I knew this would be a long day. There was no better way to get from Benin to Victoria Falls without a long day. If I kept to the original plan, it would have been a long drive from Benin through Togo to Ghana and more risks of delays.
So I took a shuttle to the airport. Remember very few people speak English. It’s a ten minute ride. I kept some old dirty bills for a tip. I gave the rest of my Benin money to my new friend Ezekiel last night.
So I walk in the airport. It’s small. First guy points me to the left, to where, nothing is there. I see a line up area for Ethiopia Air so I go towards it. I have arrived two and a half hours early. I follow the path, no one is in line. Passport control was easy. I walk up to the check in desk, like every other airport. I had walked past about 7 people that worked for Ethiopia Air, no one even looked at me. I had 20 pounds on my back and white skin and blond hair!
At the desk, two ladies looked at my like I was a fugitive and waved me back. Then the other 7 were in a tizzy. They started straightening their barriers and looking official. One man asked if I had insurance. I asked why? Maybe he meant a visa? Then he asked for that, nope I’ll get one upon arrival. He finally let me pass. The same ladies were at the check in. Now they were nice. I had to weigh my back pack. They let it go, probably because they didn’t see my smaller one.
The day before, I chose my seat. Most of the plane was empty so no big deal if I had a bigger back pack. I chose a row way in the back so I could spread out and sleep.
Walked toward the gate and I was stopped by a woman questioning my backpack. I just pointed at the nice ladies and said they let me though and that my small backpack was my purse. She let me pass.
It was a short walk to the gate. Typical duty free stuff. Who buys that stuff anyway? A tiny coffee place before the three gates. I spent time researching my family tree, really!
As it got closer to departure time, I moved to the gate. People were getting so pushy already, so I waited to board til almost the end. Buses to the front and the back of the airplane. Once I got to the front of the line, they told me to wait. I am trying to be patient.
I take the bus, board the plane and it is utter chaos. It’s packed! People pushing, not wanting to move for others, no room in the overhead compartment. When I finally get near my seat, someone is in it, but my mistake. I am in the next row. I ask the two women in my row to take my small bag and wait for a flight attendant to help me. She immediately tells me to shove my bag in an overhead and it fits!
The woman next to me has no space, nor voice, nor phone volume awareness! It’s also very smelly on the 5+ hour flight! Oh well.
So when I checked in they also gave me a voucher for a hotel and meals. I was confused but didn’t bother to ask. I had booked a hotel already because my days of sleeping in airports is over. I would wait and see.
As I got off the plane, I wasn’t sure where to go, passport control or Transit. I started towards transit then went back and asked. Passport control it was. My very soft spoken agent got me through and told me to get on the big bus. No visa needed.
So I kept walking, stopping at another desk and she motioned me on, next guy did the same. Got on the bus, super crowded. We had to be seated and drove about 7 minutes to the hotel. It’s a really nice hotel. I had booked a Best Western, violating my box rule but I was pretty sure that I would need a good shower and bed.
I have had fun with this before, waiting in line for an hour or so. A nice man came up to me and I said that I just wanted to find a restaurant while everyone else checked in. He said sure, just wait a minute. Sure enough he came back and escorted me to the voucher buffet. I said no thanks, he said just try it. He took my passport and I was worried. No buffet for me. I looked and there was nothing palatable. He came back and sure enough had my room key and passport and escorted me to my room.
I only had 100’s so I tried to get change. Guess I’ll just give him a hundred tomorrow if I see him. It was worth it.
There was a Chinese restaurant but it was closed. Went to the adjacent building and has some Italian. Now sleeping for 5 hours noon to Victoria Falls.
Travel Pig 