El Andalous - Arriving Back

Back in El Andalous - Everything Just Waiting for Me!

It turned out that a business class flight with the extra baggage allowance was cheaper than going economy and paying for excess luggage, so I ended up flying away from Zurich in style.

Denise very kindly picked me up in her car at 5.15am (!!) to take me to the airport. As usual, I’d fretted about this early morning start, but my nerves about oversleeping ensured I was fully awake at the allotted time.

When I checked in (they tried to stop me going in the business queue!), my first suitcase actually turned out to be overweight, but they didn’t charge me since my second suitcase was quite a bit lighter. I felt sure that being in business class helped (it probably didn’t, but it felt good to think that!).

I wasn’t expecting much of business on a relatively short flight, so I dashed into the lounge to grab some coffee and cereal on the principle that you should always try to get your money’s worth. The woman at the reception informed me that I didn’t have much time, but agreed that I could certainly grab a coffee. It wasn’t the most relaxing breakfast I’d ever had, but at least I got one!

We boarded the plane and I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t offer champagne. Admittedly, the idea of champagne at 6.20am wasn’t actually that appealing. They offered fresh grapefruit juice which filled the spot surprisingly well. The champagne came later, so I guess that’s from experience about what people can stomach at what point in the flight. The drinks were flowing, the food was good, so it was an enjoyable journey. Also someone told their child I was sitting in first class, which made me feel like I’d just been promoted, so that was also a little boost!

On arrival, I was completely surprised to find that I had to queue for a visa. I spent a moment feeling disgruntled that I didn’t have a re-entry visa and was now just like any normal tourist, but also remembered that when I do have a re-entry visa, I just worry that they won’t recognize it. I’m dooming myself to feeling edgy whatever happens. However, the queue was very quick and when the guy saw all my past Egyptian visas, he yelled over to a colleague of his that I was returning home and then turned to me and said he was so pleased to meet me and he wanted to welcome me back! Ahhh, and people wonder why I like living here! Egypt can be very bizarre but sometimes in the nicest of ways.

And then it was the return to reality. I arrived and my taxi driver wasn’t there. Esmat had told me there would be someone standing with “Esmat Limos” on a sign, so I knew it wouldn’t be Esmat, but nobody was in sight. I waited about half an hour with it suddenly dawning on me why people think it’s hilarious that I pack my mobile phone in my luggage.

Finally, and much to my relief, the taxi driver appeared. He wasn’t bad, but he did ask me to go out for a coffee with him, which is not something I expect from one of Esmat’s drivers (I informed Esmat of this later). He wasn’t forcing me to go and have a coffee with him at some point, but it was just a hassle I didn’t want to contend with when I’d just arrived. I’m so used to Esmat being reliable, kind, and trustworthy, that it was a bit of a jolt to the system.

Arriving back at El Andalous was also a bit weird. Quite a lot of staff have been fired or let go due to the downturn in tourism, so I had staff who were complete strangers greeting me with “welcome back!”  They’d apparently been told to treat me well by Kathryn! It was nice but a bit odd – a bit like seeing your old furniture in a new flat. Nevertheless, I had finally made it back.