Greetings from Kathmandu, Nepal!
This post is primarily for the guidance of interns who haven't left yet, while also serving as a venue to express my love of aviation.
Hello! I hope you all will enjoy your flights as much--if not more--than I did! I'll be going through a pretty detailed rundown, and if you have any questions on procedure please feel free to contact me and I will help you to the best of my ability. :)
I began my trek in Des Moines, where I very simply checked in at the American Airlines counter by presenting my passport/visa, an ID (driver's license for me), and one large suitcase. Remember: tag your luggage and hold on to the luggage claim paper/folder that they give you (mine had my tickets in it). Also, remember to get your passport back, and you are free sailing from there!
Well, free until you get to luggage check, but that is no big! They spelled it out pretty well when I went through.
I boarded my flight to O'Hare after a minor gate change, and the one hour flight flew by! It is always incredible for me, getting to see the plots of farms and roads that criss-cross it. I wish that I could fly over my home town! And the clouds were, as always, gorgeous.
When my plane touched down in Chicago, our gate was already occupied. We were corralled into a waiting box (which rather felt like time-out..) until the gate opened up again. Luckily, I had enough time in between to change concourses (which was quite the walk!) and check in at the Qatar Airways desk. There, I needed my boarding pass, visa/passport, and luggage claim. Do make sure you check in early, as they exchange your ticket for when you actually board. And do make sure you get there early, as boarding starts about an hour before take-off (unlike my domestic flight!).
Although I was in the economy class of the Qatar Airways flight, it was still a luxurious experience. A pillow, blanket, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, and headphones are provided. The backs of the seats had monitors in which you could shop, track your flight time, play games, watch movies, and listen to music. Because the flight was 13 hours long, we were served two very filling meals. While they come on a lunch tray, and look like microwaveable dinners, it was still very tasty. :) I ended up watching Saving Mr. Banks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and parts of West Side Story and The Princess and the Frog! They really have quite the selection in both movies and music. Most of my other time was spent listening to Sinatra's Nothing but the Best album. Those who know me well can imagine my bliss eating chocolate Haagen-Daas ice cream while jamming to The Best is Yet to Come and Come Fly with Me. :)
A quick side note! I had taken both a backpack and a small suitcase for carry-ons. The suitcase, which I left plane-side for the domestic flight, was stored on-board and over-head on the two international flights. I apologize if that is painfully obvious to some of you, but I was rather confused at first!
The 13 hours was long. Prepare yourself. If you can sleep on planes, then you more-or-less have it made, but for those of you who, like me, are at least 5' 6", do not expect leg room. And for those of you who, like me, sit behind someone who chooses to fully recline the entire time...I share my deepest condolences.
Other than that, it was really terrific! :)
We finally arrived at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar a little after 6 pm local time. It is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The classiest airport I have ever laid eyes on. The inside is incredibly spacious, clean, and modern. It is dimly lit inside, and I found that oddly comforting as I was expecting a sensory overload and mass confusion--none of which was true. There was plenty of room and guidance for everyone to move safely and rather quietly through the airport. Checking through to transfer was a breeze. The airport is one of the largest duty-free spaces in the world, and there were many fine jewelers set up there if anyone was looking for a place to go. :)
Another side note. I found traveling by myself to be an incredibly empowering experience. I hope that you don't fear the day you leave, as it is an enthralling step. Remember to eat slowly, read the signs, read the people, smell the sweet air, and take it all in. :)
I set about finding Wi-Fi (which was free!) and eventually a sharply dressed, thin, silver-haired Australian man named Milton sat at my table. He also had a long layover (mine was 7 hours, his 6), and so we chatted for awhile. As our laptops began to die, we ran in to a bit of trouble with finding power sources. There were sockets in the ground; however, while they did accept European prongs, they were not functioning properly. If you do end up in this airport for an extended amount of time, take a UK converter with you. The beams that divide boarding areas have two sockets that accept the UK prongs, and we found these to be the most reliable. However, please note, that you cannot connect to the Wi-Fi at these locations. Milton and I passed a few hours chatting, and eventually my flight began boarding. Another heads-up! These flights stop boarding 20 minutes before the flight leaves, so do not arrive late!
We were shuttled to the plane, and all went very smoothly, although a little slowly.
The flight itself went very well. I actually got two hours of sleep in! On the flight, I received a small white piece of paper asking for my passport number, visa number, visa expiration date, address in Kathmandu along with phone number, and what business I was doing there. Make sure you have a copy of these things available to you on the plane! The woman next to me, Bharati Sharma Pokharel, lives not far from ICIMOD, and works for the International Labor Organization. She was just returning from Jordan, was incredibly kind and pleasant, and helped me once we landed with going through customs.
She also told me that she had made the mistake of putting her converter in her checked-bag. Heads up :)
The clouds were also very beautiful again. :)
The airport was very easy to navigate, and made of beautiful old red bricks and marble floors with ornate wood trimmings. After successfully locating my fully-in-tact luggage (woohoo!) I used the baggage claim ticket and went to exit the airport. There were many offers for a taxi ride, but luckily I had spotted a man holding up the ICIMOD sign with my name on it!
The car ride that followed was incredibly enjoyable, but, for now, that concludes the travel section!
Again, please contact me with any questions you have about travel! I loved every minute of it. :)
Peace and love,
Abby
{ A disclaimer for all videos in this post: I apologize for the haste in rotation, and thus a lack of detail and quality. More time shall be taken in the future when taking video! }
When my plane touched down in Chicago, our gate was already occupied. We were corralled into a waiting box (which rather felt like time-out..) until the gate opened up again. Luckily, I had enough time in between to change concourses (which was quite the walk!) and check in at the Qatar Airways desk. There, I needed my boarding pass, visa/passport, and luggage claim. Do make sure you check in early, as they exchange your ticket for when you actually board. And do make sure you get there early, as boarding starts about an hour before take-off (unlike my domestic flight!).
Although I was in the economy class of the Qatar Airways flight, it was still a luxurious experience. A pillow, blanket, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, and headphones are provided. The backs of the seats had monitors in which you could shop, track your flight time, play games, watch movies, and listen to music. Because the flight was 13 hours long, we were served two very filling meals. While they come on a lunch tray, and look like microwaveable dinners, it was still very tasty. :) I ended up watching Saving Mr. Banks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and parts of West Side Story and The Princess and the Frog! They really have quite the selection in both movies and music. Most of my other time was spent listening to Sinatra's Nothing but the Best album. Those who know me well can imagine my bliss eating chocolate Haagen-Daas ice cream while jamming to The Best is Yet to Come and Come Fly with Me. :)
A quick side note! I had taken both a backpack and a small suitcase for carry-ons. The suitcase, which I left plane-side for the domestic flight, was stored on-board and over-head on the two international flights. I apologize if that is painfully obvious to some of you, but I was rather confused at first!
The screen only had Arabic on it! Not to worry, however, as you can switch it to English!
The 13 hours was long. Prepare yourself. If you can sleep on planes, then you more-or-less have it made, but for those of you who, like me, are at least 5' 6", do not expect leg room. And for those of you who, like me, sit behind someone who chooses to fully recline the entire time...I share my deepest condolences.
Other than that, it was really terrific! :)
Doha at night!
We finally arrived at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar a little after 6 pm local time. It is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. The classiest airport I have ever laid eyes on. The inside is incredibly spacious, clean, and modern. It is dimly lit inside, and I found that oddly comforting as I was expecting a sensory overload and mass confusion--none of which was true. There was plenty of room and guidance for everyone to move safely and rather quietly through the airport. Checking through to transfer was a breeze. The airport is one of the largest duty-free spaces in the world, and there were many fine jewelers set up there if anyone was looking for a place to go. :)
Another side note. I found traveling by myself to be an incredibly empowering experience. I hope that you don't fear the day you leave, as it is an enthralling step. Remember to eat slowly, read the signs, read the people, smell the sweet air, and take it all in. :)
I'm not sure why there was a teddy bear. But I hope this gives you a sense of how vast it is!
I set about finding Wi-Fi (which was free!) and eventually a sharply dressed, thin, silver-haired Australian man named Milton sat at my table. He also had a long layover (mine was 7 hours, his 6), and so we chatted for awhile. As our laptops began to die, we ran in to a bit of trouble with finding power sources. There were sockets in the ground; however, while they did accept European prongs, they were not functioning properly. If you do end up in this airport for an extended amount of time, take a UK converter with you. The beams that divide boarding areas have two sockets that accept the UK prongs, and we found these to be the most reliable. However, please note, that you cannot connect to the Wi-Fi at these locations. Milton and I passed a few hours chatting, and eventually my flight began boarding. Another heads-up! These flights stop boarding 20 minutes before the flight leaves, so do not arrive late!
We were shuttled to the plane, and all went very smoothly, although a little slowly.
The flight itself went very well. I actually got two hours of sleep in! On the flight, I received a small white piece of paper asking for my passport number, visa number, visa expiration date, address in Kathmandu along with phone number, and what business I was doing there. Make sure you have a copy of these things available to you on the plane! The woman next to me, Bharati Sharma Pokharel, lives not far from ICIMOD, and works for the International Labor Organization. She was just returning from Jordan, was incredibly kind and pleasant, and helped me once we landed with going through customs.
She also told me that she had made the mistake of putting her converter in her checked-bag. Heads up :)
The clouds were also very beautiful again. :)
Tribhuvan International Airport
The airport was very easy to navigate, and made of beautiful old red bricks and marble floors with ornate wood trimmings. After successfully locating my fully-in-tact luggage (woohoo!) I used the baggage claim ticket and went to exit the airport. There were many offers for a taxi ride, but luckily I had spotted a man holding up the ICIMOD sign with my name on it!
The car ride that followed was incredibly enjoyable, but, for now, that concludes the travel section!
Again, please contact me with any questions you have about travel! I loved every minute of it. :)
Peace and love,
Abby
I must admit that when I was younger I was braver. Now, a 2 hour flight gives me the jitters. I'm just so proud of you and will read this post every time I fly. You rock!
ReplyDeleteHi Abby
ReplyDeleteGoing by you lastest post, you made Kathmandu ok. Finally I made Perth after a flight delay in Doha. guess you get that!
I wish you well in you endeavours, and hope you reach all the you set out to achieve in Kathmandu.
Take care, Milton