Karibu! Welcome to my blog!
I am nearing the last leg of my journey to Ngara! As I am waiting to board my flight to Rwanda I realized a pattern emerging from this trip. It seems that the closer I get to arriving at my final destination the better things seem to get.
I started out in Calgary with a heart wrenching good-bye that almost had me stuffing Kevin into my backpack. This emotional moment was followed by a US customs officer who was very intimidating and a little over concerned considering I was just transiting through the US. I started to question what I had got myself into when the first plane to Minneapolis felt like an erratic amusement ride. This was coupled with mechanical problems just before we landed. It is always comforting to be coming in for landing when suddenly the plane takes off in a steep and fast climb followed by an announcement that a warning light has come on and the pilots needed to figure out what the problem is before landing. If there is a warning light, shouldn’t they know what the problem is? It is likely a lot less like a car than I would like to think it is but all the same, this makes me question our aviation standards in light of the recent plane crashes. An hour later they had the problem figured out and took us down for a turbulent filled landing that had me reaching for the motion sickness bag, which luckily remained unused. I found it interesting that all of this took place on the same plane that had its boarding delayed by mechanical issues with the lavatories. A note to Northwest Airlines – maintenance might be something you should consider.
The next flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam was an improvement in mechanical issues (or at least the ones we knew about) being limited to my t.v. not working for the 8 hour leg of my journey. However, I was prepared for this with a wide selection of movies on my laptop. (Thank you KevinJ)
The closer I got to Africa the more travel improved. The KLM flight to Dar Es Salaam was actually enjoyable. I have to say, the service and food on KLM was really good. (It also didn’t hurt that the t.v. workedJ) The meal was based around African cuisine and if it is an example of what is to come then I am glad that I brought some stretchy clothing.
One of the most beautiful sights so far was flying over the Sahara desert. As the dark Mediterranean turned to red desert the plane seemed to fly so low that I could see gas plants and small villages. The smooth flow of sand dunes and slow rising rippling hills were juxtaposition with singular jagged mountains rising like a pile of razors out of the sand. Further diversity was added by the beautiful escarpments and plateaus that complimented the circular dunes and triangular mountains with right angle drops. Among these mountains and plateaus was one enchanting village that looked like it had been carved into the rock in a manner reminiscent of a traditional Bedouin architecture. The aerial viewpoint was central to this picturesque scene as I don’t believe it could be enjoyed in quite the same way from the ground. As we left the desert for the grasslands of the savanna the plane rose to a point where the same detail could not be appreciated.
