Wednesday, 11/8/23: Approaching Santiago after a Long Uncomfortable Night
6:00 AM local time, flying just off the Pacific coast near the Peru-Chile border
Oh, what misery is overnight travel in tourist class. For several hours, I’ve tried stretching out
my legs under the seat in front of me, while wearing my sleep mask with my
inflatable U-shaped travel pillow around my neck. I didn’t succeed in approaching anything that
could qualify as normal sleep.
About 15 minutes ago as the TV screen in front of me
indicated we were passing Lima, Peru, I looked from my aisle seat to my right
at the young Latina mother who had moved from the middle seat and was lying
with her back propped up against the window and her legs extended in my
direction over the window and middle seats.
Her three-year-old daughter (who had occupied the window seat) was lying
on her back against her mother, her head just below and to the left of her
mother’s chin. The little girl’s mouth
was open and her little legs, clad in grey tights with horizontal red stripes
extended in my direction. Both were lost in dreamland. It was a prize-winning photo op but the cabin
was too dark (lighted only by pale blue ceiling lights) for my camera to
capture it. I tried with my cellphone
but the pic was nothing but blackish fuzz.
Obviously, it would have been highly rude to take it with a flash waking
the sleeping Madonna and Child. So all I
can do is describe it. As I write this,
the little girl is squirming and her mother has moved around, trying to adjust
both of them to something vaguely resembling comfort.
7:00 AM, off the coast of northern Chile
About an hour until we land in Santiago.
Ah ha! Lights in the
cabin have come on and the crew is starting to distribute breakfast snacks. Mother and child still appear deep in
slumber. Now’s my chance to discreetly
steal their souls with my little Cannon.
The angle is not as good as it was an hour ago but I still found them
damn cute.
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