World Teacher Aid Trip to Kenya Day 3 Almost Did Not Arrive In Kenya

Saturday July 21, 2012: Arrive in Kenya around 6:30pm to Hotel

The arrival in Zurich was smooth and helped out by the stewardesses as they got me a spot closer to the front of the plane with about 30 minutes to go before landing as I had about 30 minutes to make my connecting flight.  I quickly rushed through  TSA check-in and found the appropriate gate where again my flight almost came to a screeching halt.  Apparently, I did not have a seat on this plane…Nice of the girl back in Newark, NJ to fill me in on this small detail.  She had told me they would need to print me a boarding pass there as it was a different airline, nothing however about not having a secured seat.

I was asked to wait aside as I watched numerous people come through the line…and of course, I could not access the internet to save my life at this point to get in touch with anyone…fortunately with much moving around and even more once inside, I was able to get on the plane to Nairobi.

I think I really would have had a breakdown if they had not allowed me to get on the plane…I just could not believe it kelt turning out like this up to this point, but it all worked out in the end.

I watched a couple more movies as the plane was decked out in larger screens and the ability to pick and choose what you wanted to watch.  I ended up watching “WanderLust” which reminded me a lot of the relationship I have with my wife at times and also watched Hunger Games and a documentary on the Great Migrations, which included the Wildebeests from Kenya/Tanzania, so it was fitting as I was headed there.

The flight was smooth overall, though I was beginning to feel dehydrated and nauseous and thus happy to get off the plane.  Obtaining my visa smoothly and finding all my luggage within a few minutes was a sign of good things to come.  After having everything seem to go the wrong way thus far, they now seemed to be heading in the right direction.

At least for the time being as my driver never showed up (which Amy had arranged in advance), though someone called the hotel for me and arranged a different transport. There were many other people there looking to pick people up with all of their many signs.

Kenya Taxi Drivers Waiting To Pick Up Arrivals

Kenya Taxi Drivers Waiting To Pick Up Arrivals

I talked to the driver most of the way back and soaked in the night scene of Nairobi…Traffic, garbage around, people walking all over, nearly getting hit by cars going through roundabouts and turning here and there.  Apparently this system works, though as he said people usually do not get hit, which I found somewhat hard to believe.

Once I got the hotel, I checked in, put my bags in a holding room bringing the others upstairs and headed down to get some dinner.  I ate at the Spur restaurant in the hotel and had a great chicked skewer meal, with fries and a Tusker beer which was not too bad.

I felt as though I needed to (and could) relax some now that I was finally here.   I just listed to the conversations around me as I stuffed myself as I was now feeling better and followed it up with an ice cream as well before heading back to my room.

I was able to get online before this and did some more letting people know at home that I had safely arrived…I tried to do it more, but just could not keep my eyes open before heading to sleep around 11pm.