I wasn't surprised that I was up forty minutes before my alarm, I had a good sleep nevertheless. A hearty omelette and a quick round of goodbyes, the familiar drive to the airport, the inevitable argument about my baggage despite staying well within the airline's guidelines, and I soon find myself in my seat for leg one. Lionel Richie began crooning "I'm on my way" through the ATR42's sound system and I smile, as it's a good friend's ringtone, and I've heard it plenty this tour. I watch the scenery on approach in Dar es Salaam, having flown the same route numerous times myself when we moved our operation to Dar to avoid the Mtwara riots. I collect my bags, and find a quiet spot to transfer my laptop to my checked luggage in hopes of avoiding further baggage hassles. Not to be. After the long que through security, I discuss my baggage and weights with check in before everyone decides it's all okay, but there's a problem with my ticket, and I have to go back out through security to the airline office to sort it out. The airline office claims its all in order, so I get back in the que for my third pass through security in less than three hours, and attempt to check in again. The check in girl is flustered, claiming the travel agent has changed my ticket and wanders off to her manager to argue about my ticket for thirty minutes, as I stand wondering what it's been changed too, how I'm going to sort it, who is going to pay the difference, if I'll make Johannesburg tonight for my hunt, and who will be on the receiving end of my angst. Relax and smile and chalk it up to a conditioning to travel in Africa. Smiles and assurances that all is order, I'm sent away and told to attempt to check in again in three hours. So I wait to do it all over again, and write this bit in my blog to kill some time. Breath deep and let it all wash over you, be like the leaf floating on the stream. Watch the American couple yell and wave their arms and argue with the check in girl, and smile.
I now find myself in the executive lounge in Dar's international airport, tickets and boarding passes all sorted, lap top away in my checked luggage through thee most notorious airport for stolen bags, JNB. Not much choice with the pathetically small carry on allowances. Five kilograms! A fellow has been talking very loudly about being the President's son, of which country, I don't know. Internet is sporadic but the day is motoring along nicely.
Been through Nairobi airport many times, but this is the first time I've seen Kilimanjaro, besides the image on my favorite African beer. Off the plane and straight into the executive lounge, right beside my departure gate forJohannesburg, no passport control or security checks or check ins.....awesome. Besides the belching Somali woman by my side, all is right with the world. Checking emails, my hunting guide is awaiting my arrival, and an air ambulance helicopter I used to fly out of Moosonee, Ontario has crashed on takeoff just after midnight. Two medics and both pilots killed. I knew the Captain quite well, as we flew side by side fighting forest fires out of Timmins in the late eighties. Shit.
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