Day 1: Travel and the whole arriving thing…

I’m writing this from a twin bed under a mosquito net. It feels like those fake tents I made when I was kid out of blankets and sofa cushions. So yeah, I made it. It’s 10:00 Tuesday night Kenya (which is 2:00 Central). I spent the last 24 hours in airports, airplanes and taxis. 

The flights were great. The seat next to me was vacant on both flights. I slept through the wrong one and stayed awake on the sleeping one. I watched four movies ( “The Other Boleyn Girl, “Golden Compass,” “Atonement,” “Dan in Real Life”) plus 4 sitcoms and 2 cartoons. The inflight entertainment was more robust than my living room and I have to confess that I WANTED to watch Hanna Montana, but couldn’t justify it without the girls.  The food was bland, but pleasant and time consuming.

Things I learned in Amsterdam:

-Airport prices + unfavorable dollar vs. Euro + conversion plus commission = $20 coffee, donut and evian. 

-The “take-a-penny-leave-a-penny” is an American thing. At the airport barista, it is called the “tip jar.” No-touchy.

-Some local newscaster was on my plane. I big-timed him. 

 

After two hours in Kenya I know:

-Bug spray is a big deal.

-They have sprawl.

-They don’t convert “old” $100 bills.

-Being bad at math can lead to overtipping. (My taxi driver, Richard, REALLY likes me.)

-Mama Bear (not how you spell it) gave me the key to my room, it has orange tile floors, 70’s sheets and built in an unknown geometric shape. It has a shower, toilet paper and a power outlet.

Good times. Good night.