We're here!

After a trying trip on all fronts, we’re finally here at the World Championships. My flight was delayed out of Denver so I missed my connection to Frankfurt (and my intended rendezvous with Akis, Amie, Drew and Sarah) but, on the upside, I got to visit Geneva (if only through the windows of the airport). Fortunately, the four of them made do without me and ended up being the first (they were to be the last of our group) to arrive in Turkey.

It could have been worse for them. They could have, for example, been three hours over the Atlantic when they were forced to turn around because the bathrooms on their plane malfunctioned. That was the fate of Shawn, Michael, James, Colin and Michaela. If that (and the resulting unsanitary conditions—the airline instructed people to pee in the sink) wasn’t bad enough, and as if adding 8 hours to an already intolerable Atlantic crossing wasn’t bad enough, the wise folks at Delta Airlines decided that the best way to deal with the problem of human waste was just not to allow people to drink or eat anything. Sounds more like a case study in customer relations. Thanks, Delta!

But at least the location is what was promised. The resort is in good shape, the service is impressive and the food is ample and adequate. Registration (often the first indication of how the tournament will go) was seamless and took a grand total of about 5 minutes. Everyone seems to have slept well and is on their way to adjusting to the time change. The opening ceremony is this evening and first rounds tomorrow morning. Most of the crew is headed into Antalya for the day; I’m busy with council business and maybe a short nap this afternoon.

More updates tomorrow after the first round!