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Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Eagle has landed.

So the travelling wonder is back to home base. After a couple days of smelling horrible, sleeping on occasion, and eating pre packaged meals I am back home.... Ok it wasn't all bad. But it definatly started out rough. I was supposed to leave my camp early morning on the 29th which would have given me almost a full day in Bagram to mess around and get ready for my flight out. Well I woke up at like 4 in the morning to one of the more torential downpours I have heard since being in afghanistan. Which is bad for me becuase the runway is rock and dirt... big planes don't like to land on that. Well I called the terminal to find out when I would be able to get out. they said the flight line was closed till 9. I called at 9, closed till 11, called at 11 closed till 1500..... I call then they say the next confirmed flight is at 0130 the morning of the 30th. So I get to the terminal at 0130 and turn in my papers for the manifest. They say i am on the plane, super.... Well about 20 min before the plane is schedualed to arrive they come out and say it has been cancelled, but not to worry becuase the next on will be able to accomodate us. So I wait, and wait, the guy comes back out... planes been delayed an hour, hour or so later, still delayed. Finally it lands at 7 am... well it has to off load the cargo it has on it and has to configure the plane in order to hold all the people wanting to get out. Finally get on the plane about a quarter to 8. And we sit there.... finally take off and land in Bagram at 0840. I now have 20 min to go check in for my next leg to dubai. Get to that terminal and they wiegh my bags and I am 21kg over wieght, which means I am going to have to pay 210 dollars, but the lady at the desk said not to worry about it, but then I find out that I need to get off the plane in Kandahar. Apparently the flight was over booked so i wasn't able to do a straight shot. So we get on a bus and head out to the tarmac.... and wait.....seems to be a theme going on here. Finally get off the bus on the plane and take off. When we land in Kandahar, I get off and follow the guy into the new terminal. Well I again had to have my bags weighed. They told me the same thing, but this time they asked if I had paid in Bagram... to which I replied very sure of myself, yes I have.... 210 dollars. The lady then asked me for a reciet, and I played the dumb guy and said that I had forgotten to get it from her. She bought it, score one for me. Well then I had to scan my bags through an Xray, they pulled a knife out of my pocket and said it was illegal becuase it was spring loaded. Like a switchblade, only its not a switchblade. So needless to say after arguing with the guy and not getting anywhere they took my knife. I was not happy at all about that. Then I got to.... you guessed it... wait, in what was very reminiscant of a prison yard. Really high brick walls small crappy windows and no color to speak of. I finally get on the plane and get to Dubai at 8 pm. So a solid 19 hours so far have been spent travelling... I smell awful, and look like hell. I go to the hotel and get to the front desk. The company that flew me out supposedly was also the ones who were going to reserve my room.... epic fail. No room under super badass.... so I had them check Brendan Hay.... still no joy. So I had to get a room which actually worked out better I think it was cheaper. Got in the room and took a super long hot shower.... it was fantastic. Went to the bar and had a beer and a small pizza.... the pizza was not horrible but it wasn't good either. But the beer hit the spot. I went to sleep got up and went to the airport after breakfast and coffee. Flew from Dubai to Heathrow and then on to Seattle. Well i landed around 4 pm today and my bags will land sometime tomorrow night. Oh well. I am home and tired so I am going to sleep now.

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