Carrying on from my last post where I said things would undoubtedly go wrong, I’d like to start this blog post by saying that well, they already have.
My last update was sitting in Dubai airport waiting to board my flight to Colombo, full of hopes and expectations and looking forward to that feeling of walking off the plane into that thick heat we Scots LOVE. That’s when you know when you’re abroad when everyone behind you has to comment on how its a far cry away from the sub zero temperatures in the UK.
In retrospect, things were already on a steady decline as soon as I boarded my flight for that last leg. First off I was sat next to a grumpy old Sri Lankan lady who refused to put the arm rest down between the two seats. So essentially i spent 4 hours with my shoulders at my ears as every time our arms would touch she’d throw a hissy fit and mutter what I’m assuming were not very nice words in her native language, fab.
What’s more is that although Emirates are globally known as one of the most expensive, reliable airlines to service the earth, they refuse to cater to dietary REQUIREMENTS, and instead choose to focus on meal plans geared towards preferences of those choosing to avoid meat, fish or dairy. I was born with anaphylaxis to nuts (& bees! – these are related although don’t ask me how….) and its attached to my passport that myself and my surroundings – particularly on a plane where the ventilation system recirculates the used air round the cabin for hours on end – cannot be anywhere near nuts or I will suffer from an anaphylactic shock, and in the worst case scenario, drop dead on the spot depending on the nut (or size of the bee..). However Emirates were unable to confirm whether the meal infront of me had nuts included as none of their meals are ‘guaranteed nut free’. Now in this instance it was undeniable that the pesto chicken main dish, with a Bombay mix as a side and some kind of pistachio dessert was gonna kill me. It would have. So I swiftly handed it back to the air hostess – albeit with a glare – who then snapped back at me that I should have declared it before boarding. She wasn’t very happy when I showed her my passport which quite clearly states it in black and white, as well as notifying the airline as soon as my passport was scanned at the boarding gate. In summary, my lunch that was more or less thrown at me was a soggy apple and a bruised banana and ‘complimentary water’. Yeah cheers emirates, you’re all heart.
Now this seems like a rant already and I haven’t even got to the worst part. I was still in good spirits when I got off the plane despite the lady and the meal mishap. Hell, I was even still in a good mood after waiting 45 mins at the visa desk and that was me coming PREPARED with my ETA already sorted online weeks in advance. No no no, what REALLY got me going was arriving at the luggage belt and continuing to stand there for 3 hours helplessly waiting on a bag that was, as it turns out, never going to arrive. After screaming and shouting to get a WiFi password so that I could contact back home after 7 unsuccessful attempts to get the lazy baggage service team to help – my mum and dad managed to locate my luggage which had apparently never left Glasgow airport. So here I am, in Sri Lanka, 15 hours already into my journey, hungry – ANGRY – and upset that although I had safely arrived in Sri Lanka, my entire life for the next year was still sitting at the check in desk at Glasgow airport as the girl ‘forgot’ to put it on the conveyor belt that would deliver it to my plane.
Long story short, I made it to my hotel and managed to figure out a forwarding address for my bag to be redirected to. As we speak its currently travelling 600+ miles through the night sky and will be arriving at 4pm tomorrow afternoon to then be delivered to my next hostel in the north of the island, more than 3 hours north of the airport i landed in. Did i mention i don’t even have a change of pants or socks?
So my first day / night has been eventful to say the least. Ive had 4 g&ts (60p each!!) and I’m going to bed hoping and bloody praying that things start to go a bit more smoothly from now on.
It can only get better from here..
jetsetmegs.com 