Yay!

“ From toilet paper to Tanzania: our journey begins with stomach flu, delays and a first African massage. ”

A false start

And then, a few days before departure, we both get sick. Stomach flu, probably. Spending half a night on the toilet, followed by days with an upset stomach. Fortunately, we recovered in time, but it was a bit tense — our trip almost got jeopardized.

Farewell and preparations

Before you know it, it’s suddenly here. Stuff packed, everything triple checked, ready to go. And time to say goodbye — to our children (for new readers: our cats).

For Nova this will be the first time we are away for more than a few days. In December we were in Porto for four days, which was the longest so far.

I have the idea that Pepper knows what is going on as soon as she sees our travel bags. I always worry a little, but this time a little more. Fortunately, they are in good hands with our friends Peter and Joyce who will take care of them every day during this holiday.

The flight

At Schiphol, everything runs smoothly and the wait at the gate feels surprisingly short. It is a clear day and we are treated to beautiful views: the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Nile Delta… We make a big detour around Sudan. It is bizarre to think of what is happening down there while we are on our way for pleasure. It puts things into perspective and makes you realize how privileged we are.

The flight goes smoothly — until we have about two hours to go. Then the familiar clock-watching begins. Just hang on a little longer. The landing begins: we have arrived. Kilimanjaro International Airport. Some of the passengers stay on board and fly on to Dar es Salaam. We get out.

The visa surprise

Upon arrival we walk straight to customs. We expected some hassle: my visa had been approved a few days before departure, but Evita hadn’t heard anything until then. So I would have to wait for her… you would think.

Evita explains her situation to a customs officer and is taken to the head of a long line. In the meantime, I am also approached. There are two lines: one for online visa applications and a smaller one with a sign saying “diplomats and residents”. I have my doubts, but the people in that line do not look like diplomats and certainly not like residents. So, at the direction of the customs officer, I join them anyway.

My line moves much faster than the one next to it. To the frustration of Americans in particular. Nevertheless, Evita is the one waiting for me instead of the other way around. She was allowed to pay for her visa again on the spot — and something tells me that the €50 paid earlier will never come back.

A warm welcome

Outside we look for our guide, who, according to plan, should be waiting with a sign with our names. We walk past all the signs three times — but no guide in sight. A little later I see a man with a sign walking into the arrival hall. My feeling immediately says: this is it. And yes — we are warmly greeted by Jabir, who immediately takes our bags.

We meet and walk towards the car. There follows a drive of about an hour to Moshi, where we will spend our first night. The road from the airport is under repair and therefore quite rough. Our first “African massage” is a fact.

First impressions

Traffic is a different story. We can talk about it briefly or at length — let me just say that it is very different from the Netherlands. But that doesn't surprise us of course.

After arriving we check in at Chanya Lodge, where a nice room and an inviting bed await us. The next day is still quiet: we stay in the area of Moshi. We agree with Jabir that he will pick us up at 8:30. We load some stuff and dive into bed. It was a long day…