Terminal A

dwmte7 says on Sep 13, 2009, 06:02:

couldn't you just get a london/miami/medallo flight? just curious.

patriarch

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elchoco (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 13, 2009, 06:23:

soylocombiano says on Sep 13, 2009, 06:59:

Diito on the iron curtain passage

Living well is the best revenge

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suizo says on Sep 13, 2009, 07:24:

always try various booking machines...my experience is that there is no site that gives you always the cheapest tickets. also depends on season. I assume the 530£ is not for december/january?

Crackheads suck!

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kenblanquito says on Sep 13, 2009, 07:35:

The last time that I did the Medellin-Miami-London-Miami-Medellin route, in summer 2007, Miami was chaos on both occasions. Coming back to Colombia, I nearly missed my plane even though I spent 4 hours at the airport and did not even have time to look in the Duty-Free. To add to that, on my outward journey the security guards at Miami immigration were disgraceful; it took me nearly an hour to get past them after having waited in an enormous queue for ages: an endless array of stupid questions that were intended to wind me up like "You are only 52 and you have semi-retired, how do you afford to live then?" "You are an analytical chemist, so you probably know how to make drugs?" and such likes. In the end, I volunteered that they carried out a body search and opened my baggage-but no, they just continued with stupid and at times quite offensive questions.
After those experiences, I vowed never to travel via Miami. Perhaps I should have made a formal complaint but it probably would have fallen on deaf ears.
Therefore, pieman has done well to avoid the possibility of that type of "abuse" and that sounds like a much better price than I paid in 2007-well done! I have never heard of "Terminal A", where are they?

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suizo says on Sep 13, 2009, 07:58:

jajaja...another one from a dumb immigration officer in Miami: "You have a Swiss passport...but you don't look Swiss, how come?"

Crackheads suck!

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:12:

Paisa/Calena/Luver says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:28:

Been going through and in and out of MIA for 30years, never ever had a problem.. seems to be alot of clueless people going through there.. jajajjaja im serious!

"PAY ATTENTION! I wonder if that person knows that when we push the FUNNY button, its because we are reading something outrageous, trying to be cynical, derogatory, sarcastic and/or obnoxious!"

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:37:

roccatanski says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:39:

I only flew through Miami 2 times but never had a problem, the Boston airport that is another story.

"A man is defined by his actions, not his memory" ( Kuato-- total recall)

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johnny2009 says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:48:

The secret in Miami is bore the crap out of the immigration guys, if they ask "How come you have a European passport but a Colombian visa?" Then reply, "well now there's a tale..." then proceed to tell them every single detail of your whole life story, they will soon get bored.

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theflatline says on Sep 13, 2009, 08:54:

There is a reason for the clueless workers.

They are all Cuban or Haitian!

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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Paisa/Calena/Luver says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:02:

Yes but Haitians are never in customs or immigration (skycaps and taxis) and I would say that now there is a healthy mix of all ethnicities in the immigration and customs departments. Some of the best quality nicest people Ive met in Miami over my lifetime have been Cuban or Haitian.

"PAY ATTENTION! I wonder if that person knows that when we push the FUNNY button, its because we are reading something outrageous, trying to be cynical, derogatory, sarcastic and/or obnoxious!"

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Paisa/Calena/Luver says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:03:

"no wonder clueless workers work there :)"

???, Explain please! I get sarcasm and humor like the rest of them, but this one flew right over my head! lol

"PAY ATTENTION! I wonder if that person knows that when we push the FUNNY button, its because we are reading something outrageous, trying to be cynical, derogatory, sarcastic and/or obnoxious!"

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dwmte7 says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:04:

you been eatin those smart pills, flat line. keep it up and you, too, can be a savant.

patriarch

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dwmte7 says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:07:

i've done the miami thing so fricken many times it's like old home week. alone; with wife and children; alone; with a shit load of animals; alone. carryin, not carryin. putting up with the sniffers, the pricks and dummies....it's miami. it ain't no different in the airport than it is on the street...it's miami. get used to it. at least there's wall to wall women, like no other airport in the world.

patriarch

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kenblanquito says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:09:

The ones that gave me a hard time were definitely Anglo-Saxon derived North Americans, not second generation Latins.
To me it is like ignorant people who exploit their powers of self-importance and they need educating.
pcl-I doubt whether the likes of Kat, elchoco, others and myself are all clueless! The officials are obviously bored stiff and need some form of entertainment, at our expense! Perhaps a bit of customer-service quality control would not go amiss; if it were not for us travellers they would be out of a job. Our choice is to avoid these ignorant officials who give us a bad time and use other routes. OK, Madrid is not exactly wonderful but at least the officials treat you better, like reasonable human beings rather than convicted criminals or animals.
johnny2009, I tried that one during my torture, it did not work. Perhaps you were behind me in the same queue and they had already had enough! Or their coffee break was overdue.

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theflatline says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:11:

Well, I should have said Miami is run like any Latin American airport.

I have some really good friends from Miami as well.

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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soylocombiano says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:16:

Been going through and in and out of MIA for 30years, never ever had a problem.. seems to be alot of clueless people going through there

PCL--that explains a lot.

Living well is the best revenge

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Papi de Alejo says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:21:

I got grilled at Miami because I took my laptop with me on vacation to Colombia. Then he was mad because after x-raying my bags twice and searching it inside out; he found nothing. He said I shouldn't be wasting his time.

Live simply... Love generously... Care deeply... Speak kindly...

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viajero123 (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:27:

kenblanquito says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:32:

viajero
I am a Brit and the North Americans are supposed to be friends of ours. Why did they pick on me? I may live in Colombia but there is no way I look Colombian, even if I have taken loads of sun! And my accent too! LOL

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theflatline says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:34:

Where are all these mythical white people in Miami?

Legaleez for Complete Morons - A book for gringos in Colombia for who think they understand the nature of the law in a country where they cannot speak the language.

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Papi de Alejo says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:36:

They are hiding in the back room where they send you for more indepth interrogation.

Live simply... Love generously... Care deeply... Speak kindly...

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Paisa/Calena/Luver says on Sep 13, 2009, 09:59:

tfl I can take you to places in Coconut grove, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Miami Beach(north of 41st street) where you will virtually not see ANY latino people as residence.

"PAY ATTENTION! I wonder if that person knows that when we push the FUNNY button, its because we are reading something outrageous, trying to be cynical, derogatory, sarcastic and/or obnoxious!"

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dwmte7 says on Sep 13, 2009, 10:12:

in my experience, the by far worse is rio de janero.....i'll tether my tongue on that one. that misserable covey of c suckers. whoops....couldn't hold it in. caracas is no wonderland either. and although it's not the worse, madrid gets no brownie points. ni rome. they all pretty much suck. but for those in the know. absolute rock ass bottom is lagos nigeria, followed by new delhi.
d

patriarch

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lampltr says on Sep 13, 2009, 11:52:

Miami for me no hitches as yet....

roccatanski, agree with you bro...mother had moved in New England, was told to call upon arrival and family would meet us so did not know an address as no one knew...The prick at Immigration would not allow me through without an address (Even when presenting my Gov't ID). He stated "We do not want you on our streets" this is why we desire you have a destination address....I literally blew up and caused a scene, but to no evail. Was then a female office who overheard the shenanigans called me aside and told me to place any address down on the card and do not say anything.....30 years of Federal service and get welcomed home to this kind of shit...fuk em all!!!

Be aware of the new Homeland security guidelines for International travel that was passed with 2008's Patriot Act amendment (If owing $2400+ to Gov't ie State/Fed), ones passport can be immediately confiscated and denied any boarding on International flights. Who knows in the future how far the US will carry this. 2nd Citizenship; better act fast before this is removed also

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capt_j says on Sep 13, 2009, 12:51:

The only officer to ever give me a hard time in Miami was an American black guy, but I can't blame him, he had mistaken me for a desperado.

Most of my customs experience is with general aviation and there it depends on the attitude of the individual officer and what side of the bed he got up on. Remain calm, hold your tongue, say "sir" a lot, it's just a part of the game. But still there is one guy whose ass I want to kick......

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robbie1 says on Sep 13, 2009, 15:15:

I don't care for the Miami airport either, but never had a problem. I always get a kick of DAS in El Dorado requiring a physical address upon entry. My last time, I refused because I wanted to see what would happen and I really didn't know where I was going to be staying. Well, they refused to let me through without an address in Colombia, so the first thing that came to mind (to be a smartass) was Whiskeria Sex Appeal, calle 15 circa Postobon, habitacion 1. ......... what was hilarious is they wrote it down and acted as serious as judges.

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thepieman says on Sep 13, 2009, 15:32:

suizo: no its for october this year
mr az: im not to keen on bringing the ready made sauce but will look for some powdered kind.. dvds will work on that..you can have a scone mix no probs but clotted cream i doubt..what kind of coffee mug?
ken: i think they are based in spain, maybe tenerife but have a uk web site www.terminala.co.uk

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kenblanquito says on Sep 13, 2009, 17:31:

Thanks pie for the info.
If Azu is after curry stuff, the Isle of Thanet is not the best place for foreign ingredients is it?
If you trot up to London before you travel to here, worth looking in East or North London Indian supermarkets: cheaper too.

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excavator59 says on Sep 13, 2009, 18:11:

I found some Tandoori mix in Pereira last week but i think I can mix it from ingredientes in Colombia as i have a few Indian cook books & Colombians love Tandoori as I've done it at a few BBQs if you need recipes give me a shout ok?.

Life is like a Pubic Hair on a Toilet Seat (Sooner or Later you get Pissed Off)

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thepieman says on Sep 14, 2009, 07:56:

im staying at friends in london the day before i leave so will try that ken..is chilli powder widely available in colombia?

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 14, 2009, 09:11: