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March 03, 2008

i'm back... safe if not entirely sound

i just got back into the office and opened an email from the intern i visited in Sierra Leone. my response back to her seems like a good post, so here it is, with some minor edits for explanation for you all:

i did get lots of rest over the weekend, but no bread was made. i think that was a pipe dream... i didn't have that kind of energy! Saturday was just above freezing here and the sun was shining beautifully, so it was melting all the snow! but Blue sky, instead of the thick humidity like in freetown. it felt good to be "cold" for a change :)

the trip was, well, a Trip! Sonnoh, the guy who watched my bags for me at the helipad between the time we bought the ticket at 6pm and check-in at 11pm, tried chatting me up while i was waiting to board. we actually took off at something like 12:34 (midnight:34), having to wait for the air maroc manager to get there before we could take off... he was running late and some of the lebanese were getting irate. it was kind of funny! there's lots of lebanese living in freetown, some have been there since the '50s.

then in line at the airport, a german guy started talking with me, asked if it was ok that we sit together "because there can be some really strange people on these flights"... yeah, like him. it was free seating and we did in fact manage to get a row of 3 to ourselves. but i didn't sleep but maybe 20 minutes. i was afraid to let my eyes close as i'd gotten a nasty bite from who knows what at the helipad that swelled way up and was turning my hand and even scalp (?!) tingly. it was just by my elbow, and ended up the size of a quarter and twice as thick. didn't have full feeling back until i was on the ground in casa actually! crazy. i was actually thankful to have the blond german sitting nearby b/c whenever he walked away the guys in the airport were trying to get my attention too, and i just didn't have the energy for it!

i had a few hours in the airport in casa - friends there had other things to do, which was ok. i got some delicious coffee and finished the bananas i'd bought the day before en route from kabala to freetown. it took about an hour to actually board b/c for flights to europe or america they board you on a bus and take you over to another part of the airport (probably the old terminal?) for the extra screening. they opened everybody's carry on and gave everybody a pat down. i ended up with two seats to myself by a window and saw the casa coastline And cape cod as we came over the US. i think i managed to sleep 3 hours on that flight.

when i got into jfk, i had to collect my bags (as usual) and then waited about 20 minutes for the air maroc guy to come b/c the rip on the front got much bigger and another one started as well. so he started a damaged bag claim for me, and i have to send some things in to complete it.

when i finally got to terminal 4 to check in with continental, they kindly informed me that my flight had been canceled and i'd been rescheduled through laguardia. um, what? so my should-have-been 2 hours to get lunch and sit and rest suddenly became time to stand on the curb (in below freezing temperatures) waiting for the transfer bus. i ended up running through the laguardia terminal - actually twice, because when i got to security they told me that the bottle of liqueur that i bought in casa duty free would have to be confiscated or the bag would have to be checked. at that point it was 5 minutes to take off! i ran back up to the counter, explained what was going on, and one of the ladies from the desk ended up running with my bag through security (where they had to scan it again and tried to say again that it couldn't go) and to the flight b/c the truck had already left with the last of the checked bags. i ended up running from the security point, carrying my coat and my handbag. the counter clerk carrying my carry-on was ahead of me because i had to wait for my shoes to clear the x-ray scanner. i was running at full tilt through the terminal to my gate, which was naturally at the far end of the terminal. i was dodging travelers and people in other gates were cheering me on, saying "Go! Go! Go!" i got to the gate just as they were about to close the door, and they held it open for me (praise jesus!!). when i got on the plane there was somebody in my seat. i said "aw just nevermind i'll just sit back there". i collapsed in a seat and just started weeping.

my bag really did make it and all was ok, but so much for calling my mom from the airport to wish her a happy birthday!

i had some time in cleveland to get a sandwich, right as the shop was closing down for the night, and then a couple minutes to sit at the gate waiting for the crew to come from their inbound flight. so we were late taking off, and late getting in to GR, but it was So Good to finally be in. dan was watching the flight tracker which told him i was gonna land at 10:20 and we actually landed at 10:05, so he wasn't there waiting for me... oh well. i collapsed into bed at 11 and i don't think i've Ever Slept So well.

i heard from melissa that the power and water has been out most of the time since i left. too funny that i missed it. i'm Really glad there was water for a shower for me though before i took off... is that selfish of me? whew! i would've been Ripe!

the last 43 hours of the trip consisted of 7 hours in a car, 14 hours of flying, 1 1/2 hours transferring from jfk to laguardia, 11 hours waiting in airports or at the helipad, and less than 8 hours in freetown to rest, shop, sightsee, eat, and shower.

it is Good to be home.

your host for this episode : carrie; March 3, 2008 07:57 AM

Comments

from the peanut gallery of : SNiedzwiecki ; March 3, 2008 10:32 PM

from the peanut gallery of : Mom & Dad ; March 5, 2008 09:44 AM

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