Our journey has been tough so far. We departed PDX just after noon and arrived in Barcelona the next day, after 7 pm, with a 9-hour time difference. The flight got delayed, causing us to miss our connection and sit through a 5-hour layover in Zurich. This, in turn, led to us missing our appointment to pick up our camper van, forcing us to take a taxi to a hotel on the outskirts of Barcelona - a cool 70 Euro dent in the pocket.
To our surprise, the hotel we thought we had a 5-night complimentary stay at, courtesy of the flight package, threw us a curveball. The third parties managed to cancel our reservation/voucher, which meant we had to shell out 170 Euro for 2 nights instead of enjoying 5 nights free. Despite the last communication stating that the hotel was "confirmed and guaranteed", we landed in quite the predicament. We're hoping to secure the autocaravana tomorrow (which is a ~15-mile trek that we'll need to figure out), and fingers crossed, we'll get the voucher reinstated.
As for now, sleep is the priority. Tomorrow, we'll tackle services and, hopefully, enjoy a slow, relaxing day - relishing some Paella and acclimating to the new timezone and the autocaravana.
As for the services we chose, it's too early to tell what their final grades will be. Tomorrow will shed more light on this. The morning is bound to unfurl a wide range of possible futures. But for now, here's a preliminary report card:
Swiss Air/Edelweiss/United: They earn an A-. Despite the delay and missed connection, they compensated with a 40 Swiss Franc voucher for food and beverages. Their overall service was commendable, and one can't fault them too much considering the grueling 22 hours spent in planes and airports. A few areas could be improved, like temperature regulation and more seating. The delayed gate announcements at Zurich airport were a bit of a hassle, but this may be a regional quirk rather than a reflection on the airlines.
Ovago: Currently wavering between F and B-. The package deal seemed promising on paper. But after the 22-hour journey, the last thing we wanted was a hotel reservation cancellation.
Hotel Beds: They're sitting on an F-C for now. Their only task was to mediate the deal between Ovago and As Porta de Barcelona Hotel, and they botched it. But, if they play nice and rectify this, they could see themselves in the B/A range.
As Porta Barcelona Hotel: They're in the B+/A- zone. The hotel is OK, but the staff have been exceptionally friendly, a trait common in Barcelona.
Roadsurfer: They're the wild card, they could be anywhere from an F to an A-. Their service could go either way tomorrow - it might be smooth sailing or a complete nightmare. Their non-existent support via phone and email isn't comforting, but we'll see what happens tomorrow.
On the whole, the long flight culminated in disappointment. But we remain hopeful that tomorrow will be better. We also take solace in our privilege, the ability to wiggle out of trouble by throwing money at it. As grueling as 22 hours in planes and airports can be, it obviously doesn't compare to the unimaginable hardship endured by those crossing the Atlantic in slave ships or real oppression that billions of people face every day around the world. So, despite the rocky start, let's count our blessings - we're still munching on croissants and Swiss chocolates, enjoying pastrami pesto sandwiches. Tomorrow's a new day, and a renewed enthusiasm for the mission awaits!
As I was writing this, before publishing, I had an incredibly inspirational conversation with a young man named Karam who is excited about a lot of the same topics I'm excited about. I almost want to rewrite the whole thing with a new perspective now! It's not really about the services you buy at the end of the day! It's about the humans you connect with! Maybe we'll see Karam on Free2Z soon! Now to get some sleep!