Airports

Given that travelling has become a normal activity for most people, and that without a doubt the proliferation of low cost air companies has contributed to that, I am quite sure that you, dear readers, have been in more than one airport. Each airport has its own design and scale, depending on the country and whether it is national or international; nonetheless the traveller usually has a similar experience in all of them whether it be pleasant or not.

An example is security control. After checking in your baggage you must go through security control. Sometimes it is a nightmare, you forget to take off your watch, your belt or even your shoes. When finally you pass through it you have to find a place where you can put your reclaimed clothes back on again and reorganise your backpack; most of the time it is an uncomfortable experience.

If security control wasn?t already enough, you also have to put up with plenty more after that. The traveller, with no options, has to walk through illuminated corridors flanked by shelves showing luxurious things (perfumes, jewellry collections, sunglasses and lingerie) or typical souvenirs of the country, which is an invitation to buy. It is not possible to arrive at the departure gate without walking around the commercial area. I sometimes look at the selves, but seldom do I buy, I prefer to spend the time chatting with my companions, reading or dozing.

In relation to my experience (as a tourist or as a traveller), I have been in different airports which gave me the opportunity to experience distinct sensations. The best organized in relation to security control was Lyon airport whereas the temperature and the general atmosphere of the airport in La Habana surprised me when I landed there.

Worht mentioning was my experience in Loikow (Myanmar) which was unlike any other. With little, if any, security control, everyone was ready to help you with your luggage. The toilet was old, and in the waiting room there was a little shop to have a cup of tea or coffee and some biscuits, nothing more. It looked just like an office with a courtyard where the aircrafts landed.

One day I asked one of my friends what airport, among those where he had been, had impressed him the most in any regard. He confidently answered: ?Dubai?. ?Why?? I asked again because I had no memory of that airport where I had once been when I travelled to Myanmar. Then he told me about the palm trees and all the luxury shops, how stunning everything was; and I realized that I had been there but I had noticed nothing he had mentioned.

In a nut shell, each experience is a personal one. So, dear readers, do you have any special anecdote related to any airport? Do you remember any of them for any specific reason?