Costa Rica > Will we catch the flight?

The last day. At the hotel, we say goodbye to our guide Willem. We have also already said farewell to fellow travelers who are extending their trip in New York. Eventually, fifteen of us head to the airport together. At half past nine, we leave San José for the last time. At the airport, we also say goodbye to Freddy. From here, the long journey back to Amsterdam begins. Fortunately, the return trip is shorter than the outbound flight. The flight from Houston to Amsterdam is one hour shorter, and the layover in the U.S. is only an hour and a half. Finally, it’s now an overnight flight. The luggage is checked in, and we spend time at the airport. There are many delays for flights to the U.S. We meet two girls from Belgium who have already been delayed by five hours and have missed their connecting flight. Our flight, however, is still “on schedule.” Boarding involves a strict security check.

Costa Rica - A Whitethroated Capuchin also called a Capuchin monkey

No liquids are allowed, not even sealed duty-free purchases. In the jet bridge, all carry-on luggage is inspected again. Eventually, I reach my seat. Looking outside, I see that it is raining heavily. I realize that we may have had rain almost every day during the trip, but it never really caused problems. Most of the heavy rain fell while we were traveling or eating. Even now, I’m fine with it and wait for the plane to take off. This wait is tested—only three-quarters of an hour later does the plane finally lift off for Houston. It’s going to be tense whether we’ll make the flight to Amsterdam. I decide not to sleep yet and occupy myself with the in-flight movie. At ten past six, the plane lands in Houston. I quickly leave the plane, answer the first questions at the first checkpoint, and sprint to customs. Luckily, many counters are open, and there is only one person ahead of me. The customs officer reassures me and thinks I will still make my flight, even though boarding began ten minutes ago. He quickly completes the fingerprints, photo, and stamps, and points me toward the fastest route onward. The carry-on check goes smoothly, and at 6:50 a.m. local time, I arrive at the plane. I hand in my visa and can board almost immediately. Twenty minutes later, the plane departs the gate. All fellow travelers made the flight, though some had lengthy baggage checks. Next to me sits Robert, a traveler from Houston. He’s en route to Frankfurt and also plans to visit Amsterdam. We talk about Houston, Costa Rica, and Amsterdam. After the meal, I close my eyes and fall asleep.