In spite of about four hours sleep when the alarm started beeping at 4:30am Kristen and I were out of bed, showered, and packed in less than a half hour. We were motivated.
This was Kristen’s first trip to an African country and I was eager to return to Tanzania. The flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam was little more than a hop to the continental mainland. The big excitement came in boarding the eight-hour KLM flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).
Waiting in the queue for security was actually fun. Each gate has its own security check, complete with scanners, so there was no angst about missing a flight. The plane was mostly filled with tourists anticipating their first safari or climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro or both. Kristen and I made an informal game of picking out the new hiking boots or safari gear to guess the itineraries of the long line of passengers.
The actual flight was a breeze. We were ready for the time and came armed with books, magazines, computers, and Ipods. Most of our anti-boredom arsenal was left untouched as sleep and the on-board entertainment were both pretty good alternatives.
(Joking here... the movies were obviously better than the tracking map.)
Another great surprise was the food. The dinner was good, but this snack of Lentil Tika soup and cabbage salad was out of this world!
Watching the sunset through ice crystal windows of our hermetically sealed aluminum tube, I knew we were over Africa. The clouds are different here and the atmospheric colors appear richer. Either that or I simply appreciate the details more here.
We arrived just a little late at KIA and were seated in the perfect spot to be last in line through immigration and customs. To exit the airplane, mobile stairs are pushed up to the doors and the front and back exits are opened. This was a small price to pay for sitting over the wing and not in the rear of the plane for the long flight.
Since we were literally last in line, the customs officer for “Nothing to Declare” must have been tired of watching the traffic pass and directed us over to be screened by the other "Declarations" agent. Smiles and an overly verbose explanation of returning to Moshi to volunteer in the Rafiki Orphanage got the right response. My bag was barely opened and Kristen receiving a “wave through”. I think Mr. George’s advice of "keep talking and you can work your way through most situations in Tanzania" has some real merit.
George Faulhaber, the Rafiki Village Director, and Sovano his grounds keeper met us right outstde the “Arrivals” door and we were ready to begin our Africa immersion.
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