to explore some day) to Punta Arenas, where I hope to find a bus that will take me up to Puerto Natales, and then to Cerro Castillo by the 1st!
Yvonne Chinard said something like "it's only an adventure when things go wrong" in the doc 180 degrees south. Wooo! What an entertaining adventure it has been so far! ...but I'm ready to get out of this humid city and back to La Patagonia!
