April 29th, 2010
4:00 PM Pacific Time
11:00 PM Nairobi Time
You know that feeling you get when you realize you forgot something important? Now imagine that feeling, but put yourself at an international airport and amplify that by a 30 day trip. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I forgot the mother of things…. my camera charger. It had to be the charger too… if it was anything else I probably could have gotten a replacement. Where I wonder, do they sell a Nikon ion D70 camera charger in Africa? Is there a Kenyan version of Kijiji?
Despite that horrifying realization, so far everything is going smoothly on my pre-flight scramble. Customs seemed like a breeze compared to my earlier experiences with the frisking gantlet. I managed to not only beat the metal detector at ease, but I also got by in approximately 21 minutes. As a bonus, I avoided cuddling with the metal detector pad.
Currently I’m walking around with what feels like an elephant attached to my back. In retrospect, 17.5 inch laptops seem like a great idea for watching movies, but rather a dim-witted decision bringing to the other side of the world. In fact, I wonder if they even have electronic outlets to charge my laptop at the Orphanage. Seeing in how my laptop battery has a life expectancy equivalent to a rat whose about to touch a mousetrap, this may be my first and only digital journey entry.
Shit! It just occurred to me another important thing I forgot. I know I remembered packing socks, but I think I only packed enough for about 3 days. For those who know me, socks to me are like acorns to squirrels… I always leave them in places and forget to get them later. Let me emphasize this… I seriously lose socks. You know how every Christmas you usually get a massive pack of socks from your parents or significant other? I’d be lucky if that 16 pair pack of socks makes it to Valentine’s Day. How ironic is that I only bring 3 days worth of socks when there’s probably enough socks under my bed to quilt a king-sized blanket. Perhaps I should start a list of important objects I forgot: socks & a battery charger. Oh boy this trip is going to be something else.
4:26 PM
I’m currently sitting at Gate C34, with a bunch of attractive girls talking about London restaurants. Pretty sure one looked at me and smiled. Is it too late to change my destination to England?
4:41 PM
Looking at my boarding pass, they should be calling for my flight in about 20 minutes. Nothing’s better than a red eye flight with crying babies. Yes, in case you’re wondering, there are 3 babies around me right now, going on my flight. My iPod better have enough decibel power to drown out the crying squeals of babies or else I may have to knock myself unconscious.
Here’s some info on my 20 hour flight. I leave Toronto at 5:55 PM and arrive in Amsterdam at 7:00 AM the following day. Since there’s a 7 hour time jump, my brain will still think it’s 1:00 AM, then in actuality it will be 8:00 AM. To make matters even better, I then have to find my respective African departure terminal, get to my gate, and go through customs, at which point I might collapse from exhaustion. You might be thinking, why don’t you just drink some java to perk you up? Well my friends, the malaria medication I’m currently on (Malarone if you’re wondering), has it in bold that I shouldn’t take any caffeine to “not irritate the stomach lining”. You never mess with instructions when it’s in bold. Never.
From Amsterdam, I then go on an 8 hour flight and arrive in Nairobi at 7:00 PM. I’m crossing my fingers that I see some guy with my name written on a piece of paper when I arrive in the international arrivals. If not, then for the rest of the month of May, I’ll be like Tom Hanks in The Terminal.
4:51 PM
Boarding time. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be somewhere over Egypt… unless I screw up my departure gate and fly to Fiji instead. Wish me luck.
