Reunited and it feels so good!

Yes, we have been singing the Peaches and Herb song, "reunited and it feels so good". After 2 1/2 days, numerous emails, and probably 4 hours in phone calls, we have been reunited with our missing bag. To summarize the experience, I thought I would share a few of my favorites quotes (listed in order as they occured):

- We don't know where your bag is.
- No, I can't call anyone in Atlanta.
- I see that your bag was scanned two nights to go on the plane, but it was never loaded.
- Ma'am, you need clean up your language or our recording system will terminate this call. (impressive technology for people lacking a tracking system)
- This is very strange. I see two lost bags with the same tag number.
- I called Atlanta and your bag was on the flight last night. They did a check at the gate and you bag is definitely not in Atlanta. Maybe it is hung up in customs.
- Your bag did not arrive on the flight from last night. Everything has been unloaded and it is definitely not in Santiago.
- That person in Atlanta lied.
- Someone in Atlanta retagged your bag to someone named Tom Darves.
- Mr. Darves is missing two bags and three bags are tagged to him on tonight's flight. One of those must be yours.
- Mr. Darves is missing a green bag and a red bag. Your bag is blue. We should be able to tell those apart.

So, it is here. Tomorrow we have a 12 hour bus ride to Pucon. Think of this image -- two travelers, 2 bike boxes, and 4 small duffels simulanteously inching through the bus terminal that doesn't have luggage carts. Hard to believe that what is so akward to travel with now is going to be a rolling set up in another 48 hours. On Tuesday, we will open the bike boxes and reassemble the bikes. We are keeping our
fingers crossed as the airlines totally opened both bike boxes. My bike box looks like a tribe of large monkeys tried to use it as a trampoline.

We hope to be sitting in our favorite steak place in Pucon on Tuesday night, drinking Pisco Sours, and celebrating that everything is sorted and assembled and ready to ride!