Return Trip

I nearly had some issues with the return trip, having hoped a friend would take me to the airport, but that did not end up working out, so I had to pay the $55 cab fare to get to the airport outside of Sao Paolo. It was a long way out there. Apparently the excellent SP metro will reach the Guarulhos Airport by 2014, which will certainly make things much easier and cheaper on everyone using the airport. The cab driver was entertaining though, and spoke in a way that I could understand 90% of what he was saying. He mentioned that SP passed NYC last year for the world's biggest flotilla of taxis - 35,000 of them.

At any rate, I arrived one hour before the first of three SP to Miami flights. The early one had the most seats open, and with me on a standby ticket I wanted to enhance my chances in every way possible. Luckily, I was able to pass the 100+ people standing in line, get checked in quickly (having almost no luggage really helps sometimes), get through security, get to the gate, and have them give me a seat...in business class, which on a flight like this is really first class.

The business class seat allowed me to recline fully flat...but I still didn't sleep at all on the 9-hour flight. I'm not really sure why, as it was comfortable enough - guess I did not feel like sleeping. The flight and connecting flight were uneventful and I got back to Tampa and checked into a hotel by midday.