Rio 2016: The Experience - Day 10 - The Return Journey

8/15/16 (Rio 2016 Day 10), “The Return Journey”

En route, NYC Taxi 7E41

“It’s been a great trip, but it’s good to be home.”  Isn’t that what I always say when I land at Kennedy after an extended trip?  Well, no, not this time.  That’s because I’m not home.  Home is Maracana Stadium where the Opening Ceremonies were held.  Home is the Olympic Aquatics Stadium where I saw Phelps’s final race.  Home is the Rio Olympic Arena where I saw our “Final Five” gymnastics team completely obliterate the competition.  Home is the rooftop where I wrote so many of these entries.

I have seen all the events that mattered most to me, and I have left Rio, calling this trip the GOAT, but the Games of XXXI Olympiad are not over.  I will be watching Phase 2 from various devices in New York and Scarsdale, and, while the coverage will be better, it will not be the same, though I will get to discover new venues and hear Bob Costas’s introductions once more.  As for the Return Journey, well, it was mostly unadventurous.

After I closed on the roof, I headed down to pack.  I quickly realized my souvenirs would not even come close to fitting in my suitcase.  I took out a bag of Rio 2016 souvenirs to hold in my hand and overstuffed my suitcase with everything else.  It fit, barely.  Our car was soon ready for us.  It was a short ride to the airport, and it was a bit of a process to check-in.  We said our goodbyes as Raymond went to his flight, and I went outside to light up a Bolivar Brazil Exclusivo and write the “GOAT” entry.  After the cigar, I proceeded through security and emigration.

They then did something that brought more tears to my eyes.  They stamped my passport with the Rio 2016 Olympic Logo.  My passport now has the Olympic Rings in it.  Oh.  My.  Fucking.  God.  I got some stuff from duty-free, including a box of Brazilian cigars and their cachaça.  I don’t know how I’ll make a caipirinha during the games, though I suppose I could get some kind of lime juice from Coca-Cola.

I kept wanting to buy more stuff, but my hands were full, and I was worried about not being able to take everything on the plane.  I did get a hot dog though, which was terrible.  It was the first time I had eaten all day.  I was going to get something at the Olympic shop, but they only took Visa, and I didn’t have a Visa card.  I was almost out of Reals, too, and they didn’t take Dollars.  As I headed to the gate, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  With my suit and Team USA hat and pin, I must have looked like a Team USA official or something.  I had no trouble boarding the plane or getting my bags overhead.

I had been assigned a middle seat, and, as I got situated, I saw a couple standing next to me, trying to figure something out.  I quickly realized that they had the window and aisle seat.  They asked if I would take the window seat so that they could sit together.  Gladly.  I then realized I recognized this adorable couple.  I asked the man, who was sitting in the middle, if I had seen him at swimming at few days ago.  He offered me his hand and said that I had a good memory.  I shook his outstretched hand, and he asked, "Were we dressed like assholes?"  They had been wearing American flag jump suits.  “You were dressed like an American flag.”

We chatted about the Games, how we booked our packages, what events we saw, and such until after we took off.  He told me that they were live-streaming the Olympics on the in-seat entertainment.  I watched a runner from South Africa obliterate Michael Johnson’s World Record in the 400m.  That was a record that seemed destined to stand for quite some time.  Then came Bolt.  He got a slow start, but then, he, well, bolted, and he made it look like he was running against a bunch of school kids.  He became the first man to ever win the 100m three times in a row and secured his claim to being the GOAT sprinter.  Dinner was a very good beef dish.

After that, I fell asleep, waking up in time for breakfast, which was orange juice and a very disappointing croissant.  We landed before 6 AM, and border control actually wasn’t opened yet, so they held us for five minutes.  When I got to Global Entry, there was a longer line than I had ever seen, but it moved quickly, and I cleared border control with no issue.  That was it.  I was home, or, more accurately, I was back in the United States.

I headed to the taxi line and grabbed a taxi back to my apartment so that I could reorganize and watch some Olympics before work.  In the taxi, I grabbed my laptop and proceeded to write this entry, which I will now close, along with closing out this trip, though I will likely still write during the Games, as I did during the Sochi Games.  Next stop: Mexico City and Oaxaca with Roberto for Labor Day weekend to see the last of the World Heritage Sites in Central Mexico.