Travel

I started my day knowing I had to go to the bank. The weather gods decided that now would be a great tie for my first thunder and lightning show here in St. John's. Pissing rain. No big deal., I think. I'm going to be climbing a mountain in Tanzania very soon so complaining about a little rain (a lot of rain) really doesn't do much.
The thing I regret was not getting out of my damp socks when I got home. I wore my hiking shoes to the bank and then on the plane. I really should have changed my socks.

I had been having trouble with WestJet's online check in because my flight was mostly with KLM (a partner airline). I couldn't check in with KLM because my flight started with WestJet. I called the call centre and got everything figured out. When I got to the airport, the check in kiosk told me to go to guest services. Apparently I had to get them to print my boarding pass, which is perfectly fine.

YYT-YYZ is uneventful.

The wifi in the ipad infested, lack of seating hellhole that is T3 at Pearson would not connect. Whoever designed this terminal is an idiot. Nearly all of the seating has been removed and replaced with four top tables featuring permanently mounted ipads. What a mess. This is a very bad impression to give international travellers who may have only this transfer as their experience in Canada. Airport design is consistent for a reason. Travellers know what to expect at gates and we appreciate the sameness. The place for airport design innovation is not at the gates (unless the innovation is more plugs).

YYT-AMS

YYZ-AMS is also uneventful as far as the actual flying goes.The service is another thing. Amazing. the in-flight entertainment system wasn't working for a while. Not a big deal; they rebooted it a couple of times and it eventually worked. When we disembarked, they gave us a voucher for miles/travel credit as compensation. There was even a hot towel service before the meals! In economy!
Two meals! The food was equivalent to business class in Canada. the trays and packaging looked like the Delft plates, even though they were all disposable. Someone was coming around every hour or so offering drinks. As one would expect from KLM, everything was in Dutch and English - no French. In AMS, I managed to find the JW missionaries going to Kenya.

AMS-NBO is also uneventful except the service.

 The remote control for the TV on KLM. It waits in the armrest and on the other side is apparently a phone

NBO is different. The jetway doesn't connect so we have to walk downstairs and on to the tarmac to waiting buses to take us to the immigration bunker.
We all walk single file through the infrared Ebola scanner to take our temperature. Of course I'm constantly running a couple of degrees warm so I'm pulled away for questioning. It doesn't take long after I explain my kidneys and show them my scars, my Ebola free passport and equally Ebola free itinerary. I'm allowed to go on.
As is the norm, there is little to no direction for visa acquisition. We all pile in the line corral and wait. it isn't very long but it is long enough as I have to pee a lot. $50USD later, I allowed in to Kenya!

This was written at the hostel before I knew what was ahead of me. It was next door to the hotel.