Africa Great Migration, Ireland, England 2019: 7 - Arusha to Newquay

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

After a breakfast eaten while wrapped in warm clothes we checked out and mounted our vehicle once more for a drive on welcome pavement to a tourist place with a good restaurant and souvenir shopping. Then it was to the airport where we were all on the same plane to Nairobi.

At check in, the Precision Air people would not allow our suitcases to be carried on, or to be picked up in Nairobi – they had to be checked to the final destination. The check in girl really didn't seem to know what she was doing – studying the computer keyboard carefully before pressing a key and basically looking vacant. It was taking between 10 and 15 minutes for her to check in each person. When we reached the counter we were informed we had no reservation - we did not come up on her computer.

After an argument we had to leave the terminal and walk to the ticket office, where we were informed that we were indeed on the computer, but for a flight that had left around 6 AM. Our original ticket was booked for that flight, but I called up emails on my computer that proved a change had been made, and that we had paid $200 to make the change so we would fly with the others. He would not accept our evidence, dug in his heels and said we either pay another $200 or we don't get on the plane. With four more connecting flights and a hotel prepaid, there was no option – we paid.

There was now a long line for check in, still moving very slowly, but we finally got back to the same retarded woman. I knew we had to check our larger carry on bags on this fight due to the small plane, but she insisted they had to be checked all the way to London, we could not pick them up in Nairobi and take them as carry on baggage from there. There option offered was to not go - we checked the bags.

In Nairobi, the Lufthansa Airbus 330-300 was on time, so we said goodbye to Esteban, whose gate for KLM to Paris was first, then Patricia who was flying BA to London, and went to the Lufthansa lounge for a well deserved double scotch. We got some sleep on the plane, and arrived in Frankfurt in the early morning.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Frankfurt airport is brutal for connections, the distance to walk is in miles or kilometres and security is as bad as it gets. We count on our wheeled carry on bags to carry the weight of the heavy backpacks we both carry. Marilynn had what seemed like a ton of camera equipment in hers. Neither of us are supposed to carry heavy weights, Marilynn because of the stent she had put into the artery leaving her heart and me because of both shoulder operations and the knee replacement but we were a bit short of options. We flagged down one of the carts that were transporting people but were told we couldn't use them unless a wheelchair had been ordered in advance.

We finally got to security for our gate where I went through OK, but a horrible woman agent spent half an hour taking every piece of camera equipment apart and examining it. We finally got on our flight to Zurich – what a difference in attitude in the airport. It was compact so was not far to the lounge – no security. The people at the lounge arranged a cart to take us to our gate, which was quite a distance away. The cart driver took us up and down elevators (cart and all), took our passports and got us cleared through customs, drover through the check in at the gate and left us seated ahead of everyone to board. Yes – he received a good tip.

The flight to London was straightforward in the short haul European version of business class – economy with the middle seat blocked off. They did give us a meal though.

In London, as we half expected, neither suitcase arrived. We filled out the appropriate forms, got a luggage cart for our backpacks and went to find Flybee, a no frills airline that serves small communities. It required the stewardess to raise the arm of my seat to put feet in the aisle, as there was no hope of getting them in front of my seat. It proved a bit of a nuisance for those going to and from the toilet, and for the sales cart, but fortunately it was only a 1 hour 10 minute flight.

A very pleasant taxi driver got us to the Kilbirnie Hotel while proving lots of information on Newquay and area. After a light meal, including one of the best sticky toffee puddings I've had, we headed for bed, exhausted.