Gutter Meat
01-27-2009, 11:30 PM
Thursday Jan. 22, 9am @ Newark airport notorious for flight delays it was no suprise the pilot put over the PA we were #27 for take off. I knew this want a good start. After an hour we are off. As we approach the POP area the plane in now in the soup and we are doing lazy 8 circles. Pilot comes over PA and tells us that POP is closed but he sees an opening on his radar screen and he will circle till weather clears a little. This goes on for 2 hours at which point pilot comes back over PA and tells us airport is still closed and he is down to his half hour fuel reserve requirement and we will now have to divert to Santo Domingo (SDQ). Pilot informed us we will refuel up and hopefully by then the weather in POP would clear up. We land at SDQ and the fuel trucks come. However the weather didn't clear up in POP and 2 hours later we are still sitting on the plane. The finally let us off the plane and tell us to hang out in the terminal and wait for an announcement. Two Buses come to get us since we are not parked at a gate. Go into terminal and straight to bar as many others on the flight did. Seven hours later they finally make a decision they are puting us up in hotels for the night and will give POP another shot 9am the next morning. Alot of confusion at this point at SDQ customs but we didn't have to pay the tourist card and they just stamped everyones passport without looking. Then to the Continental airlines ticket counter for hotel and food vouchers. Somehow alot of us wounded up at different hotels. My friends and I ended up at the quality in about 5 minutes away from the airport. Some wound up in Santo Domingo at one of the high rise hotels.The hotel we stayed at seemed to be an airline sleep over type of place. All pilots and some hot flight attendants from all over. $12 food voucher hit the bar got a burger its 11pm. Fuck it , My friend and I make the best of it and jump in a cab for a 10 minute ride to Boca Chica. Hung out for 3 hours, thought about taking a broad back to the hotel but knew I would have a hard time getting her in since this place was like fort knox.
Friday morning 7:30 am check in at continental. Lots of confussion at customs since we were going on a local flight from SDQ to POP. On the plane and pilot comes over PA says POp cleared up and it will be a 25 minute trek. Take off all looks good and I'm lookin out the window clear skies ahead. 10 minutes later into the clouds and pouring rain and figure 8's again over POP at 8000 feet. Pilot comes over PA states in his 15 years of flying he has never seen anything like this. We circle for 2 hours in heavy turbulance. I give the pilot some credit for trying to get us into POP. He explains the airport does not have an ILS approach , the mountains , low visibility the low ceiling and his landing requirements etc etc. Low on fuel again and back to Santo Domingo. Land at SDQ and pilot comes over PA he has no idea what the plan is at this point but hes gonna call flight operations in Houston texas. 2 more hours go by. Here come the buses again (dEJA VU). They make the decision to bus us up to POP. Another mess at customs ,a mess waiting for the buses total expexted confussion. There is one female representative from Contintal with us outside waiting for the buses. But she then tells us she has to go and that 2 other Dominican guys I guessed who worked for the bus company would help us. I told her I don't think so sweet heart your the only one who's speaks english here and your staying here with us through thick n thin , and turn over your employee ID card hangin from your neck I want your name. Never the less she stayed. Anyways took about 5 hours to get to POP on a cramped bus with no bathroom. We made one stop for bathroom break and one presidente. Arrived at POP airport 7pm friday night. What a journey!!! I called Continental and they did the right thing and moved my return flight up one day and put us in buisness class. Everyhing in between in Sosua was a okay!!!
THE END
Friday morning 7:30 am check in at continental. Lots of confussion at customs since we were going on a local flight from SDQ to POP. On the plane and pilot comes over PA says POp cleared up and it will be a 25 minute trek. Take off all looks good and I'm lookin out the window clear skies ahead. 10 minutes later into the clouds and pouring rain and figure 8's again over POP at 8000 feet. Pilot comes over PA states in his 15 years of flying he has never seen anything like this. We circle for 2 hours in heavy turbulance. I give the pilot some credit for trying to get us into POP. He explains the airport does not have an ILS approach , the mountains , low visibility the low ceiling and his landing requirements etc etc. Low on fuel again and back to Santo Domingo. Land at SDQ and pilot comes over PA he has no idea what the plan is at this point but hes gonna call flight operations in Houston texas. 2 more hours go by. Here come the buses again (dEJA VU). They make the decision to bus us up to POP. Another mess at customs ,a mess waiting for the buses total expexted confussion. There is one female representative from Contintal with us outside waiting for the buses. But she then tells us she has to go and that 2 other Dominican guys I guessed who worked for the bus company would help us. I told her I don't think so sweet heart your the only one who's speaks english here and your staying here with us through thick n thin , and turn over your employee ID card hangin from your neck I want your name. Never the less she stayed. Anyways took about 5 hours to get to POP on a cramped bus with no bathroom. We made one stop for bathroom break and one presidente. Arrived at POP airport 7pm friday night. What a journey!!! I called Continental and they did the right thing and moved my return flight up one day and put us in buisness class. Everyhing in between in Sosua was a okay!!!
THE END