Kwajalein & Kosrae
The flight on my itinerary identified origination – Majuro, and destination – Pohnpei. What should’ve been a two hour flight was the most obnoxious flight experience I’ve ever had!
First, the flight was delayed – but that was the least disturbing of a bizarre series of things that were about to unfold.
About an hour in flight, I felt a descent. The flight attendant announced that we were about to arrive in Kwajalein. “Am I on the right flight,” I questioned. Kwajalein is an island that has been occupied by the US military. We were told not to take any photographs. It was such a shame because the island boasted so much beauty – even the area that surrounded the landing strip seemed undisturbed by the fact that this place was being exploited for dubious reasons and unsettling uses. From the veneer of the plane’s window, the scenery was so serene.
What came next was a safety check procedure. A staff of “security” people came in to inspect carry-ons. We were asked to get out of our seats and move aside while the cabin was meticulously searched and inspected. Each seat was disassembled – who knows what they were checking for…
Thirty minutes later and several passengers added in transit, and we were back in flight to Pohnpei…or so I thought….
The whole scenario repeated itself in Kosrae, another island in the Micronesian archipelago.
Arggghhh!!! -A two hour flight should never be this excruciatingly long. This wasn’t even in the flight itinerary. Is this standard operating procedure?
I wonder if this is what it’s like going in the other direction. If so, I need to pack some hard liquor on the flight back.
First, the flight was delayed – but that was the least disturbing of a bizarre series of things that were about to unfold.
About an hour in flight, I felt a descent. The flight attendant announced that we were about to arrive in Kwajalein. “Am I on the right flight,” I questioned. Kwajalein is an island that has been occupied by the US military. We were told not to take any photographs. It was such a shame because the island boasted so much beauty – even the area that surrounded the landing strip seemed undisturbed by the fact that this place was being exploited for dubious reasons and unsettling uses. From the veneer of the plane’s window, the scenery was so serene.
What came next was a safety check procedure. A staff of “security” people came in to inspect carry-ons. We were asked to get out of our seats and move aside while the cabin was meticulously searched and inspected. Each seat was disassembled – who knows what they were checking for…
Thirty minutes later and several passengers added in transit, and we were back in flight to Pohnpei…or so I thought….
The whole scenario repeated itself in Kosrae, another island in the Micronesian archipelago.
Arggghhh!!! -A two hour flight should never be this excruciatingly long. This wasn’t even in the flight itinerary. Is this standard operating procedure?
I wonder if this is what it’s like going in the other direction. If so, I need to pack some hard liquor on the flight back.
posted by Islandmele at 2:49 PM
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