Out of Africa

It is 6am Kenya time. The problem is that I am now in Melbourne. And the local time here is 2am. Hello jet lag my old friend! Wait a minute it is actually 6pm in Kenya . . . whatever, can't work it out.

The cool thing is, although I can't sleep, at least I'm at home! So good to be back with the boys and my beautiful Sharon. So good to be back.

Here is a rundown of our exit from Africa. We left on Sunday afternoon from the Maasai Mara on a stormy day (torrential rain, thunder & lightning), absolutely magic. The airport is a dirt air strip with a hut off to the side. Very cool but a little discomforting in a storm. As usual, waited for our flight and when it came in, it was a 12 seater mono-prop plane. Very exciting! As we waited for take off the one pilot (looked like he was about 15), tried to work out who he was supposed to take and fortunately, it was so booked that I got to sit in the c0-pilot seat! Very cool! So we took off on our 1 hour flight to Nairobi. Incredible! I remember thinking, 'what a trip this has been'! But wait there's more!
Above: on the runway, next to my plane
above: Anton, speaking to the 15 year old pilot - in the rain
above: Ladies and Gents, fasten your seatbelts - 'hey, look at all the pertty buttons!'
above: Take-off over the Mara River - 'later hippos!'
above: landing at Wilson Airport, Nairobi.

We arrived at the Kenyatta International and booked into our Emerites flight home which left at 1130pm - way too much time at the airport! But Anton, did his stuff - he went through every shop looking for a bargain! What a shopper. And the thing is, he was doing it for me! I didn't get any ebony wood carvings of animals that I wanted for the boys, but thanks to Anton, the animals are sitting on the dinning table (right next to me - they look great). I think that burned about an hour. 'Welcome to Africa, what's the hurry?'

1130pm came, 1230am, still waiting to board the plane; an announcement at 1am: 'we are experiencing technical problems . . . we regret'; 130am . . . no news is 'blankity-blank' news; 2am: is that the crew I see leaving the plane? Anton hears the pilot speak to the ground crew to make an announcement to the passangers; 3am - announcement: 'it is regret that the flight cancelled to Dubai . . . we inform to regret'; 4am, we all finally move to baggage claim to collect our bags, but first we had to go through Customs! Some had to pay a visa to enter the country. Fortunately, ours was still valid. We had to push and shove to get our hotel voucher and then head for the Holiday Inn, about 30 minutes away. 430am, check in and wake up call for 630am to eat breakfast & 7am leave for airport to catch 11am flight.

Next morning, no, same morning we got up all 'puffy eyed', ate got to front desk, only to be told that we have til 1pm before we have to get to the airport! Argh! So we all tried to sleep. 1pm we are sitting in a bus, a logistical nightmare! We make it to the airport and findout oour flight leaves at 6pm (or something like that). This meant our 1 day in Dubai was cut to about 5 hours! Never saw the place. I did get to sleep on a sofa bed though! I lost the coin-toss, bummer.

Next day after 2 1/2 hours sleep, we flew off to Hong Kong. We arrived and had about 5-6 hours sleep, magic. And then off to the airport, booked in, only to find that the flight was delayed an hour . . . argh! We could've had another hour of sleep! Oh well, what else do you do in Hong Kong when you are with Anton but shop! It was good fun! This place was shopping heaven - not enough time, really, almost missed the flight!

Qantas flight 30 took off an hour late for home, sweet, home. It was a great flight. Watched 3 movies and they even served ice cream and chilled apples! We arrived home and had to face customs. I lost the animal skin from a drum I bought Ezra, but I'll just have to get it re-skinned. Saw the beautiful family, sight for sore eyes! We are home!