So, at the end of a long and eventful
summer, I chose to to take a trip back to Kenya. I mean, why not? A
simple wish, if there ever was any, right? WRONG! This trip takes the
first place in the list of hectic and annoying trips and I'm writing
this post even before I've gotten to Kenya. OK, maybe it's not as bad
as the trip I took earlier this year... So, Second place then! I
should start at the beginning...
Some may remember from my last post
that I had a LOT of paperwork to deal with after the trip. Archimedes
Foundation has a policy NOT to give any funding if there's paperwork
related to the subject yet to be handed in. A very good, solid policy
that I understand. What I don't understand is their paperwork policy
on proving that I took the journey! We all know how annoying it is to
book a flight and stuff, right? Now, imagine having to get the
airline to send passenger itinerary to you personally. It took
several months (I lost count at 1) to get Turkish Airlines (the same
guys who cancelled my flight for reasons I chose not to recognize) to
send itinerary of my flight to and from Nairobi (as they were the
people who funded my return flight, they had to be informed of my
presence on each flight till Helsinki). Once that was done, I went to
Tallink to get their little piece of paper saying I was on the early
morning Ferry to Tallinn from Helsinki. Lastly I went to the Estonian
Air offices to get the Itinerary for my flight to Stockholm (I had to
pay them 12 EUR for one sheet of colourful A4 paper!!! Can you
believe that???). Of course, by the time all that was done, there was
about one week left before I embarked on my second trip. That meant
that I didn't get the money for the journey before. I'll get it
after. And since I didn't plan my money well this semester, I ended
up taking a loan from both my mother as well as my granddad, to whom
I already owe two or three months' rent (Yes, I must pay rent to live
with my grandparents).
So, bearing in mind my financial
problems, I still had a journey to plan and with the clock ticking, I
didn't have many options. The cheapest way was for me to get
from Tallinn to Stockholm via ferry and then take Qatar Airways to
Nairobi and back the same way (here's hoping that the holders of the
World's Best Airline award for two years running don't cancel flights
due to bad weather often during the summer...).
A little hindrance was the fact that
this time I didn't have a travel partner with whom to share the heavy
load of stuff. Very annoying was the fact that Arlanda Airport is
about 40 km from Stockholm and the ferry drops everyone off smack in
the middle of Stockholm. So, here I am, with a heavy box (yes, boxes
again) on my back and half an idea of how to get to Arlanda. In the
end I chose the easy and lazy way out. I wait for a taxi with some
semblance of a decent price and ride in relative style to the
airport. Along the way I realize that the taxi has no speedometer.
None. It also doesn't have the little needle that shows the engine's
rpm, so I (and by my logic the driver) have very little ways to
figure out the speed of the V-hicle. I resort to looking at the signs
that show how far places are and timing the time taken between them.
My first check informed me that the driver was doing 180kph. The
second 120 kph and I didn't have time for a third. Now, last I
checked, such speeds are not allowed in the EU unless on some major
high speed highway (like the Autobahn, or something)... I shall not
dwell on the matter. I shall simply be thankful that I arrived at
Arlanda in one piece and stuff.
Once on the plane to Doha, I had the
honor and pleasure of sitting next to some old guy who looked like he
could barely take care of himself... I had to help him fasten hi
seatbelt, adjust his seat and pick his food... However, as I don't
know him, I shall leave it at that and move on to rant about
something else... Like the PA system. I noticed as I boarded, that
Qatar had annoying earphones so I dug mine out of my bag and used
those during the flight. It was ok, except for when the Qatarese
chose to use the PA system. I'd be deafened, because EVERYBODY knows
when you use PA, there's only one volume level: LOUD!!!
We arrived in Doha at night. Something
close to 10 pm, or something. The sun had set and I was prepared,
somewhat, for a long and uneventful cold night at the airport (my
plane to Nairobi was the following morning at 7.50). This wasn't as
expected. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I was stunned be the
air. IT WAS FREAKING 35 DEGREES!!! WHO THE FUDGE HAS AN AIR
TEMPERATURE OF 35 DEGREES SO LATE IN THE DAY?! It felt as though I
was in the exhaust cloud of some big engine! Thankfully the airport,
though still under construction, had air conditioning (So I DID get
my cold night at the airport, partially as expected...). The next
annoying thing was the fact that I suddenly realized that I had left
Europe. And that entails, not only changes in weather conditions, but
also changes in other standards, including socket shapes! It took me
about an hour before I could find a socket, which was worn out enough
to shove my big European plug in (they have British sockets; yeah,
those ugly 3-pin rectangles). It was only after I had spent the most
boring all-nighter of my life that I realized that they had universal
sockets deeper in the airport, meant for silly tech nerds (like
myself) who forget to carry their adapters.
On the ride to Nairobi, I, once again,
had the pleasure and honor of sitting next to someone who could
barely take care of themselves. Only this time, I'm sure of the
nationality: Chinese! It was weird, sitting on a plane filled 60%
with Chinese. It comes as no surprise that Air China (or whatever
they call it) wants to organize a route to Nairobi. That should make
it easier for the Yellow Communists to colonize Kenya financially
(contrary to what may be understood as hatred, dislike or any other
negative emotion towards the Chinese, I have nothing at all and
actually like the way they do some things).
All in all, not a bad journey! Could have been more interesting, of course, and it could have been a hell of a lot worse!
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