Kristina's Escorted Safari to Kenya & Tanzania

You have asked me when I will escort another safari to East Africa. Now is the time, sorry for the short notice. I hope you can join me.

 

This safari is timed to coincide with the Great Migration both in Kenya and Tanzania.

I'm working directly with the owner of Lemala Camps in Tanzania to offer you the best possible value. Lemala seasonal camps are similar to mobile tented camps but of a higher quality.

Lemala Camps select their sites very carefully so that you will be close to the best wildlife viewing possible. There is ample tree cover and some water nearby to attract wildlife. All camps are in secluded areas.

   

The mess tents are designed so that the sitting and dining areas are within the same tent and it feels like you are in your own home. Everyone eats and have sundowners together. However separate dining tables are offered at the Serengeti camps where the tents are very large. All tents are closed at night. Local beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, gin and soft drinks are included as is laundry.

There are only 9 tents at each of the camps, accommodating only 18 guests. Lemala Camps are small, intimate and exclusive where personal service is of the outmost importance.

Two of the camps (one that moves between Manyara and Tarangire National Parks and one on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater) have classic tents (larger than Meru-style tents) which are very spacious and have attached/ensuite bathrooms including flush toilet and bucket shower, solar lighting, wooden decking on the inside, large double (2mtr x 2mtr) or single beds (1mtr x 2mtr), writing desk, outdoor table and chairs.

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The second camp in the Serengeti stays in the Central Serengeti all year round except in April and May when it's closed for the rainy season.

 The second camp in the Serengeti stays in the Central Serengeti all year round except in April and May when it's closed for the rainy season.

Both these camps have brand new tents which are larger and wider than the classic tents so that the beds can face the entrance.

In these tents there are either 2 queen size beds or a king bed, solar lighting, attached/ensuite bathrooms with flush toilets, bucket shower, internal wooden decking, armchair, writing desks, outdoor lounger.

 

We will begin in Kenya from September 25 - 30, 2011

If you like to extend your safari in Kenya, I have booked the Nairobi Tented Camp, which is located inside Nairobi National Park for 2 nights and the Naboisho Tented Camp in the Masai Mara for 3 nights. This will be BEFORE we fly to Arusha, Tanzania to begin the above safari.  Nairobi National Park is the only national park in Africa located within a city, only 7km from Nairobi city center. The major wildlife attractions are the black rhino, lion, leopard, hyena, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland and over 400 species of birds. Also within the park is the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, The Nairobi Safari Walk; the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center is nearby. Nairobi Tented Camp is located in the western side of the park, comfortably secluded in the Kisembe Valley, shaded by forests of olive and croton trees. There are 8 spacious tents all with their own bathrooms, flush toilet and bucket shower. Afternoon tea and 3 meals a day are included as are all soft drinks, local wine and beer, 1 airport transfer and 1 game drive per day. With sweeping plains on one side and Nairobi city on the other, Nairobi National Park is a wildlife haven unlike any other, with guaranteed sightings of rhino, a reason in itself to visit. Being the only camp inside Nairobi National Park means your driving safaris can start before and finish after other tourists entering the park giving you an opportunity to view the animals on your own for a unique experience. Your day in Nairobi Tented Camp starts with a freshly brewed hot drink bought to your tent before setting off an early morning game drive. Be lucky enough to catch the first rays of early morning sun as they burn off the nightly dusting of dew and stirs the plains game gently to life. After a morning potentially filled with sightings of giraffe, buffalo, lion and leopard, one returns to camp for, freshly baked breads and a hearty cooked breakfast. We will stay here for 2 nights from Sept 25-27, 2011

Rekero Naboisho Camp, bordering the Masai Mara from Sept 27-30, 2011

Naboisho Camp is situated in the Naboisho Conservancy (a 50,000 acre area) that lies to the far east of the Mara/Serengeti Eco system. This new exclusive eight tented camp opened on June 1, 2011 in the unrivalled wilderness, hosts a huge variety of wildlife - cats, elephants, giraffes, plains games including the rare sighted wild dogs. Naboisho Camp offers a wide range of activities, such as: Game Drives, Walking Safaris, Night Drives, Off-Roading, Cultural Tourism and Fly Camping.  Mara Naboisho Conservancy, a newly formed conservation area bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve on the north, is the realisation of a vision where local Maasai communities are able to receive the benefit of sustainable tourism. Literally meaning 'coming together', Mara Naboisho offers a conservation solution where Maasai land is being used to promote sustainable livelihoods while also serving as a wildlife protection area.  The emphasis is the 'Rekero experience' is on the nature outside, on the quality of the guiding and the quality of service and food. Essential elements of our properties are that they should be small scale, intimate and personal. No Rekero property feels the same: we cherish uniqueness and individuality. Where we can, we take our guests out of the vehicle, to experience Africa on foot, as immersed, as you will ever get. Rekero aspires to be a truly leading company in the industry when it comes to responsible tourism and it's impact on conservation and community development. The Koiyaki guiding school was the vision of the founding director of Rekero and continues to be the flagship project for the company.  We will stay here for 3 nights from Sept 27-30, 2011

 

Northern Serengeti from Oct 1-5, 2011 From Kenya, we fly to Tanzania and after a night in Arusha, we will fly to Kogatende airstrip in Northern Serengeti. Lemala Mara is about 3 minutes drive from the Mara River. It is a stunning site with views of the Mara River. There are 2 major migration crossing points close to the camp. The Mara River in northern Serengeti is unlike the Mara River in Masai Mara - there are far fewer visitors here so the experience is immensely better. The crossings are as spectacular as those in the Masai Mara. Here you mayexperience major wildebeest crossings that last the whole day. An unusual sighting witnessed last October was of a motherly hippo rescuing wildebeest and zebra calves across the river. There are large lion prides, lots of leopards, elephant herds etc., etc. The wildlife here is prolific during the migration season but at other times there is plenty of resident game. The landscapes here are beautiful and characterized by kopjes, boulders and hills and valleys dotted with fig and sausage trees. There are superb views towards the Isuria escarpment and the Mara ecosystem from several vantage points. Lemala Mara's naturalists/guides have exceptional local knowledge, enabling them to take guests to where the action is, in open 4x4 vehicles, away from the crowds. Lemala's vehicles are specifically designed for long game drives and come equipped with comfortable seats, charging units and a large refrigerator. The camp organizes great picnic breakfasts and lunches for those who want to go on full day game drives. We will stay here for 4 nights from October 1-5, 2011. Central Serengeti from Oct 5-8, 2011 Leopard with a full stomach in a tree with the tail hanging down From the north, we will fly to Seronera in the Central Serengeti. This would otherwise be an all day drive and October can be hot and dry. The camp, Lemala Ewanjan is in a secluded location around Makoma Hills and faces the Serenget Plains, where we will see both sunrises and sunsets. There is a seasonal waterhole near the camp and as a result there's plenty of resident wildlife including lions, leopard & cheetah .... Guests staying here have witnessed lion, cheetah and leopard kills around the camp area. There are some tracks for game viewing from the camp which take us where other vehicles do not venture so we can get away from the busy Seronera valley but at the same time we are close enough to do the balloon safari. Being central, we can easily access areas like Moru Kopjes, Musabi Plains, Ikoma and the Lobo areas on full day or half day game drives. Lemala Ewanjan Seronera Valley is perhaps the finest new seasonal camp in the Serengeti, located in a truly spectacular location. There are open 4x4 land cruisers stationed at the camp. We will stay here for 3 nights October 5-8, 2011 Lions on a rock in Moru Kopjes Ngorongoro Crater from Oct 8-10, 2011 In the Great Rift Valley, that great schism in the earth's crust, lies the wonderful Ngorongoro Crater, one of the wonders of the natural world. It is an extinct volcano that collapsed in on itself around 25 million years ago thus forming a vast superbowl where the largest permanent concentration of African game is on display. Wildly beautiful as it is, it is not surprising that the ongoro Crater has been called: Garden of Eden. Lemala Ngorongoro is on the rim of the crater at the top of the descent route, just after the gate. The camp faces an ancient Acacia forest rather than the crater itself. The view of the forest and hills beyond is magical. It is an open game area so animals such as elephant, buffalo & lion do move through the camp regularly; the camp is guarded by the Masai from the local community who are used to encountering the wildlife. There is plenty of birdlife in the tranquil forest setting and occassionally you can hear the sounds of the cattle bells, like the church bells ringing. Staying here have the following advantages: a) Lemala guests do not have to queue at the gate in the morning to go inside the crater as they will have checked in the day they arrive. b) Lemala guests can depart for the crater tour as early as 6.30am with a packed breakfast (can also take a packed lunch or return for late lunch at camp) and be on the crater floor in 15 minutes. Guests can enjoy nearly 2 hours of traffic free viewing. c) Lemala guests arriving at the camp around lunch time can head straight for the crater floor with a packed lunch (ordered in advance) and return as late as 6.30pm as the drive from the crater floor to the camp is only 15mins. The evening light in the crater is superb and after 4.00pm most of the vehicles have left. d) A Masai village is located behind the camp. Lemala has a very good relationship with the chief and the son and for a small fee we can invite the chief's son to give lectures at the camp and we can visit the village. We will stay here for 2 night October 8-10, 2011 Ngorongoro Crater road block Manyara Ranch Conservancy Oct 10-12, 2011 Manyara Ranch Conservancy is situated within the wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Manyara National Parks in Tanzania. It offers a superb wilderness area with an excellent cultural mix for the active visitor to Tanzania. The Conservancy provides guided game walks, day and night drives, 4x4 safari extensions to nearby parks, visits to partner villages and activities including horse riding with big game, bush breakfast and dinners and participative research activities to promote ongoing conservation projects in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation. All of this and its location within the heart of the northern safari circuit, make Manyara Ranch Conservancy the ideal destination for a longer stay. Manyara Ranch Tented Camp has 6 luxury tents and offers several exciting activities that guests can partake while visiting Manyara Ranch Conservancy such as guided game walks, day and night drives, 4x4 safari extensions to nearby National parks, visits to partner villages, horse riding with big game, bush breakfast and dinners and participative research activities to promote ongoing conservation projects in collaboration with the African Wildlife Foundation. We will stay here for 2 nights Oct 10-12, 2011

This is how Africa was meant to be. Sincerely, Kristina Trowbridge WinWin Vacations Seattle, WA 206-297-7179 or toll free 877-297-7179 email: Kristina.Trowbridge@gmail.com

Great Migration

Back from Tanzania and Zanzibar

I'm just back from East Africa with this happy greeting from the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, which is not on Tanzania, but in Kenya. Having your breakfast with the giraffes can take several hours.

I flew into Nairobi and spent one night here on my own before I joined my group in Arusha, Tanzania. The Giraffe Manor has changed ownership since I was last here with a group of clients a few years ago. It has been uplifted with many new features and additions that I was anxious to see and learn about. There's even more to come and I found out what's in store.

After spending one night at the Arusha Coffee Lodge, a wonderful gem of a hotel, set in a coffee plantation, we flew to Lake Manyara in the morning. Here we were met by Malley, our guide from &Beyond for the next several days. Our home for 2 nights was the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, located at the bottom end of the park. Nobody else comes down here, so you have the entire area to yourself. Elephants don't hesitate to check you out on your deck! What a thrill!!!

The next day, we visited Lemala Camp during a game drive. Lake Manyara is known for tree-climbing lions, but I never saw any do that here. What I saw was lots of flamingos, elephants, buffalo, hippo, zebra, jackals, klipspringer, dik-dik, water buck, mongoose, leopard tortoise, baboons & monkeys, warthog, red-headed agama lizard, many different kinds of birds, including ground hornbill, little bee-eaters, long-tailed fiscal shrike, red bishop, issabelline shrike, silvery-cheeked hornbill, white-browed coucal (aka rainbird), African Harrier Hawk and Augur Buzzard.

Travel Agents on a working safari!

 

From Lake Manyara we drove to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge for lunch on the way to Serengeti Under Canvas, an &Beyond seasonal tented camp in the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is part of the Serengeti Eco-system, which includes the Masai Mara in Kenya. On the way we visited Shifting Sands in the Oldupai Gorge.

This crescent shape dune travels 17 meters a year around this area and has done so for 3 million years, at least. The sand is magnetic and always comes back to itself even when the wind blows it away from the dune. I found this to be a bit eerie!

We reached Ndutu by dinner. We spent 3 nights exploring this area, which I had not been to before. I was amazed at how big it was. This is where the Great Migration comes to graze and birth their young from December to March. There were wildebeest and zebra everywhere. I've never seen so many animals and with them the lions and cheetahs.

From Ndutu, we flew back to Arusha, where we met Jackson from Asilia. He was our guide for the next week. Asilia is rebuilding their Olivers Camp from the bottom up, so we stayed at Swala, a Sanctuary lodge owned by A&K. Swala is located far away from any other camp, so you have the entire area to yourself down there. Swala has also recently been rebuilt and it is gorgeous.

Tarangire is know for its big baobab trees and elephants, but this is where I got my best pictures so far of a lilac-breasted roller with its wings out as it just landed on a bush in front of me. Here you see all seven colors in its wings. What a beautiful bird! No wonder, it is everyone's favorite bird in Africa.

The next day, we visited Olivers Camp as they were re-building it to get an idea of the location and what it will offer when ready to accept guests in June.

From Tarangire we drove to Mto wa Mbo Village for a local lunch.

After lunch, we paid a visit to my old friend Charles Bies, the Makonde wood-carver. He carves, so you feel his passion in his pieces and they live forever in his work. This little ellie reached out his long trunk to me, so I had to have it. The beautiful ebony bowl also went home with me this time.

We spent the next morning in the Crater, before proceeding back to Ndutu, where we spent 2 nights at Asilia's Olakira tented camp.

No off-road driving is allowed in the Ngorongoro Crater, but what can you do when there are lions in the road?

From Ndutu we entered the Serengeti NP at Naabi Hill Gate. These cute little Love birds were sitting on eggs in their nest in the tree and he was feeding her or is it just a kiss?

Coming down the hill I witnessed something I will never forget. WOW!!! The entire southern plains of the Serengeti were covered with wildebeest, like a black carpet. It went on as far as the eye could see, for many miles in all directions. I thought that I had seen the Great Migration at Ndutu, but this was amazing! There must have been millions of animals here all spread out forever. This scene cannot be photographed, it has to be seen in person. There's no way I can describe it or you can comprehend it unless you were there. Here is my meager try at showing you just a glimpse of what I saw.

From Seronera we flew to Kogatende in the Northern Serengeti as driving will take an entire day. Here The Mara River flows through the Serengeti before it enters Kenya and The Masai Mara.

Here I am sitting on the marker locating the border between Tanzania and Kenya. Fortunately, I had a valid visa for both countries!


The time to be up here is in early summer to late fall when the wildebeest pass through on their way to and back from grazing in the Masai Mara. Many animals stay here all summer. Some spectacular river crossing can be seen here then without the crowds often encountered in Kenya at the Mara crossing points. But hurry up, the area has been discovered and many new seasonal camps and permanent lodges are being built up here. We stayed at Asilia's Sayari. Bushtops is an hour away. The seasonal camps will be open by June 1st and stay until October 31st to catch the migration coming and going into The Masai Mara.

Exotic Zanzibar

Our first stop on Zanzibar was at Matemwe Bungalows & Retreat, located north of Stonetown. Then we stayed at Breezes, Baraza and The Palms, located south of Stonetown. To end the trip we stayed 3 nights at the fabulous Serena Inn in Stonetown located right on the water.

From here we made several tours and lots of shopping! We visited the Jozani Forest, Prison Island and took the Spice Tour. Did you know that cloves is the principle spice for export from Zanzibar? I didn't until now.

The Jozani Forest is Zanzibar's only National Park. It's most famous for its Red Colobus Monkeys. They also have very long tails!

This was my first visit to Zanzibar, so I needed to see a lot and learn a lot. I can now highly recommend a visit here for you too.

I will end with a nice shot of a Dhow, the name of the boats used in Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast of East Africa.

Next, I'm off to Southern Africa from May 4-25, 2011.

I'll be visiting Zambia after the Indaba Conference in Durban.

Kristina is travelling in Tanzania again

It's time, I've been home too long!!!! I've got to update myself on what's new in Tanzania since last October!!

Here's my schedule for this trip.

March
12 Depart SEA

13 Su Arrive Nairobi, stay at The Giraffe Manor
14 Mo Fly to Kilimanjaro, stay at Arusha Coffee Lodge
15 Tu Drive to Lake Manyara National Park, stay at Lake Manyara Tree House
16 We Visit several other lodges, stay at Lake Manyara Tree
17 Th Fly to the Serengeti, stay Under Canvas in a mobile camp
18 Fr Serengeti Under Canvas
19 Sa Serengeti Under Canvas
20 Su Fly to Tarangire National Park, stay at Swala Camp
21 Mo Visit several other lodges, stay at Swala Camp
22 Tu Drive to Karatu, stay at Plantation Lodge
23 We Drive to the Southern Serengeti, stay at Olakira Tented Seasonal Camp
24 Th Visit other lodges, stay at Olakira
25 Fr Drive to Central Serengeti, stay at Dunia Tented Seasonal Camp
26 Sa Visit other lodges, stay at Dunia Camp
27 Su Fly to Northern Serengeti, stay at Sayari Tented Seasonal Camp
28 Mo Visit other lodges, stay at Sayari Camp
29 Tu Fly to Zanzibar, stay at Matemwe Lodge
30 We sightseing, stay at Matemwe Lodge
31 Th Move to Breezes

April
1 Fr Stay at Breezes
2 Sa Stay at Baraza
3 Su Stay in Stonetown at the Serena Inn
4 Mo Making excursions, stay at Serena Inn
5 Tu More excursions, stay at Serena Inn
6 We Depart ZNZ
7 Th Arrive SEA at 9:30pm

See you soon,
Kristina

Wonky Tusk did walk through the lobby at Mfuwe Lodge!

Wonky Tusk did walk through the lobby at Mfuwe Lodge!

We were so fortunate to see Wonky Tusk and little Wellington. She comes any time, night or day, so can be difficult to catch. We missed her 3 times before we caught her one morning at 6 am! The wild mangoes kept her there for 18 minutes. Then she marched her family through the lobby and disappeared into the bush.

We also caught another family under the mango tree one afternoon, just as Jonathan Scott started his talk about the Big Cat Diary, filmed for the BBC in the Masai Mara, Kenya.


It was an intense week of photography lessons, by Jonathan Scott, and history talks, given by Phil Berry, the legend of the South Luangwa. We also learned about the Wild Dog Predator Project and the South Luangwa Conservation Society from Matt and Rachel, who run these programs. We even made a visit to the Chiwawatala School, which Mfuwe Lodge and Bushcamps support. We also visited Tribal Textiles.

But we never missed a game drive; we were out an hour before the regular guests and stayed out longer at night too. Tom and I shared this experience with people from the UK, Austria, New Zealand and Ireland. It was a great week. I hope they will offer it again next year.

One of my favorite photograph is this one of a Carmine Bee-eater with a bug in it's beak. They nest on the dry banks of the Luangwa River during the dry season. They dig deep tunnels into the sandbanks where they lay eggs and raise their young, who must fly out before the river floods during the wet season.


See more pictures here

Kristina is off to Africa again

Kristina is visiting Tanzania, arriving on Oct 13 into Arusha. I will stay for 2 nights at the Serena Mountain Village lodge. On the 14th, I will deliver a suitcase (plus more stuff) full of clothing and school supplies to St. Marks Children's Home in Kwa Ugoro Village 35km outside of Arusha. I'm looking forward to see the children there.

On the 15th, I start an agents' familiarization trip the Mbali Mbali camps in TZ arranged by Kamili Safaris in the UK. We will be 3 agents from the US, 2 from the UK, 1 from Holland and 1 from Australia. These are the Tarangire River Camp, Soroi Serengeti Lodge, Katuma Bush Lodge in Katavi NP, Kungwe Beach Lodge in Mahale NP and Gombe Forest Lodge in Gombe Stream NP. This is the 50th anniversary of Jane Goodall's work there.

After one night at the Kempinski Dare es Salaam, I fly to Johannesburg to meet Tom and we're off to Zambia for 2 weeks. We'll spend the entire time around Mfuwe in the South Luangwa National Park. Our first stop is at Kuyenda. We will spend 4 nights here with Phil Berry. this is a Traditional Zambian Bushcamp; A charming and rustic camp that offers a true taste of the African bush with one of the Luangwa’s premier guides at its helm. Then we spend 3 nights at Zungulila, a Rustic Tented Camp; Perfect for small private groups, this isolated, rustic bushcamp delivers an authentic walking safari experience. Then just one night at Kapamba, a Stylish Riverside Camp; A remote and romantic camp situated in a prime location on the Kapamba River, and the only bushcamp to be open from May to January.

We will spend 8 nights at Mfuwe Lodge, an award winning safari lodge set in the most prolific game area of the South Luangwa. The perfect place to enjoy excellent game viewing, recharge your batteries, or to start and finish your journey to our bushcamps. Here we're guided by Jonathan Scott of BBC's Big Cat Diary fame. It will be an intense week of lectures and safari. The draw is of course Ms Wonky Tusk and her family walking through the lobby to reach the ripe mangoes in the garden on the other side.

Watch them in this video here: Enjoy!

Back from Stockholm

I’m just back from Stockholm, which was a quick visit with family and friends. I enjoyed my birth city very much. However the return flight was something else. I flew Delta Airlines from Seattle via JFK to Stockholm, since SAS pulled out of here last summer. Couldn’t be easier. Right? Icelandair works great too, but the price was much higher and being MVP Gold with Alaska, I get better seats on Delta and the miles count towards my MVP status. Going over on Aug 18 went like clockwork and I had 5½ hours to kill at JFK. We arrived early! Going home was another matter though.

I was supposed to fly on Monday Aug 30. All seemed well when I checked in online. I arrived at ARN 3 hours early as requested. They are very thorough there with security at check-in, so it can take awhile. By 9am I was ready to go through; departure was scheduled for 11:05am, but we were informed that the plane would be 5 hours late arriving from JFK, due to some mechanical problem. I decided to just wait it out at ARN instead of going back with my sister. They live about an hour away and gas is expensive there and she had work to do.

I got a voucher for 85 kronor to eat lunch. How very generous of them!!! Hahaha!!! Mind you there’s NOTHING at ARN that cost 85 kronor except a bottle of water which was 39. You get 7 kronor to the dollar (about the same as the South African rand). Around 11am I got a shrimp salad for 139 kronor, a bottle of water and then I discovered Starbucks (opened on Feb 18, 2010 in Terminal 5, gate area 1-10). I just had to have it! About $100 lighter, I walked away with a double-tall wet-capp. Hmmmm … good!! I also taught the barista how to make a “Why Bother”.

Our plane arrived on-time (4.5 hours late) at the gate. Boarding was to be at 2:30pm, but they didn’t start boarding until 3:35, so there was no way we could leave at 3:40 as promised. Oh well, I would miss my 4:20pm Seattle flight anyway. There was another at 8:20pm that I was hoping to make, but it was looking tight. Stockholm is 6 hours ahead of NYC and the flight takes about 8-9 hours depending on the winds. Then there’s immigration and customs at JFK. We were all aboard at 4pm, it was a full flight, but I had secured an exit aisle seat that reclines. My status with Alaska Airlines allowed this as partners. I was also allowed to check 2 free bags. Others get to take only 1 free bag to Europe, so there were loads of carry-on bags and shopping bags. This was an old, formerly NWA 727 plane with very small luggage bins. Here we sat: there was another small matter to be fixed, which took maybe 20 minutes, but then we had to wait for a new clearance from ATL. There was confusion as to who owned the plane now that Delta took over NWA, etc… ad nauseum. That took another hour. And we sat there. 2 young kids were escorted off the plane. They were supposedly drunk, but the real reason was (I think) that the flight attendants were uncomfortable with their looks. They had green, red and blue hair, lots of tattoos, body piercing and various size rings in weird places, but they were nice and courteous. That they apologized and admitted that they had saved and looked forward to this trip for over a year didn’t matter. They offered to take a breathalyzer test. It didn’t matter; other drunks were sound asleep in their seats. The plane had that certain odor. These punks had to go and it was a bad omen.

Finally the required documentation arrived via fax from Atlanta and we took off. The movie system was the old kind with the TV sets hanging above the aisle; there was no sound. Half an hour out of Stockholm, the co-pilot lost his computer. The captain told us that FAA does not allow them to cross without 2 working computers even though it’s perfectly safe with just one, so we had to return to ARN. We dumped fuel for about an hour and a half, flying with the landing gears and flaps down. This shakes the plane a little, but too much for some! We got a drink and some peanuts, but no food. We landed again around 8pm with an extra 15 tons of fuel which required that all other traffic was stopped and all the fire-trucks at Arlanda lined up on both sides of the runway to meet us. The captain was very skilled and there was no emergency. Most likely the brakes were now shot and had to be replaced.

Delta offered to put us up at a hotel or pay for taxis for those who lived close by. Our departure time tomorrow would be 12:30pm – an hour and a half behind the regular scheduled time. OK, what to do? I decided to not bother my sister as they were out on Monday nights bowling. She’s the captain of the team and her husband bowls too. After collecting my bags, I proceeded to the Arrivals Hall as explained by the Delta attendant over the PA system on the plane before we disembarked. The Arrivals Hall is outside of customs. Once out there, I didn’t see the Delta help desk as described. Another couple also was helplessly lost. Where is everybody? I ran to the general information, but in typical Swedish hospitality, they were clueless and not helpful: “it’s not my table” kinda’ attitude. Not many people on the plane came out, just a few who were going home. The line is INSIDE customs in baggage claim. That is not the Arrivals Hall. How do I get back in? I have no place to go and no way to call my sister. I chanced it. The next time the door opened to let people out, I went back inside the holding room, blocked by another door that could only be opened from the other/customs side. I’m in no-man’s land here, alone and worried. OK, someone’s coming out now; I take my chances, backing in with my luggage cart, passing people going out as if I was doing the same!!! I feel like a genius passing the inspectors backwards. One of them looked at my sideways, so I asked him where the Delta help desk is and he told me. I was back inside!

I ended up pretty close to the end of the line. At 10:30pm they run out of hotel rooms in Stockholm! There was a big heart surgeons’ convention going on with 40,000 people attending. There were maybe 10 more rooms needed for us. Delta gave us food vouchers to eat dinner at the airport while we waited to find out if she could get any more rooms anywhere around Stockholm. At this point my sister was home again, I was able to call from the Delta phone, I got taxi vouchers and ended up with Britten and Hasse overnight again. She was so happy I couldn’t believe it. I even got dinner! Then late to bed at 1am.

The next morning (Tuesday Aug 31), the taxi came to get me at 8:30 as scheduled. Now the checkin line was twice as long as yesterday. There were 2 full flights to load today. The regular flight was on-time. The funny-haired, body-pierced couple looked rested and somewhat less colorful today as they left with this plane. They were the lucky ones as it turns out. They got to JFK before we did!!!!

Delta had flown in the required parts from Amsterdam overnight and worked on the plane all morning. They fixed the sound system too or so they thought. The movie started and there was sound alright at my seat and in front of me, but the back apparently had no sound. The flight attendants decided to stop the movie and reboot the system. Now we all got sound, but it’s in French, so they rebooted it again; this time the actors are speaking Spanish; the third time we’re treated to Italian! They decided to change the movie, but we still got French again. It was like Christmas Eve … we were guessing and looking forward what it would be next with great anticipation. “What do you in German”, I asked the attendant who looked a bit - not-so-amused! Another movie in French came on. Have you ever heard Morgan Freeman speak French as Nelson Mandela in Invictus? It was funny and people were laughing. Twice more they tried and both time we got the safety movie again … twice. Then they turned the system off. Nobody seemed to care anymore. There was no compensation offered for this inconvenience. However, we all got a $50 certificate yesterday good towards another purchase only good at Delta.com of another airline ticket on Delta, non-transferable. Thank YOU, Delta for your super generosity: that’s about the average daily wage in America, I suppose. Maybe the captain makes a little more, I hope.

Normal arriving time if you leave at 11:05 is 1:55pm at JFK; our arrival time was scheduled for 2:02pm – how can that be if we leave 1.5 hours later? Everyone was therefore rebooked on their same connections as yesterday, which wouldn’t work for most people. Would I make a flight departing JFK at 4:20pm? It was recently moved back from 3:40pm, which was tight even with the 11am departure time. Some people had connections booked at 3pm!!! They wouldn’t rebook us in Stockholm. So, the only option presented to us was to get in line (for another 3 hours??) at JFK to be re-booked there after we arrived. By that time, most will miss the next flight too. I was prepared mentally to have to overnight at JFK. Why worry now as there’s nothing you can do anyway. I used to get tied in knots (to the point of feeling ill), but have learned to relax in these situations. It’s not easy, but it feels so much better. My friend Kennedy in Nairobi told me: "I've chosen not to be petty; it keeps me in good form"; this keeps me calm too. 

I had a great book to read “Blue-Eyed in Luhya-Land”. An old friend of mine Gunilla Fagerholm (the author) and her husband decided at 50 years old, after their kids were gone to sell all their belongings and move to Kenya. They settled right outside the Kakamega Rain Forest. I’m not done with the book, but it’s incredible what they went through. I must see her next time I go. Her brother Per-Erik is also an old friend and I did meet him that first night at the re-union and he told me about her and gave me the book. He’d been down there several times and filmed certain subjects. I got his DVD on the Kakamega Rain Forest. What interesting friends I have!

We took off at 12:45 and were airborne by 1pm. We have a good tailwind today: scheduled flying time 8:03 hours. This puts us at JFK around 3:05pm! Oh my God, maybe I can make that flight to SEA after all? I was sitting fairly close to the door, so I deplaned quickly; immigration was a breeze and my luggage was marked priority, so it came out first at JFK. Sure enough my SEA flight was delayed about half an hour at JFK and I got home!

The lesson learned here is: always leave early, like 3 days, if you have a boat to catch!

To top if off: I've been denied my miles on Alaska Airlines for the flight from Stockholm to New York because Delta gave my flight an ineligible flight number that won't accrue any mileage. Mind you, I'm GOLD MVP and accrue double miles with Alaska. That is what really ticks me off the most!!! SIGH!!!

Masai Mara Updates: Active crossing in the Mara

Masai Mara Updates: Active crossing in the Mara