Trip Home

Well have been back in the UK now for 4 days and thought I might update this blog for any of you who are still reading it.

The trip home was fine, a few strange things happened... So here goes.... I spent the last night in a rather posh hotel in Mombasa, I plumped for this hotel because it had a pool but hey ho it rained so I never got to use it. Instead I spent the time watching the World Athletics on my telly, so didn't really need to stay there, did toy with the idea of using the gym but I came over all faint at the thought of it and had to go for a beer.

Managed to get up in time the next morning thanks to setting two alarms and having an early morning call. I managed to scoff two boiled eggs a piece of toast and a quick cuppa at 3.15 before Ken arrived and whisked me off to the airport. What is it with airports, they tell you to get there two hours before departure but the staff don't turn up till well about one hour before departure so you are standing around like a lemon in a queue that you feel you shouldnt be in coz you have already checked in online......

Whilst standing in said queue I was motioned by the guy who shrink wraps the luggage and he pointed to someone looking official who was beckoning me over. So I duly went, bear in mind it is 4am and I am a tad tired. Anyway he started asking me questions about Ken. Who was he, how did I know him, was he a cab driver, where did he live, what did he do, was he at the airport last week etc etc. So obviously I asked him why he wanted to know this and who he was. He said he was Police and I asked to see his ID, not sure he was particularly thrilled with me asking, but how do I know what Kenyan Police wear! After ID shown I was still a tad difficult and think he got a bit frustrated, he asked for Ken's number so I gave him the old one that doesn't work and then asked if I could go back to my bags.

So feeling a little perplexed I went for a cigarette which I had to leave the building for and went and sat down in a cafe. The Police man came into the cafe, spoke to the waitress, she looked at me and he went away. I was beginning to feel a tad paranoid at this stage. Then finally after getting boarding passes etc went upstairs to go through. A member of the airport staff ran by me and spoke to one of the customs guys. My hand luggage was put through and I was asked for my passport. The custom guy then wrote down my passport number on a bit of paper, so now I was beginning to think maybe I am an international terrorist or smuggling drugs and I had forgotten to remind myself of this fact.

Anyway that was the end of the drama in Mombasa. When I got to Nairobi all was fine, no weird looks, no whispering etc, I pootled around the shops for cigarettes and other goodies and then forgot the time and realised I should be boarding. When I got to the Gate, they immediately said to me are you Miss Mills - oops, there were other people boarding still though. Flight back to Amsterdam was fine, I managed to secure myself a good seat with plenty of leg room.

As usual on flights we were over fed, I had three breakfasts that morning - one at the hotel, one on the flight from Mombasa and one on the flight from Nairobi. The only problem with the flight from Nairobi was that although I had my own screen and was looking forward to watching the films my headphone jack was broken so that was that. I had to listen to my ipod instead and snooze.

I had a quick turn around at Amsterdam, we were due to land at the time I was supposed to board, so the airhostess moved me nearer the exit to an empty seat so I could get off the plane quickly.

I don't know if you know Amsterdam airport but it is huge and the gates are miles away from each other and of course my priority was, yes you guessed it, having a cigarette. So it was all rush rush rush and I had been hoping to do some more shopping but no chance. A very nice guy lent me his mobile so I could ring Pauline and tell her I was arriving on time and the flight back to London was very quick, felt like we landed before we had even taken off.

Was very impressed at Heathrow, I rushed to get to the Customs queue as I knew it would be a long one so I got through quickly and then after a quick trip to the Ladies the bags were out and low and behold there was mine. I did have thoughts that maybe they would still be in Kenya but Kenya airports are obviously very efficient - so tut tut to me for thinking otherwise.

As I went towards 'nothing to declare' a customs official looked at my bags and then obviously followed me because as I was going through the channel he was beside me. He asked if I had come from Nairobi, I explained that I had come from Mombasa, he asked if I had any more cigarettes in my luggage rather than those on display in my duty free bag. I honestly answered I had a few lose packets in my luggage and then I was on my way. Must have a very honest face!

So that was that. I managed to call Pauline again from a pay phone and then had to ring her again from another very kind person's mobile to let her know where to pick me up from and then I was being whisked back to Hackney to deal with the cat. That will be put into my next edition!