Hello! I made it! Almost hiccup free.
At the check in desk in Melbourne I was informed about a fee of US$100 that I was meant to have proof of paying in order to board the plane. It’s a ‘reciprocity fee’, which is basically the Argentinian government ‘reciprocating’ to the Australian government making their residents pay to enter Australia. As I went to board the connection flight in Dubai, there was an old couple looking very worried and fumbling around with an iPhone. They spoke to each other in a different language which I didn’t get a chance to try and identify, when the man must have seen my Australian passport, and came to ask if I could help him pay his and his wife’s reciprocity fee. They had Australian passports, but very limited English, so I’m still unclear as to how they got to Dubai on the same flight as me without having paid it. Anyway… I proceeded to be handed both passports, all kinds of information like email address and residential addresses, and credit cards. And after not too long we had the fees paid and we all boarded the plane... on last call.
At the check in desk in Melbourne I was informed about a fee of US$100 that I was meant to have proof of paying in order to board the plane. It’s a ‘reciprocity fee’, which is basically the Argentinian government ‘reciprocating’ to the Australian government making their residents pay to enter Australia. As I went to board the connection flight in Dubai, there was an old couple looking very worried and fumbling around with an iPhone. They spoke to each other in a different language which I didn’t get a chance to try and identify, when the man must have seen my Australian passport, and came to ask if I could help him pay his and his wife’s reciprocity fee. They had Australian passports, but very limited English, so I’m still unclear as to how they got to Dubai on the same flight as me without having paid it. Anyway… I proceeded to be handed both passports, all kinds of information like email address and residential addresses, and credit cards. And after not too long we had the fees paid and we all boarded the plane... on last call.
When I was leaving
Melbourne, I had some serious nerves that I didn’t think I was going to have.
I’m usually not too phased and fairly laid back, but it just crept up on me a
bit. Then I thought how I must have looked to the old couple, a traveler who
knows what he’s doing without a worry, someone who is laid back enough to wait
until the last call to help out. I suppose there’s nothing like helping others,
and getting something right was a nerve settler.
While I was on the
flight, the old couple came and found me. We chatted for quite sometime,
dodging the food carts and seatbelt signs. Turns out they are Buenos Aires
natives (beats me why they had to pay now) and they are coming back to go to
the man’s mother’s funeral. They are staying at his brother’s place in Buenos
Aires and I have been invited to join them for dinner one night, such good
networking!
I also ran into them at Buenos Aires airport and they were very helpful in informing me which bus I should get on to get to my hostel. The man also stressed to me that it was important to look after yourself first and that it was sometimes dangerous in BA to help strangers, I know this is true but it still felt like funny advice from someone who had just relied on a stranger stopping to help, and may otherwise still be in Dubai.
So this is my first full day in Buenos Aires, I've come to the realisation that my packing wasn't quite up to scratch so I need to go and get some luxuries, or necessities, which ever way you look at a towel and a water bottle... and pesos.
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