I'M BACK IN ADDIS ABABA

Today I head back to Ethiopia to collect some belongings that I left here in September last year and to also hopefully get some closure by speaking to Zeme, my ex-boyfriend in the process.  I felt this was the right time, enough time had passed for feelings to not be so raw, and I was in a good place to handle the meeting without coming out the other side an emotional wreck.  Yes it was time and I was ready.

There isn’t much choice of flight from Nairobi to Addis Ababa which means there isn’t much choice of flight times.  Ethiopian Airlines had a flight at 5.40am and Kenya Airways leave an hour later.  But as horrific as the times sound, they really are the best times to be getting out of Nairobi, as getting to the airport is painless and done in a quarter of the time of anything after 9am.  So with that said Driver Steven picked me up at 3am and with the pedal to the metal I am sure we cracked a world record of getting from Ruaka to the airport in 23 minutes!  There were times that Steven was hitting 120km along the straight stretches.  I’m not sure why he was going so fast as we had plenty of time, but maybe it is the only time that he can go that fast, so he makes the most of it!  Either way I was at the airport at 3.30am and after getting the car security checked Steven dropped me at Unit 1 (terminal 1) and with a wave his lead foot was back on the road again.

As I walked to the entrance of the terminal the security guard asked where I was off to and when I replied to Ethiopia, he said that I needed to walk to Unit 2 (terminal 2) which was just 5 minutes further along.  I felt safe enough to do this and even at that time of the morning there were enough people around.  Before entering the building you get your ticket checked and you bags scanned and it was easy enough to find the check-in counter-it was the only one open.  There were a few people in front of me and with this being Kenya-things take time and I waited in line for 20 minutes before getting to the counter to be told that since I had paid for my ticket on line I had to go to the back office for some-one to verify my credit card and then I was to come back out again to be able to check-in.  Well that’s a pain-it sort of defeats using the technology given to us to make the process harder and not easier….  TIK.  This is Kenya.  I am just lucky that I did have the same credit card that I had used with me, as I am not sure what sort of trouble I would have been in if I didn’t.  Anyway-that process took 20 minutes as there was an American guy in front of me and then when I left there were 2 more guys behind me!  Archaic system.  I went back to the check-in counters and luckily I was back to being first in line and only had to wait around 10 minutes (these things cannot be rushed apparently), checked in with just my rolly bag weighing in at 10.6kg, my boarding pass with my window seat secured I was on my way.  There was a departure card to fill in, and I have finally admitted on paper that I am now living in Kenya as there is a question asking country of residence on it.  I am still uneasy that I am here on a tourist visa, when I am now living here, but after talking to people, I am not breaking any laws, as long as I’m not working, I can keep doing what I am doing so I was stamped through immigration and through to the gates.  I feel a little naked with just a handbag on me.  Last time I travelled I had a day backpack, the rolly bag and my handbag-and that was just my hand luggage.  Gotta love this travelling light business.   

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is Kenya's largest aviation facility, and the busiest airport in East Africa and it is the sixth-busiest airport in Africa.  The airport is named after the first Kenyan prime minister and president, Jomo Kenyatta.  The airport is served by one terminal building constructed in the 1970s and not much has been done to it since let me tell you.  The airport served just under 5 million passengers in 2008.  Originally known as Nairobi Embakasi Airport, it was opened in May 1958, by the last colonial Governor of Kenya, Sir Evelyn Baring. The airport was due to be opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, however, she was delayed in Australia and could not make the ceremony.  Later the current terminal was built on the other side of the runway, and the airport was renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The old terminal is now sometimes referred as Old Embakasi Airport and is used by the Kenya Air Force.  Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's terminal has 3 units that cater for both arrivals and departures. Units 1 and 2 are mainly used for international flights whereas unit 3 is mainly used for domestic flights.  On 14 October 2005, the Kenya Airports Authority announced their plans to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  The expansion project was prompted as Jomo Kenyatta airport's annual passenger flow topped 4 million, while the airport was only constructed to handle 2.5 million passengers.   Aircraft parking, which is currently constrained, will be increased from 200,000 to 300,000 square metres and additional taxiways will be built. The arrivals and departures section will be fully separated, and the waiting area will be revamped.  The expansion will increase the airport's capacity to 9 million passengers a year. The project will cost the Kenya Airports Authority $100 million. The World Bank will provide $10 million. The first phase of upgrading commenced on 29 September 2006.

Even at this time of morning, it was nearly 4am; there were some duty free shops open!  Looking at the departure board it was telling us to head to our gate now, even though our flight didn’t leave till 5.20am.  I had no-where else to go, so I went straight to the gate, through security and to the departure lounge.  There was a choice of 2 areas to sit, the larger one and the smaller one that had a TV, so I chose that one and then settled in for the hours wait.  I was smart enough to bring my travel modem that I had bought last week, so I was able to kill some time surfing the internet and watching CNN, I’m loving my travel modem-I wonder how much credit I am consuming with it though?  I’ll check that when I get home as it will be interesting with my IPod and IPad connected wirelessly you would think that I would be using more credit.  I find the Wi-Fi is fast enough for both those devices but when I want to upload photos or a blog I will use my dongle and it is a much faster connection, so between both connections I am pretty much set up internet-ly now in my house and for a reasonable cost which is even better.  We boarded on time, and I don’t think with my trips from Kenya to date (around 7 times) have we boarded a plane via an aerobridge.  I have always departed using a concrete staircase from the terminal, walking across the tarmac and embarking the plane that way.  We were lucky this morning that the rain stopped just in time for us to get on the plane before the heavens opened up again as we waited to take off.  It was a busy flight, but my travel gods are still with me and I reckon there would have been 3 spare seats on the entire flight and one of them was next to me!  Yeah ha I LOVE having the spare seat next to me free.  LOVE IT!  Ethiopian Airlines operate a Boeing 737-700 on this route with a 3x3 seat configuration.  The seats themselves are a little snug width wise, but seem to have plenty of feet/knee room (well as much as economy will allow) which surprised me because the last time I flew Ethiopian Airlines it was on a flight from London to Addis Ababa and I think it was the worst flight I have endured and the longest 8 hours in a plane.  The seats were squishy in all ways possible and with the person in front reclining their seat even before take-off it was like I was in a small box-it was dreadful.  This aircraft didn’t have in seat TV’s and because I was in the 2^nd last row of the plane (which I don’t mind) the overhead space is taken up with airline stuff like cups, the entertainment system, hostee bags, bags of snacks, the soft drinks etc….. so the overhead storage was fast becoming an issue as the plane filled up.  I was so glad that I decoded to check-in my rolly bag, even though it is cabin approved and able to take on the plane.  One thing I have learned with all the flights I have done in the last 2 years is that if you’re not on the plane first you will miss out on the overhead storage and then it is a massive problem finding spare space and your bag could end up rows and rows away from you.  On short flights I don’t think it is an issue but long haul-you just can’t keep an eye on it.  I didn’t have to worry about that this flight as I only had my handbag but it made for some interesting entertainment as people tried to find room to store their stuff.  That is one bad thing on this particular aircraft that you lose the last 4 rows of overhead with airline stuff.          

We pushed back at 5.33am for a 5.40am departure and I settled in for the 1 hour and 40 minute flight to Addis Ababa.  It was great to be listening to my IPod again, it has been awhile since I have had time to sit and listen to tunes and considering I went to bed at midnight and was then up at 2am for my 3am pick-up I didn’t sleep on the flight.  We were served breakfast, there was no choice, just the one meal of baked beans (game for a flight) with omelette and I have to say it was delicious.  I am a BIG fan of airline food and it has been very unusual to get a bad meal.  I think the most mundane meals were when I was flying within South America with LAN Airlines and all they served you on flights shorter than 2 hours was a ham and cheese roll.  I got this meal like 4 times on 4 separate flights and it didn’t seem too imaginative for my liking.  I was, unfortunately, sitting on the wrong side of the plane to see sunrise and that killed me as I could see out the window across the aisle and the sky looked amazing and would have made for some great photos.  There is something special seeing a sunrise from the air and I have been lucky enough plenty of times to see it and they are breath taking.  I have made a note to book the right hand side of the plane on my next flight back in 5 weeks when I will have to transit Ethiopia on my way to London.     

Coming in over Ethiopia, the country looked so dry, with large brown fields interceded with pale yellow fields; it made for a great photo and looked like a massive patchwork quilt from the air.  Closer to the city, I could see brand new apartments that had been built, a lot of them all bright coloured buildings, and the progress of the city continues to grow every time I come back.  It was a great flight and we arrived in on time at 7.20am.  This is my 4th trip back to this amazing country and I feel like it is another home of mine.  From the people to the actual country and the national pride of the nation really strikes a chord with me.  I was only one of a handful of people that were actually stopping here in Addis Ababa.  A lot of people continued past the arrivals doors as they were in transit to other destinations which is a great thing as it means there wasn’t going to be too many people in the visa line and I could get through quicker.  I know how it all works here and I have a routine that I have when I now arrive into Addis.  Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival for the cost of 20USD and the small office is located at the base of the escalator as you come into the immigration hall.  It is actually a little hard to find, with just a small sign over the door that doesn’t face the escalator but I know where it is and found that I was 3^rd in line as a few people came in behind me.  The Ethiopians make the process a little tedious but simple enough.  They don’t ask you any questions on how long are you here, or why you are here you basically give the first person your 20 bucks, they then give that to another person along with your passport, where they receipt the money and then give back the passport to the first person along with the visa sticker and then they write up the visa and the pop it into your passport and you are given a receipt for the money and you are now officially permitted to enter the country.  The down side for me is that every time now I come in and out of Ethiopia and Kenya the visas take up a whole page and it decreases the amount of pages I have left in my passport.  I am getting concerned about how many pages I have left for my West Africa trip and I may just have to get a new passport when I am in the UK in May.   After passing through immigration with no problems my next stop is the money changer to get some Ethiopian birr and with 100USD changed at a rate of 18.35 birr to the dollar I am hoping that will get me through till the end of the week.  By the time I have done all this, my bag was on the carousel ready for collection and it has all been perfectly timed.  You need to show your baggage tag to security, which they match to your bag to get out of the baggage area and then you need to have your bag scanned before exiting the arrival hall.   I wasn’t asked to scan my bag, well I didn’t stop and I passed straight through to the waiting throng of Ethiopians. 

Non-travellers are not allowed into the terminal without paying.  If they do want to come in there is a charge of 10 birr which they pay at an entrance halfway up the building.  Most choose not to do this and the people waiting for family members wait in the car park for them to exit the building.  I know this after previous visits and was prepared that Minalu would not be in the terminal, but we didn’t really arrange a meeting point.  I turned on my phone expecting my Kenyan sim card to work and I could text him, but it didn’t work and I wasn’t too worried as I have Ethiopian sim cards from previous visits and reached into my purse to pull one of them out and realised that I didn’t bring them with me.  Damn.  I had to get a message to Minalu to let him know I was here and where was he?  I was approached by a lady that works at the tourism booth they have in the arrivals area, but I said I was okay and then exited the building and walked half way to the carpark.  I couldn’t see Minalu in the throng of people waiting so decided to head back to the tourism lady and ask her to make a phone call for me.  As I found out you are not allowed to enter back in the way you come out, so I had to head down the building, have my bag and myself scanned to get back in.  The lady was still there and I asked her to make a call for me, which she did and Minalu was 7 minutes away and we arranged to meet at the doors of the building.  When I asked the lady how much I owed her she said whatever you wish, which I hate as I want to make sure I cover the call, so lucky I was given some small notes when I exchanged money and I gave her 20birr and when I checked with Minalu if that was enough he said that would have covered a 2 minute international call-so yes I had given her enough cash. 

So I am now back in Ethiopia and it actually feels really good to be here, even though the main reason for the visit is still a little dicey to say the least.  I have a lot of friends worried about me meeting up with Zeme again but I know that Minalu will help me where needed and I really am hoping for a favourable outcome as I know that Zeme isn’t a bad person, well not all the time and I have faith that all will end out okay.  A bitter sweet return, but it feels good quite weirdly anyway.