Turkish Airlines bights...
Firstly, never ever fly Turkish Airlines.
Secondly, never act like an idiot and assume that 'cause your main carrier allows you x kilos in baggage that you're smaller carriers will also (if you do [act like an idiot], please return to my first statement).
Thirdly, if you read this on Thursday/early Friday morning your prayers would be extremely appreciated as I'm in Cairo, my baggage is in Constantinople ('Istanbul'), and I'm arriving half a day earlier in Addis than the time I'd told my parents I would be arriving. Also, reference my second point and pray that Ethiopian Airlines lives up to its sterling reputation and has mercy on me if my baggage makes it back into my possession before I leave for Addis.
So, on a less serious note, since leaving Igor's apartment in Khimki (which is just outside of Moscow and a part of its metropolitan area) around 5:20am on Wednesday I have (1) cat-napped in the Sheremetevo (spllng?) Airport, (2) flown to Frankfurt, (3) gone through EU customs in Frankfurt to get my baggage, (4) had a tremendously frustrating experience with the Turkish Airlines check-in people in Franfkurt (involving the loss of (for me) a significant amount of money), (5) flown in [late] to Constantinople/'Istanbul,' (6) made it onto my flight from Constantinople to Cairo without my checked baggage, (7) arrived in Cairo, (8) spent a couple of hours with a semi-incompetent lost baggage guy and his ancient computer at Terminal 2 of Cairo's airport, (9) slept for 3 hours on a bench in Terminal 1 of Cairo's airport after finding out Ethiopian Airlines only has offices in downtown Cairo, (10) withdrawn some cash in Egyptian pounds (something I'd hoped not to do after losing so much of it in Franfkurt to the Turks), (11) gotten on a bus with no English writing whatsoever heading to downtown Cairo, (12) found my way to the Nile Hilton Hotel in Tahriri, Cairo, (13) changed my flight to Addis to the earliest possible one (2:10am tomorrow/Friday morning), and (14) come to this internet cafe.
Sweet times, eh :-)? I was absolutely exhausted and stressed out when I arrived in Cairo, but I think the time with the lost baggage guy and the Dutch guy in a similar predicament to me was therapeutic and stress-releaving, and the sleep in Terminal 1 definitely helped things a lot. Very kind, helpful people on the bus to Tahriri also helped tremendously (may God remember them always in His Kingdom). So, now I have to figure out (A) what to do with my afternoon and early evening, (B) check my e-mail again to make sure my parents know (or don't know :-) ) that I'm arriving early, and (C) figure out how to get back to the airport without spending horrendous amounts of money on a taxi.
So, ciao for now.
Secondly, never act like an idiot and assume that 'cause your main carrier allows you x kilos in baggage that you're smaller carriers will also (if you do [act like an idiot], please return to my first statement).
Thirdly, if you read this on Thursday/early Friday morning your prayers would be extremely appreciated as I'm in Cairo, my baggage is in Constantinople ('Istanbul'), and I'm arriving half a day earlier in Addis than the time I'd told my parents I would be arriving. Also, reference my second point and pray that Ethiopian Airlines lives up to its sterling reputation and has mercy on me if my baggage makes it back into my possession before I leave for Addis.
So, on a less serious note, since leaving Igor's apartment in Khimki (which is just outside of Moscow and a part of its metropolitan area) around 5:20am on Wednesday I have (1) cat-napped in the Sheremetevo (spllng?) Airport, (2) flown to Frankfurt, (3) gone through EU customs in Frankfurt to get my baggage, (4) had a tremendously frustrating experience with the Turkish Airlines check-in people in Franfkurt (involving the loss of (for me) a significant amount of money), (5) flown in [late] to Constantinople/'Istanbul,' (6) made it onto my flight from Constantinople to Cairo without my checked baggage, (7) arrived in Cairo, (8) spent a couple of hours with a semi-incompetent lost baggage guy and his ancient computer at Terminal 2 of Cairo's airport, (9) slept for 3 hours on a bench in Terminal 1 of Cairo's airport after finding out Ethiopian Airlines only has offices in downtown Cairo, (10) withdrawn some cash in Egyptian pounds (something I'd hoped not to do after losing so much of it in Franfkurt to the Turks), (11) gotten on a bus with no English writing whatsoever heading to downtown Cairo, (12) found my way to the Nile Hilton Hotel in Tahriri, Cairo, (13) changed my flight to Addis to the earliest possible one (2:10am tomorrow/Friday morning), and (14) come to this internet cafe.
Sweet times, eh :-)? I was absolutely exhausted and stressed out when I arrived in Cairo, but I think the time with the lost baggage guy and the Dutch guy in a similar predicament to me was therapeutic and stress-releaving, and the sleep in Terminal 1 definitely helped things a lot. Very kind, helpful people on the bus to Tahriri also helped tremendously (may God remember them always in His Kingdom). So, now I have to figure out (A) what to do with my afternoon and early evening, (B) check my e-mail again to make sure my parents know (or don't know :-) ) that I'm arriving early, and (C) figure out how to get back to the airport without spending horrendous amounts of money on a taxi.
So, ciao for now.