I hate packing to come back to Sierra Leone because it's always such a skill to get all the important stuff into my weight limit and leave all the non-essentials for next time. So having spent many an hour juggling what comes and what stays, inevitably it was my luxuries that got chucked out – no Crunchy Nut Cornflakes or Chocolate spread for me for a while!!
Airport was fun, I nervously waited my turn for my bags to be weighed, the young man looked at me then my bags asking where i was going to....”Sierra Leone” I said with a sweet innocent looking face, wishing him to be gracious with me. The numbers flashed before and were a little higher than they should have been (aaarrghh after all my juggling!), the nice man looked at me and I looked at him...giving that sweet eye fluttering look – on he passed me turning a blind eye. So off we went to the next desk wondering if I'd be weighed again and have to pull my persuasion powers again. Only to find a lady waiting....I said nothing and neither did she...phew!
So my last few moments with Dad we did our usual huge coffees whilst stuffing lots into my hand luggage that had previously been in my pockets and trying to find my small purse of SL money I was sure I had put in a 'safe' place ready for the hover craft (still haven't found it).
I then got to Security's XRay to be asked what I had in my bag that was metal - racking my brains for what it could be, I totally could not remember ......jewellery? Spiral bound diary? Keys? Still couldn't give them an answer they were happy with so they scanned again, then searched my entire bag - holding up a queue of angry passengers! We found books, the jewellery, underwear, antimalarials, a soap box full of tampons, sandals, a small box with a painted duck someone had given me (I think by this point they thought I was very strange!) and eventually came to ......the Landrover parts!!! Then they thought I was totally barmy. I had totally forgot about them! It was only one box (a heavy one) I'd taken out of main luggage trying to help the overweight problem I had!! I smiled that innocent look again told them nervously I was working in Africa and the roads were really bad – at this point they smiled and waved me on.
However my cleverly packed hand luggage was scattered about the table like a small explosion had taken place and I had to get it all back in the bag – quick – only 10mins to get to the gate!
You'll be pleased to hear that i did it, but I was sweating before i even got to Africa!!
Lessons learnt
- don't forget about large metal objects in your hand luggage.
- practice that sweet innocent eye fluttering look long before you need to pass through airport security!!
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