Day 2: Arrival

          The plane landed in Kilimanjaro International Airport at one in the morning.  KIA has to be the smallest airport I've ever been to.  Which was a welcome relief.  No crammed terminals, no walking for miles to get to the main door, no three hours to get through security, x-ray machines, or metal detectors.  I didn't even have to take my shoes off!  The longest part was getting my visa.  When we came out, the plane we came in was still sitting on the runway where we'd left it, and it had been scheduled to leave in fifteen minutes.  Now that is an airport I could get used to.
          Uncle Tereveli and Aunt Eliaresa as well as two friends Somi and Efata Nnko to welcome us.  This caused some small confusion, as we had arranged a place to stay with the friends who had come, but my Aunt and Uncle had also gotten us a place. In the end we went with my Uncle, as the bed & breakfast he had booked was much closer to the funeral.  We loaded all our stuff into the back of Uncle Tereveli's car and he drove on the wrong side of the road all the way to the bed and breakfast where we were staying.  Amazingly we didn't crash.  Probably because it was so late and there was so little traffic.  Or maybe mu Uncle just bowled everyone else off the road.  I can't be too sure, as I slept for most of the trip.
          After dropping our stuff off at the bed and breakfast, we went to Uncle Mike's house (the uncle who had died), which was only a couple miles away.  As per ancient tradition, the coffin was brought inside the house and everyone gathered round to encourage the grieving family.  After a couple hours I couldn't hold back the yawns, and me and my baba were sent back to the b&b to sleep.
          And that was my first night in Tanzania.


E’ya! - Tate


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