You got me higher, than Kilimanjaro

Day 3
05/07/12

After spending all night on a plane, it was refreshing seeing a sunrise as we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. It was also our first time outside in fresh air, and it felt good! Unfortunately, the wait in the Nairobi Airport was AWFUL. It was so crowded and there was no air. My allergies kicked in big time because of how stuffy and humid it was, ugh. I'm not looking forward to the 7 hour layover here on the way home. On my way through security, I knocked one of my earrings out. It was a little awkward explaining to security why I was climbing underneath the scanner.....

The next flight was miserable. On the plus side I got a window seat and we got to see Mt. Kilimanjaro, but there was little leg room, unbelievably bumpy, and we were by the bathroom, yuck! Oh, and our TVs weren't working. so instead, Rachel and I played MASH. Thank you Darren Criss the famous Greek tooth fairy for keeping us entertained.
We finally arrived! At the airport, we were greeted by a familiar face to Aquinas College: Clement Chiwaya. He was the first graduate of the Community Leadership program in 2003. He serves on Malawi's Parliament. We got to wait in the VIP section while he got our bags in the airport. It was a nice break, especially after flying for about three days. We were exhausted, but Clement had a last minute visit to Parliament for us planned.

Also, one of our guide's (a pastor) brought his daughters, Ruth and Venus, along to help translate and navigate. We came just after the president of Malawi died and was replaced by a female president, the second in Africa's history! Even the United States hasn't had a female president yet.....
Clement treated us to dinner and we were able to exchange some money. We bought most of the grocery store it seemed like, and we also had to find International calling cards for Tara to keep in contact with her daughter. The lack of Internet and cell reception was going to be a problem for most people it seemed like.
We arrived at Nkhoma village around 7:00 that night, and everyone was exhausted. The sun had already set (it's the start of their winter) and you could see the stars! Reminded of being up north during the summer. I'm so happy to finally be in Africa! Let the adventures begin :)