Finally, finally, finally. At the airport on the first leg of our trip to Tanzania. Finally after more than a year and half of business shutdown, travel industry chaos, fighting insurance companies to restore client’s deposits, finally, our group is leaving today. Finally!!
One of the toughest things these last few days is trying to remember all the things that used to come naturally from a lifetime of travel. What to pack. Good thing we have lists. Last minute instructions. Good people in place. What have we forgotten? Good thing we have patience.
Here we are. The plane is boarding. Butterflies, a thing long forgotten have come back and the anticipation is almost unbearable. Soon we leave and in a day we come again to Africa. Finally!
Travel in The Time of Covid
You hear horror stories about travel lately. Air rage, lineups , botched reservations and canceled flights. We had none of that.
Apart from booking the flights, which is so well handled by Civilized Adventures, the mechanics were easy. PCR tests were done by Amyn at The Medicine Shop on 37th St SW in Calgary. Sunday morning, 15 minutes and then home for breakfast. Results came in that evening. Negative as expected. More paperwork than pre Covid, but again, nothing unexpected.
Travel to the airport for 3 hours ahead of flight time. No lineups. Helpful KLM staff and a breeze through security. Hanging around the airport was a little sad with the closed shops and the lack of travel bustle, but a coffee or a beer can always be found.
Schipol in Amsterdam was so much different. Not as hectic as before, and a few closed shops, but the flight boards were full and people in Europe are moving. A 3 hour wait and time to stretch our legs before the second of two eight hour flights.
Kilimanjaro International Airport. One flight comes in. Two hours later waiting to get into Tanzania and I remember that I don’t like crowds. But airports are airports and our safari can finally begin.
Welcome to Africa.
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