Who would have predicted the effects of a far away volcano in Iceland, called Eyjafjallajoekull, a name hardly anyone can pronounce correctly.
This volcano erupted on April 14th 2010, and caused chaos in the world, specially in Europe. It was the first time that airspace was closed in most western Europe after the 2nd world war. Incredible. Authorities were afraid about flight passenger’s security, so they decided to close most Western Europe airports. What happened next made everyone think how dependant we are on planes, how distant some places, countries really are and how things could change from what we are now used to. Suddenly being in Spain and trying to go back to the Uk was taking 1 day and a half! And because of so many people stranded, you couldn´t even decide when you wanted to travel.
I found myself stranded in Amman, my first visit to an Arab country, right in the middle east, so close to so many countries in conflict. My business trip there had gone well, I had even enjoyed bathing in the Dead Sea, when on Thursday 15th my flight back to London was delayed and things started to get complicated. I had been feeling not very comfortable in such a culturally different country, but I was feeling even worst when I was alone, taken to a hotel near the airport in Amman and left there to wait till things were sorted out. In that situation you really need to look after yourself and be alert. I had to ask several times for my bedroom until I decided I wasn´t going to accept a no for response. I remember being in a big room for lunch and dinner, trying to choose something to eat that I could consider acceptable and sitting there surrounded by strangers, people from everywhere, dressed in the most varied way, with women covering their heads, etc. Westerns were enjoying drinks at the bar, while Indian and Arab families were confined in their rooms only going out for food time. I was missing to have some Spanish around, I am sure I would have felt much more at home, and that people would have tried to be helpful.
That night was long and hard, I tried to rest in an old bed, not even daring to get undressed, and by 5.30 in the morning I decided I had had enough. Two hours later I made my way to the airport hoping I could manage to get a seat on the 11am plane to Madrid. Spain was one of the European countries were the ashes from the volcano didn´t go to, so during almost a week, Spain became Europe´s hub, receiving planes from distant places. In the end, after 3 hours of speaking to almost everyone at the airport I breathed relieved that I was going to fly back home!
Not until a week after I was able to go back to London, in a 2 hour normal flight. Before airports were open, the other alternative was taking 2 trains to get to Paris on a 12 hour journey, a one night sleep in Paris and then a Eurostar to London. People now travel a lot, we travel too often, we travel too far, what if it wasn´t for planes? We wouldn´t be able to visit distant places, meeting different people, let alone deciding to live abroad, for… how would you manage with such long journeys? It made me think of ancient times..
While being stuck in Amman, some British were joking about how to travel back to Europe from there, driving across frontiers, taking a ferry or ship, who knows how long would it take.
The good thing after all is we have a story to tell and we are back home! Sweet home!
This volcano erupted on April 14th 2010, and caused chaos in the world, specially in Europe. It was the first time that airspace was closed in most western Europe after the 2nd world war. Incredible. Authorities were afraid about flight passenger’s security, so they decided to close most Western Europe airports. What happened next made everyone think how dependant we are on planes, how distant some places, countries really are and how things could change from what we are now used to. Suddenly being in Spain and trying to go back to the Uk was taking 1 day and a half! And because of so many people stranded, you couldn´t even decide when you wanted to travel.
I found myself stranded in Amman, my first visit to an Arab country, right in the middle east, so close to so many countries in conflict. My business trip there had gone well, I had even enjoyed bathing in the Dead Sea, when on Thursday 15th my flight back to London was delayed and things started to get complicated. I had been feeling not very comfortable in such a culturally different country, but I was feeling even worst when I was alone, taken to a hotel near the airport in Amman and left there to wait till things were sorted out. In that situation you really need to look after yourself and be alert. I had to ask several times for my bedroom until I decided I wasn´t going to accept a no for response. I remember being in a big room for lunch and dinner, trying to choose something to eat that I could consider acceptable and sitting there surrounded by strangers, people from everywhere, dressed in the most varied way, with women covering their heads, etc. Westerns were enjoying drinks at the bar, while Indian and Arab families were confined in their rooms only going out for food time. I was missing to have some Spanish around, I am sure I would have felt much more at home, and that people would have tried to be helpful.
That night was long and hard, I tried to rest in an old bed, not even daring to get undressed, and by 5.30 in the morning I decided I had had enough. Two hours later I made my way to the airport hoping I could manage to get a seat on the 11am plane to Madrid. Spain was one of the European countries were the ashes from the volcano didn´t go to, so during almost a week, Spain became Europe´s hub, receiving planes from distant places. In the end, after 3 hours of speaking to almost everyone at the airport I breathed relieved that I was going to fly back home!
Not until a week after I was able to go back to London, in a 2 hour normal flight. Before airports were open, the other alternative was taking 2 trains to get to Paris on a 12 hour journey, a one night sleep in Paris and then a Eurostar to London. People now travel a lot, we travel too often, we travel too far, what if it wasn´t for planes? We wouldn´t be able to visit distant places, meeting different people, let alone deciding to live abroad, for… how would you manage with such long journeys? It made me think of ancient times..
While being stuck in Amman, some British were joking about how to travel back to Europe from there, driving across frontiers, taking a ferry or ship, who knows how long would it take.
The good thing after all is we have a story to tell and we are back home! Sweet home!
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