Holidays

It has been a while since our last post, therefore hereby an update.

The first leg of the trip was comical (as often on this route). We checked in and noticed the chairs were not next to each other, so had it changed. After we were behind customs we noticed that they changed the seat from 2a and 3b to 2a and 6b, this would be the first plane that has seats 2a and 6b next to each other. At investigation the romulan looking lady said the flight was fully booked and change therefore impossible. At boarding the plane it became apparent that our handluggage was too large and had to be put in the hold, luckily we anticipated this and there were no breakables in it. It turned out to be free seating and we had two places next to each other. The plane was very bus-like. We had the backbench, the only thing missing was the back window. Had a conversation/interview with an american who each year used his 10 days holiday to visit projects in Rwanda and South Africa, but still didn't know much about Rwanda. Poor bloke had to fly via Amsterdam to the USA, a 20 hour trip.

As usual a lady was awaiting us at Entebbe. Communication was not her strong point. 'How many pieces?'. Pieces of what? Luggage, handluggage? Checked in? Including the handluggage taken off us? It turned out we had to take the handluggage of the luggage band ourselves, this included going past customs without a passport, but nobody seemed to care. The she asked how much weight. We found this a very personal question and the Swedish fellow traveller nearly flipped. We calmed her by telling this is normal and we never failed to get the Amsterdam flight. We knew the weight of our check in luggage still, but others had to guess. (how would they check anyway?). The ultimum question was how many peices in total, by which she meant how many peices of check in luggage all 7 of us had in total. As we were all individuals (I'm not) none of us knew anything of the rest. But luckily the lady figured out that the total can be calculated by adding all the individual ones. So up the never working escalators and the usual disappearing of the lady with our tickets and passports and unknown period of waiting. We finally boarded and all was well.

The flight was fine, although staff was slightly less attentive as last time, even misplaced Hazels breakfast order, without any excuses. Of course little sleep as the flight is 8 hours, so after drinks and dinner and before breakfast we could sleep for some 4 hours.

Arrival at Amsterdam before schedule at around 5.45. We got our rental car and headed straight off. We made it to Breda (last town before Belgium) before 8 and waiting in front of the AH to buy some snacks and a Dutch simcard, as Hazels simcard didn't work anymore. A long uneventful drive to Dunkerque. Got the 14.00 ferry and drove at the other end straight to Farnham.

The holiday could start.