Vienna?

We've made it to Vienna. This may not sound like a big deal to you, and it wouldn't normally to us either: you go to the airport, you check in, etc. But in a group of 58 people it's a bit more complicated, especially when the buses carrying us take a wrong turn and end up in a traffic jam on side streets in Alexandria, Virginia. It was 91 degrees F (34C) outside, and our bus had no AC and the windows didn't open. Our group is forever split into those who were on the hot bus and those who traveled in comfort.

Then there was the airport. I won't go into details, but the airline is not popular among us, and the Peace Corps is not a term the people behind the counter want to hear ever again. Oh well. The flight itself was eventless.

Maybe this is just a way of weeding out the ones who aren't ready for the Armenian way of travel. Or maybe the Peace Corps is toughening us for all the frustrations we will inevitably encounter as we move from a culture where the expectation is that things function to one where that's the case to a much lesser degree.

In Vienna - well, we never made it into the city. Susan and I got to our day room at an airport hotel and passed out for four hours. Then we wandered into the local little town and had a late lunch and bought a surge protector. Now we'll have what may be our last real showers for a while and head back to the airport. Early.