Ethiopian airline and The over-planner.

I have been planning for this trip for months now as you can read from my previous blogs, nothing was left to chances, from chosen luggage to in-flight beauty.

After all the planning, the day of my flight fom London to Nairobi  has been booked with Ethiopian airline as it was the only airline that was cheap enough for me to have open(1yr) ticket. So my flight itinerary changed from London - Nairobi to London-Addis then from Addis-Nairobi.

the day off the flight, I finish work at 7 am London time as i was working nights and did not sleep, went to the hairdresser to the Henna lady to Waxing and all things beauty, after all I am going to meet my Hubby after a year long separation.

The flight was scheduled for a 8 pm take off, we were to be boarded by 7 pm and had to be at the airport by 5 pm. after checking my luggage and then going through security, I should say sailing through security, (that is what you get for over planning), I bought a bottle of water and then went for a meal. Had the most expensive sandwich of all times.

boarded the aircraft that was as old as possible and found myself at the very end of the aircraft on the middle row with seats that don't recline, i was getting angry until I found out that I was the only one on that row and i had the whole 3 seater for myself,YIPPY.

All went as I planned, did my in-flight beauty regime and then drank the whole 75ml bottle of water , used the WC and then informed the Hostesses that i did not wanted to be disturbed for meals, after a 1 herbal sleeping aid , i slept like a log and only woke up for the landing, again re done my in-flight beauty and morning routing and was ready to face Addis abeba Bole international Airport.

Holly cow, this is no Inter-flippin-national Airport, more like airline hanger/warehouse. ground staff are so rude, it is impossible not to get angry. Duty free zone is a joke to African Airports,Ordered tea at a coffe house that had insects on the table, Cloude 9 that is to be the exclusive lounge was a joke and i still think that there was some sort of jokeinvolved, they must be taking the mickey, as this is no International Airport.
tried to take pictures but security stepped in, so no pics. The one thing that i really like is the way their security team is doing the job to the letter. that is brilliant in this day and age it is a must.

after 3hr transit that went from shock to the system to surrealism, i boarded my flight from Addis to Nairobi.

I heard a lot of negative things from Kenyan airport but it was amazing, the airport itself was a makeshift kinda thing as the main airport was under contraction after the fire, however, Kenyans are so friendly and smiling all the time that you forger abut the whole make shift airport thing and the cherry on the cake was when I reached  immigration there was a mural ad for safari-com and it had a painting of a Somali man  wearing somali traditional clothes , underneath it just said (THE SOMALI) and  that sold Nairobi to me..

 I fell in love.

to be continued.....


PS: any spelling error is do to the fact that i am using my Kindle to write and it is tuned in Italian, Appologies.

SURVIVING THE LONG HAUL FLIGHT.

If you are like me and travel quite a bit, you probably know this and understand where it is coming from. However if you are new to long haul flights and maybe not new but one of those slaggish flyers you need to understand the importance of having this check list.

1: make sure you wear comfortable clothes preferably cotton.

2: Water Water Water, can't recommand enough of this, you need to hydrate while inflight as the cabin air is drier than your skin is use to, thus leaving your skin quite dry and ashy. once you are through airport security try to buy a bottle of water (expensive I know but it is worth it).

3: This applies to you if you are a female: Remove all make up the minute you get seated. follow your  usual beauty regime that you do at night time and this time emphasize on Hydration, use hydrating mask to regenerate your skin for the duration of the flight , if you could re-do the whole regime one more time after 4 hours that is good if not one time is enough. also for a good measure bring a long  baby wipes  as you will need it to wash your face and clean your hands with it.

4:  To avoid  red eyes,  tiresness, headache and all that comes with jetlag, you need to sleep. Try to take with you over the counter sleeping aid like Nytol Herbal and get your self some sleep, However for this to happen you need the following: eye mask,neck pillow and silicon aerplugs for a comfortable sleep in the air.

Have a good Flight.

 

AFRICAN ADVENTURE!!!

My big African Adventure is getting closer and closer one month and few days to go.
All is set from my end, did even my packing as i am so excited to be going on this trip.

The expectation  is that this will be one of these adventures out of Wilburn Smith pages with all the dramatic views of the African Savannah. God only knows if that exists but I am determined to get to the bottom of this and find my own little Savannah Heaven. If savannah heaven is a bit too much then it will be a indian ocean heaven .



 

PLEASING MY INNER NOMAD!

I have been in one place for far too long and I am feeling the need to move about, I have been nesting for the whole of 2013 as much as I like to stay put, I like even more to  move about and see what the world looks like according to other cultures.

I am starting to travel in two month time and will be gone for the better part of this year, this is getting me so excited. since I will be on the road/sky soon I started to sort my travel essentials out. you know Money,visa(not the card but the country entry one) and Vaccines. Well money is OK as i had a whole year to save for this, visa sorted, Vaccine all fine just need a boost for Heb-b all the others I am OK as i had them 2011 and they will last till 2020. Now, to the most important bit after money and documents, I personally think luggage is the next thing you should tackle.

 I have been using the same luggage for a long time and although I like it because it can take a lot , which is essential especially when you are travelling from a shopping heaven like Dubai,  it has become too big and old.
 The time to modernize and minimize my luggage has come,So meet the future Mrs Sheekh's luggage;

and with it the best organizational packing cubes:

and my traveling days of "I can't find my scarf or flip flops" are over, everything has a place and I am so delighted.
I was quite a happy messy traveler  until I met, OK not exactly met but saw a video about a travel essentials and fell in love with the idea of travelling light and smart. The presenter a lady called Sonia is a traveler that  has this travel channel on YouTube with loads of excellent idea's.

Here is one of her Videos, the one that got me thinking " Do I need all that scarves".








Well thanks to her my 2014 adventure will be light and smart.

HOMESICK not anymore.

homesick is:

Acutely longing for one's family or home,depressed or melancholy at being away from home and family.

That is the translation in the free dictionary. but i know better, i know it is a acute sense of lost , a physical challenge to get up in the morning and the only thing that a doctor can't help you with, there is no diagnoses there is no knowing the symptoms, it varies from person to person.

Well, i was in that hole for a year, before I actually acknowledged what I was feeling or more like interpret what i was feeling. One day i wake up and said,"Enough is enough i am going home" well, something along those line..

I am so happy that i done that, i am so happy that i went home like that. Now, I am homesick but it is not a severe as it use to be.. I now know that i can pick my bag and go home so knowing that i have that choice made all the difference in the world...

Hope to go home and spend my old age in peace, peace of mind that is...