Flying is not always fun.

In general, I rather enjoy traveling. Going to a new country, especially one that differs from what you’re used to quite a bit, is both shocking and exhilarating. I want to immerse myself in every aspect of the new world I’m experiencing. However, there is one thing I do not like about traveling. That one thing is getting to my destination. Flying would be okay if all seats resembled the ones in first class, but this is never the case. For most people however, the seats are rather okay. If you’re tall on the other hand, the seats become 50 times more uncomfortable. I am the lucky one – at 5′11 my legs are fairly long. Longer than the space provided between air plane seats in any case. This makes it a painful experience, especially for my poor knees which have to be squished for however many hours I’m flying. And, if you have a window seat, you’re especially lucky, because then you can’t just get up to stretch any time you want. Or rather, you can, but I personally feel bad excusing myself every 20 minutes, especially when people are trying to get some sleep during the night. This is yet another problem for tall people – you can’t slouch anywhere to get in a more comfortable position in order to sleep, and laying your head backwards is also not possible since the seat is not tall enough to properly support it. So, you’re left sitting there without being able to move much, gawking awkwardly at the ceiling and day dreaming of your comfortable bed. Daytime flights that are only an hour or so in length are rather painless, but night flights for 3+ hours are a painful experience.

My flight left Tbilisi at 4:45 am (this is the usual departue and arrival time for flights in Tbilisi). I had 2 flights, 2 train rides and a rather stressful London Underground experience. My first flight, I was asked to switch from a rather nice seat to one that didn’t look bad, because a family wanted to sit together. Little did I know that the guy I would sit near would hit me in his sleep every 5 minutes. How do you deal with someone hitting you while they’re sleeping? Wake them up and tell them that they’re abusing you without knowing it? Do you sit there without saying anything and leave with bruises up your arm? I don’t know. I have never been in that sort of situation before. So, I chose what I thought was a medium between the two. Whenever he punched me, I would lightly punch him back, which woke him up. He would look around as if he didn’t know why he woke up, then he would proceed to read a bit, which gave me 15-20 minutes of peace. On my second flight, I sat beside a woman who used her laptop the entire time. This also didn’t make it easy to catch some much needed sleep. Needless to say, by the time I arrived in Cardiff, I was extremely exhausted and all I wanted to do was lay my head down a nice pillow.

The train rides were rather painless, however, trying to figure out my way around London was a bit diffucult. I have never been to the UK, and although I knew that London has a rather large number of inhabitants, I never realized just how many! I took the Gatwick Express from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Station. There, I collected my next train ticket and then proceeded to go buy a ticket for the Tube. Buying the ticket was a process that took more than half an hour. It was absolutely packed. People were rushing by in every single direction, a push here a push the other way. It was even worse once I got my ticket and took the escalator down. First I had a diffcult time figuring out how to get to Paddington from Victoria, and once I figured out which line to take, I had an even worse time figuring out which tube to get on. Anyone I asked was in the same position – it seemed like 90% of the people were foreigners. Once on the tube, I had barely enough room to breathe. From the little that I experienced in London, I would rather never go back, to be completely honest. However, I am going back tomorrow, so perhaps getting out of the stations and Underground will be a better experience.

The one thing I did enjoy about my few hours in London however, was that everyone was so different and yet, everyone blends in. No one really stands out. It’s multicultural, it’s weird, it’s normal, it’s fancy. Anything goes, and this is refreshing, especially when you’ve lived in a country such as Georgia for 3 months. Because I have dark hair, I blend in with the Georgians quite well, but the boyfriend with his blonde hair definitely stands out. People stare from time to time, and although it doesn’t bother us, I can imagine it can bother some people. In London however, no one stares at anyone – I suppose people here (and in North America) are desensitized to the unusual. I think that’s a rather good thing.

2 Responses to “Flying is not always fun.”

1. Candice says:

   December 9, 2009 at 08:39

   Definitely one of the perks of being in a big city, blending in!

   I used to like flying, but lately I’ve just gotten disgustingly nervous.
   Candice´s last blog ..How to Deal With a Travel Snob

   Reply
2. Alastair Lancaster says:

   December 10, 2009 at 19:13

   True. “Flying” (by plane) “is not always fun”. But the alternative (flying by other means) is just too physically exhausting, don’t you think?

   London, Victoria may be the most congested place in Britain. It’s the hub for all coaches in Britain and continental ones via the Channel Tunnel. You survived, which proves that is is still just possible.

   We no longer have effective border controls, as we are under the rule of the European Union. Millions have come in the last decade as vistors and many stay. They are rarely deported. 20% of Londoners were not born here. About 60% came originally from abroad. Your figure of 90%, in that area, was possibly true. I share your view of London: a traveller’s nightmare.
   Alastair Lancaster´s last blog ..Loving Thursday 3

   Reply