Watch out! The Watkins are on the move. We took off for Ecuador for the start of our South American adventure. We are excited to be traveling again.
The Flights
We flew Spirit Airlines from Atlanta to Guayaquil, Ecuador. We had a layover in Ft. Lauderdale. We chose Spirit Airlines because it is considerably cheaper than other airlines. It is not our favorite airline, but it is a cost-effective way to travel if you can avoid paying the extra fees. Spirit charges for checked bags and carry-ons, but they allow one personal item per person (e.g. a backpack). It is cheaper to check a bag than to carry it on, so that is what we did. It is nice not to lug our bags all over the airport. We checked four bags when we booked our ticket, which is cheaper than paying for checked luggage at the airport. We were able to avoid all other fees.
We did not pay to select seats even though Spirit Airlines tried to get us to several times. When we checked in the day before our flight, we were issued seats, and we were all sitting in the same row. Spirit also charges for all beverages and snacks, so we made sure to have water and eat before boarding the plane.
There are no plugs in the seats to charge devices like on Delta flights. Also, the seats are not comfortable. The Spirit Airlines crew we had was friendly. We still think it is worth it to fly budget airlines and save several hundred dollars because it is just a flight.
There are extra hurdles these days when flying internationally. The rules are constantly changing, so it is best to check the requirements before booking a ticket. We each had to have a negative Covid PCR test taken within 72 hours. Also, Michael and I had to be fully vaccinated. It used to be either/or, but the rules changed right before we left.
Getting the Covid test is easy. We went to a drive-through facility in Atlanta near Perimeter Mall 48 hours in advance. We got our results within 24 hours. People checked our vaccine status and negative Covid tests before boarding each flight and upon arrival in Ecuador. We showed the negative Covid test results on our phone. We have our vaccine cards with us and on our phones.
We bought a one-way ticket to Ecuador. Sometimes immigration will check to see proof of onward travel if you do not have a return ticket. We have a ticket booked for onward travel, but no one asked to see it. It is probably the luck of the draw. Also, no one asked to see proof of health insurance. That may only be for entry into the Galapagos Islands. Some countries require proof of health insurance.
Immigration
We landed in Guayaquil at 11:00 pm. From the time we got off the plane to when we left the airport was about 25 minutes. A heat camera checked the temperatures of the passengers as we exited the plane. A person was monitoring it for any abnormalities. Our vaccine status and Covid test results were examined as we exited the terminal. Finally, we went through immigration where the officer asked us a few questions. She asked us what we do for a living and how long we planned to stay in Ecuador. The immigration agent complimented Lucas and Henry’s hair.
Hilton Hotel
We booked a Hilton Hotel for our first night. A driver from the hotel picked us up. The airport offers police escorts this time of year to anyone requesting it. This is done to keep people safe who bring presents back to their families for the holidays. We did not have an escort. The drive to the hotel is about 7 minutes from the airport.
When we got to the hotel there was a party in the bar. Music was blasting in the bar and all over the city. We could feel the energy of the city. It was an exciting welcome.
We used Hilton Hotel points for our stay. We got the points by signing up for a Hilton Hotel credit card a couple of years ago. We got to gold status by booking rooms with our points over the last year. Gold status got us an upgraded room that included all the hot chocolate and coca-cola products we could drink and a fabulous breakfast buffet. I gave Michael a hard time about signing up for travel credit cards when we did it, but the points have come in handy.
We had a nice soft landing in Ecuador to begin our journey. From here on out we will be exploring cities and venturing out to meet people and see the sights.
