Saturday, December 6, 2008

Flying home for Christmas

Yesterday I finally got HOME after a month in transit between Ghana and Vadsø, my hometown. From Trondheim to Vadsø its about 1500+ km if you drive the shortest route. I took the plane, as all sensible people do in Norway. But that too can take hours... I started my journey with a train from my sisters place to the airport, which was at 3pm. At 5pm I got on the plane that passed through Bodø to Tromsø, where I got down and waited for 3,5 hours. Then I got on a new plane that went through Hammerfest and Alta to Vadsø. These flights between all the small towns in Norway's most northern region are like tro-tros. The flying time is sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes 30. In Hammerfest only two people boarded, of who one was a friend of mine from Vadsø. The stewardess came over to her and asked whether she had flown this airline before and feels confident about the safety info, and asked if she could skip the safety demonstration. Sometimes the planes are so empty that the stewardesses has to move people around in the plane to even out the weight on each side. Anyway. I have a lot to tell.

The first thing I was actually going to complain about, was my status as sandwich for 2 hours on the Trondheim-Bodø-Tromsø flight. I got the middle seat of a 3-seater (hurray...) and unfortunately for me the people on my sides seemed to know eachother, but not well enough to ask me if I would move so they could sit together. But they still wanted to CHAT. Alot. Over my lap. I leaned back while the woman to my right was yabbing away and gesticulating with her hands, in front of my front. There was lots of empty seats in the plane. Why is it so that when you get into a full bus, train, plane whatever and you squeeze down next to someone else, when seats get available later on your journey, you feel like you cant get up and leave the person you are sitting uncomfortably close to, because then it feels impolite to move... its like saying you dont want to sit next to the person (and you dont, you'd rather sit at a seat with two free spaces so you feel you can breathe and move)... Hmm.


Here is a map of Norway. Follow the red line ... thats what I did. I was home at 1.am...Zzzz

4 comments:

Maya Mame said...

Oh-my-God!!! Can't believe how far north you're from! Almost at Treriksröset, no? You must have the perfect Christmas weather there right now (I know, I've become obsessed with winter and snow :-( ).

Would love to make it all the way there one day, see what it's like. Although the plane rides don't sound like that much fun, know exactly what you mean about being too polite to move, it's so annoying.

Enjoy your time at home!

Anonymous said...

even i know that feeling. and i am far less polite than you. sooo stupid.

hope you are alright, kid.

me tired

Adaeze said...

haha you're funny :-D Man, I didn't know Vadsø was that far up and away! I should know Norwegian geography better. Anyway, I've heard similar storys from my brother who lived up north somewhere for a year. He also said the turbulence was REALLY bad. Nah, I'd never fly up there, lol. Hope you have a wonderful time at home!

Yngvild said...

Quite close to Treriksgrensa, yes Maya. Though I've never set my foot there...