Getting to Africa: Arusha Bound

To get to Tanzania we had to fly to Detroit first. I always find it strange when you go in the opposite direction of where you are actually planning on going. This domestic flight wasn't so bad, but our next two flights would last about 8 hours each!

On flight from DC to Detroit

From Detroit we would fly to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam we'd fly to Kilamanjaro. We killed time by sleeping, reading and watching movies (N.B. the Good Dinosaur is REALLY SAD!). I knew I was on a long flight because of the free entertainment, the toiletry bags (with mini toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask and ear plugs!), and all the food/drinks.

Going Abroad: On flight from Detroit to Amsterdam

It was interesting in Amsterdam to sit at the gate because it was fairly obvious who was going on a safari - the sea of khaki clothes and camera equipment was a good sign. I ended up talking to a nice lady who was widowed and going on her second safari. She was going to Tanzania to go on a safari with the guide she had met on her last safari, in a different part of Africa that she had taken with her husband. Later, we chatted through the window of our respective vehicles as we waited for our drivers.

Woohoo! Kilamanjaro Bound!

When we were boarding, the gate attendant commented that we weren't sitting together but she moved us so that we together and literally in the last row. That was definitely nice because there was space to recline as far as you could and not feel guilty.

Final leg - Amsterdam to Kilamanjaro (Arusha, Tanzania)

We ended up sitting with a guy name Chris who was originally from Tanzania but currently living in Canada. He taught us all these basic Swahili phrases and talked about what we'd see and experience.

For example, "Hakuna matata" isn't just a phrase from Disney's the Lion King, it actually means "no problem/no worries" and people really do say it all the time in Africa! You might ask, "Can we have extra bacon with our breakfast?"... Response: "Hakuna matata."

• Jambo means "Hello"
• Asante means "Thank You"
• Karibu (like caribou) means "You are welcome" or "Welcome!"
• Sawa means "Ok" - as in when the guide asks "Sawa?" (i.e. are you ready to move on?), the response is "Sawa sawa!" (Unless you want to take 3 more pictures...)

Landed!

When we landed in Kilamanjaro International Airport, it was kind of like Molokai's airport. Very small.

Our trusty KLM plane

"International Arrivals" (The whole airport was smaller than your average major city terminal)

There was a gentleman waiting for us who directed us into the line for a visa.

Helpful Signage

Getting through this was actually a three step process which took quite a bit a time. We found it annoying that there some travelers who had no qualms about ignoring the queue and working their way up front. Chris even heard one couple talking about it. Rude. However, we were both excited to have our first visas in our new passports. (Alas, all my earlier travels were on an earlier passport)

It was late when we arrived in Arusha, so on the drive to our lodgings it was tough to get a sense of this new country (continent!). The road seems unpaved and Tanzanians drive on the left. There were some tin roofed, small businesses that seemed generally lit by a single lightbulb. We noticed lots and lots of people on motorbikes. Apparently motorbikes are a popular form of taxi in East Africa, but particularly in Arusha. Sometimes we saw three people on a single bike!

For our two nights in Arusha we stayed in Arusha Coffee Lodge. We were greeted with hot towels and a delicious coffee drink. Then a few ladies whisked our bags up and carried them...on their heads to our adorable little cottage. After settling in we fell promptly to sleep full of dreams about the safari to come!

Our lodgings: Arusha Coffee Lodge

 

Chris loved the bathrooms. In all the Elewana properties you'd get bottled water - a bottle on your nightstand to drink and a bottle for brushing your teeth. It's not so much that the water was unsafe, but had different bugs in it that probably would upset our non-native stomachs.

Tired, but happy to be in Africa. Ready to safari!