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Miami International Airport

Well, today is the day things start happening, albeit at the end of the day.  My flight from Miami to Buenos Aires leaves at 11pm, and arrives at 10am local time.  Buenos Aires is 2 hours ahead of eastern time, so the flight is nine hours, not the eleven like the departure/arrival times might suggest.  This is not too bad when comparing it to some of the long haul flights I have taken to Brisbane, Australia and  Tokyo, Japan.

When I got up this morning, I was greeted by an email from American Airlines stating that I should check in for my flight.  “Great idea!”, I thought.  I proceeded to their website, filled in all of my information, clicked “Check-In”.. I stared at the spinning wheel of death.  Five, ten, then fifteen seconds pass.  Is this a website problem?  Is there something wrong with my ticket?  My mind starts racing.  Well, if there is something wrong, I at least I am in the US and not abroad.  “STOP IT EVIL DEMONS!“, I think.  Then, I am greeted with this:

Cannot Check In Online, See Agent

Really?  What gives?  You tell me to check in online, and give me this?  My best is that since there are COVID protocols in place for entry into Argentina (i.e. I must show a negative PCR test), you cannot check in online and attempt to bypass that requirement.  This will not be a huge problem since I will have upwards of 8 hours to kill in the airport!

While eating breakfast, an email from Jeff at Marathon Tours arrived.  They said that they were in Buenos Aires, preparing for us, and had a couple of itinerary changes.  The biggest was that their normal cocktail reception was canceled because they wanted to minimize the chance for the spread of COVID (but dinner was still on).  Additionally, I saw this quote:

On the first Voyage there were several positive cases before and during their travels.  We want to avoid this with our group at all costs.  I strongly encourage you to remain isolated from others prior to traveling, at the airport use all necessary precautions (wash your hands thoroughly, wear a mask at all times, avoid crowds/people whenever possible), and practice the same ritual upon arriving in Buenos Aires.

I feel bad for those people who contracted COVID while there.  Apparently four people tested positive before leaving Buenos Aires and could not even make the trip to Ushuaia / Antarctica.  I am not sure if they lost all of their money or not, but still – it is something that I am mildly anxious about.

I brought changes of clothes for 4-5 days.  Sticking to my laundry plan, I did a load of laundry at the hotel (and will do one or two on the ship).  All my clothes are clean, and I should be able to make it to the Ocean Victory in Ushuaia before having to do another load on the ship.

When I checked into the hotel, I asked the receptionist what the latest checkout was that I could get without them getting in trouble (I have had 4pm checkouts at Atlantic City hotels before).  She said that the latest checkout was 2pm, so I got that one.  I hopped on the 3pm shuttle and arrived at the airport 5 minutes later.  I went in, found my check in location, showed all of the required docs (COVID vaccination card, negative COVID test, and Argentina entry documents) to the screening person.  I then got in line to be checked in (8 hours early), got my boarding pass, chatted with the check in lady for several minutes about the Antarctica Marathon, went through the TSA Precheck line and was through security by 3:25!  WOW!  From the hotel to post-security for an international flight in under 30 minutes.  A new record.  I do not even think that do it that fast for domestic.  My watch said that I needed a couple thousand more steps for the day, so I walked up and down terminal D until I hit my goal.

About six months ago, I applied for (and received) a Chase Sapphire Reserve card.  One of the free perks you get with the Sapphire Reserver is the Priority Pass.  That lets you get into a lot of airport lounges all over the world, as well as giving you food credit a many restaurants across the world.  In Miami, you have access to the Turkish Airlines lounge, so I decided to try it out.  I walked up to the receptionist and she said that it was too busy and that they were not accepting Priority Pass members at this time, but I could check back later.  I was starting to get hungry, and found out that the Corona Beach House offered a $30 meal credit to Priority Pass members.  I went there and put my name on the list.  I was seated about 15 minutes later, and I ordered a lemonade, buffalo wings, and fish tacos.  All items were pretty good, and the total was $30 exactly.

Fish Tacos at The Corona Beach House Miami

Buffalo Wings at The Corona Beach House Miami

The waiter said that my Priority Pass covered everything and that I owed nothing!  Pretty cool perk. I left him and tip and I went back to the Turkish Airlines Lounge to try to my luck again.  When I arrived, I got the same story – they were full and not taking Priority Pass members.  Oh well, there is a lounge in Buenos Aires and I will try my luck there.

As of right now, I have about one hour until we start boarding the flight.  American Airlines offered me a deal to upgrade to Premium Economy for $20 more, so I hopped on it. Hopefully, it will be a peaceful fight with no issues.

The Magic City Casino is about 1.5 miles from my hotel

Today and tomorrow are going to be B-O-R-I-N-G.  I want to go outside and do something to pass the time.  As I mentioned yesterday, the Magic City Casino is only about 1.5 miles from the Sheraton.  It is taking all of my willpower not to go play poker.   I also looked into playing golf at the International Links Melreese Country Club since it is right next door.  However, greens fees are upwards of $200, plus I need to rent clubs, so I decided against that idea.  I do have a small task that I can do for work, and I can go to the workout room and get in a run.  It is VERY windy here today.

On another note, I got a text from CVS saying that my PCR test result was ready.  All I had to do was click the link.  I was kind of surprised by this because CVS had been saying that results were backed up by 2-3 days.  However, the CVS guy said that I would have my results the next day.  I was skeptical, but he was right!  I had taken a home test and it was negative, so I was not overly worried.  However, I felt the anxiety build as I clicked the link in the text to see the result.  The website was making me confirm my identity.  More tension built.  Finally, the result was displayed.  I scoured the page, scrolled down, and could not find the result!  Tension and anxiety were still building. I was going MAD!  I scrolled back to the top, and after SLOWLY reading everything, I found it!  NEGATIVE!  WOO HOO!  I should be clear to depart for Argentina on Sunday.  Hurdle one has been navigated.

My good friend and business partner Patrick, let me borrow his GoPro Hero 8 for this adventure.  However, he removed the microSD card from it.  He told me that a 32GB card would do nothing for me and it held less than 1 hour of video.  So, this afternoon, I found a Best Buy that had a 512 GB microSD card in stock.  I ordered it, took a Lyft to the store, and it was waiting for me when I arrived.  There was also a Target there, so I picked up some dehydrated fruit – mangos, bananas, and dark chocolate covered freeze-dried strawberries.  Wow the strawberries were good!

When I got back to the hotel, I found a Youtube Video about the GoPro Hero8 camera, watched it and got familiar with all of the buttons (and more importantly, how to use it)!

View from Sheraton

9:00 am

I am staying at the Sheraton Hotel about a mile from the Miami International Airport.  This is not the Sheraton that I am accustomed to.  It feels more like a different brand that has been converted and rebranded.  Don’t get me wrong, it is clean and there is nothing wrong.  However, in the past when I have stayed at a Sheraton, I LOVED their beds, and this is not the same bed as before.  Perhaps they have changed their mattresses, or perhaps this hotel has been rebranded.  Either way, there are no issues.

I have an appointment at CVS this morning to take a COVID test.  I need a negative PCR result to get into Argentina.  If I test positive, I want it to be here so I can just hop on a plane home, rather than having to quarantine in Argentina for 10 days!  I took a home test on Thursday, and it was negative.  I have been playing it safe, so hopefully, I am good to go.

11:02 am

The CVS where I have a COVID test is about 2 miles from the hotel.  I thought about walking, but I am unfamiliar with the neighborhood and roads, so I decided to take a Lyft instead.  I have never used Lyft, so this would be fun (albeit probably the same experience as Uber). My driver, Sharon, was very personable.  She talked up a storm.  After dropping me off, I went inside to do my PCR test.  The lady informed me, in broken English, that they do not do them inside and that I had to go through the drive-through.  I told her that I did not have a car and asked if I should walk through the drive-through.  She said that, yes, I had to.  On my way out, another guy told me that he had the same issue, and had to walk through the drive-through as well!  When I was a teenager I used to ride my bike and walk through fast-food drive-throughs, but that was in the 80s and I figured that was against regulations due to legal liability.

Anyway, we both walked to the drive-through and I rang the bell.  The guy inside gave me instructions on how to do the test.  I followed the instructions and dropped the sample in the collection box.  While at CVS, I picked up a few snacks and then took a Lyft back to the hotel.

4:45 pm

I am more or less done with work.  I had a great Cuban sandwich for lunch at the restaurant in the Sheraton.

9:48pm

The Magic City Casino is a mere mile from the hotel and I want to go rip up the poker room.  However, I should exercise restraint and NOT go because I will regret it if I catch COVID.  I will be disciplined and stay in the room and do nothing.  Five years of waiting would be gone in an instant if I caught COVID.  As a side note, I am glad that I came down early, as there is a HUGE storm brewing in New England right now!

Sheraton Hotel

My plan for today is pretty straightforward.  Finish packing, work until about 3 pm, then have Ashley will drop me at the airport.  I will fly to Miami, where I will spend 3 days before hopping on my flight to Buenos Aires.

Why go to Miami so early and have to spend extra money on a hotel?  Great question!  When planning this shindig, Ashley actually suggested that I leave a few days early.  That way, if any sort of winter storm hits New England, I will either already be gone, or I will have a couple of days to reschedule my flight to Miami.  The last thing I wanted to do was to miss the flight to Buenos Aires and have another situation like I had when I went to Brazil for the Rio de Janeiro marathon!

I finished the lion’s share of packing last night.  When I say “packing” I actually mean gathering everything up.  Marathon Tours staff strongly suggest only taking ONE large suitcase because checking two bags on an airline can get interesting in South America.  I was planning to check one and then carry on the dry pack that I need to carry race gear on marathon day.  However, I was unsure whether everything would fit into one large suitcase + and a 30-liter backpack.  I put everything on the floor in my office and started meticulously packing.  To my surprise, everything fit in one suitcase and a carry-on!  It was tight, but it worked.  Then I got a great idea.  If everything fits into two bags, then why not take three?  WHAT?!?!?  Have you lost your mind, Bob?  Allow me to explain.  I get two free checked bags on Southwest to and from Miami, and I get two free checked bags to and from Buenos Aires from Miami on American Airlines because I booked Premium Economy.  That only leaves the charter flight to Ushuaia, which is where it can get interesting by checking two bags.  Since everything fits into two, I will just put my backpack into one of the other suitcases, then use my small suitcase as the carry-on for the charter flight to Ushuaia!  When I get back to Buenos Aires from Ushuaia, I can spread out over three pieces of baggage and will have a place to carry my gifts.  I hope it works (and will let you know whether I hit a homerun or crashed and burned in the appropriate blog post in a few days).

By 2:45, I was ready to depart.  I had my two suitcases and 30-liter dry bag as my carry-on.  Ashley dropped me off at 4:10 pm for a 6:25 pm flight to Miami.  I zoomed through check-in/security and had TONS of time to wait.  I took two more work calls then got some late lunch / early dinner at D’Angelo’s.  I got a small steak number 9 (without mushrooms) and a small tuna sub.  I have traveled enough to know that I would be hungry when I get to Miami, and there would probably be nothing to eat.  I ate the Number 9 and stashed the tuna in my dry bag for later.

My flight from Hartford to Miami went via Nashville.  Everything was more or less on time, and I arrived in Miami at 12:10 am.  When I arrived at baggage claim, my two bags were one of the first on the belt!  How often does that happen?  Like N-E-V-E-R!  Actually, once my bags were the second off the plane, so I have hit the baggage lottery at least one other time in my life.

I exited the airport and hopped on the shuttle to the Sheraton Hotel.  Within 15 minutes I was in my room eating a tuna sub that was made 1,500 miles away – which brings me to where I am now – writing my blog update for today!

Tomorrow, I have to go to a CVS that is 1.2 miles from here for a COVID PCR test.  After that, I will work the rest of the day.

I have always wanted to go to Antarctica.  Some people think I am weird, but hey, I take that as a compliment.  As part of my journey to complete seven full marathons on all seven continents, I am now prepping to go there.  This trip has been five years in the making.  When I completed the Tokyo Marathon on Feb 26, 2017, I decided that since there was a three-year waitlist with Marathon Tours, I should definitely put my name in.  I did that and thus began my wait.

In 2019, due to some people canceling their entry, I was given the opportunity to move up a year.  I jumped on the chance and was confirmed for the 2019 race.  However, the two ships that Marathon Tours usually charters, the Akademik Ioffe and the Akademik Sergey Vavilov, were recalled by the Soviet government.  They were able to charter a different ship, but the new one held 50 fewer people than the Ioffe and Vavilov combined.  Since I was one of the last people who were confirmed for 2019, I was the first to be booted (rightfully so), and I went back to the top of the waitlist for 2020.

We all know what happened in 2020 – COVID!  The 2020 edition of the Antarctica Marathon and Half Marathon were canceled – and again in 2021!

So that brings us to 2022.  As of now, the races are on.  YES – I said “races”.  Marathon Tours plans to do TWO marathons this year a couple of weeks apart (here and here) to help with the backlog.  This year’s ship is the Ocean Victory from Albatross Expeditions.  I am on the second sailing.  I will be blogging about my experience the entire way, although my posts will probably be delayed after I get on the ship.

Currently, my schedule looks like this:

Thursday, Jan 27:  Depart for Miami, FL for a few days.

Friday, Jan 28:  Scheduled a COVID PCR test.  You cannot get into Argentina without one.

Saturday Jan 29:  Hang out and do a lot of nothing.

Sunday, January 30:  Depart Miami for Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Monday, January 31 – Wednesday, Feb 2:  Stay and explore Buenos Aires with the group of runners from Marathon Tours.

Thursday, Feb 3:  Fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, then board Ocean Victory.

Friday, Feb 3 – Saturday, Feb 5:  Cross the Drake Passage.  We have been warned that this is the roughest stretch of water in the world!  We arrive at King George Island on Saturday.  Marathon Tours staff will set up the course in preparation for the race tomorrow.

Sunday, Feb 6:  Race day!

Monday, Feb 7 – Wednesday, Feb 9:  Spent sightseeing on various fjords and islands.

Thursday, Feb 10:  Depart Antarctica

Saturday, Feb 12:  Arrive in Ushuaia, board flight to Buenos Aires, then on to Miami and home.

This whole trip is made even more uncertain by the COVID variant Omicron.  In order to get into Argentina, I must have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of my departure.  I have scheduled a PCR test in Miami.  If I happen to test positive, I cannot even get to Argentina.  Assuming that I make it to Buenos Aires, one cannot board the ship if they have a positive COVID test.  Marathon Tours has arranged for everybody to get another COVID test on the evening before our Ushuaia departure.  If that test is positive, you cannot even get on the airplane to Ushuaia and must quarantine in Buenos Aires for 10 days (and kiss all of your training goodbye).  On the way back, you must have a negative PCR test within 24 hours to get back into the USA.  Marathon Tours has arranged for a helicopter to fly to the ship so people with outbound flights on Feb 12 can have a test.  The medical staff will take samples, fly back to the mainland, process the tests, and give us our results when we dock.  Again, if we test positive, we will have to quarantine for 10 days before we will be released to come back to the USA.

To say this is an adventure is an understatement!

May the Force be with me!