The first group arriving in Kigali!
Although thirty six hours of traveling seems daunting at the outset, the time passes fairly quickly as we all bond through our shared experience. Flying in and out of completely foreign countries and through time zones is exhausting, but everyone was lifted by our countless, rousing games of “contact” and 20 Questions. Placing all our faith in our wonderful trip leaders, we completed leg after leg of our journey without any problems – until Addis Ababa. We were moderately suspicious of this portion of the trip when we left Seattle, because only three of us had recieved boarding passes from Addis to Kigali. They assured us, however, that we would be situated once we got there. As we arrived at the gate in the Addis airport, we had our first trip experience with TIA (This Is Africa). Although the airline had booked the flight to run on a Boeing jet, they downgraded to a much smaller plane and consequentially, only a handful of us – those who had boarding passes since our origin – could go ahead. Exhausted from traveling for hours on end, this came as an obvious frustration. After a great deal of discussion amongst the trip leaders (and not a small amount of fuming at the airline employees behind the counter) they decided that sending six of us ahead would make it easier to fit the rest on the next flight in the morning. The others would spend the night in the Addis airport and arrive in Kigali around noon the next day. And so, under those unfortunate circumstances, the group divided and we boarded a small propeller plane bound for Entebbe and then Kigali. But the trouble didn’t stop with the plane reservations. Once we got to Kigali we experienced an odd twist of fate where nearly all our smaller group’s baggage did not arrive, but the bags of those still in Addis did. I personally believe these hiccups were an essential part of the trip, however, it was a reminder (albeit an abrupt one) of the unpredictability of international travel. The lesson here is fairly clear, and it is a staple of the essential group mindset: it is important to always participate with an open mind devoid of expectations, to trust your leaders, and to go with the flow.
Josh Marten
I must leave a comment… that is a the finest picture of those of you that made it out of Ethiopia. Thanks Josh for clarifying the circumstances and reminding us that you are all capable and predictable circumstances are not a part of the African experience. Although tempting, there was really no need to call the Marines to extricate you from the clutches of Addis Airport. It’s good to know, though, that the parents of this group could probably pull that off.
Glad you all made it, albeit a bit tired after the delay in Addis. We look forward to hearing how things are going; we miss you already! Take pictures…
Bethy and Steve
Very well written Josh!!