Libyan Adventure – Part Three

Posted on 20 December, 2010 by Kiff

Hello Dear Reader

Well what to tell you about the Desert?

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Nothing But Sand

Firstly it is not a Desert as you may think. It is not soft sand rolling dunes, the sand here is quite hard more like a beach within the tide mark.

Some of the guys on site did joke that we were on a beach, it was warm and sandy, it was just a 500km walk to the sea.

Secondly there is nothing as far as the eye can see. Ok this is not strictly true, there were a number of oil/gas plants in the area where I was working and they can often be seen belching out smoke and flames from flares or sludge pits.

Gas Flare

Thirdly and this links to the there is nothing for miles comment. There is a distinct problem with looking out upon the Desert, and that is it plays tricks on your eyes. I think it is because there is no points of reference, therefore it is very difficult judge if the landscape in-front of you flows up or down or lies flat. It always appears to be flat to the horizon. However as you drive in a straight line you gain and lose elevation which allows you to see more or less respectively.

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So very very flat

The other odd thing about the desert is how quiet it is, now I have sat at home when everyone has gone out and thought how quiet things were. However this was a very different sort of quiet this was silence, when you’re at home it is never totally quiet there is always the hum of some electrical appliance or a distant road. Even if you go out into the country there is the sound of birds or a stream or something. But in the desert there is nothing it is very eery to have no sound what so ever you stand there and if the wind is not blowing there is nothing to listen to nothing at all.

During my time in the Desert I was warned that not drive at night because it was easy to get lost. I accepted this comment, it was a site rule I had not choice. However it was not until I was driving to the airport at 6:00am in the dark I really appreciated it.
Have you ever been on one of those cave tours, be it a coal/gold/copper mine and you get down into the heart of the cave and the guide lights a candle and turns of the electric lights, to show you how much light the workers had. Then because it is funny they blow out the candle and your thrown into total darkness the kind of darkness where you can’t see your hand in-front of your face.

Well that is what it was like at night in the desert it was that dark, the worse thing about driving was that even with the headlights on full beam they did not seem to penetrate the darkness more than a cars length.
Maybe it is because there is nothing to see, maybe it is because there is nothing to reflect the light or create a shadow but I could see how even driving in a straight line would be a challenge and I was really glad when the light of the Airfield appear ahead of us.

I don’t really have much else to tell you about the desert, in truth there was not much to tell. It was hot and sandy and I would not like to be there during the summer it was warm enough when it was pushing 26°, I am not sure I like to be there when it reaches 45°

TTFN

TTFN

Kiff

©ChrisMeadows2012

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Libyan Adventrue – Part Two

Posted on 6 December, 2010 by Kiff

paddling in the Med

Hello Dear Reader

So having braved crazy driving and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere of the souq, it was time to head to the desert to actually do some work.

However I did have enough time before heading to the airport for my flight to walk down to the beach and dip my toes in the med it had to be done really I can now say I have dipped my toes in the med on both sides of it.

So we arrive at the airport, now this was not the international airport with I had flown into from London, this was an internal airport for flights within Libya, or to Algeria or Tunisia. I was to take a chartered flight owned by one of the oil companies and I was told if you asked your flying to Area 103. All thought this trip was only to be about 2 hours (30 mins in the airport and 1.5 hours flying) I was once again presented with experiences I have not come across before, some of them I am not looking forward to repeating on my return journey, including

Self check-in – not what you thinking

No restrictions on the number of bags you check in.

Departure board = Pen, Paper and Selotape

No one manning the metal detector

A blatant disregard for rules

Novel safety briefings

The Next Plane is at

Self check-in & No Bag Restrictions

You see the term self check-in and you think of Heathrow Terminal 5 those stations where you swipe your passport and type in your customer number before the system prints your boarding pass.
This was nothing like that, we arrived at the check in desk and were presented with a list of names and told to find ours, after scanning the list we eventually found it, with help from my driver what with the list being in Arabic. We pointed at the name to be given a pen and asked how many bags. I asked my driver if I was allowed to check-in 1 or 2 bags he gave me a shrug as if to say what ever you want. Then next to my name we wrote two they put a label on each bag and they passed me the ticket and that was the job done. I had literally checked myself on to the plane. All that was left to do was to wait for my departure.

The Next Plane Leaves at

I had been told my plane was at 15:00 but I could, not see a departure board or anything similar so asking my driver when the flight was he told me the will call us. Ok I thought sitting down I started to read my book. After about 20mins I was looking around the room and I notice as one of the entrance gates a man had stuck a note to the window of his box reading 16:00, I spoke to the driver as asked if the plane had been delayed, “different plane” I was informed. But that was the departure board, no need for technology just a marker pen and the back of a letter stuck to the wall. Eventually there was movement towards the other gate (there were only 2) and my driver indicated that I should join the queue.
We said our goodbyes and I waited in line, it sounds very posh all this talk of drivers but if you have not read part 1, then you will understand why a driver is required.

Metal & Rules.

The queue I had joined was going through security, I got to the front and placed my bag on the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector forgetting to remove my belt and receiving a beep, looking round for who was going to search me I found no-one, there was also no-one looking at the screen of the x-ray machine and my standing. I looked slightly worried but moved to pick up my bag and headed toward a desk with two official looking people who stamped my ticket and then pointed towards the bus.

I was just gobsmacked, it seemed like the X-ray and metal detector were there because, well because that what you have.

However this was just the start, I got on the plane pick a seat got my book out and waited for the flight to leave. We went through the usual preflight routine stewardesses did the safety briefing with no-one paying any attention. Then you hear that message “The Captain has turned on the fasten seatbelts sign please can you switch of any electrical devices for take off”

I sat back in my seat and waited for takeoff as we taxied to the end of the runway, the engines throttled up and we started to accelerate down the runway, half way down the runway engines at full throttle the phone of the gentleman across the aisle from me rings,
As the nose of the plane lifts off he answers it and starts having a conversation, I look the other way to the person in the seat next to me and he is sending a text.It was not even as if he was being discreet about it, it was just a blatant disregard for the rules, totally unbelievable.

It was not the only phone call that was taken that flight, so I hope the pilot did not have anything important to listen to.

Novel Briefings

The flight was a hop flight we flew for and hour landed on a strip in the desert for some passengers to leave and then hopped on to Area 103. When we were preparing for take off for the last leg of the flight, the air crew came out to do the safety briefing. So I am half listening as I get my book out and find my page, when I realised that they missed a bit, they did not tell me that in case of landing on water my life jacket was under my seat that I put it over my head etc. how odd I thought.

It was only after we took off and I was looking out the window the nearest water is about 500km away, the chance of us landing anywhere near water was remote and if we did we were very lost.

Despite all these rather unusual practices, well unusual for me. We landed at Area 103 on time and stepping of the plane to the most magnificent sunset

A Desert Sunset

TTFN

Libyan Adventure – Part One

Posted on 29 November, 2010 by Kiff

Hello Dear Reader

: Image by (: Kiff via Flickr

We I am currently sat in my room with the Air Conditioning on trying to cool down, while I read reports on twitter and the news about how snow is falling in the UK.

As I have previously mentioned I have travelled to Libya for about 3 weeks with work. We are supporting the General Company for Gas Transportation and Distribution in the construction of a 190km pipeline across the Libyan Desert.
We are in a place called Area 103 which is about 60km west of the town of Jalu the push pin below is and approximation of where we are.

View Larger Map

I started the week in Tripoli, flying in on a Sunday and being collected from the Airport. I have walked though many airports and seen people standing with signs and always thought it would be nice to be met like that make yourself feel important.
Well I have now had my sign moment and well I did not feel as important as I thought I would, maybe because in Tripoli airport there are so many people with signs everyone was being collected.

Leaving the airport we headed into the city and it was one of the top 5 most terrifying car journeys I have ever been it. To be honest the top 4 all happened on this trip, driving in Tripoli is only for the brave.
You have a motorway style road where people are over taking undertaking driving with half the car in one lane half the car in the other lane. It seem you just point the car in one direction and drive straight at 120km/h if the road curves you only turn if you have to so people come right across the front of you as they drive straight across a bend.

Copper Souk

Once you come off the larger roads on to a duel carriage way type road, you find the situation were there are two lanes of road but four lanes of traffic and possibly five if there is a junction. Ok we are now only doing 80km/h but still, when you going along and all of a sudden there is a crossroad with two cars half way across the road trying to turn left (They drive on the other side to use) and the driver gives a gentle toot on the horn and swerves round behind them, I just closed my eyes and held on.

Then there are the pot holes in the road which I think put the craters on the moon to shame.

Still apart from that Tripoli is self was dated but very friendly, despite my run in with the hotel over exchanging money – they saw me coming a mile off – I never felt in any danger walking the streets or exploring.

I managed to have half a day in central Tripoli exploring the old town, seeing the souks of the Medina with their colour and variety the hustle and bustle of people everywhere. It is a place you can get lost walking down an ally and find various spice trader or gold traders. I am no expert and some of the merchandise looked less than genuine but some look very authentic.

I finally weaved my way to the far end of the Medina where the Arch of Marcus Aurelius can be found a roman structure stood in all is glory and previously one of the main entrances into the City.

I also managed to attach myself to the back of an Italian walking tour and visit the inside of a mosque taking some wonderful photos.

I closed off the evening by walking back to my hotel and stopping in a less that authentic eating establishment to have a chicken kebab and salad and bread.

I was a real eye opener to some very extreme ranges on living circumstances, from the brand new Marriott Hotel with it fancy light show on the outside to the poverty of people collecting plastic bottle from the rubbish dumps in the derelict parts of the old city.

Up next the flight out to the desert…

TTFN

Avon/Hannover Twinning Diary Part 4

Posted on 22 September, 2010 by Kiff

Hello Dear Reader

It has been a long while coming be here is the final part of my recent trip to Germany with the scouts

Incase you need to catch up you can find parts 1, 2, & 3 at the links provided. So where had we got to, yes Friday.

Friday 30th July

This was quite and important day for the scouts from Hannover this was the day they actually finished the E1 through Germany, the last walking group finished there walk at lake Constance however the very last section was to walk from the lake across the German/Swiss border a grand total of about 1km.
Before this walk took place we gathered in what appeared to be a band stand in the park in Constance. We hosted the Mayor of Constance at this little gathering where we discussed the journey to get to Constance and presented awards to people in each of the age groups in scouting who had walking the most km of the E1. This was followed by all the groups doing a freeze frame showing their journey.

Marks the End of the E1 in Germany

It is interesting crossing a border within a town there were no guards, no patrols there was a passport control but it was closed. I mean it all looked pretty official there was even a barrier across the road but it was just empty, the real comedy of the whole thing was if you walked round the corner then there was a large playing field where you could effectively stand with on leg in Germany one leg is Switzerland.

Border Control

Following the photo of everyone on the border we had a picnic lunch in Switzerland (giving everyone much amusement in saying I am just popping to Switzerland for lunch)

The last part of the day was spent exploring Constance and finding presents for family etc. before heading back to the campsite.

Saturday 1st August

After all the excitement of the day before, Saturday was spend on the campsite. We played a huge wide game in the woods behind the campsite and followed this by having fun in the site swimming pool. The pool had a slide and it was a lot of fun to see how many people we could get to slide down the slide at once I think we got about 20 people in a constant stream down the slide into the pool below.

In between the fun in the pool and the fun in the woods we started to pack up our kit and tidy up to make the Sunday and easier day.

Sunday 2nd August

The morning of Sunday was organised chaos, there was a large amount of tidying up and there is a fair amount of canvas to put away and the gateway had to come down and the bits of trees taken back to the woods. All this before 14:00 as there was one bus from the campsite to the station and we had 2 min between the arrival of the bus and the departure of the train.

Gate Way

Once everything was packed away and the campsite was cleared we held our closing ceremony and there was the usual mix of badge and knecker swapping.

Despite our tight timeline, German efficiency won through with and we were on the train with 2 mins to spare.

The train took us with one change all the way to Zürich where we caught a bus to the Airport, a plan home to the UK and finally a Bus from Heathrow back to Woodhouse Park. I know that end sounds like I rushed, it but there is very little to say about it, apart from while we were on the train to Zürich we saw the most awesome waterfall (picture below)

Waterfall from the Train

I enjoyed the whole thing it proved to me a number of things

I am not a fit as I thought I was
Language is no a barrier to Scouting and Friendship
Scouting really does mean you can throw together 15 young people and make a trip work in 3 months

Well I think that is enough for now.

TTFN

I Am Not Here Right Now

Posted on 3 September, 2010 by Kiff

Germany 1 Hello dear Reader.

Well as the title says I am not here at the moment. As you are reading this I will be in Pisa Italy enjoy a week-long break with my family.

This of course means a couple of things

When I return I will have lots to post about (hopefully)
There well be no posts from me next week
I will miss you all – ok maybe that is not true but I wanted to make you feel wanted.

I wanted to mention a couple of house keeping items.

I have not added a subscribe to comments function so if you want to know if anyone replies to the comment you have left you can now do so.

I have also added the Commentluv facility to replies, this means that if you have a blog and you post a comment on my blog it will add a link to your last post on the bottom of your comment thus allowing you to promote your blog – now how kind is that.

Well i will enjoy my holiday and I will see you on my return

TTFN