What single experience is shared by every single Kenyan Olympian?
What shared moment do they did they all go through on their way to the city of London for the 2012 Olympics?
What said moment is also shared by businessmen, students, Olympians and those travelling from The Green City in the Sun – Nairobi?
The departure, of course.
Recorded in all it’s majesty and chronicled across both Nairobi and especially the city of London, Journey of a Kenyan Olympian seeks the rarely shared and not-so-often seen side of a trip to the capital city as witnessed through the lens of the Samsung Galaxy SIII.
#TeamCarryOn – Many travellers recommend doing your best not to check-in any luggage for a flight. There’s an entire movement online of travel hacks and tips on how to pack with no wrinkles or tips on what you must bring and how to make sure your selected liquids meet the requirements. I subscribe to #TeamCarryOn
A fork in the road gives one the option of returning to Mombasa Road and possibly veering off to Mlolongo and the coastal city or taking the left turn towards Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Left turn it is then.
A flagging of a hand by a police officer isn’t uncommon for a car aiming to drop someone off at the airport. With a pretty standard check that passengers are wearing their safety belts, the insurance stickers on the car are valid and that all looks well including checking the trunk of the car. Then you’re on towards the parking ticket meter and the +300m stretch to the airport.
You’ll most likely want to know where your airline’s located and a quick glance or a Google search before time should put you in the best position to know. Otherwise, a drive to Unit 1 or Unit 2 should suffice. For this trip it was Unit 1.
With no bags to check in and an online check in done the night or a few hours to go, there’s no queues for you and you breeze through to the gate as long as you’ve printed out your e-ticket or have a digital copy to show the officials. In front of you is the point of no return.
Serves as a good refresher to see where you’re headed should you need the lifts up or if the escalator will do…
It may as well be a one-way escalator at this point. If your flight is very early in the morning they are known to conserve power and switch it off, but it runs most of the time. Many a moment of goodbye is done from this escalator as you disappear out of view and the gate presents itself at the end of the escalator.
Once you get past the elevator, security and into your gate – the view out shows you planes taxiing and taking off. Decent view if you’ve got a few minutes. Who better to see London with, than with rebel billionaire Richard Branson’s own Virgin Atlantic?
That said, we can’t forget where our allegiances lie, with The Pride of Africa our official carrier Kenya Airways.
And once on board, you get one final glance back at the world behind you, the capital city of Kenya and what could very well be Africa’s Silicon Savannah. This is where we say kwaheri ya kuonana (Goodbye for now).
And after a swift take-off and the “fasten seat belts” sign switched off, the journey continues at 30,000 feet.
Next time we’ll look at life on-board the 8 hour flight as well as a first look at London. Stay tuned to this series and watch it all unfold courtesy of the Samsung Galaxy SIII.