Transition time

Another quick post, just to show a few airport photos. 

I started my day in Bloomington, Indiana, USA, and ended in Vienna, Austria. In between those destinations were a car ride, two taxi rides, and five flights! 

I drove with family members from Bloomington to Indianapolis, then boarded my first flight in that airport. It went smoothly, and was on time. 

My next flight was from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA to Amsterdam. It turned out to be the first ever flight by KLM from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, yahoo! To celebrate, they had cupcakes and cookies and drinks and balloons set out at the gate. Since the flight was midweek, it wasn't very full, I got four seats in a row to myself. I tried to sleep, but it only sortof worked. Time zones and all that. 

In Schipol airport, Amsterdam, I got to watch a beautiful sunrise. The sun was huge and red when it first came up. Absolutely gorgeous. 

While watching, I noticed a big clock hanging from the ceiling. I saw a man inside, and thought he was cleaning the clock. Then I realized it was a video projection, changing the hands of the clock every minute. Very cool. 

While in this airport I also bought a guidebook, one I will need next school year. At least, that's the plan as of right now. 

My flight from Amsterdam to Kyiv departed and arrived on time. I rushed through passport control and customs, and hopped into the taxi I'd arranged ahead of time.The taxi took me back to my flat, then waited while I changed, grabbed a different pack, and packed different clothes. Then the taxi drove me back to the airport. 

I checked in with the little machine and printed out my boarding passes. Going through security was easy, though annoying. I never know if I need to take off my shoes (or not,) my watch (or not,) take out my toiletries (or not,) or be patted down. 

Since I was flying Lufthansa I got a snack on the flight, and drinks. Much appreciated, especially the drinks. (I've learned the hard way that I need to stay hydrated during long days of travel.)

Arrival in Munich was easy, because the signage in that airport is easy to follow. 

This is where I don't know what happened. I know I didn't check the timing for my next flight carefully enough, I didn't have a specific idea of how long I had to get to my next gate. 

Since this was my entry point to the Schengen Zone, this is where I got my passport stamp even though it wasn't my final destination. I took the train to the terminal I needed, and moseyed along.

Apparently I moseyed too long, because when I got to the gate, no one was there. No one. That was scary. I looked at the nearest clock and realized it said the exact time my plane was supposed to be departing. I was supposed to be on that plane! Ooops! 

I really don't know why I missed that flight, but realizing I had done so was an awful feeling. 

I found the nearest help desk, which was only two gates away. When the lady asked me why I had missed the flight I had to answer that I didn't know. I asked what will happen now, and she did her dance with the computer. I was beyond relieved when she said she had rebooked me on the next flight, leaving in thirty minutes. I was hugely grateful, to say the least. 

I raced across the airport, back to the first terminal, and boarded my new flight. I was the last to board, but I made it in time, which was all that mattered. 

Arrival in Vienna was easy. Since I had carryon baggage, and was already in the Schengen Zone, I basically walked straight through the airport and out the other side. 

I took the advice of my hotel, and took the CAT (city airport train) into the city. It cost me 12€, but the ride was just 16 minutes, and was a heap more convenient than my other options. 

In the city center I got off the CAT, and found a nearby metro line. Five stops later, I got off that too, and started walking. 

Ten minutes later I was at my hotel. I rang the doorbell, as I was checking in after their regular hours. The man let me in, gave me the quick tour, and I settled in. My body didn't really know what time it was, jet lag was not my friend during this trip. I probably should've gone out for a proper meal, but I didn't. 

To make a long story short, a car ride, five flights, two taxi rides, a train and a metro, and some walking took me from home to another destination. 

Vienna, I'm ready to explore! 

In transit: Kyiv to Johannesburg

My first flight left Kyiv at 1500 on a Monday afternoon. I'm glad I double checked my flights, because I found out that first flight departed from the smaller airport in the city, not the big one like I was expecting. My first fight took me to Dubai, on a budget airline. I wasn't thrilled, as I didn't have any food or water packed so I was hungry and thirsty by the time the plane landed. It was a five hour flight, which is quite a time to go without any water or food.

I had a 7 hour layover in Dubai, so I decided to go through passport control and see a bit of the terminal. This was during Ramadan, but at night, so I wasn't worried about not finding food. I ended up eating Indian food, yum.

The second surprise (the first was the departure airport,) came when I tried to figure out which gate I would depart from in Dubai. I looked for the flight on the departure lists, but it wasn't there. When I asked at the information desk I was told my flight was from a totally different terminal, and this other terminal was not close enough to walk. I had to take a taxi. Normally my idea of walking distance is much further than most people would walk, but this lady was right. It was a 20 minute ride! 

The new terminal was fancy shmancy, but efficient. I went through customs and passport control, (the passport stamp to exit Dubai was nowhere near the entry stamp in my passport. Argh. 

My second flight was much better than the first, I got to fly Emirates for the first time. It was lovely. My own personal TV, earphones, blanket, etc... I was sitting next to a man in a row with four seats, but the two seats next to me were empty. Woo hoo! It wasn't good sleep, but at least I got a little sleep :) The food was good, the flight attendants were nice, etc...

Landing in Johannesburg was easy but not efficient. That airport has three lines for arriving: citizens, visitors needing visas, and visitors who don't need visas. My line (visitors not needing a visa) moved slooooowly. I was behind a group of high school kids from Missouri, they chattered away the whole time. I didn't speak with them at all, but several had Missouri clothes, and I could see the luggage tag on a carryon bag for one of them. 

Finally I got through passport control, then made my way toward the exit. I needed money, so I needed an ATM first. There are heaps of exchange counters, but not as many ATMs. 

After finding money I asked information for the best way to get to my hotel. They suggested a taxi, which I didn't like, as I wanted public transport. Then I figured out they were right, a taxi would be best. The taxi took me where I wanted to go, and fortunately the owner of my hotel was there. 

Though my flight landed around 10 in the morning, it was after noon by the time I got to my hotel. I was exhausted. The owner of my hotel told me to settle in, then come find him. He had his driver take me to a nearby mall to get a SIM card for my phone.

This turned into an adventure. I bought the new SIM card, but couldn't get the case off my phone, in order to change SIM cards. We had to go somewhere else, to find a place with a very small screwdriver to get the case off. After a drive to another mall, that happened. Yay! 

It was after 1500 by this point, and I will admit I wasted the rest of my first day. I did nothing, and it felt amazing. I ended up falling asleep at 1900, and sleeping through the night, so I guess I really was tired! 

ukraine: skydiving!!!

Friday around noon I got a text message from a friend, asking if I was keen to go skydiving the next day. She and I had talked about jumping, as her husband had signed her up as a birthday gift. She knew I was interested, (a previous conversation had covered each of our 'bucket' lists) and since I had nothing else scheduled for the next day, I thought 'hey, why not?'
The next morning I met her at their apartment, and we all hopped in a taxi to the airfield. It was out the west side of kyiv, in a small area called chaika. We got there faster than any of us expected, traffic wasn't bad at all for the middle of saturday. I was happy the taxi ride didn't make me carsick, as that happens often.

The man with whom everything had been arranged met us just outside the building in which the organization ran itself...after introducing himself, he showed us  to the small room where we found the overalls (I don't know the proper name: the outfit you put on over your normal clothes...kinda like a flight suit)...I ended up with a pepto pink outfit...fashion is important, right? i wonder how old my suit was, and how many people had worn it? my instructor made it sound as if i was one of the bigger people who needed a suit...hmmm...

After getting dressed, vanya helped us into the harnesses needed for skydiving...lots of clipping and tightening...
Next up was the photo board, on which we could see photos of two people dressed the same way as us...vanya used the photos to tell us how to hold our bodies at different times of our jump...
After instruction, we had to wait about 30 minutes until it was time for our plane load of people to go...Shubra and I were the only first timers on the plane, everyone else seemed comfortable with what was happening and the rather uncomfortable seating...

The plane was not modern...at all...it made me think of what I think 1970s planes would look like...I could smell petrol, yuck...we took off with the back door open! It was closed birth after takeoff...
Soon enough, our instructors had us stand up, and they tightened all the straps, and attached our harnesses to their harnesses...(the first time you go skydiving you have to go in tandem, attached to your instructor)...after that, it wasn't long before everyone else was up, making final preparations...Shubra jumped before I did, I was last out of the plane...

The first few moments out of the plane were awful...not because I was scared (it surprised me that I had no fear, which was probably because u wasn't the one actually jumping out of a perfectly good plane) but because motion sickness hit me really hard...ugh...it never occurred to me before this that I would feel it so much...as soon as we reached maximum speed, everything turned into awesomeness...free falling is amazing, you don't feel like you're falling at all...if I could do just that part again, I'd be there in a heartbeat...

My instructor let me know when we had dropped to 5000ft, he pulled the cord that opened the parachute...a really fast jerk, and I felt as if we'd completely stopped going down...as soon as we got the straps on my legs into a slightly more comfortable position, I got to relax again...vanya made a few turns, then let me try...fun :) ...(I found out later that Shubra didn't get to 'drive')...I quickly realized that sharp turns brought on motion sickness so I didn't do any of them, and vanya didn't either...(because of this we descended more slowly than everyone else)...

Our landing was perfect...I picked up my legs, and vanya brought us down smoothly...it took me a minute to stand up properly, my legs felt a bit jello-y...(another surprise)
After detaching, we chatted a bit, then went inside...after waiting about 30 minutes, Shubra and I each received DVDs with photos and a video of our jumps...AWESOME!
The taxi took us back to kyiv, and that was that...