My long overdue trip home and my blog!

I began this blog the day before flying home, July 25th, so I owe it to myself and my readers to finish it before my next trip!  Here goes:

Well it's been a year so it's time for a visit home.  When I came to Ethiopia it was a lot cheaper to book a return trip ticket. Since then, the possibility of a visit home has been ever so tempting.  The only stipulation was that the ticket needed to be used before July 27, 2014. Well I'm booked to leave tomorrow evening, July 21 at 10:40 pm.  By 10:30 am, July 22/14 I should be in Ottawa.  Paul will not be accompanying me as he is busy, busy writing two proposals. That's the only down side of what should be a wonderful trip.

My return trip home proceeded with minimal disruption by Ethiopian standards.  Paul took me to the airport and as if entering the Addis Airport doesn't have enough rules and regulations, they've added a new one. To enter the airport you must go through a metal detector and your luggage goes through a scanner. Typically if you want to enter the airport, but are not flying you need to buy a ticket at booths outside the airport which either have long, riduculous lines or are just not open.  We've never needed the tickets on those occasions when one of us aren't travelling because our Canadian Embassy Residency cards usually do the trick.  Of course this time due to Ethiopia's ever changing rules, Paul wasn't allowed to accompany me to check in.  Annoying!  Fortunately the lines were relatively short so I was able to check my two bags in pretty good time and then proceed to Immigration. There are so many steps to follow before actually reaching your gate. They all involve taking off your shoes, coat, belt,  being subjected to yet another metal detector,  having your carry on scanned and showing your boarding pass and passport. It's a miracle that you don't lose something because by time you reach the gate area, you have to do it all again. Then when you finally reach the gate you have to line up, again, at the gate reception desk to then show your boarding pass and passport. I mean seriously people, how did you think I would have reached this far had I NOT gone through the tedious and repeitive airport procedures to this point? And if anyone has ever had the pleasure of being in an Ethiopian line, you'll understand that 'line up protocol' is severely lacking. No wonder drivers never stay in their lanes. If there's an 'opening' take it. Buttinskis rule!  But I'm getting off topic, back to boarding! Just when you think you can safely put away your boarding pass and passport they announce that we're boarding and you have to show it, Again!  In Ethiopia you are advised to be at the airport 3 hours before your flight. The first time I was told that I just laughed, seriously! After a year of travelling and frequently using the Addis Airport, I just 'groan'.

The flight home with Ethiopian Air was long, but they treat you very well. So well in fact that they feel it's their obligation to wake you to offer you more food.  The flight took off at 10:50 pm so why in the next 30 minutes would I require a full dinner? All in all it's not all that bad as at least eating or stirring your food around passes the time. The wine isn't half bad. I use it to help induce sleep! Seriously.  I arrived in Toronto right on time at 7:30 AM the following morning.  I was flying on Ethiopian Air's Dreamliner 787. It is a really confortable plane considering the length of time the flight takes. It also holds a lot of passengers and the flight was full. Customs went pretty smoothly though I was prepared to answer how I, Katherine Gabel, Mad Shopper, had nothing to declare after a year in Ethiopia. Have you been there? Fortunately the Custom's Officer wasn't aware of my Shop Ops tendencies and I breezed through.  I rushed to the baggage claim as I began to suspect by 9:10 AM connecting flight to Ottawa might be in jeopardy,  Alas, why did I rush over to the baggage carousel only to watch the luggage of every other passenger circle around and around. By time I retrieved my bags it was @ 8:10 and I was feeling optimistic about making my Ottawa connection. Oh yeah, that was until I reached the connecting flight's conveyor belt.  I was about to place my luggage on the belt when I was asked where I was flying from. Addis Ababa, I replied, Oh, says the A/C attendant, your luggage will have to be re-scanned because of where you are flying from. I asked if this was a new procedure since this didn't happen when I had flown in April.  No she says, but they don't scan 'properly' in Addis and the scanners for connecting luggage isn't sophisticated enough so you'll have to take your luggage up to the 3rd floor for check in and scanning. ARE you kidding me?  Well needless to say WHO am I to argue with that kind of logic? But seriously, have you been to an Ethiopian Airport? Scanning is what they do and alot of it!! Anyways my 9:10 am flight was lost and the A/C attendent graciously booked me on the 10:10 am flight, charged me $75 for a flight change fee and $20 A/C charge for my second bag. I had been in Canada less than 30 minutes, had spent @ $100, but the good news was, I was able to use my Visa, a card that has little or no use in the cash driven Ethiopia!

So I delayed my re-union with my sister Gail and my daughter Jennifer by 1 hour, but thanks to the beauty of phone texting they weren't too inconvenienced.

It was an amazing feeling coming down the escalator and seeing my sister standing there (crying) and my daughter holding a sign that read "Ma! Where's the meatloaf?"   I had arrived!