Traveling To Tanzania

Hello from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania! After completing thirty hours of travel, I can official declare that I am sleep deprived, smell like a dirty sock, and just drank a freshly squeezed mango juice that I may or may not end up regretting tomorrow. Ahhh, international travel...it's good to be back! 

My journey started out in Chicago and from there my congested nasal passages and I flew to Atlanta. After shedding a few tears from the sheer pain my well timed head cold inflicted on my ears, I said a silent prayer of forgiveness for all the suck it up, butter cup looks I'd given passengers who were crying over a little ear ache during my days of being an attentive flight attendant. My bad. 

After a short layover, I boarded my flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, Netherlands with my newly purchased Earplanes, a fancy earplug that equalize the pressure on either side of the eardrum, in tow. The Delta flight was fairly uneventful, as I mostly just read my book, and observed the flight attendants being yelled at by various passengers for not having a specific meal on board, magically being able to create enough space for their oversized carry on, nor controlling global warming. I then sat gleefully in my seat and felt beyond thankful that I no longer wear the uniform. 

Thanks to my Earplanes, the desent into Amsterdam was way less painful. HALILUIER! My flight from Amaterdam actually stopped in Kilimanjaro first before continuing onto Dar Es Salaam, the destination where my cousin and I arranged to meet, so the boarding area for the flight was filled with tourists who intend to climb the mountain. Apparently, roughly ninety percent of the passengers on my flight had met up weeks ago and planned to wear zip off pants and their hiking boots today. I definitely didn't get the memo, and felt like such a mountain climbing poser in my yoga pants and old running shoes. 

What All The Cool Kids Were Wearing

I've done a lot of dumb stuff in my lifetime. Like the time I paid a pretty penny to travel 12 hours on a legitiment banana boat in Thailand. Or the time I went sightseeing on the back of an old dude's moterbike in Uganda. Or even last week when I left the lights on in my car, which ran the battery dead, and locked my keys in my car while it was running, all within a 12 hour period! So as you can see, common sense isn't always quite so common for me, but occasionally I use that noggin of mine for more than just a blond hair holder and come up with a really good idea. Such is the case when I booked the hotel that I am staying in tonight. 

Although my cheapskate self was very tempted to book a hotel room that cost 18 US Dollars, and grab a taxi at the airport, I decided to spend a few extra George Washington's and book a hotel that had very safe reviews, as well as their own shuttle service. When I stepped outside of the Dar Es Salaam Airport at 11:30 PM, I was very relieved to see my suit wearing driver holding up a sign with my name on it. Note to self: traveling  as a solo female in Africa is a very different experience than traveling to five star hotels, in prearranged coach buses, with the safety of 17 other airline crew members. 

The ride to my hotel was exciting and made me once again experience the high I get from discovering a new city for the first time. Women carrying large baskets on their heads. Babies toddling behind their mothers, barefoot. Groups of men carelessly, sitting along the road visiting in white plastic chairs. So different. So cool. 

View From My Hotel Room

And now that I'm safe and secure in my hotel and exaustion is in full effect, I believe it's time for this girl to hit the hay. Either that or lay awake for the next three hours watching CNN with English subtitles. Oh jetleg, you tricky little trick!