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So my May roster was a sigh of relief after working the previous month in Business. Back to serving just 12 people. Back to making cappuccinos when I was bored. Back to actually having time to have a decent conversation with passengers. Back to listening to the cockpit complain about rest and profit share and how they have to slug it out at home fixing up the irrigation system on their garden. Back to Galley FM with my peeps rather than running around like a headless chicken asking the proper Business crew how things go and where they are and OMG I haven't done this service in over a year...

I had a really good roster, even though it was peppered with turns. Aside from a VERY eventful JFK, and sachertorte/chocolate shopping in Vienna and Zurich, I had 4 turns, one of which I swapped for a Tripoli.

Now I'd never been to Tripoli before, the company stopped the layover because we started flights to Tunis, and included it on it's stopover. All I had heard about it was that it was in Libya, which has been grouped before as being an 'Axis of Evil' country, and not many crew I was flying with these days had been there on a layover, or if they had would just stay in the hotel. So I was stumped as to what I was going to do...

When I operated the flight the passengers were really sweet. The cabin was full of men, but they behaved themselves. Our bars were left sealed as not a single person drank. Despite being able to drink on the plane, because the country was completely dry, some didn't want to be hassled by security for having alcohol on their breath.

One thing you notice when you stay there is that EVERYONE smokes indoors. In the airport terminal waiting for their suitcases, and surrounded by non-smoking signs, people were lighting up. Upon departure from Libya getting my bags screened by security, the uniformed guard was too busy trying to light up his cigarette than to look at my bags on the screen. I could have been carrying Anfo and he wouldn't have cared.

So the layover was alright. Hotel was absolutely stunning, and I went out with the crew for dinner. After a few false starts we did manage to find a decent place...


Marcus Aurelius Arch, near our restaurant. How good was the location?!?


Some more ruins amongst the restaurant. Amazing food too.


The Arch at night


Photo of Colonel Gaddafi on the Green Wall. It was a bit surreal, as in every other city I've been to there is a lot of advertising, billboards and what-not. Here where there are billboards there are photos of Gaddafi and of him celebrating the African Union. I saw only two advertising billboards without his image on them - one for a soft drink, the other for evaporated milk. Very strange.


So here we have a lovely example of Libyan Engrish that totally trumps the pook chop and spicy stook I saw in Moscow. But aside from what they do to the Baby Camel, where or what is a 'clint'?

Labels: Airline Stuff, Engrish, Layovers

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