Wednesday, July 17, 2024 – preparation and departure
Aprox 4:30pm Pacific. Mid air.
You know how it is when you’re trying to get ready for a big trip. It’s not a good time for things to go wrong and need fixing. On Monday, two days before my departure, Bernadette was cleaning the main floor bathroom sink and accidentally dropped an old toothbrush she was using for scrubbing down the sink drain. I had to take apart the trap to get the toothbrush out. As soon as I started turning the old nuts on the old corroded plumbing, one of them crunched and I thought, oh that didn’t sound good. It took two trips to the hardware store to get the right pieces to put the plumbing back together again, but it worked. *PHEW*
Then on Tuesday, the garage door, which I had unlatched so that the roofers could get in to get power while we were out, refused to latch again. I tried and tried but for the life of me I could not figure out how to make it latch again. I thought I’d have to leave it for Bernadette to deal with. Then this morning before I left, we were on the phone with our roofer and mentioned the garage door and he said you have to reset the latch. Give it a tug forward or backward, you’ll see which way when you look at it, and then it should latch again. So I tried that and that worked. *PHEW AGAIN*
Finally finally finally it was time to go to the airport. I kissed, my sweetie-pie goodbye and told her to take care of herself. A friend drove me to the airport. The Delta line at the international check-in was a mile long. I went over to the kiosk machine since I was not checking any bags. It wouldn’t read my passport, but then I discovered to shove it in a little further so I got my boarding passes and went to the gate. Security was fine. Still have to take my shoes off, but they did not have me take the plastic baggie of liquids bag out of my bag.
I got to the gate and checked in again because the machine had said check with the gate agent. The gate agent explained that they do want to be sure I have the correct Kenya visa. It turns out that I had not printed out all I needed. There was a second page. So on my phone I went into my email and showed her the email that said approved and she said take a screenshot of that so it is easily accessible. I did that. Then I couldn’t find my boarding pass and panicked for about 20 seconds. I flagged down the same gate agent and she reprinted boarding passes for me. Everything else went fine. I’m in the center section on the aisle. The screen on the back of the seat in front of me does not work. In fact, in this whole section the screens are not working. So, no games, no movies. Oh well. I have my crossword puzzle book to keep me happy.
I wondered how long it would take on this trip before I had to start violating my diet (I am allergic to gluten and dairy, and mostly vegetarian). They served a dinner meal on the plane and the options were chicken or pasta. I knew the pasta would be really stupid so I had the chicken. It was very tasty, with rice and green beans, but I didn’t eat the cracker and slice of cheese. The brownie was more fudge than flour so I ate it. And a cup of tea with dairy creamer. Oh well.
8pm Pacific
More than halfway through the flight. I can see on someone else’s screen across the aisle we are just crossing the southern tip of Greenland. It’s the wee hours in Amsterdam and a lot of folks are trying to sleep. There’s a small child several rows behind me who is not sleeping.
Thursday, July 18, 2024 – Arrival in Nairobi
Approximately 9:15 AM local time. Just landed in Amsterdam. Grateful for large intercontinental airplanes that I can stand up in after we land.
Quiet layover at Schipohl. Had a WhatsApp video call w B, going on 1am there.
About one hour delay after we got on the plane in Amsterdam. The pilot said a passenger didn’t show up but their bag was already on the plane so they had to go through and remove it.
Finally on our way 1hr late.
I watched two animated Disney movies: “Encanto” about a magical family losing their magic but getting more connected with each other. I really liked that one. Set in Mexico. Great music. Young woman protagonist. The other was “Wish”, also with a young woman protagonist. A star befriends her and helps her fight the evil magician. I didn’t like it as much. It was kind of hokey. The star was a little too cutsie.
6:30pm Amsterdam time
I’m starting to crash. How long have I been up? Got up Weds am at 7, so that would be 5pm Amsterdam time. So I’ve been up for over 25 hrs. I did doze some on the first flight but not restful sleep.
We’re flying along the Red Sea coastline.
8:49 Amsterdam time
I watched the Johnny Depp “Willy Wonka”. It’s really weird, but a great production. And it took me through the last couple hours. Only 30 minutes to go. Yay!
Landed in Nairobi about 10:15pm local time. Found the Orbridge guy, Benny, not far inside. He walked with me to passport control just around the corner. There were several lines, so not long to wait, maybe 10min. They did NOT have me put my hand on the fingerprint machine as they did for the people in front of me. Whatever. Now we are waiting for bags for another couple that were also on my flight, Steven & Katy. Wow 11:30 now. Long wait.
Finally arrived at the hotel. My sister, Myra, was waiting up for me in the lobby. Nice to see a familiar face.
Friday, July 19, 2024 – Nairobi
After a good night’s sleep and breakfast at the hotel, our group gathered in a little outdoor “room” for a short orientation. Our guide, Alex, introduced himself and proceeded to tell us everything we needed to know about being in Kenya. We then piled into our little bus for the day to see some sights around Nairobi.
Our first stop was a giraffe breeding center. They are breeding Rothschild giraffes, which are the most scarce in the wild. We had a short presentation on how to identify three different types of giraffes (different patterns of spots and “socks”).
Then we walked out along an elevated walkway to feed the inhabitants. We were each given a half a coconut shell holding what looked like large hamster pellets.
The giraffes ambled over to the walkway and stretched forward and stuck out their tongues. The guide told us don’t be afraid of giraffe saliva; it is a natural antibiotic. That may be true, but I still washed my hands afterwards.
Our second stop was the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant rescue center at the edge of one of the Kenya national parks. They take in baby elephants whose mother has died for some reason (mostly from human interaction like poaching, some from natural predators or other causes).
We stood outside a large roped-off area while the crew brought out huge plastic bottles of milk. The elephants come into the roped area in small groups, grab their bottles with their trunks and guzzle them down. One of the crew members had a microphone and introduced us to each of the 21 young elephants by name, telling us the story of how each one came to live there.
There was also one small baby rhino who had been rescued from hyenas; the hyenas had eaten its tale. A crew member lead the baby rhino around the ring and we were allowed to reach across the rope to pet it as it went by.
The elephants stay in the rescue center, but are free to roam out into the park and find other elephants. They come back in at night, until they themselves feel OK staying out with the wild elephants. They are allowed to wean themselves off of the rescue center when they are ready. How smart is that.
After lunch at a nice restaurant nearby called Tamarind, our third stop was the home of Danish author Karen Blixen. She wrote “Out of Africa” under the pen name Isak Dinesen. She had lived and farmed there from 1913 to 1931 and was a patron to the local community. The area around what was their farm is now a suburb, or neighborhood, of Nairobi called “Karen”. We had a tour through the house which is now a museum. Much of the original furniture and fixtures are still there. There are also some of Karen’s now aging farm equipment parked in the yard.
Our final point of interest for the day was a small “factory” called Kobe Tough. Here, women who are single, widowed, or divorced, who otherwise have no income, can work making clay beads and small figures. It was a courtyard surrounded by a handful of ramshackle buildings and one modern building that was the store where they sell what they make. A woman named Eunice guided us around each of the buildings, showing us the process, and introducing us to some of the workers.
They bring the clay from the foot of Mount Kenya, mix it with water, then pour it into large vats to let it dry to the perfect desired consistency. Everything is done by hand. Forming the beads in their hands, dipping in the glaze with a bent wire, then painting designs with a tiny paintbrush. They have one kiln, not large, where the dried glazed beads are carefully stacked and fired overnight for eight hours. The finished beads are strung into bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. There is also a shop where some men do leatherwork.
The women in the bead shop sang us a song using only their hands for rhythmic accompaniment, and invited us to dance. “Jambo jambo, karibu na kenya..” (hello, hello, welcome to Kenya). It was a wonderful moment of sharing and crossing cultural lines. I know, I know, it was a little trite and they probably do it for all the American tourists, but I was touched nonetheless. We were invited to end our visit there by browsing in the shop. I did indeed buy some necklaces and earrings, and a leather belt for myself, and had absolutely no hesitation about supporting their work.
We got stuck in rush hour on the way back to the hotel, finally arriving around 6. We had time for a short rest and then regrouped for dinner together at 7.
Saturday, July 20, 2024 – Drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, first safari drive
Today we met our drivers and were parsed into the two jeeps we would be riding in for the rest of the week. Myra and I are in jeep number one, along with our local tour guide, Alex, and fellow visitors Steven and Katie, and Bonnie and Andre. Our driver is Victor. We were on the south side of town yesterday, which is apparently more affluent. Today we’re headed north out of town on a modern freeway complete with curbs and guardrails going through less affluent neighborhoods.
After a couple hours, we stopped for a pit stop and tourist shopping at a large shop along the road. It was full, I mean packed full, of all kinds of African souvenirs. Small and not so small wooden sculptures, beaded things like we had seen yesterday, you name it, it was there. And of course, we had to weave our way through the narrow aisles to get to the bathrooms in back.
I picked up a few souvenirs and had to negotiate with the proprietor for the price. Some people get a kick out of doing that. I don’t. I got the price down to about a third of where he started and got tired and paid. My sister, watching all that, cut to the chase and told him what she wanted to pay and no more. You know, it’s a cultural experience, and a memory to share.
While I was waiting back at the car for everyone to reassemble, I was chatting with Alex, who called our Jeep “numero uno” and I responded with something in Italian. To my surprise our driver Victor said, “parla Italiano?” So I had a short conversation with Victor in Italian.
The last 6 miles of the drive were on a very pitted dirt road, which had flooded out at some point. Victor had to be creative a few times, finding some navigable patches, but we made it to our first lodge: Sweetwaters Serena Camp. We got settled in our “tents” and gathered in the dining room for a delicious lunch. Amazing that such a nice modern facility is at the end of such a nasty road. Understand, these “tents” had concrete floors, were bigger than my livingroom, some permanent structure, and indoor plumbing. More like a high-end yurt.
2:45pm
I’m relaxing on our porch now, watching the animals at the watering hole. This facility was built around a man-made watering hole, so here the animals come to you: Impala, zebra, ibis, storks, warthogs, baboons. Beautiful little iridescent bluebirds. I can hear a dove and other birds. The stork has the yellow bill. The ibis is black-and-white.
4pm first drive
We piled into our jeeps and drove out along the dirt roads across the park for our first official safari drive. We saw baboons, giraffes, zebras, water buck, hartebeest, gazelles, two white rhinos, cape buffalo (one of the “Big Five”), and then, lions! One male and four females snoozing near a water hole. They’re not stupid, by hanging out near the water hole, lunch comes to them.
We learned that “black” and “white” rhino has nothing to do with skin color. The White rhino has a soft lip and grazes grass like a horse, also a soft square shoulder. The Black rhino has a shorter neck and a dip in the back; they eat leaves from shrubs, more than on the ground, and have a sort of a beak rather than a lip, and are rarer.
Sunday, July 21, 2024 – Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Each day there are two drives: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Meals are all back at the lodge because there is nothing else around for miles and miles and miles, just the grasslands and the animals. This morning we got up early to see a beautiful sunrise over Mount Kenya. Breakfast at the lodge. Drive starting at 7:30. First thing we saw was Black rhinos.
So, what are “the Big Five” you ask. They are: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino. And there is so much more to Africa than just the Big Five. A hundred different herbavores, a million birds, dozens of predators, primates, smaller mammals, and if you’re on foot there are much smaller animals: lizards, insects, and so on.
As we drive, Alex (who has eagle eyes) points out animals in the brush. Victor pulls the jeep to the side of the road and we all take pictures. The jeep has huge windows, and the top pushes up and is supported like a canopy so we can stand and get photos without having to shoot through the glass of the windows.
Baboons, Spur fowl, Egyptian geese, Guinea fowl, Buffalo, warthogs, large bird called bustard, geese flying, elephants, zebra, gazelle (black and white stripe on the side), eland the largest antelope, impala with the “M” on their butts, jackal. Leopard! Saw briefly, but he’s a distance away in the grass and then he laid down behind a stump. There are also hogs nearby. Not sure if he’s hunting them. A ranger came along and drove over to it and flushed it out a bit. Turns out it was actually a cheetah.
The warthog character in the movie “Lion King” is named Pumbah. We learned from Alex that “pumbah” means “stupid.”
We stopped at a Chimp Sanctuary, heard a short presentation, and saw a family of chimpanzees. The tree with all the thorns on it is Yellow Acacia, also known as fever tree. (Remember Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child? “.. the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River all set about with fever trees…”). I was hot here and felt flushed like I had a fever. I thought best to mention it to Alex who told me sometimes Maria pills do that. I felt fine a little while later. As part of my trip preparation I had been to a travel doctor who prescribed the malaria pills along with some optional things in case I needed them for stomach upset or diarrhea. Luckily I never did. I had also gotten the yellow fever vaccine per CDC recommendation. Boy, travel sure is fun.
4pm rain!
The air is so fresh now, but the windows of the vehicle steam up. Starting our afternoon drive in a light rain.
White rhino rolling in the mud. Mom and baby elephants. Male elephant with broken left tusk. Jackal. Hyena and bustard.
There was an option for a night drive today. They said some of the larger cats are more active at night. So, Myra encouraged me to go on the night drive with her. Thank you, Myra. We had one of the most memorable moments of the whole trip. The night jeep is equipped with a spotlight, and the guy to run it along with the driver. The light didn’t seem to bother the animals. We saw a jackal, a rabbit, some hyenas, then the big find: Lions. Three male lions hanging out together who then started roaring. They called to each other for a few minutes and then we heard a fourth one coming from somewhere out in the dark.
There are a few times in life when you have a vivid realization of how small you are. That there are things in the world much larger or more powerful than yourself against which you are absolutely defenseless. I cannot describe to you how it feels to be out in the wilds of Africa, in the dark, hearing lions roaring. OK, we were safe in our jeeps, but still an awesome experience.
Monday, July 22, 2024 – Lake Nakuru
It was pretty cloudy this morning so we did not get the same lovely sunrise. We had to pack up our bags and have them out by 6:30am. I was on the lawn facing the lake, talking to Bernadette on my phone, trying to show her the view. I literally bumped into a woman from another group doing the same thing when we backed into each other. We apologized to each other and said no problem. Then we ran into each other again (not literally this time) in the dining room and again in the gift shop and again out by the buses. Her bus seems to be following the same route we were so maybe we’ll running to each other again at Lake Nakuru or at Masai Mara.
Our itinerary for this safari took us to three different locations, ostensibly to better find different animal populations. So we bid farewell to Sweetwaters and headed off toward Lake Nakuru. We stopped for a pitstop and snacks at a very, very lovely gated resort in Nyahururu.
About 1pm we entered Nakuru National Park and took our time crossing the valley, spotting animals, before heading up the other side to the lodge. Pride of eight lions, two young males. Impala family with baby nursing, interrupted by a hyena. They ran away, but I don’t think anyone caught it on video. Gray heron, cormorants, pelicans. Giraffes. Alex counted 23. I could only see 18.
2:15pm
Finally got up the other side of the valley to Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge. Quick check-in and orientation, then lunch which is only served until 2:30. I opted out of the 4:30 drive so I could take a nap. Starting to feel a little congested. Myra and I hung out on our balcony. I did a Covid test and was negative. Dinner with the gang in the restaurant overlooking the valley.
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 – driving to Masai Mara
Alex asked us to get up a little earlier so we could get a head start and avoid any protests that we might come across today. So we had to put our bags out at 6 AM and go to breakfast. I found my Fisherman‘s Friend cough drops and that is helping my throat. Not really feeling sick just feeling gunky. Maybe its allergies.
Headed out about seven down the ridge across the park. Buffalo, huge herd of zebras, some giraffes. We didn’t stop too long because we’re trying to get to Masai Mara today.
About an hour into the drive we did in fact see a bunch of kids outside a school on the street in some town. No idea exactly what they were protesting. But they smiled and waved and swarmed the car when they saw we were photographing them. I smiled back. They were carrying a bunch of small branches. I don’t know what it meant, but they were sort of whacking the car with them. Alex said something about it being a kind of national blow off steam day. It did not feel dangerous and it was an interesting experience.
10am
We are in Narok, Alex‘s hometown. He showed us his grade school and high school that were on the road as we were coming into the city. About 300,000 people. Major city. His parents and his own family still live here. Narok means black or dark.
We stopped at the Sarova Mara hotel for lunch around noon. Had a nice lunch. I was looking forward to some downtime only to discover this is not the hotel where we’re staying. And because a bridge is out, we have to go the long way around to get to our hotel. So we’re driving through the park now. Our hotel is gonna be something like four hours. OMG. We’re supposed to be there around 6 PM.
I’m so exhausted and so tired of bumping around in this jeep. Not sleeping well. Throat feels a little better today.
2:25pm driving through Masai Mara
Topi (an herbivore), vultures. Wildebeest migration looked like a bunch of ants in the distance. Vast herd of wildebeest migrating. Cheetah! Baboons and hippos at the river. Three ostriches.
Got really tired of bumping around in the jeep. Alex pointed out some hills in the distance and said that’s where we’re going. But I swear that road kept going the opposite direction. Then at last the hills started looking closer, then they started looking further away. AAAARRRGGHH! We finally got to another gate for the park where we stopped for a bathroom break. I asked how much further and Frank the other driver said not too much further. Turned his idea of “not too much” was different than mine. It was about an hour and a half.
Finally, finally finally we arrived at Mara Engai Lodge, only to find that we had to park below and pile into a different jeep that the lodge provides, to get up (and I do mean UP) the final stretch to the actual lodge, overlooking the valley. Getting into another jeep was the last thing I wanted to do. They greeted us with a glass of juice and a hot face towel. Very nice. During the orientation, they said don’t walk around after dark because of the animals. But during the day is safe.
The “tents” here were even fancier than at Sweetwaters. It’s actually a little cottage with a canvas roof which made the falling bits from the tree above sound very loud. We were inside a huge drum, and I do mean HUGE. One corner with a sofa and lamp, two double beds in the center, a rack to hang clothing, a little table with coffee pot in the other corner. The bathroom is behind a half wall behind the beds. Double sinks and walk-in toilet and shower. In the shower, the water comes out of a little thing at the top of the wall like a waterfall.
Myra said why don’t you skip dinner and just rest. I asked her to bring me some food and she said OK. So I curled up and went to sleep thinking in a couple hours she would bring me some food and I would call Bernadette. But she never woke me up. I slept until 2 AM. I texted Bernadette on WhatsAp to see if she was online and she was. So we texted back-and-forth for a little while.
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 – Masai Mara
At 4:00am, Myra‘s alarm went off because she’s going on the balloon ride this morning. She showed me there was some food for me on the little table in the corner. So after she left, I munched some cold food, which was good. I tried calling Bernadette on WhatsApp, but the connection kept dropping so we just texted for a while.
5am
Bernadette and I agreed I would call her after the sun comes up and I can get into the lodge where there’s a Wi-Fi connection. So until then I’m just resting. Second Covid test was negative today. Yay. Throat feels fine. Gut feels fine. Head feels fine. Just a little congested, occasional dry cough.
Not going on the morning drive since the others are off on the balloon ride and doing the drive from there. They’ll be back for lunch and I can rejoin the group then. See how I feel about the afternoon drive.
I took a nice hot shower and felt great after that. I went up to the lodge for breakfast. I was the only one in the dining room when I arrived. Their selection is a little more limited than the other places we’ve stayed. I got some eggs and potatoes and oatmeal. I went out on the balcony. The day is gorgeous. I did a video call with Bernadette, then came back to my room where I’m sitting on the deck with my crossword puzzle book and a cup of tea. Very peaceful.
Still coughing a little, a little congested and runny. But otherwise fine. Covid test was negative this morning so that’s negative Monday and negative Wednesday. I should really test again on Friday, but I don’t have another kit. These were Myra‘s kits. I really meant to bring some but forgot.
So quiet and peaceful here. Gentle breezes. Not hot, not cold. Little butterflies flitting around the bushes below me. Housekeepers came and did the room.
12:29pm
I went up to the lodge for lunch. The others are coming back. We killed some time in the room for a couple hours.
4:00pm
I went out on the afternoon drive, unaware that I was about to encounter the second most memorable moment of the trip. We went through a herd of zebras; sorry, that would be a “dazzle” of zebras. Then, the other driver radioed and said he was stuck and needed help. So we’re retracing our steps to find him.
5:50pm
We found the other vehicle. But now it appears we’re stuck as well. As part of the initial trip orientation they tell you NEVER GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. But now they said, OK everyone out of the vehicle. So I gingerly took my first step directly onto the African prairie. Here I am walking around on wild ground, hoping I wouldn’t step on some little critter.
I’m surprised the drivers don’t seem to know how to rock the vehicle out of being stuck. Both Victor and Alex, their first attempt was to just gun the engine, which of course didn’t work. Our fellow traveler, Bruce, tried to explain to them how to do it, but they weren’t listening. It was a little frustrating. All the while we were watching the sun get lower and lower.
They radio for help and several other vehicles came by. They strung several cables together so that the pulling vehicle could be on dryer ground. We all pushed from the back. We finally got one truck out and then the other. At least, out of the muck onto the sort of road-shaped area, which was also mucky but seemed to be a little more tractable.
6:30pm
Now we are headed back to the lodge, watching the lovely sunset, which is much more enjoyable from a confidently moving vehicle than from on foot at the muddy place. Glad we don’t have to spend the night on the African prairie.
We arrived back at the lodge at 7:00pm. Went to the room to clean up, then dinner at 7:30.
Thursday, July 25, 2024 – the other end of Masai Mara
Breakfast 6:30, set out for the drive at 7:30. We’re hoping to see the wildebeests crossing the river. Vultures, zebras, Kettle egret, white bird, gazelles. Huge vast Wildebeest herd. The Great Migration is on!
These safari drivers are all in radio contact with each other and often, when someone spots something of interest, they’ll put it out on the radio for others to come enjoy. We drove a long way to a “surprise”, which turned out to be four cheetah cubs, although not baby cubs, more like young adults. And mom not far away. We arrived at a long line of vehicles queued up to get their chance to drive past the “nest”. A ranger jeep was there overseeing things. We followed off the road a hundred yards, slowly around the far side of a shrub and got to take a few shots. Each vehicle got a minute or two and no more.
On the way back to the lodge, we took a small detour for a photo op at the Kenya-Tanzania border. There was nothing there but a marker. I asked Alex about border security and he explained if you go into Tanzania a mile or so there is plenty of security to greet you.
After lunch I crashed in the room for a while. Myra went down to the pool. I’m debating going down to the pool. It seems like it would be nice, but I’m feeling so exhausted and burnt out. I opted for a nap instead.
This was our last evening in Kenya. The staff treated us to a “Bush Dinner”. In a small clearing on the lodge grounds, they set up cooking and serving stations, and dining tables. We were treated to a delicious dinner, followed by some cultural entertainment: songs and costumes and a jumping contest for the men. It is said the man who can jump the highest is the most attractive to the women.
Friday, July 26, 2024 – departure
I got up at seven and showered and packed up. Myra got up at 7:30. The ladies came for our bags. We weren’t expecting them till eight so they said they’d come back. We got all packed up and went up to the lodge, checked out, and had some breakfast. On the ride down the hill I saw a little mongoose in front of the truck. Smaller than I expected.
10:00
We stopped at Serena Mara Safari Lodge a few minutes from the airstrip for a pit stop. We’re killing a little time here until we go down to meet our plane. Beautiful hotel. Easy to get to. Let’s stay here next time. Steve says the decor here feels like Flintstones on acid to him. Kind of caveman with a Salvador Dali influence.
10:45
At the airstrip now. Bunch of school kids here to watch the airplanes. It really is just an airstrip. Only an open shelter for waiting passengers, no terminal building. They had us take all our luggage to the end of the path where the planes pull up so it could be loaded. Its sitting out there in the hot sun. At least this shelter provides some shade for the humans. Myra’s plane departed first, a small single prop plane. Mine was about fifteen minutes later. It was a little larger with two engines on the wings. We went up and almost immediately back down a couple of times, picking up other passengers at other airstrips in the Mara. Then on to Nairobi about a half hour away.
1:18
On the ground in Nairobi. Getting on our bus to go to our temporary hotel.
3:30
Finally, in my room by myself. Peace and quiet. Took a shower and chilling out. Might meet some of the others for dinner around seven. We’re supposed to meet the bus driver in the lobby at eight.
After dinner in the lobby we heard that our driver was stuck in traffic and so the hotel arranged their own shuttle to take us to the airport.
What a zoo getting through the Nairobi airport. There was security just going into the building, and then there was check in at the counter. I reached for my phone and it wasn’t there and I panicked and started to head back to security and then realized it was in my pocket rather than in my hip holster. I had been a bit frenzied at security and grabbed everything up and dropped it in my pocket. At the desk I got my boarding pass and found out which gate I was headed to. I said goodbye to the others as we each headed to our gates. There was a more detailed security to get into the gates. Then I finally found my gate.
I had a couple hours at the gate to chill. My flight was at 11:59 PM. I’m keeping my mask on. I was glad to have a crossword book with me. I did several of those. Finally boarded, found my seat and got settled. Now it’s just a waiting game. They did serve a meal like at one in the morning, I ate some of. Then I wasn’t sleeping so I decided to watch a movie. I saw “Happy Feet” about the penguin who wanted to dance instead of sing, and saved the whole community when he goes out to find out what’s happening to their fish.
Finally dozed a little.
I made it to Amsterdam and found my next gate. Finally boarding, my boarding pass beeped and he directed me to the woman at the desk who said you have a US passport right? I said yes and started to reach for it. She said also permanent card. I remembered that the KLM website had given me some trouble when I was checking in. It insisted that I enter a second document and the only option was permanent resident card so I put it in with all the same info from my passport. I explained that to her and she smiled and said OK and made whatever corrections were needed and let me board.
I did not eat on that plane. I really wasn’t hungry. I kept my mask on. I did sip a little water occasionally and some ginger ale.
Arrived at PDX 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Went through passport control and customs and out to the curb to find a cab. I had a little trouble finding the regular cabs. They were tucked into the garage so I had to cross all the lanes of traffic and ask several people and be directed and finally found them. I should’ve just used Lyft. But I found a pleasant cab driver who first said $40 and I said OK. We chatted a little bit on the way to the house and when we got there, he said I’ll give you the senior discount: $35.
Home at last! What a long schlep. I did do a third Covid test when I got in the door and that was also negative. So, negative three times in a row, but clearly sick with something. So, I’ll still quarantine in our guest room and not give whatever this is to B. Glad to be home and resting.
* THE END *
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Adrian Dee, flutist, composer 