Guess this has been a red flag for Lina over the past 2 days ... no posts since the 3rd! That's an extension of how busy I have been in Uganda. So I worked away feverishly with Ivan, George, and Charles most of Friday, though did get "home" at a reasonable hour. I am making progress with the RAC install big time now that the servers are ready.
I got up 8'ish Saturday, thinking it was 11'ish and was not surprised I slept so late after being up all night Thursday. I had the hands of the clock reversed and it was actually 5 to 8 not 20 to 11 :). Stupid muzungu. I called Joseph who told me he was not working until 11. I asked him to call me when he gets to Kampala as he lives in Entebbe, some 40 minutes away. I worked and waited, and even watched some cricket on TV. I called Joseph about 11:30 and he picked me up. We went to the Oasis mall and there was nothing open except Javas so I had some chicken.
I asked to be taken to a craft shop after eating, and Joseph took me to a market where there were 20 or 30 vendors and I picked up stuff for the ST and a few others. I got Sean a really neat __________ and Paddy a lovely _______________.
I had received email from Tiberius saying that he and Gerard decided I should fly to Lisbon ASAP and spend a week there then fly home. I waited to act upon that until I could chat with someone and Gerard and I spoke about 3PM. I surfed the web looking for fares from Kampala to Lisbon then back to Ottawa, then the next time Gerard and I spoke we decided to look into Kampala --> Lisbon --> Kampala. So guess where I am going Sunday September 12 after spending a week in Lisbon ... you got it ... Africa. I will go there and finish off the RAC install.
I picked up a return flight for ~$2100 CAD and left Saturday at 10:50PM. When Joseph picked me up his family was in the car ... 3 beautiful children and da wife. We had a nice visit as we headed to the airport and I told the youngins many michaelabbey lines.
I bargained with a duty free guy and got 10% off a few purchases before my flight. I scored 3 seats together at the back of the plane which was 30 minutes late leaving. I knew that would be a problem since I only had 75 minutes between planes in Brussels. I spoke with a flight attendant and when she found out where I was going, moved me close to the exit from the plane so I could get out quicker.
Speak about customer service ... one of the guys meeting the plans calls out "Lisbon" and as people say "Ya me", he tells then to hurry. No offer to golf-cart us there, just advice. My Lisbon flight leaves at 7AM and I hear this announcement from the Brussels Airways guy at 6:35. I ask how long to get to A42 and he says 15-20 minutes. I have to clear passport control and then dash to A42. On the way there is yet another security checkin and guess who they picked to search my carry-on ... you guessed it.
I make the flight just as it is getting ready to close and get seat 3F. A couple was sitting beside me but since the first row was empty they were moved and I had the row to myself. Don't you just hate the DH's that recline the backrest, especially when in front of a bulkhead some 3-5 feet in front of them. I have started jostling the seat backs of these DH's as I get out of my seat. The lady gave me a dirty look when I "accidentally" bumped the back of her seat quite hard when I went to p__. Sorry; oh OK, you can infringe on my 14 inches of breathing room, shortened to 8-10 inches with your set back reclined. So get over it. I will be bumping your seat back at EVERY opportunity and encourage readers to do the same to the self-centred DH's.
I fondly remember an Air Canada flight attendant who passed the economy cabin many times between Ottawa and Frankfurt once asking the DH's to please pull their seat backs up as the room was so tight. So here's the drill:
- get up, banging into the seat back
- move towards the aisle, oops, bumping the seat back again
- go to facilities
- upon climbing back into seat, grab back and pull firmly
- bang seat back heavily enough to wake me up at an IOUG board meeting
- one last firm hip swipe just before sitting down
There is NO customs or immigration at Lisbon, then I realize I am traveling from one EU country to another. Guess who did not make the flight? My bags! I wait until the carousel finally completes and go file a lost luggage report. Guess what the guy tells me when he find out my name ... "Oh ya I was notified your bags did not make the connection; I was going to call you on the PA and save you waiting for them, but I was too busy". They supposedly arrived on the 11:45AM from Brussels.
The taxi line was long and I had the pleasure of getting the only driver in the queue who did not take plastic AND got lost. He told me he knows the city very very well, except the part where he was taking me (and the part he was taking the next fare and the next fare and ...). The hotel is nice and the room HUGE with 2 balconies. Breakfast is included which is great. I will shower and change is my bags ever arrive, cab it into the centre of Lisbon (with camera) and dine and walk for a bit. John picks me up at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
I came this close to a debacle-free trip from Entebbe; that's why the plane was delayed long enough for me to not get my bags. That was the airline industry's last kick at me; had my bags arrived I would have had my first debacle-free flight in over a century ...
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