And I'm flying to where they accept (c)
This time I decided to start the story directly from the rest. I'll write the backstory at the end. Maybe…
It so happened that on this vacation we flew together with Verka. To Egypt. I don't think I need to explain why. The last time we were there was five years ago and we haven't been back yet. Burned up completely. It was once considered happiness. But life has made its own adjustments. Like stupid kittens she poked her nose - oh, give you Southeast Asia! Sit and be glad that you are generally alive and relatively healthy (pah-pah).
Well, okay. I will leave my philosophical calculations interspersed with obscenities for later.
Departure from Zaporozhye. Join Up provided a free transfer from Mariupol, which is why we chose it. And not only for this reason. And the price is lower, and the insurance is more powerful. Even the fact that a couple of years ago I would not have flown with them for any price did not bother me.
We got to Zaporozhye quite quickly and without incident. The road has finally been built! Finished at the beginning of summer. Only here's the problem! In one place it is already being redone, and overhauled. Not all denyushki, apparently, have mastered : )). They left the sun-drenched Mariupol, and arrived in the gray Zaporozhye. It was overcast.
Shortly before our trip, namely at the end of October, a new terminal of the Zaporozhye airport was opened. Such a cute one. Unlike the old disgrace.
New terminal
Old Terminal
At the entrance to the deserted hall, our temperature was taken, and we immediately proceeded to the registration desk. Without luggage clearance, as in Boryspil, for example. My luggage pulled only 6 kg, and Verka's - as much as 11. And what could you pick up? Her backpack was chock-full and wrapped in cling film. And I gave mine just like that, without bothering. The only precaution is a small padlock on the clasp.
We were among the first, however, we were given places near the aisle. Weird, weird! But I bothered to look at the boarding passes after passing through passport control, so I didn’t ask any questions.
We went up the escalator to the second floor to the duty free zone.
And the store is closed! And the cafe too! Here's an ambush! And two more hours of cuckooing! Well, at least the Wi-Fi is normal. And there is a water cooler. Such happiness is not found in every airport.
The plane arrived at noon. Our departure is at 13.00. I also thought that we'll take off on time. When will they have time to unload everything and everyone and tidy up the interior? I watched through the window as the employees manually pushed the ladder to the plane. That's what technology has come to! : )) They drove the ambulance for some reason. I am watching. People began to pour out. And walk to the terminal! Buses, apparently, did not have time to buy or were not going to. And I didn't see a place for a sleeve. The design is not provided. Well, what is there to go?
There are a lot of passengers with children. I thought it was a flight from Turkey. But no! Pull tubes. Apparently, with papyrus. So Egypt. Is anyone else buying this? I bought papyri on my very first trip 13 years ago. So they are lying around somewhere.
And every second passenger has a box in their hands. And backpacks behind. HM! And I was told that hand luggage is now allowed at a minimum. Interesting! Can I also bring home a mango?
A couple of girls walked in the same shorts. Brrr! It's only 13 degrees outside.
As far as I could see, no one was unloaded into the ambulance. Just in case, or what?
The landing has been announced. At the entrance to the plane, the flight attendants, seeing that I had a mask with a valve, gave me another one. No way! By the way, their mask was of good quality, as Verka said. She knows a lot about it.
Despite my misgivings, we took off head to head, exactly at 13.00, as it was announced. Here's your Join Up!
As I already mentioned, we got seats by the aisle. So it was unbearably boring. The toilets were open only in the tail section, therefore, as soon as the board went out, a line lined up in the aisle for half a salon. Did you forget to get off at the airport? And then they started delivering free water. There was at least some entertainment - to watch the flight attendants overcome the queue of the afflicted. A cart full of Dutik goods followed the water. The people perked up, because there was also alcohol in the assortment. But payment was accepted only from cards, and even then not from all. But our people will always find a way! They took cards from neighbors, giving them in cash. In short, the process has been delayed. Verka and I got tired, waiting. At least they would lay out the price lists on the seats, so that the people understand how you can pass the tedious flight. Although, what is there to fly? Only 3 hours 20 minutes. It's not in Tai! But, apparently, in order to fight the pandemic, in the backs of the chairs there were only instructions on how to survive, in which case, and vomit bags in which they were ordered to put used masks. And nothing, sho the plane is packed? Where is the logic?
When they finally arrived at our place, it turned out that there were only three-euro pundyurki with strong alcohol and four-euro fanfuriki with wine and champagne. Well, it's not serious! Personally, this is one tooth for me. Where are the big bottles? We were told that they would deliver next. BUT! Well, you already roll with your cart! Only an hour left to fly! Customize the next one soon! We adjusted it. And there is only whiskey. Verka does not drink this in its pure form, but there is nothing to dilute it with. Okay, let's get some champagne already. I had a card. There was not much money there, a couple of hryvnias in total. I took it in case of unforeseen circumstances, so that relatives threw off the money. Taking it, I went to the closet to the stewardesses. The shampoo is out! Only the expensive Moet remained. I had to settle for wine. The map has passed.
We have arrived. In Sharm, our plane was even closer than in Zaporozhye. However, we were taken to the terminal by bus, making a circle of honor across the field. At the entrance, we collected questionnaires in which we had to write how healthy we are. Nobody was going to read them. It could have been empty, I guess. Our PCRs were examined for a couple of seconds. Oh, I should have done it in Photoshop! Got luggage. Except that my duffel bag was a little dirty, it didn't take any damage.
After visiting the sad airport toilet without toilet paper, I went to look for an exchanger. And no! After reading horror stories, I intended to go to the hotel by taxi, without waiting for the rest to pass the test. Riding in the same bus with potential patients did not smile at me. I was not afraid to get infected. I was afraid of being isolated without trial just because I was sitting next to someone.
I practically did not use a taxi in Egypt. But I read on the local site that the fare in Sharm is 2 pounds / km plus landing 5 pounds. The hotel is eight kilometers away, according to the Google map. Accordingly, you can get there for less than $ 2. They wrote that you need to require the taxi driver to turn on the meter. Uh-huh!
It was getting dark.
They approached their bus and asked if we would go now or wait for those who arrived without tests? They replied that we would wait. Not long, just half an hour. But not! Thanks! Saying that we will go by taxi, we went to the parking lot. We told the man who came up the name of our hotel. He said 15. I said 5. He said 10. I said 5! He left. And we left. Back to the bus. Turning around, they saw that another taxi had arrived. I go there. The content of the conversation was similar. I went back, but they caught up with me and pointed to another man who allegedly agreed to my price.
We plunged, let's go. Seeing that we were wearing masks, the taxi driver also put it on.
At the deserted reception, we were asked if we wanted a room with a garden view, as stated in our voucher, or with a sea view, but for an extra charge? We wanted a garden view. We were immediately given the keys to neighboring rooms. The porter loaded our backpacks into the back of a small truck and invited one of us to climb in there too! Aha, shaz! Verka and I crammed ourselves, not without difficulty, into the only free seat next to the driver and rushed to our building with laughter. Here is the service! : )) So I have not been delivered yet!
As it turned out, you could walk there in 5 minutes. The porter, dressed in some kind of embroidered shirt, showed us the numbers and, having received a vandollar from us, left. He asked about chocolate. We didn't have. And why do they love them so much?
Went to dinner. Quite a decent one, as for a 4-ki. Wine, however, diluted. Well? All residents of Mariupol, to one degree or another, are Greeks. Why shouldn't we be like them? There were no more than a dozen people at dinner. And all without muzzles. Krrrasota! I've had enough of this mask show! At least I'll forget about everything here!
Despite the fact that the room was a "garden view", there was no garden to be seen, except for a few bushes. But a little to the side there was a view of the neighboring bay, all in the lights.
Having eaten to the bone, they didn’t go out anywhere. They crawled into their rooms. I found TNT and, having laughed a bit with the Comedy Club, I tried to sleep. The stinging mosquito didn't let me do it until I managed to swat it, risking blanche under my eye with my own hand. After that, Morpheus took me to his kingdom.
After waking up shortly before six, I, armed with a camera, ran to look for where the sea was. Verka did not go.
I made it to dawn:
The entrance to the pontoon was blocked off with a rope. But who will stop me? Not a soul around.
Inspected the beach toilet. Quite decent.
There were bottles on the bar completely unattended! Then I guessed that it was not an alcoholic, but just tinted water.
I went back and. . . got lost! Having cut three circles, having disturbed the people peacefully sitting on their verandah, I found my body with some difficulty. It’s good that at least I remembered the number of my room, and by the sign, with grief in half, I found what I was looking for. The hotel consists of seven levels. Our building was on the 3rd.
We went for breakfast and immediately went to the beach. We were first. The towel booth opened at 8. We had to wait a bit.
The shore here is steep and the entrance to the water is only from the pontoon.
View of the hotel from the pontoon
When choosing a hotel, I, as a normal egoist, was guided solely by my priorities. And I was a little embarrassed that there was no puddle for Verka's padlock. But, thank God, she got out of the situation. Going down the ladder, she froze for about 5 minutes, standing on the step and not letting go of her hands on the handrail.
As a child, according to her, Verka drowned twice in the sea, and twice in the pool, so none of my persuasion to try to swim with a mask and snorkel did not work on her. She was terrified of losing her footing. Fortunately, there were one and a half crippled people, so no one bothered her to sit on the stairs. There were two entrances to the sea. In addition, you could still jump with a bomb.
After Verka fell silent, it was my turn. Of course, I didn't limit myself to 5 minutes. Wearing a mask, swam to the right. The reef is beautiful. I didn't have a tube. I don't like them. Snorkel on breath hold. I think that it is very useful - the lungs are trained. And now this is especially true. Swam for 2 pontoons of neighboring hotels. She returned in 40 minutes. Verka was already beginning to worry. I ended up in Vadik's place, and Verka, respectively, in mine. Once in the Crimea, he sailed away for a long time, and I, like Alyonushka, was waiting for him on the bank, wildly freaking out. Now I understand him.
The weather was gorgeous, not hot, but so warm and comfortable! But you need to go to a meeting with the hotel reptile guide.
Hearing that I was in Egypt for 6 times, I did not offer any excursions, only asked if we would like to take a free tour of the city? We exchanged glances. How many times have been, and apart from the Old Market, they did not see anything. Well let's go! Having given us a check with zeros in the price list, the guide left. And we found a bar next to the reception and drank beer there, right up to lunch.
After lunch there was again the beach, then dinner and again the embrace of Morpheus. On the promenade next to the hotel, we again did not bother to go out. But in vain!
Continued here >>>
