CA-4 Complete

4/20/14 (Easter)

Monseñor Óscar Arunlfo Romero International Airport, El Salvador (SAL)

I love it when a plan comes to together.  I often talk about the triumphant airport entry being the highlight of the trip, and this will be such an entry.  There was one obstacle that remained between me and CA-4 Complete, the El Salvador legislative building.  Fernando had told me that it was in a complex closed off and that we might not be able to see the building.  I wasn’t too worried.  Everything so far had worked out, so I had no doubt that this small thing would also work out.  I should have worried.  I did not set an alarm, sleeping past 10AM and then having to race to breakfast, which was still available.  I just had bacon, eggs, and coffee, turning down the “Salvadorian Breakfast,” which was identical to the “Honduran breakfast.”  I had thought that my flight was at 11:30 PM and, knowing that I would have to drop off the car at 6PM, I checked to see if there was an earlier flight.  I learned that my flight was at 7:45 PM, which meant that I needed to be at the airport before 5PM.  It was a good thing I checked.  Otherwise, I would have ran the risk of missing my flight.  I spent about an hour packing after breakfast, making sure everything was perfectly organized so that I could easily display my pins and replicas and the office, distribute my gifts, and bring the rest to Scarsdale.  More likely than not, all the money and effort I spent in collecting the souvenirs, other than the pins and replicas, will just sit in a pile in my old room at my parent’s house in Scarsdale with the rest of the souvenirs I have collected from around the world.

We checked out and headed the legislature.  Unwilling to let failure there ruin my trip, I tried to consider my definition of success, accepting anything that made me feel as if I saw it as success.  After stopping for me to get my Sunday newspaper and gas up, we got there, and there was a big sign out front that said “Palacio Legislativo” with the legislative office buildings and a big El Salvador flag.  That would have been enough for me, but, undeterred, Fernando tried to get me inside so that I could take a picture in front of the “Salon Azul,” where they actually met.  He begged and pleaded, saying I had come all the way from New York.  Nothing worked, but the guard called his manager, who in turn said he would call one of the Deputies.

After no response, I said that I would be fine taking the picture at the entrance to the complex with the sign that said “Palacio Legislativo.”  We took some pictures and, triumphantly I lit up my Bolivar, the last one I would smoke, the one I had been saving for this very moment.  Saying it out loud instead of muttering it, I turned to Fernando and said, “El Salvador Complete.  CA-4 Complete.”  I’m sure he did not know exactly what I meant by Complete, but he certainly got the gist of it and agreed with me.  I then added, “I love it when a plan comes to together,” which was all the more fitting as I smoked my cigar.  As I puffed on the Bolivar, we recalled all the adventures of the past 6 days, everything that led us to this moment, and all the near misses.  Then, it was time to move on, and we headed to the lake, stopping at the main square, which had the Palacio Nacional and the cathedral where Bishop Romero, the namesake of this airport, was shot.  We parked illegally, and an officer started writing a ticket.  Fernando said that he had an American tourist who wanted to take some pictures, and the officer immediately stopped.  We didn’t even have to “fix” it.

When we got to the lake, we got lunch at the cooperativo that Fernando had recommended for lunch.  It was an amazing view and an excellent place to end the trip.  I will talk more about the beauty of Central America in the reflective entry, but it was quite the scenic spot.  I had some more amazing coffee, along with some fried fish.  I smoke my 3 Reinas Esteli cigar during the meal, ignoring the looks of silent condemnation.  After the meal, we headed to a vista of the lake, but it was too dark to take a proper picture.  In the end, we found a spot, and I got a great picture.  Our plan for the ride back was to stop at 4:20 PM for out 4/20 celebration before going to the airport.  We were actually a little ahead of schedule for once.  I paid the bill, and handed a coin for a tip to the busboy.  I had thought he was our waiter, and, when he looked at me funny, I was appropriately embarrassed.  In the end, the coin got to the right party.  Once we got back in the car, I handed Fernando the balance of what I owed him, along with his tip.  As I had said in previous entries, I gave him a tip of double what I had planned, 40% of his total fee.  He was clearly very grateful, and I told him honestly that he had earned every penny.

As we drove back, he asked what he did well, and what he could do better.  Here was the best tour guide I had ever had, and I could not find a single negative word to tell him.  I told him all the things he did well, as I mentioned in my previous entry, and gave him advice on how to be more successful in his tour guide business, suggestions he took to heart.  I explained that while there were probably some things others might consider rude, it did not bother me in the slightest, but he needed to make sure he knew his audience.  He then told me about his experiences working at the call center, and it was very interesting listening to him explain about it, along with the cultural differences we had been exploring the entire trip.  It was approaching 4:20 PM, and we were getting close to the airport, so we pulled over.  We got back on the road, and we were almost at the airport.  I realized that I smelled, and I did not want to risk anything with Customs at either end.  I also really wanted to have one last Cohiba before I left.

We returned the car, took one last picture together, said our goodbyes, and that was that.  I checked in, trying to use my Star Alliance status for an upgrade, but they told me I would have to do it at the gate.  That was fine.  I went back to the area outside departures, where Fernando and I had first met and began our excellent journey together.  I lit up my Cohiba, which I knew would mask the smell, and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, so that I can publish and upload some photos.