Right now we are seated on the American Airlines flight 158 at Miami Int. ready to depart for Cancun, Mexico.
It’s 2.30pm, the flight departs at 2.50pm and there has been no feedback from the luggage crew to say our box with the fridge repair kit, has been declined to fly!!!. To say that I am concerned, is an understatement. “Why should it be declined”, I hear you ask? Well, the fridge unit is a sealed compressor, charged with Freon gas. Freon is non flammable, but the fact that it is sealed and under pressure, may be a concern? Imagine if that is the case and the box is declined for travel. All the cost and effort, will have been in vain.
Back to earlier in the morning. Our hotel room was a well worn, but adequate. The only downside was the people in the room above were insomniacs and wandered around on the creaky floor, all night!!
TV was mainly focused on the South Carolina Democratic Primary election that is happening in a few days time. Also Donald Trumps mangling and rambling attempt to remember what he had to say in his meeting with Indian PM Modi, on his visit to India.
Just a couple of items on our list to be purchased before we return the rental car. Some 10mm plastic tubing for our water system and a roll of duck tape to wrap and seal the number of items in the box, with the compressor. The Home Depot store has what we need and it’s only a couple of k’s away from the airport. As in Walmart yesterday, nobody spoke english at The Home Depot!! Amazing, but this is very much a Spanish speaking city. When filling up the car fuel tank, the Mobil kiosk attendant could not understand any english at all.
We decide to drop Jen off at the airport terminal with the heavy stuff and I return the rental car. Thank god for the sat-nav. As while everything is close by, directions are sketchy and I didn’t want what happened to us yesterday, where we had to drive 60k’s as we missed the exit point on the motorway, due to a second of inattention. The hire car is a near new Hyundai Elantra. A peppy wee compact car but a dreadful steering disposition. My guess is it has fly-by-wire steering that is predicated to driving in a straight line. Any slight deviation elicits a response that feels like you are in a rut and have to exert effort to change direction, with a lurch that goes with that.
Returning the rental car wan’t straight forward. Despite the fact that we were a day early returning the car, they wanted to charge a 2 hour late fee!! A visit to the reception desk soon had that rectified and a credit of $30 refunded to my card. Maybe?
Miami airport is brilliantly planned. The terminals are well designed for the easy flow of travellers and vehicles. The use of driverless trains move you from rental car pick up and drop off areas to terminals. Heathrow and Gatwick airports could do with a similar planning mindset!
Arriving back in Cancun our fears are groundless regarding the compressor. By the time we were through customs a chap was unloading the box containing the compressor and the other package off the carrousel. Both had been opened and inspected and the new lock on one of the packages had been cut. The next challenge is, will the new compressor fix the fridge problem? We wont know until we have time and a place to strip the fridge down and fit the new parts.
The whole trip to Florida has gone to plan and all items listed before we left, purchased. Including a bottle of Gordons Gin. :). Good ‘ol Gordon, he makes a nice drop if you are a drinker..:)
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