On the 787 flight deck with Craig and Monica
Craig Czajka is among our oldest and dearest friends. He has been a fixture around Tam and me for literally decades. We were delighted when Craig and Monica had recently married and she became part of our 'extended family.' The four of us have enjoyed many adventures together, especially common interests in travel, cars, and rock concerts.
Aside from being the drummer in our marginally-talented garage band, Craig is a veteran commercial airline pilot, flying American Airlines 787s on international flights from Miami to exotic locations all over the world, including London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Santiago, Venice, Frankfort, Berlin, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and even Doha, Qatar.
On March 2, 2024, Craig would turn 65, and be forced by federal law into mandatory retirement. We just couldn’t let this happen without joining him on one of his final flights. We jokingly termed his final countdown as Craig's Worldwide Farewell Tour 2024.
On January 26, 2024, the Craig Czajka tour was traveling almost five thousand miles south to Montevideo, Uruguay. After a quick 63 hour layover, the flight would return to Miami. Red-eye flights both ways.
Tam and I thought it would be hilarious (and really fun) if we rode with him down there. It would be a completely immersive experience, observing the pilot’s perspective; same crew, same layover, and even same hotel. His wife, Monica could come along using a non-revenue seat. It would be a super-cool quickie vacation!!
Also for us, it would also be the perfect opportunity to collect the continent of South America, as well as (surprisingly) our first jaunt south of the equator. We had been close several times (within 60 miles at Singapore).
If there was ever an occasion where the journey was more important than the destination, this might be it!
Friday, January 26, 2024
Miami International Airport
American Airline Flight AA989
Craig and Monica met us at the Admiral’s Club lounge in Miami International Airport Terminal D, near gate 15. He dropped her off to celebrate with us while he completed his pre-flight paperwork.
Shortly before 10 pm, we meandered toward gate D3. Craig joined us, looking the part and ready to fly. As he boarded, he pointed toward us with a request to the gate agents to allow us to board early so we could visit the cockpit.
Monica had been waitlisted as a D1 non-revenue ticket and received her seat assignment at the last minute, 10K, right behind ours in 9J and 9L. We were all confirmed to go.
After dropping our bags at our seats, we knocked on the cockpit door. Craig enthusiastically welcomed us and introduced us to Eric, one of the other pilots on the flight. This journey would have three pilots sharing duties during the nine hour flight.
Craig asked Tam and me sit in the two pilot seats and he reviewed all of the controls and instrumentation with us. He moved the seats up and had us maneuver the control columns and kick the rudder. It was a seriously stupefying moment; the two of us surveying the controls of a $330 million aircraft.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner Specifications
Behind the cockpit, quietly located within the secure flight deck, was a door leading to the “tree fort” double-bunk area for the pilots, complete with private screens and a spare jump-seat. This crawl-space was hidden above the first class galley. Monica jokingly volunteered to keep the beds made if she could stay up there. The pilots almost took her up on that offer.
At first, the plan was for Craig to take-off from Miami, but Captain Steve ruined the fun and took the wheel. AA989 was wheels up eastbound from runway 09 at 11:16 pm, with a scheduled flight time of eight hours and thirty-six minutes. At 36,998 feet and 564 miles per hour, we bisected Cuba and flew directly over Kingston, Jamaica.
I must say it was an unusual and gratifying feeling, knowing that our good friend was up front, doing his thing.
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Crossing The Equator
Montevideo, Uruguay
Hyatt Centric
Playa de Los Pocitos
Montevideo World Trade Center
We crossed into South America at Barranquilla and then just east of Bogota. At 2:43 in the morning (Miami time) we crossed the equator with some turbulence 7.24 nautical miles south of Fatima, Brazil (in the indigenous territory of Alto Rio Negro, bordering Columbia). Climbing to 39,000 feet, the next two hours were total darkness on the ground as we passed over the Amazon jungle.
We swept past the eastern range of the Andes near LaPaz and continued another 1500 miles further south to Montevideo. In fact, our destination latitude of 34.9 degrees would put us further south than the entire continent of Africa.
As we made our initial approach from the northwest, the early-morning view from our starboard windows gave us a glimpse of the Andes mountain range in the distance, disappearing into the haze on the southern horizon.
Craig’s voice boomed out over the intercom, “Flight attendants prepare for landing.” The Dreamliner banked hard left over Montevideo Harbor and paralleled the city center to runway 07. We landed at 9:42 am.
The Carrasco International Airport terminal was not huge but it was impressive, a modern structure in the style of Eero Saarinen (more on that later). The control tower, on the other hand, was just small.
We blew past passport control and customs, then wandered into the arrival lobby where we met Pablo, our driver from the Hyatt Centric Hotel.
Our twenty minute drive from the airport to the hotel passed through Carrasco, the most exclusive suburb of Montevideo. It was a mind-blowing feast of fabulous residential architecture!! Beautifully maintained historic traditional homes and incredible cantilevered modern concrete designs lined the boulevard. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many impressive bespoke buildings in one place. All with pristine views of the Atlantic Ocean and Montevideo skyline.
Needless to say, our first impression of the city was overwhelming!!
We checked in early (11:00ish) with the flight crew at the Hyatt Centric, but our room wasn’t ready, so the desk manager quietly upgraded us to the Presidential Suite. OMG!! It was a fully-appointed apartment on the top floor with commanding views of … everything.
Tam jumped in the tub. I took a shower. And we both tried to get a quick nap before meeting Craig and Monica at 2:30. Unfortunately, we found a Spanish language version of Notting Hill on Cinemax that we could not resist.
We hit the streets during a gorgeous summer afternoon. Craig and Monica led the parade along the waterfront. Our first stop, directly across the street from our hotel, was the iconic "Montevideo" sign. All day long, visitors posed with this sign; some standing beside it, some standing in front of it, some standing on it.
We eventually made our way to Marisqueria El Italiano, a popular outdoor bistro near the marina. Craig and I ordered the small Mix de Mariscos (for three). Monica ordered the paella and Tam ordered Wok Chicken And Vegetables. We lounged and ate for nearly two hours. Craig and I could only eat half of the massive seafood mountain.
Across the street was the Hard Rock Cafe Montevideo. Yes, to the utter shame of our children, we stopped at another one. The place was dead but we still bought T-shirts.
Turning southwest, we meandered past the abandoned Uruguayan Olympic Training Facility (used to train athletes competing in the 1952 and 1956 summer Olympics). Sadly, it had fallen into complete disrepair and was abandoned. An empty lap pool, dilapidated handball court, and net-less basketball hoop were all that remained.
Speaking of Olympics … the Uruguayan national anthem is the longest in the world. You're welcome.
The beach at Playa de Los Pocitos In downtown Montevideo was crowded with sun-bathers and swimmers. The waters were from the Rio de la Plata and were brown and slightly foul-smelling (perhaps from thousands of miles of run-off from distant Amazonian rain forests).
We returned to the hotel for a brief respite before heading up to the Montevideo World Trade Center to pick up items at the Tienda Inglesa Market where we bought charcuterie meats, cheeses, crackers, and Garzon Tannat wine to enjoy in our suite.
The Well-Worn Modernism Of Montevideo
From our hotel's beachfront vantage point, the sun setting behind the buildings along Punta Carretas, created a magnificent silhouette of the city.
It had been a glorious day, with more to come on Sunday.
But Saturday night was not over!! After sunset, across the street from our hotel, a massive late-night salsa party erupted, with insanely loud latin music and stage lighting coming from the back of two large vans. Several dozen people danced in the parking lot until two in the morning.
Motorcycles easily doing 100 miles per hour raced in front of the hotel on Rambla Republica del Peru. The city had come alive at night!!
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Bodega Bouza Winery
Rambla Mahatma Ghandi
Punta Carretas
NFC Championship
We awoke just after 7:00 am from a deep sleep, finally catching up from the overnight flight. Another fabulous morning along the bay-walk, with no sign of the massive celebration only hours before. The size of the sky seemed almost unlimited.
For a location halfway around the world, it felt so good to be there. Uruguay seemed like a place that was comfortable in its own skin; laid back, self-confident, and feeling good. It was a beautiful vibe. We felt welcomed!
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In 1680, Portugal founded a city named Colonia do Sacramento on the opposite side of the Rio de la Plata estuary from Buenos Aires. In 1724, a Spanish military expedition forced the Portugese to abandon the city, leaving it to one thousand indigenous people (mostly from the Guarani tribe). Due to its strategic position, the Spanish eventually established a fortress built at the top of a hill, now known as Ciudad Vieja in downtown Montevideo.
During the early 1800s, the city changed hands several times between the British, Spanish, and Portugese. In 1828, Uruguay was consolidated as an independent state and Montevideo as the nation's capital.
By the twentieth century, about a third of the population was foreign-born, and the government began to modernize the nation. During the 1950s, however, the economy began to deteriorate, spawning political violence in 1968 and the establishment of a military dictatorship that resulted in hundreds of deaths and disappearances of Uruguayans. Elections in the 1970s and 1980s enabled the people to dissolve the power of the military and democracy was fully re-established by 1985.
Since then, the nation, and its capital of Montevideo has propsered. It is perennially ranked first in South America for quality of life, and has become a financial and technology hub. It is the ninth-highest earner among major cities of the world and is considered by many to be a city of the future.
Montevideo - Resilient Cities Network (Strategic Plan)
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At 9:00 am, the four of us met at the Deli Bistro in the lobby of the Hyatt, where we enjoyed a fabulous streetside breakfast.
At 9:45, a shuttle van from Bodega Bouza Winery pulled up and we jumped in. Our driver, Ricardo, was superb, pointing out key Montevideo landmarks as we encircled the Rambla Mahatma Ghandi. As we continued around the peninsula and into the harbor area, we were surrounded by an infinite number of cargo containers, stacked seven or eight high. Looking up the streets toward the core of old town, Uruguay’s greatest national monument, Palacio Salvo, stood out amid the modern skyline. When it was completed in 1928, it was the tallest building in Latin America. The initial plan was for it to be a hotel, but it instead became residences and offices. Located on a hilltop, its original specifications included a lighthouse with parabolic mirror in the tower.
Old and new were frequently juxtaposed in Montevideo. Such as Palacio Salvo and the National Telephone Company buildings.
Ricardo stopped in midtown to pick up one more passenger. Her name was Abby (from Portland, Oregon). She spent most of the day with us.
The roads became divided highways as we departed the city, with horses wandering loose in the grass medians. We drove north on Highway 5 (Ruta 5 Brigadier General Fructuoso Rivera) about fifteen minutes outside of the city. Ricardo exited and pulled into the Bodega Bouza winery, a quaint but very well operated tourist destination. Before starting our tour, we were encouraged to enjoy the owner’s antique car collection and gift shop.
Bodega Bouza produces 180,000 bottles of wine per year on 118 acres spread throughout the country. The winery focuses primarily on four varietals; Chardonnay, Merlot, Albariño, and Tannat.
Our tour of approximately a dozen people commenced in one of the Tannat vineyards. Fabrizio, our tour guide, provided bi-lingual explanations throughout. They were three weeks away from the harvest and the grapes were plump and ready.
From the vineyards, he took us inside the maceration and fermentation building, with concrete, stainless, and French oak storage tanks (5,300 liters each). Underneath the fermentation room was a cellar where hundreds of individual barrels were stored, as well as a special glassed-in archive where samples of every vintage were kept for evaluation.
Our final stop of the tour was the sampling room. We were given full glasses of four wines (2022 Chardonnay, 2020 Merlot, 2022 Mix of Tannat and Merlot, and 2021 Tannat). We were also supplied with appetizers to eat between tastes. The next half hour involved serious drinking, eyes became glassed over, and some began to speak in tongues.
We were fortunate that Fabrizio helped usher us to the restaurant for lunch. We marched next door, drawn by the wafting of smoking wood. The rustic dining room was rich with rough-sawn open-beam construction, antique tile flooring, and brick walls. On a serving table nearby was an entire hogs leg, complete with hoof, from which fresh prosciutto was sliced.
We ordered a bottle of Bouza Merlot / Tannat (2012). I mean, if you’re gonna do it … do it well!! We enjoyed the wine while we waited for the somewhat slow lunch service. Then we discovered why we waited so long. The meal was incredible!! I had seafood risotto. Monica had lasagna bolognesa. Tam had a cheese ravioli that she described as the best she had ever eaten. Craig was delivered a massive two-plus pound steak, still searing on the plate. Exceptional meal anywhere in the world, let alone rural Uruguay.
This meal left little doubt about Uruguay being the number one consumer of beef in the world, averaging 130 pounds of beef per person eaten annually! You're welcome.
Uruguay: The Largest Beef Consumer
We purchased three bottles of wine at the gift shop before scurrying back to our shuttle. I thought it was slightly odd that our driver (Ricardo) ran the checkout register before driving us back to the hotel.
It was only after I researched the matter further that I learned Ricardo was an owner and patriarch of Bodega winery, and Fabrizio was probably either a son or grandson.
The Bouza Family
After a brief afternoon siesta, the four of us enjoyed a walkabout, following the oceanfront caminos (Ramblas Republica del Peru and Mahatma Ghandi) a few miles to Punto Carretas. We soaked up the fabulous sunset along with thousands of beachgoers, volleyballers, dog lovers, and kite surfers.
Virtually everyone along the camino was carrying a thermos container in one hand and a baseball-shaped pot (calabash) in the other. The pots were filled with dried yerba mate leaves and the thermoses were used to pour hot water into the pots to create a mash-like tea. This concoction was called ‘mate.’ It originated with the indigenous Guarani tribes of the region as early as the 1500s. Today, the mate compounds are infused with high doses of caffeine. It has become an herbal version of Red Bull.
As the national drink of Uruguay, the country consumes more than twice as much mate as that of the second place nation (Argentina), with more than twenty-two pounds consumed per person annually. You're welcome.
Authentic Food Quest: How To Prepare Mate
Something else unique to Uruguay were the beachside “futsal” courts that had bleachers, electronic scoreboards, and a couple thousand onlookers. Futsal is a form of indoor soccer with smaller (court) dimensions and fewer players. It was invented in Montevideo in 1930 by Juan Carlos Ceriani, a high school teacher, as an indoor alternative to soccer. Today, it is one of the fastest growing sports in South America.
Craig eventually led us to a Fresh Market grocery store near one of his old layover hotels, where we picked up more supplies for snacks later in our suite. I saw at least five Fresh Market stores in the city.
Nearby was a favorite dining spot for American Airlines pilots, La Perdiz, with an incredible wood-stoked meat grill at the end of the cozy bar. It looked fabulous, until Craig pointed out the pancreas (sweetbreads) festering behind the sausages. Was this the origin of the ‘great giardia outbreak of 2023?’ We may never know for sure.
Returning along Rambla Ghandi, we found an odd-looking brick building with bizarrre statues and other weird architectural accoutrement. It was Universo Pittamiglio - Castillo del Alguimista, a one hundred-ten year-old castle and cultural center squeezed between two modern apartment complexes. Management was in the midst of closing for the day, so we couldn’t investigate it. If Salvador Dali designed a building, this might be it!!
Wikipedia: Castillo Pittamiglio
The four of us made it back to the Hyatt after covering nearly seven miles. We all collapsed in the suite and watched the Lions get off to a fast start in the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, with Spanish language play by play on Fox Sports Vivo.
Unfortunately, the game had the same old Lions finish.
Monday, January 29, 2024
Ciudad Vieja
Museo Andes 1972
Plaza Independencia - Palacio Salvo
Carrasco International Airport
American Airlines Flight AA984
Meeting The Heroes Of Flight 571
Another absolutely cloudless blue sky morning!! We spent an hour or so packing up and then met our compatriots in the lobby at Plantado for buffet breakfast at 9:00 am.
We decided to visit the Museo Andes 1972, commemorating the tragic story of a Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in a remote part of the Andes, and how a handful of survivors endured brutal conditions until they were ultimately rescued after 72 harrowing days in the mountains.
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa with Sergio Catalan,
a Chilean muleskinner who helped rescue them
Located in Ciudad Vieja (old city), the museum had a small, non-descript entrance. But once inside, there were three floors of loft space with raw brick and stone walls, creaky floors, and exposed industrial framing. It housed large portions of the aircraft as well as hundreds of other artifacts of the incident.
We were greeted by a docent who pulled us aside and briefed us on the museum and its purpose. He spoke reverentially of several of the people in the accident as his friends. He was Jorg P.A. Thomsen, the founder and curator of the museum. He seemed particularly interested in us, especially once he learned of Craig’s background as an American Airlines Dreamliner pilot.
The museum was a sensitive and poignant tribute to the tragic events and victims of Flight 571.
Where Are Flight 571 Survivors Now?
Just as we were leaving, Jorg pulled us aside and shared several more intimate details about the 72 days his friends suffered in the mountains. He thanked us for coming and even recommended a nearby restaurant (Ventus) for lunch.
We walked through the Old City in search of Palacio Salvo. We found it, as well as the Uruguayan Presidential Museum, and Teatro Solis, all encircling Plaza Independencia. Lining the side streets were artisans and painters, making and selling their handicrafts.
Plaza Independencia (Discover Montevideo)
We circled the cobblestone streets and located Ventus, where we enjoyed another sumptuous lunch of soup, gnocchi, and flan. Jorg happened to be eating there and sent a round of champagne for us (Craig abstained). He stopped by our table one more time to wish us well for our travel home. What a guy!!
Our Uber ride back to the hotel in a Volkswagen Golf was particularly tight after the aforementioned lunch.
Tam and I had been able to extend our room checkout until 5 pm. Craig needed to catch some rest prior to flying, so we relaxed in our room, showered again, and casually prepared for the trip home.
One more round of cocktails for the three of us 'pasajeros' at the Moderno Bar, before leaving the hotel for the airport with driver Gregorio. The Hyatt Centric had been a terrific host!!
Our rush hour airport drive was a blessing in disguise because it enabled us to enjoy slightly longer the fabulous views of the ocean and estates on Rambla Thomas Berreta along Playa Carrasco.
The Carrasco International Airport terminal, as approached from the road, was stunning, with a huge arching (1200 foot long) concrete roofline touching the earth at opposite ends, perhaps figuratively mimicking flight (breathtaking modern Basque architecture). Designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, the intent was to replicate the rolling dunes alone Uruguay's coastline.
The interior was equally as spectacular, "reflecting the long tradition of grand transportation halls" (in the words of the architect). It was intended to be a dramatic and welcoming space for those who travel to Uruguay. This was seriously great stuff!!
Carrasco International Airport Architecture
Monica, Tam, and I enjoyed the Sala VIP Lounge, once again gaining access with my handy American Airlines Admirals Club Lifetime Card. We nibbled on empanadas and dulces while Craig caught those last few extra hours of sleep at the hotel. It would be his turn to take-off and land the plane on red-eye flight AA984.
He was looking forward to flying this plane because it was relatively new (3800 hours). The one we came in was a beater with almost 30,000 hours.
When he arrived at the gate, Craig texted me that one of the Uruguayan rugby players who survived the 1972 crash would be on board. I had noticed a man in the gate area being approached by multiple people for selfies. With a Google search, I was able to confirm … he was Roberto Canessa, national hero of Uruguay. He was one of the two survivors who desperately trekked down the mountain to get help two months after the crash. He later became a pediatric cardiologist and even ran for Uruguayan President in 1994.
He was also one of those who knew that cannibalism might be the only way to survive under such extreme conditions.
At 71, the dude looked rugged, like a well-built, well-worn cattle rancher with thick snow-white hair. He was not a large man, but he seemed bigger than he was. His personal presence was somewhat intimidating, yet he was outwardly kind to the dozens of people approaching him for photos and hugs. He was instantly identifiable, and everyone showed him great affection.
Yet there was another man traveling with him. He quietly stood in the shadow of the dynamic Canessa and garnered virtually no attention. He was Nando Parrado, the other survivor of the crash who hiked out with Roberto.
BOTH of the heroes of Flight 571 were flying to Miami.
Hero Story: Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa
The two of them boarded early, and went to the flight deck to meet Craig and crew. Craig told them both that he would be the pilot flying them that evening to Miami. Canessa pulled Craig aside and inquired gently, ”How many hours flying do you have?” Craig retorted, “You mean jets, turbine commercial? I have 28,000 hours.” Canessa’s eyes opened wide, he leaned back and uttered, “Whoa. That’s good!!”
Roberto Canessa is welcomed aboard by his pilot for the evening flight, Craig Czajka
Uruguayan national heroes Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado
greet the flight crew of American Airlines Flight 984
Sensing Parrado’s modesty, Craig brought him up to the cockpit and had him sit in the left seat while he sat on the right. He explained all of the instrumentation to Nando, then Craig privately asked him, “What was it like to experience such an event?” Parrado squared up to Craig, leaned forward, and stated intensely, “I’ve been through a lot … The crash. The burying of the dead. The avalance. The starvation. The eating of the human flesh of my friends. I am now afraid of nothing.”
How bizarre was it that we had been to the Flight 571 museum hours earlier, and that Craig would be flying the two heroes of that crash from the same point of origination over the Andes … all in the same day?
They were both offered first class seats, but chose to sit in the economy section, three rows behind us. 12C and 12D.
Craig made his take-off roll on runway 07 at 10:42 pm. He lifted off as smooth as glass and then made a razor-sharp precision left turn to the northwest, leveling off with the same definitive execution. Our cruising altitude over the jungle was 38,000 feet and our ground speed was 590 miles per hour.
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Crossing The Equator
Textbook Landing
Miami International Airport
By midnight, we had already crossed the Amazon River and were moving fast for the northern hemisphere.
We smoked Jamaica almost an hour early and sky-high at 40,000 feet.
Craig began his initial descent just beyond Cuba. He asked the tower to maintain his speed. Granted. Approaching from the southeast, he dove left into his final just off shore from South Beach at 330 knots, hit the air brakes at 10,000 feet, and poured it onto runway 27 at Miami International Airport at 4:54 am … 46 minutes early. Perfect landing.
Applause broke out in the cabin.
Co-pilot Eric mumbled to himself, “Jeez. I guess I need to do more flying.” Captain Steve underscored it, “Textbook.” There was no doubt that Craig had total mastery of the aircraft.
AA984 (January 29-30, 2024) Track Log - Flight Aware
And just like that, our quick four-day adventure was over ... and Craig had only three more trips to go on his worldwide farewell tour.
Visiting Uruguay was like staying at a brilliant little boutique hotel; full of great little surprises. We were impressed beyond any expectation with that diminutive corner of South America. As it turns out, the destination was just as wonderful as the journey!!
But even better … enjoying the adventure with such good friends made the entire trip an unforgettable jewel of an experience!! Thank you, Monica and Craig for sharing the moments with us!!
Chau!!
Around The World With The Olin Family