Nepal > Stopover in the desert

It’s a quarter to three on this Saturday afternoon when the four of us drive to Schiphol. On the way, I find myself wondering how many times I’ve traveled via Schiphol. I still have enough time today to work that out. At Schiphol, we meet the Sawadee staff at the desk. It turns out we are the last passengers of the group. The flight departs at 17:20, not 17:35 as I had in mind. Assuming the recommended 2½ hours, we are cutting it a bit close. Through customs quickly, a cup of coffee, and then on to the plane. Here, the hand luggage is checked, and shortly after, I board the plane for the first flight to London Heathrow. At 17:30 we take off, and just before 17:30 we land at Heathrow. It’s always fascinating experiencing such a time difference. By now, I’ve calculated that this trip is my twentieth journey departing from Schiphol. London Heathrow always takes a lot of time. I find it an inconvenient airport. First, we have to take a bus to the terminal, then another bus to Terminal 3, and I prepare myself for the strict hand luggage checks here.

Nepal - The busy streets of Thamel district

Besides the usual scans, you also have to remove your shoes. In my eyes, all of this provides only the illusion of security. We don’t depart for Doha until 21:30, so there’s plenty of time to eat and drink. We gather the British pounds we have with us, and any shortfall is paid with a credit card. At 21:30, we take off with Qatar Airways for Doha, a flight of almost six hours. Between dinner and breakfast, there is a brief opportunity to close our eyes. By the time we arrive in Doha, it’s already morning. The pilot mentions just in time that it’s Ramadan in Qatar and that eating and drinking in public places is prohibited.