This time we had 3 flights that would take a total of 22 hours to get to our destination. Emmi is a wonderful travel partner and we enjoyed each take off, each landing and time spent talking about all we would experience. Her excitement was contagious and it reminded me of our first trip to West Africa. I watched two movies which was 2 more than I have watched in many months. While it was a long journey, I took advantage of the time where I had no responsibilities, no to-do lists and precious time with my first born.
Our last flight was 7 hours. Before take off, a little girl (just under 3 years old) sat in front of us and walked over to me to say hello. Instantly she climbed on my lap and put her head on my shoulder. With one of my little girls at home, and another little girl waiting for me in Africa, it was just what this Momma needed. We spent a good part of the flight with her, singing songs, playing patty cake and giving her Momma a well deserved break.
Once we landed, the air was extremely hot and humid. Since it was evening and the sun was down, I began to imagine what tomorrow would be like during the day time. Extremely thankful for flowy skirts and breezy tops. We got in line with others and after an hour of waiting, I was told I needed to purchase a new entry visa. I thought mine was good for another 6 months (as did the official in the US) but they insisted I pay for a new one ($150 cash, ouch!) and paperwork was all it took to get to the next part of the airport.
The rest went smoothly, but the extra time all this waiting took, I was afraid our ride might have left already. But he was there waiting and relieved to see that we did not miss our flight. He said he kept looking for a mother and daughter combo and was worried we had missed our flight.
We drove into our hotel, it was dark and hard to see much. I wished Emmi could have experienced the sights and sounds right away, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. As we pulled into the hotel gates, I saw faces I knew from pictures: the Beebe family! They are a missionary family serving in West Africa and I love reading their blog about their work there. We had arranged for us to take them some goodies from home and I was so glad to see them waiting for us. Having lived 19 years away from my native country, I know how important some simple reminders of home are sometimes. I quickly unpacked their things, and they were on their way as it was late.
Emmi and I took quick (cold) showers, set our fan blowing just right and before long, we were sleeping. 3 flights, 4 airports, 24 hours and we are here!
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