Hello from Colombia

Two airlines, seven metal detectors, six new airline friends and three airline enemies later, I am in the Bogota airport, on my way to Washington DC for a conference with a handful of other MPI-like organizations. My only two commentaries:

1) Colombians and Ecuadorians look nothing alike.
2) The quickness with which Avianca handled an airplane simply not showing up suggests to me some regularity with airplanes not showing up.