Yesterday was a swarm of activity! I went to breakfast and to the office as any usual day, but after saying good-bye to everyone, I was driven to the pax terminal where I awaited my fixed-wing flight to the wondrous land of Kuwait.
I waited at the air terminal for around 3 hours, and then loaded a cargo plane with as many others as they could pack in. Most of them were getting off at the first stop, but many more were to get on. This trip was the closest I have ever come to knowing what a sardine in the desert feels like. I was packed into a flying tin can while wearing body armor and carrying a heavy backpack. All the others were about the same. The plane was sitting on the airstrip with the sun beating down on it with all of its might with no shade is sight. Finally we were underway, but comfort and sleep were the imaginings of a mad man who one thought his sanity all that was left.
The first stop went off without a hitch, though I had to stay on the heat riddled plane for the half an hour it took to unload and load it. After was seemed an eternity, we finally landed in Kuwait and were taken to the wonderful tent city where I would find my home for the next 2 - 3 days. The bus which had dutifully picked us up at the airplane dropped us off in front of the building in which we could get directions as to where to go next. They sent me to the LNO (no idea what it actually stands for, but they help with logistical type matters). I went in and they gave me a visa application and a sheet with directions. I would have to go in the morning to get processed.
Then I took the arduous journey back to where I had just come from to find out where I could turn in my body armor. The extra weight was not something I wanted in the extreme heat of Kuwait. Fortunately that didn't take long and I could get my tent assignment and then get down to the real business of the day: going to the Green Beans and having a nice cup of coffee while surfing the internet!
I spent a few hours doing that and then went to chapel. It was a small traditional service which I quite enjoyed. It was good to finally be able to go to a service again! When I finally got back to the tent, I lay down and tried to get some sleep. I tossed and turned, but sleep eluded me. I transformed my jacket into blanket mode, but this resulted only in a more comfortable still awake me. Around 2:30am I took a shower and trudged back down to the Green Beans and chatted with those who were online. It was finally time to catch the bus for the visa trip.
They loaded us up and took us into the secure area of the airport. The liaison took our passports, photocopy of the info page of the passport, the visa application, and the money and gave all of it to the agents to process. The whole reason we were required to go this way was due to the implementation of rules in which we need to have fingerprints and retinal scans done. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) the biometrical equipment was not functioning today; therefore, we were able to get away with not having to do it. I guess this information is not all that crucial to the Kuwaitis after all!
We managed to make it back in record time! We were only gone for 4 hours instead of the whole day as we were supposed to be. Now I get to relax, enjoy another coffee (and some cliff bars), and write about how relatively boring my life is.
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