Lauren: The above place is where Aneya and I wound up yesterday after three hours of package hunting around the airport. It was honestly, one of the most exhausting airport adventures of my life, but we made it fun -- sort of. Aneya: So I had asked my dad a few weeks ago to send me a care package- some books, some movies, and my TEFL certificate. Well, my dad only uses FedEx. When I was young, I didn't know there was any other type of mail service. Anyway, my certificate came in three days, straight to the apartment, so that nice. But not the other goodies. So we waited.
Lauren: We eventually received a notice from FedEx Tuesday saying we needed to go to the airport to receive the package Aneya was sent by her dad, who sent us some movies and books. For all the craziness you would think we were trying to ship explosives or who knows bring in sharp objects, or smuggle drugs. But we just wanted more movies to watch. That's it.
Aneya: The notice from FedEx said my package was at the airport, and we had to go pick it up there. It didn't say why or how, all it said was the terminal and the area it would be in. We thought this was odd, but what the hell? It Chile! They do crazy things here! So off we went to the airport, hoping to just pick up the package and go. It didn't quite work out that way.
Lauren: We took the green line, where we were told to take the red line to a shuttle that would take us to the airport. Finding the bus was exhausting, so finding the package would be straightforward right? This had to be the complicated leg of the journey. I've never picked up my mail at an international airport, but hey, maybe this was what must occur. We were willing to do whatever it took to bring Harry Potter back into our lives. We needed some magic. We've been getting stir crazy without jobs or schedules and some more movies would be nice.
Aneya: Just getting to the airport was such a hassle (two subway lines and a bus?!) we couldn't imagine how people did the trek with luggage! But whatever, after all the struggle, we finally made it to the airport. Now what? Where's the sign for "small FedEx package pickup"?
Lauren: We're in the national departures part of the airport, now what? Where did we need to go? How were we going to get this package?? I talked to a security officer who said we needed to look for a gray door outside of customs, buzz once. If they didn't answer, knock. The instructions sounded like we were trying to get admitted to a Skull and Bones meeting. We just wanted to find our package. It was becoming a point of pride! We will not leave without this package!
Aneya: The security guard was so nice. Oh, and he thought I was Chilean! Mind you, I didn't actually say a word to him (Lauren is the designated speaker in all situations, I just stand there and smile encouragingly) but anyway, he told us we had to go downstairs and find a grey door, then buzz, then kick the door down if they don't answer. This was getting absurd! Really? A secret knock to be let in to the FedEx area? What were they hiding in there?
Lauren: So we went to the gray door, a journey that lasted another half an hour and when we found it the guy said it was the wrong door. We would have to walk down the street until the avenue ended, turn right, then continue to the "Cargo" area. We were perplexed? We had to go to where the cargo people were? Is this how all Santiaguinos got their mail?
Aneya: The door, by the way, was right next to the Arrivals gate, and we understood then why the security guard said to knock hard. It was so loud, what with all the families reuniting behind us. Lauren and I were both crushed when we were told it was the wrong door.
Lauren: It was definitely time for lunch. By now, about two hours had passed in the airport and we were as far away from the package as when we started. We decided to eat at the closest restaurant, a really cute French coffee, sandwich shop.
Aneya: We were both starving by this point. The lunch was great, actually, they had to best baguette I've had in their entire country! Who would've thought?
Lauren: It was as we were eating our sandwich, quiche that we saw him. A FedEx employee. It felt like striking gold. Surely he could set us straight.
Aneya: We felt bad interrupting him during lunch, but this was getting to be a life or death situation here. So, I urged Lauren to go talk to him.
Lauren: We meekly walked up to where he was sitting, still eating and quickly asked where the FedEx place was. He asked for Aneya's passport (for a minute I wondered if he had her package on him), and then told us to wait for him. It seemed it finding FedEx was ... complicated ... and he needed to accompany us. We didn't need him to say it was complicated.
Aneya: He was so sweet! He told he'd finish eating quickly and accompany us to the FeEx cargo place. Yay! We were finally on our way!
Lauren: He was the nicest guy. He even said he need two new couriers who spoke English if we were in the market for a job. He informed us this was a very unorthodox method of retrieving mail. "Usually, we just bring it to your house." That would have been nice. The paper said we needed to come to the airport.
Aneya: We had to walk all the way around the airport and out to the cargo area, but the guy was so nice, chatting with, explaining the whole mix up. And his English was great!
Lauren: We wound up where people take cargo off the plane, the only people without official-looking vests. We got a few "What are they doing here?" stares. Long story short, the package won't be coming until Monday. They need to make a "presentation" to the customs people. It turns out, to receive things like that you sometimes have to pay 20% in duties!! That's why they couldn't leave it at the door. There was no one to pay the duties fees.
Aneya: Going into that cargo room was hilarious. The guy looked like a pimp walking in with us, everyone was staring. We had to get official "Visitor" badges as we waited to hear the verdict. And....no, we wouldn't be getting it today. After all that! We were mad, but by then, just ready to get the hell home. I guess we won't be seeing our friend Harry till Monday.
-- Aneya & Lauren
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