Part 2. Africa and Asia.

[drron]

I took a fair few notes on our cruise but not much after we reached Mombasa so I thought i should do that part whilst I hopefully rember most of it and finish the cruise part later. getting off the ship was a bit of a shambles and everyone had to catch a port shuttle to the Port Gate to pick up arranged transfers. We had booked through Airport taxi transfers which turned out to be a London Business. cost was $US12.50 for a Camry. They were not at the gate when we arrived but we were a few minutes early so not particularly worried but 20 minutes later was getting concerned. There was a fellow there arranging taxis for those who turned up with no booking. He was sending them off in old taxis at $US25 to go to the airport. He was telling me I had fallen for a Kenyan scam as anyone booking online will be scammed. I was just about to give in when i got a Whats App message from our driver saying he had been caught in traffic but would be there within 5 minutes. It was only 2 minutes. His Whats App name is Sir Henry..

The car was a pretty new black Camry.. A reasonably quick trip to the airport. Of course once there you go through 2 police road blocks to get into prk outside the terminal. some pics on the way.

 

[drron]

to get into the terminal building the bags had to go through security and it was an utter shambles. No real queue but our driver took our checked bag and 1 carryon and got us to the xray very quickly. He deserved a tip. I had not checked in online so lined up in the Y queue. Weren't many in front of us but one of the 2 agents had an American woman and her father in a wheelchair arguing with the agent and the other agent had a family of 5 with a large number of bags trying to reduce the excess baggage charge. So a while before we got to check in.
As we checked in 4 Australian ladies a little younger than I joined te business line. We had got to know them very well and had dined together. They had paid Crystal $US125 each for a premium transfer to the airport but we had beaten them even though they were a bit ahead of us getting off. Now that is a scam.
The next problem was that to get to departures you had to climb quite a few narrow stairs with no handrail. For me quite unsafe carrying a bag with a walking stick in the other hand.. There was a lift so I asked to go up in that. Told only for people in a wheelchair and heir family. So straight away I needed a wheelchair. 2 of the 4 Aussie women decided they too needed wheelchairs so we all went up in the cargo lift together. When we got to the departures area we had to wait until someone unlocked the door to departures. Then we turned left to the gate lounge and the ladies turned right to the business lounge.
You had to go through security to get into the gate lounge and they insisted I had to go through in th wheelchair. For some reason the red light flashed. they waved a wand in my general direction and i was wheeled to a front seat. was great when my pusher left as i could get up and stretch my legs.

So now it was about midday. Was to leave at 1405 but already 2 messages moving it to 1505. So nothing to do but some plane spotting.














The flight before ours leaving 1.5 hours late.






Now we had another message that our flight was delayed to 1535 and at that time the first Kenyan Airways staff turned up and he got a few questions from the locals. One fellow said don't you know Kenyan airlines motto is "always late". to which a bright spark answered no that i for all of Kenya.

But at 1545 this appeared. The staffer confirmed it was our flight.






In the gate area a lot of these large black birds with a typical crow call.

 

[drron]

The previous flight had boarding via stairs. I was hoping ours would use the airbridge so watched it carefully.




Fortunately it did. So the seat.


And as we left.








We left at 1610. Just as well I didn't even think of connecting with the 1700 QR flight to DOH.
We got a juice and some nuts. Only a 45 minute flight but we parked at a remote stand, walked to the terminal then a long walk to baggage collection.
When getting off the FA at the front as soon as she saw the walking stick took my bag and carried it down the steps. wonderful service,