[Previous entry: "July 23 - London, England"] [Next entry: "July 24 - Nairobi, Kenya (The Carnivore!)"]

Wow. We are finally here!

The flight was long, but luckily I was well prepared with a blow-up neck pillow (Mike had one too), eye covers, ear plugs and Ambien (thanks Mom!). I don't think I've ever slept as well or as comfortably on a plane before! British Airways was really nice too - way better than American.

We almost missed our flight to Nairobi, which was scary for a second. For whatever reason, I was thinking that the flight left at 10:45 instead of 8:45, and I'd even typed the wrong time on our itineraries. Luckily we got to the airport around 5pm and spent a couple of hours in the airport pub relaxing. We were told that for a 10:45 flight we couldn't check in until 7:45, so promptly at that time, we went to check in. When we asked an airport worker which window to go to, he said, "You better hurry, you aren't going to make it!" Our stomachs dropped! Luckily he got us to the front of the line, and we ended up getting to the gate before they even opened the doors....whew.... I can't believe I made such a dumb mistake!

So, upon arrival into Nairobi, we got our visas at the airport with no problems - $50/each. Our driver/guide for the next couple of days met us at the airport. Get this...his name was Michael! He and Mike had a laugh about that. He was very nice, and we chatted with him a bit as he took us to our hotel (about 30 minute drive from the airport). As soon as we left the airport, he pointed out a herd of zebras near the road! The scenery is pretty much what I expected, however it is greener than I thought it would be, and it is actually quite chilly (overcast and around 65 degrees). There are flat-topped Acacia trees everywhere. The people we've encountered have been extremely friendly, and they have all seemed very happy. Our porter taught Mike how to say goodbye in Swahili, but I think he's forgotten already! As we drove to our hotel, there were many people walking along the roads....probably one of the reasons we haven't seen a single fat person yet (other than Western tourists!).

Today we had breakfast at the hotel - it was a delicious buffet spread with cheese, meats, cereals, and even an omelet bar! Later on we may be venturing out to the Nairobi National Museum and/or Nairobi National Park....it will depend on how energetic we are feeling. Tonight we have reservations at the Carnivore Restaurant, and our driver will be picking us up at 6:30 to take us. We're looking forward to trying all kinds of meat there!! :)

Till next time.....

p.s. It is taking forever to upload pictures on this connection, so they may be sparse until we can get something better!