Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Back to work!  The trip so far has been rather pleasant.  Air Canada was able to check my lone 23 kg bag all the way through, making connections far easier.  I've used up all my upgrade to Business Class points for the year, but I did score a coveted reclining window seat in the emergency exit row, the pair all to myself, for the long hop across the pond. The emergency exit leg room competes with Business Class's very expensive real-estate, but the food nor service isn't really in the ball park.  It did take over an hour to clear immigration at Heathrow and get checked into my day room in Terminal Five, just in time to catch an extravagant Indian Wedding, the bride and groom on horseback, escorted by a live band and a plethora of guests attired in bright colourful silks.  I managed a little shut-eye on the plane so I elected to hop on the train into town, and the Underground to Westminster.  Starting at Westminster, the Abbey and Palace, and of course Big Ben and the London Eye, the area was crowded and noisy with street closures for colourful spandex wearing cyclists competing in the heat.  I joined the queue of sunny Sunday afternoon strollers Eastbound along the South Shore of the Thames to London Bridge, quickly tucking into some quaint pub for some fish and chips and a pint.  I then made my way across to the Tower of London, and back along the North Shore, eventually along St. James's park to Buckingham Palace, and even had time to get my weary feet way back to the hotel for a quick shower prior to the next leg of my journey.  It was quite a whirlwind sightseeing tour on foot, often feeling like a trout swimming upriver, trying to politely navigate the sauntering crowds.  I'm sure I had more fun than if I had hung out at the airport all day.

My next seat wasn't nearly so pleasant for the eight hour flight to Addis Ababa, but I did manage to nod off, at one point jumping in my sleep and grabbing the leg of the large lady squashed beside me.  That made her jump too, and we both laughed, but I did notice her keeping a wary eye in my direction afterwards.

I thought of using the plane's toilet prior to landing, but figured I'd wait until we disembarked and I was nestled into the Star Alliance Gold Lounge, but it didn't work out that way.  All connecting passengers were whisked directly into the secure gate area, thankfully foregoing another painful security check, but there was a thirty-five minute queue for the only two Men's stalls in the entire gate area!  For some odd reason, the business class lounge and all it's opulence is located outside of the secure gate area, and one look at the heaving masses fighting their way through security on the other side of the glass wall convinced me to accept my fate and wait.  Now it's finally my turn and I've been uncomfortable for awhile now, only to open the stall door to a seatless, unflushed, extremely gross toilet with no paper.  Pretty rough, but when in Rome.  I  managed without touching absolutely anything, and then made my way to my gate to sit for a few hours, and write this.....