We didn't have to leave the lodge until 8:30, so we had a leisurely breakfast and watched for game as we headed for the Seronera Airstrip for a 10:30 flight to the small Arusha airport. I rode in the co-pilot's seat where I could talk to the pilot and ask questions when he wasn't busy. I saw some Maasai villages, the Ngorongoro Crater, where we had been a few days ago, and some mountain peaks that were higher than we were. Luckily, we went through a pass between the peaks.
Our flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport didn't depart until 8:00pm, so we were taken by bus to the Mount Meru Hotel, a very nice place in downtown Arusha. There we had time to freshen up and repack our luggage for the trip home. We boarded the bus at 5:00pm for the one-hour ride to the airport. We got there in plenty of time to check in, turn in our Tanzania exit form at Immigration, and find our gate.
Our plane made a stopover in Dar es Salaam, a one hour flight SOUTH of Arusha. There we sat on the ground (in the plane) for an hour while the plane was cleaned and passengers left and boarded. Then we took off for what was now a 9-hour flight to Amsterdam! Luckily, it was a late night flight, so we were able to sleep quite a bit.
Sunday, 8/10
We got to Amsterdam at about 7:00am and had 45 minutes to catch our flight to Copenhagen. In Copenhagen, Marsha was thirsty, so she drank a 14 oz., $5.00 Diet Coke while we waited three hours to catch our flight to New York. We have now been in the air for a total time equal to the entire trip to Nairobi on the way to Africa!
After an eight hour flight, we landed at JFK in New York where we had booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express near the airport. We ordered pizza and beer from a local pizza parlor, had dinner, and died until morning when we went down for the free breakfast at about 8:30. It was probably the best free breakfast I have ever seen in a hotel.
Monday, 8/11
We shared a breakfast table in the crowded eating area with a couple from Rochester, NY. They asked where we were traveling to/from and when we mentioned Africa, they wanted to know all about it. They had been contemplating the trip for several years, but hadn't pulled the trigger because they thought it might be to primitive for their liking. When we described our experiences and accommodations, they said they were going to take a closer look at doing it. We recommended Globus Tours and told them to request to be in Andrew's group.
Our plane was scheduled for a 3:00 departure, but the wheels didn't go up until 4:00. With the time change, we arrived in St. Louis at 5:00 and called for the shuttle to the hotel where we had parked the car. We drove home on the wonderfully smooth roads, arriving at 8:00pm.
Summary
It was a wonder trip; a trip of a lifetime. I have always wanted to visit Africa and go on Safari. It became a bucket list thing for me. I thanked Marsha for letting me go and she thanked me for taking her along. It was a fantastic experience. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a bad back. Those roads are torture!
Thanks for following along with us. Keep an eye on the blog. No telling what our next adventure might be.
