Hopefully the first of many messages that need to be back dates and uploaded. The first breather I've had to go online since we arrived in country 2 weeks ago. This coming week should be a bit quieter though so hopefully things will get updated. Briefly everyone met up and arrived safely, and they have been teaching of the last week (and in some cases longer).
Matt
Friday 16 July 2010
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Basel - Zurich - London
BASEL: So my journey finally starts to get to africa. Around 0900 I met up with Dan, a volunteer from group 4, at the train station in Basel (and was fortunate enough to get a lift with him down to Zurich airport). For whatever reason the Swiss check in system wanted to make my life a little more difficult and after not having let me check in online the day before continued to refuse my check in attempts at the electronic check in counter i was directed to in the airport. So I got a little blast from the past and a 20min wait in line to not just drop off my bag but to check in as well.
ZURICH: Passing through security and suprised suprised im stopped for having a slightly large carry on crammed full of photo gear and folders, and it would seem they do a fairly good job of blocking all the xrays from seeing what is actually inside my bag, however had the first of many conversation to come about what the little green sillouette of africa with a white cross on it on my shirt meant. Fairly uneventful flight but on the plus side Swiss aren't and stingy as BA yet and you still get a sandwich as a snack on your flight \o/
LONDON: Arrive in london heathrow terminal 1, a place I haven't been to in at least a couple of years since the opening of T5, its the same old dump it was then, so nothing has really changed. Unfortunately the need for meeting my team and picking up First Aid equipment to take out means I have to leave airside :-( and collect my bags. I bid Dan farewell wishing him a good onward journey and the promise that we'd meet for dinner in 2 days time as to take 2 widely different routes to exactly the same place. Arriving outside terminal 3, I realize my memory wasn't quite as good as I thought it was. I thought I had been rather clever and told all the volunteers I was meeting for the flight out to africa to meet be by THE tree outside the terminal. Fantastic plan out in the open noone can miss you...unless of course... there happen to be about 4 or 5 trees in front of the terminal over a 100m stretch!!! Realizing there wasn't a heck of alot I could do at this point I found myself a shady spot under tree and began my 5 hour vigil looking out for volunteers....
...To be continued
ZURICH: Passing through security and suprised suprised im stopped for having a slightly large carry on crammed full of photo gear and folders, and it would seem they do a fairly good job of blocking all the xrays from seeing what is actually inside my bag, however had the first of many conversation to come about what the little green sillouette of africa with a white cross on it on my shirt meant. Fairly uneventful flight but on the plus side Swiss aren't and stingy as BA yet and you still get a sandwich as a snack on your flight \o/
LONDON: Arrive in london heathrow terminal 1, a place I haven't been to in at least a couple of years since the opening of T5, its the same old dump it was then, so nothing has really changed. Unfortunately the need for meeting my team and picking up First Aid equipment to take out means I have to leave airside :-( and collect my bags. I bid Dan farewell wishing him a good onward journey and the promise that we'd meet for dinner in 2 days time as to take 2 widely different routes to exactly the same place. Arriving outside terminal 3, I realize my memory wasn't quite as good as I thought it was. I thought I had been rather clever and told all the volunteers I was meeting for the flight out to africa to meet be by THE tree outside the terminal. Fantastic plan out in the open noone can miss you...unless of course... there happen to be about 4 or 5 trees in front of the terminal over a 100m stretch!!! Realizing there wasn't a heck of alot I could do at this point I found myself a shady spot under tree and began my 5 hour vigil looking out for volunteers....
...To be continued
Things I had forgotten but remembered in time....
Because yes, on occasion I do remember what I had forgotten to pack before I leave the house, we are currently at, my big leather hat and my mini maglite. Lets hope that was all that was making me nervous!
As per usual intermittent sleep the night before long travels, though I think that's more worrying about my team than my own travel arrangements. At least I'm someone that can sleep on a plane...and there's many planes to be doing that on over the next few days. Even better I'm meeting up with Dan H from TG4 here in Basel in a couple of hours, so at least I'll have someone to talk to for the first 3 hours before we split up in Heathrow and I begin my 6 hour vigil by the tree in front of the terminal hoping to spot the hint of a black polo with a spot of green vagually in the shape of Africa on it.
As per usual intermittent sleep the night before long travels, though I think that's more worrying about my team than my own travel arrangements. At least I'm someone that can sleep on a plane...and there's many planes to be doing that on over the next few days. Even better I'm meeting up with Dan H from TG4 here in Basel in a couple of hours, so at least I'll have someone to talk to for the first 3 hours before we split up in Heathrow and I begin my 6 hour vigil by the tree in front of the terminal hoping to spot the hint of a black polo with a spot of green vagually in the shape of Africa on it.
Tuesday 29 June 2010
I think im packed...maybe...i hope
Less than 24 hours before I leave now and im sitting at my laptop over looking two backpacks that look ready to burst. I promised myself I would be able to pack light this time cause I knew what was worth bringing and what was not. That was a great plan, completely shot out of the sky by the increased amounts of personal first aid kit being brought this year, and photography equipment. Believe it or not i've squeezed both a mono and tripod into my 22kg hold bag. Why is it I have this unnerving feeling I've forgotten to pack something? I do know I've got all the team leadery things I need, like everyones flight details, money, my own flight details, passport, work permit stuff, vaccine card, bank cards to name but a few...
Emirates are a great airline, they give you 30kg as an economy passenger!!! which is all well....but when you in a position like mine that involves flying into london to get on the emirates flight, you need to make sure your bag is a mere 23kg!! Though this does means I can go on a shopping spree for books once I arrive in Heathrow :-D or taking care of the excess first aid kit that results from not everybody leaving space in their bags for it!
Maddie is already in africa now, and has been for the last few days, I'm sure she'll get round to a post once shes finished sorting all the odd jobs in preparation for our arrival on friday.
Can't wait for the next few days to be over with now and be able to catch my breath and relax just a little knowing that everyone has arrived in Moshi safe and sound!
Emirates are a great airline, they give you 30kg as an economy passenger!!! which is all well....but when you in a position like mine that involves flying into london to get on the emirates flight, you need to make sure your bag is a mere 23kg!! Though this does means I can go on a shopping spree for books once I arrive in Heathrow :-D or taking care of the excess first aid kit that results from not everybody leaving space in their bags for it!
Maddie is already in africa now, and has been for the last few days, I'm sure she'll get round to a post once shes finished sorting all the odd jobs in preparation for our arrival on friday.
Can't wait for the next few days to be over with now and be able to catch my breath and relax just a little knowing that everyone has arrived in Moshi safe and sound!
Friday 18 June 2010
Falling into place
A little over a week now till we start jet setting down the world. Fortunately everything has begun to fall into place, I say fortunately because I think my sanity was going to be damaged on a permanent basis otherwise.
Hassle with various high commissions round the world over the issue of the correct business visa for volunteers has been sorted. Flights are all booked. And my order of First Aid kit has finally been dispatched to me (cutting it a bit close its meant to turn up 3 business days before I leave!!)
However its nice to be winding things up on my placement, even if that does mean running around the lab tidying up and labelling lots of little bottle that look like they contain the same white/brown foam. Good news the report is behind me though! and I finish in a weeks time. Its hard to believe 12 months has flown by that fast, though can't complain too much really when my colleagues get to continue watching the beautful sunny weather from the wrong side of the window in our lab. whilst I'm running around the Kilimanjaro region having a blast with my team!
I do wish for it to be 2 weeks time now though, as that will mean all the traveling is behind me and everyones adjusting to life on swahili time! Im sure playing hide and seek with my volunteers at the airport will leave me a tad on the edge by the time we get on our flight, though we do have the wonderful company of Nicola and her Brum lot. :-) serious packing next week and then a couple of days running around like a headless chicken wondering what important thing I have not packed. Its always the case! (least when im camping or hiking it is, leading me to be a practice carver of things like wooden spoons!)
Hassle with various high commissions round the world over the issue of the correct business visa for volunteers has been sorted. Flights are all booked. And my order of First Aid kit has finally been dispatched to me (cutting it a bit close its meant to turn up 3 business days before I leave!!)
However its nice to be winding things up on my placement, even if that does mean running around the lab tidying up and labelling lots of little bottle that look like they contain the same white/brown foam. Good news the report is behind me though! and I finish in a weeks time. Its hard to believe 12 months has flown by that fast, though can't complain too much really when my colleagues get to continue watching the beautful sunny weather from the wrong side of the window in our lab. whilst I'm running around the Kilimanjaro region having a blast with my team!
I do wish for it to be 2 weeks time now though, as that will mean all the traveling is behind me and everyones adjusting to life on swahili time! Im sure playing hide and seek with my volunteers at the airport will leave me a tad on the edge by the time we get on our flight, though we do have the wonderful company of Nicola and her Brum lot. :-) serious packing next week and then a couple of days running around like a headless chicken wondering what important thing I have not packed. Its always the case! (least when im camping or hiking it is, leading me to be a practice carver of things like wooden spoons!)
Thursday 10 June 2010
Visas, Visas, Visas...
What pain they are... I should be getting back my passport any day now.... *fingers crossed*, being the controlling type I called the Tanzanian High Comission yesterday to see if they could give me some indication as to when I would get my passport back, seeing as I'm so nervous about it. (rightly so if I techinically need it to go visit people or just drive into France or Germany...). Anyways the cheery man at the other end of the telephone was happy to put my mind at rest, so after asking for my name I began to hear the flicking of paper/files, then I was asked my name again. I can understand that, I know when I'm looking for thing I suddenly remember I no longer know what thing I was looking for!
Though when additional questions begin to come such as "what colour was the envelope you sent it in", "when was it sent", "was your payment by post or cash", "how much was the payment for" I began to get slightly more concerned as to the location of my passport. I mean how many British Passports can there be kicking around the THC (in Geneva for those of you who are British readers)??? Eventually the lovely chap muttered a very quick "we send today" and hung up. So now I just get to worry as to whether it turns up this morning or not!!!!! Kind of wishing I had the time to take a day off work and just drive the length of the country to get the visa done in one day than messing around with the post! All will be sorted one way or another in the next few days :-)
On other visa notes, been having trouble with one of my volunteers from Canada, it would seem that their high commission disagree with the one in London as to the requirements to issue the necessary visa! Ah well at least by the end of this summer we'll have paperwork in place to get volunteers a visa issued whereever they might find themselves in the world!
On the plus side, none of the rest of the team have been having any problems getting their visas sorted, from here on its the easy stretch (at least in my eyes) of deciding what to take and packing bags. Also includes for me deciding which books I want to buy in London Heathrow for the trip.
After a long silence period (probably due to exams, or just forgetting they were going to africa this summer), my inbox has seen a trickle of emails coming most days of the week from the volunteers of Tanzania Group 2, each with their own questions about the trip, packing, travel arrangements, money, and more!
Though when additional questions begin to come such as "what colour was the envelope you sent it in", "when was it sent", "was your payment by post or cash", "how much was the payment for" I began to get slightly more concerned as to the location of my passport. I mean how many British Passports can there be kicking around the THC (in Geneva for those of you who are British readers)??? Eventually the lovely chap muttered a very quick "we send today" and hung up. So now I just get to worry as to whether it turns up this morning or not!!!!! Kind of wishing I had the time to take a day off work and just drive the length of the country to get the visa done in one day than messing around with the post! All will be sorted one way or another in the next few days :-)
On other visa notes, been having trouble with one of my volunteers from Canada, it would seem that their high commission disagree with the one in London as to the requirements to issue the necessary visa! Ah well at least by the end of this summer we'll have paperwork in place to get volunteers a visa issued whereever they might find themselves in the world!
On the plus side, none of the rest of the team have been having any problems getting their visas sorted, from here on its the easy stretch (at least in my eyes) of deciding what to take and packing bags. Also includes for me deciding which books I want to buy in London Heathrow for the trip.
After a long silence period (probably due to exams, or just forgetting they were going to africa this summer), my inbox has seen a trickle of emails coming most days of the week from the volunteers of Tanzania Group 2, each with their own questions about the trip, packing, travel arrangements, money, and more!
Monday 7 June 2010
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