27.11.2021 - 29.11.2021: Arrival in Aruba

Calendar:

27.11.2021
23:45 Departure from Papeete to LAX then from Charlotte to Aruba

29.11.2021
14:30: Arrival in Aruba

Noteworthy

Due to our previous experiences at the beginning of our trip (flight delays), we had already planned generous time reserves for the layovers when booking the flights. So we arrived in Los Angeles at 09:30 in the morning and the connecting flight to Aruba via Charlotte (North Carolina) didn't depart until 22:30 the same day. Of course, this time all the flights landed and departed on time; as always... Anyway, because of that, we had to spend over 12 hours in transit in Los Angeles.

After the 8-hour overnight flight, we were already completely exhausted upon arrival in Los Angeles. We changed to departure Terminal 4, which is terribly outdated, possibly because it is almost exclusively used for domestic flights within the US? In retrospect, it would probably have been better to fly to Charlotte as quickly as possible, as the transit there is excellent (except that here there are also no smoking areas).

Anyway, we found a pizzeria in transit in Los Angeles at least. With the knowledge that hardly anyone will ever return there, the service was correspondingly outrageously lousy, but the inedible food even surpassed the unfriendly staff by far. A contribution to active euthanasia, I thought to myself. For the whole "fun" we had to cough up over 100 dollars, and the service charge was deducted by the staff themselves and set at a hefty 25 percent. Stay away! I kept quiet, probably too tired already...

Before the departure for Charlotte, we rearranged our seats and upgraded to seats at the emergency exits. During boarding, we were asked by an attendant if we would follow the crew's instructions in case of an emergency. However, Sylvia didn't feel like having in-depth discussions and wanted to board directly. So, I told her to just answer "yes" to everything. That's when the attendant snapped at me, telling me not to tell Sylvia what she should say... Anyway, after the little chat, we were finally able to take our seats.

The most unpleasant thing during such long flights (especially overnight flights) is the constant tiredness, without being able to sleep properly. So, I didn't feel like reading and even my Rubik's Revenge lost its charm after solving it for the tenth time. Therefore, I turned to other things: I can now provide detailed information about the use of airplane toilets depending on the flight duration, the (albeit estimated) age and gender* of the users, and the average duration of use. Maybe the airlines are interested in my surveys?

A highlight was the day flight from Charlotte to Aruba. The weather played along and the pilot seemed to be in a good mood and chose an impressive route. I turned on Google Maps and was able to track the exact flight path. It's insane how the little blue dot races across the display. We had a fantastic view of the Bahamas, Georgetown, and Port au Prince (Haiti). The Bahamas are definitely worth a visit...

The entry into Aruba is perfectly organized, especially since all the documents have to be uploaded in advance and then an electronic entry permit is issued. Delays only occur for people who don't have this permit (a PCR test can also be done directly upon entry).

The pick-up of the rental car for the first three days went smoothly as well. On the way to our accommodation (Aruba Beach Villas), we went shopping and arrived at the resort around 17:00. Great apartment with a sea view. We enjoyed the evening on our terrace in comfortable chairs.

Sylvia fell asleep at 21:00 on her chair. But I managed to wake her up, sitting in an airplane for two nights was enough.