Sliding Doors ...

I remember watching the film Sliding Doors when I was in my early twenties (some time ago now!) and being hugely impacted by the fact that a few minutes of time passing in our lives can mean that the actions and decisons we make in a split second can have a have a massive impact on our futures, both individually, relationally and globally.

Last Thursday I found myself trying to check in at Marrakech's Menara Airport for a return flight to the UK with a friend of mine after spending some time supporting some friends in Morroco. Strolling into the airport we glanced at the check-in board, and confirmed verbally between us the number of the check-in desk we needed to head to, only to turn around to see a gentleman looking at us in a particularly perplexed way. That was not something new we had witnessed in Morocco, so we made our way to the desk anyway.

On arrival we were were greeted with a smile (I am a big fan of good customer service!) and it was explained that our flight was cancelled. The only thing we were able to be deduce from the conversation held in broken English was that there was something about ice and land. We thought about this for a while and concluded that the weather back home must have taken at severe turn for the worse, and that that was why we could not fly. Afterall, it was only two years ago that Heathrow Airport's runway was choked full of ice and snow at Easter. I know this as I was trying to make my way to Nepal!

It was only when the airline representative explained further that we realised the enormity of the problem we faced. A volcano had erupted in Iceland and therefore had interrupted our travel plans somewhat significantly. We spent the next few hours in snaking queues which at each turn revealed different information about our possible exit or not back to the UK.
Then we were allocated a flight a week away from our departure date, and I did one of those things I said I would never do after watching passengers travelling on a certain airline also broadcasted on TV, but I couldn't stop it happening! As our very helpful customer services representative offered us our rescheduled flight I felt the tears welling up and beading on my lower-lids. Before I knew it my eyes were watering profusely, and I was breathing rather deeply to compensate (Must have been the onions!) I joined the third queue of the day!

At this point in time it was not clear of the way forward, and my travelling companion and I were unsure of what to do. We wondered whether we should return to friends in the north of Morocco and sit it out there, or whether to sit it out in Marrakech. Both of us had visited before and as we piled onto the bus with other stranded tourists we weren't overly optimistic about the provision of our lodgings. At least we thought, we could hold in for the night and head North the next day if needs must!

On arrival at our hotel however we were somewhat pleasantly surprised, and also suspicious about whether the airline were actually footing the bill for our stay. I would struggle to pay to stay a weekend here, nevermind the airline providing complimentary full-board accommodation for a week.

So this is where we stayed .... An amazing place way beyond what we could ever afford... But it was provided ...

We spent a lot of time over the next few days with new friends trying to work things out and to come up with our own plan of how to get out of this place, like it was the last thing we might ever do, but it wouldn't work...

Then we gave up ... and let go!

On April 22nd we boarded our flight to the UK, just as UK airspace opened. Our seat allocation, row 22.

Those who know me well will know the significance of the above ...

More to follow on Europe and on Life Through the Lens over the next few weeks

Update ...

This wasn't exactly the blog-post I was expecting to be writing right now. It should be called Life Through The Lens and involve reflections on the recent trip to Morocco. However, the slight inconvenience of an errupting volcano shutting down the entirety of European airspace has put pay to that and we are technically stranded. I say technically stranded because our airline have provided complimentary all inclusive accommodation, though I am very aware that right now I should be preparing to go back to work tomorrow!

Spirits are still quite high here, probably reminiscent of Dunkirk, though obviously in reverse, and there have been a number of suggestions of alternative ways home. Some of my favourites are below:

* Hire a camel

*Ask Liz if Phil wouldn't mind lending us their yacht

* Swimming the channel ... though there is that annoying stretch of water between Africa and Spain to navigate as well

* Contact the Navy to see if they can do anything

* Stand on the shore at Tangiers with 1000 hairdryers to shift the ash cloud away

* Start walking

The latter is looking the most likely at the moment as there are no routes across Europe by rail or road at the moment.

I will try to keep you posted and if we decide to set out on foot I'll let you know ...

When your heart speaks, take good notes ...

Okay, so this is a bit of a red letter day - the first international blog post. I have written about places that I have visited before in hindsight, but never while actually being in a place. Exciting!

The last few days has been one of those times where you learn again to live one day at a time. There is nothing to plan for here, no work to be done, and days disappear into timelessness!

The time here has been incredible so far, and it has been so encouraging to be able to walk with others on the journey.

Morocco is an incredible melting pot of people and culture, and of course there is always time for tea, and over tea there are always opportunities for stories, stories about people, stories about places, stories about journeys.

There has also been time to put things down, and time to pick things up. So, as the warm afternoon sunlight basks the walls of this historic city and I look across the square in the old town of Meknes, I continue to ask myself questions that I don't actually know the answer to, and to muse about the possibilities. Not necessarily possibilities here, just possibilities. Whether this is comforting, or dangerous I do not yet know!

As great philosopher once said, "When your heart speaks, take good notes!"

I need to find a pen ...