Enroute Entebbe!!

Dr.C.Thangsing
9:09 am on Thursday, April 6, 2006 Edit This

Time fly past so fast and it soon was 12 midnight of the 4th April 2006 and the cab came and was waiting for me down the parking lot as I try to get all thing together with the help from Ching and Jane and Chiinn. The cab took 35 minutes to reached the Indira Gandhi International Airport when I sort of woke up from intermittent sleep, doze, awake circles. There was no crowd as usual and then breezed past the scanners and then to the Emirates counter and there was Mary already set to go. The Emirates counter were not yet opened but then in a fe more minutes we were checked in and ready to past through the immigration area. As I walked down came a hurried american traveller whose shoulder knocked on another traveller and moved on without saying a word. The look at the guy was shocked and anger as he set his gazed upon the american who went and stood in line in the immigration section and I followed suit and was just behind him at the queue waiting to past the immingration. The same guy came down and touched this huge american and said “you hit me and you walk away” The american turn and said “I dont know what you are talking about?” “you know what you did and dont think you can always get away with you”, “Aw, shut up” said the american. The Indian who is as large if not bigger than this american hulk and repeated ” You cant get away it all the time. I should have given you then and there…!” and walk of to the other queue and the american hulk gazed ahead in silence. I was afraid that sparks would fly and there would a commotion but goodness won the way and there was not fight.

Walked past the immigration and then waited for Mary who is in another queue and as I sat down a short build Nepali lady stood close to me and spoke to me in Nepali. I did not understand what she said but could make up something of what she probably said and I responded that can she speak english or Hindi. She said in english that she speak both but would be more comfortable with hindi. Well, she had the ground staff of Air France meeting here and they have been searching for her luggage which was left in Air France. The found a small handbag and was still waiting for the other bigger bag and I know that they were working hard to locate the back as the flight was to leave shortly. I spoke to her and she work for the Nepal Press and that her name was Sharmila. She shared about her work and then after wishing her luck with her luggage went through the security to wait for the flight to Entebbe. We waited thats me and Mary Adair, director of Training, AHF Global. We waited for flight EK 513 to Dubai and connecting to flight EK 723 for Entebbe via Dubai. It was 4:30 am and we boarded Emirates.

The flight landed to a beautiful morning in Dubai and to our utter suprise we were gently hoarded down the ladders to a waiting airport bus to take us to the transfer area. We ran past hundreds of Emirates Airbuses on the airfield and afer amost 10 minutes ride along the airport besides the newly and under constrution of new wing of the Dubai International Airport. The instructions on the buses told us to get off at the first stop. At the first stop we got down the bus and walk through a small entrance and awake to a long queue of passengers waiting for security check to transfer and other transit passengers. A quick security check and we walk past a door and were ushered into the open and the famous Dubai duty free area of the largely hyped as famous Dubai International Airport. It was indeed a big hype thats the Dubai International Airport and I was not too impressed for Bangkok airport or Changi Airport in Singapore are much better and more bigger and a better shopping experience that this heavily promoted Dubai International Airport. Walk over to the I (information) booth and then take a trip down the long lane to Gate no. 39 which is connecting us to Addis Ababa and then to Entebbe.

Walked down the corridors and then to a waiting bus ‘no aero bridge’ and to the waiting flight EK723 to fly us to Entebbe. Walk up the ladder got to seat 22 B and settled down to yet another long flight. As the plane soared and I closed my eyes we have but since last night had covered many miles getting closer and closer Kampala, Uganda by the minute.

Uganda, Africana Hotel 6 April 2006