We spent the last night in the same place as the first night, and it was good. Simple food, sufficient room, pleasant people. In the morning, not too early, we went into town to see what Arusha had to offer. We were immediately picked up by two "fly-catchers" - young men who want to know where you're from, tell you they have a cousin there, want to help you out, rip you off, what ever. I am not good with this. John and Mike walked with us for two hours. At the end, they're schtick was selling John's art, and I liked his stuff. Win/win/win. Paige and I got to tour places that a lot of tourists miss, John got to sell an oil and a batik,which will help him and his brother, and Paige and I got the kind of souvenir that we value.
Itinerary, Dec. 28. 5 pm Fly two and a half hours to Addis Ababa airport. Wait nine hours for next flight. Discover that none of the airport restaurants and almost none of the shops take credit cards, including the pay-to-stay lounge. At hour four, give up and go to arrivals level to withdraw local cash. Have ATM machine swallow Canadian debit card, thereby losing all access to funds, possibly forever. Go nine hours without sleep, food or water. Inhale the equivalent of one year of bar-tending in the 80's in secondhand smoke. Fail to get duty free or Ethiopian coffee. Get on EgyptAir flight to Cairo. Discover framed Koran on board. Share two minutes of prayer before take-off. Know then that they will not serve alcohol on this flight. Need alcohol.
Itinerary, Dec. 29. Arrive in Cairo airport where they will take Mastercard for as little as a coffee. Drink fresh juice, good coffee, and wait some more. Three hours later, board plane for Tunis. Arrive without incidence in three more hours. Lose twenty hours of one's life for for nine hours of flying. Vow never to book through Expedia again. Collapse into bed.
Net result? The most amazingly wonderful vacation of my life! Don't just stand there - get yourselves to Africa!
 |
| Women's market in Arusha |
 |
 |
| Men's market - note elevated stands |
 |
| John, Karen and Mike |
 |
| Masai women in oil and canvas, framed in Tunis |
 |
| Masai women in batik. |
 |
| John, Paige and Mike |
Itinerary, Dec. 29. Arrive in Cairo airport where they will take Mastercard for as little as a coffee. Drink fresh juice, good coffee, and wait some more. Three hours later, board plane for Tunis. Arrive without incidence in three more hours. Lose twenty hours of one's life for for nine hours of flying. Vow never to book through Expedia again. Collapse into bed.
Net result? The most amazingly wonderful vacation of my life! Don't just stand there - get yourselves to Africa!
