Okay, so I fell off the wagon, got writer's block, whatever. Let's get back on and ride.
I have two posts from last year that I was struggling to complete and a number to add from this year. (At least I think they are interesting to some degree and hope my readers will find them so.)
Getting back to the Magic Kingdom wasn't all that easy. They shut down the country for two weeks so I spent an extra week at home. This wasn't so bad except that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop - when could I fly back? The difficulty being getting flights set up with a travel agent who I could only communicate with via WhatsApp (fastest) or email. Of course once flights were set up (and close enough together) I had to quickly reschedule my PCR test. First thing Monday, January 4th, got scheduled and was assured a 24 hour turn around, required since it couldn't be more than 72 hours after the test before boarding my last leg of the flights into KSA. Just in the nick of time to print it out and head for DTW. Was I all packed? Did I forget anything? I got what I got.
Managed to squeeze in a Lodge meeting the evening before my travel, nice group of Masons in Byron Lodge #80. I hope to join their lodge soon. Of course that evening & the next morning I'm stressed because things are tight for travel, etc.
Took the scenic route from DTW to JFK via RDU, which was longer but it meant that I didn't have to land at Newark and find my way to JFK and my bag could be handled all the way through without my having to worry about it. Then there was the long layover in JFK. Problem was I did not have a boarding pass for my EgyptAir flight from JFK to Cairo nor from Cairo to JED. And their gate wasn't even open until about 2 hours before the scheduled flight. When the gate opened I went and asked but it seems there was some sort of problem. LSS, I got my boarding pass for the JFK-CAI but not for the CAI-JED leg - had to pick that up in Cairo. I think I was about the last person on the plane. At least it was business class so I could sleep some.
Interesting, or not so interesting, depending on your POV, but there was a loud "discussion" between one passenger and the flight crew - he did not think that he should have to sit 'next to' another person. (There are little sliders between the two seats but it's not much. Also, it was announced that we were not allowed to move from one seat to another even if it was empty.) Most of the discussion was in Arabic but it was easy to tell by the animated nature that it wasn't going to be an easy fix. In the end, the flight crew gave in and moved the guy. So the guy who was sitting next to me decided that he wanted to change seats to one where no one was next to him. (Not due to any animosity towards me, I'm fairly certain, just if someone else could do it he would as well.) Not my circus, not my monkeys - merely more evidence that there isn't much hope for the human race post Covid. Yes, it was all about masks (the original guy was all dolled up) proximity, etc.
Anyway, landing in Cairo airport is a "treat" as usual. I get through customs and head for the EgyptAir desk to see about my boarding pass. There is some problem. Go wait over here... The seat booked for me has been 'taken', can they put me on a later flight - the next day, of course they'd put me up in the airport hotel. Um, what about the PCR 72 hour thingy? They would check with the Saudi's, go wait over here... Now they need to find my bag, which they do, miraculously enough. And I wait, lucky it's a longish layover. LSS, my only option it seems is to be moved into coach for the 2 hour flight. At this point I'm tired and agree, at least it's a seat on the inside of the plane.
When they can't figure out what to do with you, as in a transfer from international to another international gate, one has to sit and wait. Finally was told to get on this bus and after driving all over the airport I get dropped off at this mass-of-humanity gate area and wait. Then it is finally another bus ride out to the airplane. Guess what? Coach is JAM-PACKED, no Covid here (not that that bothered me at all), and "Mask? What mask? Let me pull up my chin protector thingy.", which promptly droops when the crew passes by. The saving grace was the fact that I was in the front row of coach. When we landed I got to do my world-famous block-the-aisle trick so the crush couldn't jam up the aisle in front of me. I do like me some order now and again.
Back through all the checking in KSA, catch my ride to the compound. Did I ever mention the something-something *NFL team from MA* *word that rhymes with thistle but starts with 'M'* set-up near the airport? No? Well I probably won't then. Get back to my apartment on the compound, try to figure out in my 24+ hours of travel fog, how to register with Talwalkana app for my quarantine. I fail and go to bed. Next morning I recall that I've got to put my phone chip into the crappy iPhone and do it there, oops, too late. Fortunately I did not get fined for this lapse AFIK. A few days quarantine and one more PCR test and back to work. Finally.
