So far my trip has been…eventful. I have finally reached Arusha, actually not until Sunday morning (27th) at 7:00 AM. I left DC on the 24th, mind you. I will recap. My flight was supposed to leave DC on Thursday, the 24th, at 5:45 PM. However, the plane had a mechanical issue, causing us a 2 hour delay. This made me miss my connecting flight in Zurich. In Zurich a bunch of other passengers and I were frantically trying to rebook the first flight to Dar. However, there were no more direct flights from Zurich to Dar (like my original flight), so we were told we would have to be re-routed through another airport in Europe. Fine. As long as I get there. However, the next flight to Dar was going to be to Dubai, leaving at 8 PM that night. Which would cause us to get into Dar by 3 PM the next day. Wait, that can’t work. I have a flight at 11 AM the next day from Dar to Kilimanjaro airport (booked separately by Taima as to not be covered under airline policies). I had to catch an earlier flight. There was a flight from Zurich to Instanbul, and Istanbul to Dar, but it was booked and I would have to be on standby. Fine. So I was put on standby. But the flight from Istanbul to Dar I had a guaranteed seat. Okay, that will work. So I wait at the terminal. The flight is delayed. Of course it is! After they board everyone, finally, there are four other people waiting standby. Oh no, I thought. This looks bad. However, an hour or so later, we got on the plane. I rested easy knowing that I would at least make it to Dar…even if it wouldn’t be until the 26th at 3 AM (what a terrible time to get in!)… making matters even worse is that I had no way to contact my contact in Dar to let him know not to pick me up from the airport. I had fortunately been proactive in sending him an email in DC (when I still had free wifi) and let him know not to get me until I called/emailed him because my flight was delayed. But what was I to do arriving at 3 AM? He certainly couldn’t get me. Guess an expensive taxi ride it is. Anyways, back to my flight. I get in to Istanbul and wait for my connecting flight. We get in though, late of course, so me and three other passengers catching a flight to Dar are RUSHED by Turkish airline employees to our gate. Actually it was quite nice that when we got off the plane, someone from the airline was waiting for us since they knew we landed late and had to make our connecting flight. The only problem was 1. The language barrier 2. The fact that these employees didn’t really know what was going on. So we were rushed to a ticket counter to get our boarding passes printed. This took a long time. So by the time we had our boarding passes, our only objective was to get to the gate. At this point, the plane had already started boarding, but we were optimistic that we could get there. Another issue arises- where is the gate? There was little to no signage at this airport. I fortunately, after a few tries, found someone who knew where it was. This airport was HUGE and we had to run there… we got there- seriously in the nick of time. We run up to the gate and I tried to give the woman my boarding pass (the gate was closed- I was really nervous they had stopped boarding). She looks at me all crazy and says “we haven’t boarded yet.” OF COURSE YOU HAVEN’T! The flight was delayed… go figure. So we get to catch our breath. We didn’t board for another hour or so. When we finally got on the plane, I was SO relieved to know that I was going to make it to Africa. Just one last overnight flight and I’d be there. Turkish airlines were a dream, too! They had the best food I had my whole time, and they were just so wonderful. There was no one on the flight so I had three seats to myself. I slept like a baby... for 3 hours. I think at this point I had only had maybe 6 hours of sleep in the last 2 days, so I was tired. We arrived at Dar at 3:30 AM. We proceed to customs and to get our luggage. I wait as all the luggage comes out, and there is no more left. Where is my luggage? Could this day (or days, I should say), get any worse? Another passenger and I, who both came from Zurich, had insisted on asking every employee on each plane we got on to check our luggage to make sure it made it. Well, I guess someone lied. I went to fill out a missing luggage report, and they told me that there was a flight coming in later that day (it was the 26th at 4 AM by this point), and it would probably make it on that flight. One problem. My flight from Dar to Kilimanjaro was at 11 AM (and it is 9 hours from Dar to Kili by bus). How was I going to get my luggage if I was already in Kili? Would they send it to me via airplane? I didn’t trust that it would get there without me physically picking it up. So I decided to wait until the ticket counter opened for my next flight (with Precision Air) so that I could see about switching my flight to the next morning. The ticket counter didn’t open until 5:30. I waited and waited, and finally switched my flight. No late charges because the girl was nice. Thank goodness something was going my way. I was now scheduled to leave Dar on the 27th at 6 AM. With this assurance, I exchanged $20.00 (at a terrible airport exchange rate, mind you, because it was 5 AM and nothing was open), and got a taxi for 24,000 TSH. I took the taxi to the Jambo Inn, checked in at 6 AM and got a few hours of sleep. Upon arrival at the Jambo Inn, I had to call Daudi (my ride in Dar), to let him know to meet me at the Jambo Inn later so he could pass my phone to me. I got about 2.5 hours of sleep. I woke up just in time for my free breakfast. I then met Daudi at 10 AM, got my Tanzanian phone (whew, what a relief), and he took me to exchange more money and on a tour around Dar. I felt relieved to have someone so familiar with everything in Dar, for it is a chaotic and weird place. The day passed, with lots of eating out in Dar and a little bit of exploring. I also had the chance to rest a little bit more. At 6 PM I called the airport to see if my bags were there. Nothing yet, they said. There was a flight scheduled to arrive at 10 PM with my bags. Then they recanted that statement. Actually, it was a flight set to arrive at 3:45 AM the next morning. WHAT! I stayed an extra day in Dar and cancelled my flight because I thought my bags would be there before I leave. 3:45 was just 15 minutes before I was supposed to be checking in (they suggest you check in at 4 AM for a 6 AM flight). I was nervous the plane would be delayed and I would go to Kili without any luggage. I was already living off the same two outfits, and no toiletries save it were some light spray, deodorant, and cheap African soap. In Dar it is very humid and I was already sweating in the clothes I did have. How was I to do an internship at the UN without any formal work clothes, or better yet, shampoo? I was praying that my luggage would be there when I checked in at 4 AM. Fortunately, one piece of luggage was. Oh well, one is better than none! Had I thought about the possibility of losing my luggage, I would have separated my items better. I received the luggage with my shoes and clothes. Well, the toiletries didn’t make it quite yet. I guess I could get by in the meantime on African toothpaste, shampoo, cheap razors, etc. It would have to do. I took the flight and arrived in Arusha on the 27th at 7 AM. Taima picked me up- boy was I happy to see her!
Side note: I got to fly over the Swiss Alps and could see them from the airplane. One of the most gorgeous sights of my life. Also, I flew over Kilimanjaro during sunrise. We were above the clouds, and the peak of it was too. It was such a beautiful setting descending to Kilimanjaro.
Side note: I got to fly over the Swiss Alps and could see them from the airplane. One of the most gorgeous sights of my life. Also, I flew over Kilimanjaro during sunrise. We were above the clouds, and the peak of it was too. It was such a beautiful setting descending to Kilimanjaro.
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