Well, the day has arrived for the first leg of my trip to Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Over the last few weeks I have developed my plan of action and have a clear objective of what I want to achieve, but like all plans there will be a need for flexibility, when I get out there and assess the guys I will be working with, I will have a better understanding of their needs, so my plans have the scope for that flexibility.
Prior to the trip I have had a host of inoculations and to be honest it knocked me for six and made me feel quite ill, with flu like symptoms, no not man flu I hear you say, this really was quite discombobulating, Friday was the first day I started to feel better and am glad to say that it continues in that vain.
As I type this I am in the cab on the way to the Heathrow. I’ve decided to sit in a back seat for a few reasons, one being and if you’re honest you have done this yourself, we try and strike up a conversation; usually by posing the same questions to the driver: You working late? Normally followed by: Have you been busy? To which they usually retort “yes and not too bad” you soon get the feeling they are not really bothered about chit chat and end up in a stony silence for the rest of the ride.
It gets worse for me though, I then sit there for the rest of the trip marvelling how they attempt to get from A to B as fast as they can, breaking more rules than you can shake a stick at. The main reasons though for sitting in the back is, I can you use the time to start my blog.
I’ve never even followed a blog before, let alone write one so it’s all new to me, I think it’s like my version of trip adviser and with that in mind I should make the point of saying, that anything contained in my blog, is only my observations and doesn’t represent the views, opinions or policies of Metroline and for that matter Transaid or anybody working within these organisation, it’s just my view, views of an Englishman abroad.
Ah, I can see the turn off for Heathrow and the driver is planning his decent into terminal five, it always raises a rye smile with me, as to why they call airports “terminal” anyway, I'm getting there in one piece' that’s an encouraging start.
So here I am, Heathrow Airport terminal 5, I have arrived in plenty of time, I hate getting any where late, I’d sooner arrive somewhere early and kick my heals for while, rather than stress myself out running late. There are scores of self check in kiosks, I have printed off my boarding pass and been allocated a window seat, not a lot to see really as it will be dark before take off. The plane I am flying on is a mid range Boeing 767.
Security was fairly painless, but the security people do have a way of looking at you don’t they. I once went on a training course and got chatting to a guy there, who was once a passenger profiler at Heathrow, they can tell quite a lot from the answers you give, to the most simplest of questions, anyway they let me through. Just got a text from NC wishing me a good trip, nice touch. Just checked the information boards, I can go to the departure gate now, so better be off, the last thing I want is to miss the flight.
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