Day 6 - Kigali to Nairobi to Brazzaville (via Kinshasa) - Saturday, May 2, 2009

OK, this is really a continuation of Friday since I didn't go to sleep at all. This was a whirlwind day. Really two days in one because of the time change (twice) and not sleeping, at least not sleeping at the hours normal people do. Packed, showered, packed some more, forgot I was wearing my faux-crocs (I'm somewhat a believer now) and found out that I bought a huge laundry bag for my dirty clothes. Was ready by 2:00 AM when I was being picked up by Apostle Minga.

Before that I went to the hotel office to pay my bill (1:45 AM) and found that it was closed. I asked the security guard if anyone was around and he said, "No, the office is closed until morning". I told him that I'm leaving in 15 minutes. So, my friends, I found a way to save money.....run out on your bill. The parrots were up (a cage just outside the office) but they didn't take cash. Advised Anselme that we'll have to settle this later through him. By the way, Anselme wasn't supposed to be there, only the Apostle. And 4-5 other brothers. So the Rwanda team made their way to the airport after I verified the expenses for my three days and four nights in Kigali.

Spent quite a bit of money in three days. Not on myself but the expenses for our choir leaders. I even explained to them for the future that the amount of funds available is less and expenses are going up, so both negative statements. Requested some more money from Tim and found out later that some more funds were coming with Bishop Wiesel when I meet up with him in Sri Lanka on May 15, therefore I have to survive with what I have until then. Nonetheless, I was (a little) sorry to leave Rwanda and know different things are in store for me in every country.

OK, so back to the best story so far. Left ~ 2:00 AM from the hotel as an unpaying guest. The streets are really dead at 2 in the morning. That is unless you count police checkpoints. So we drove for a while, around a few roundabouts, and then up ahead I saw a checkpoint. These are fairly common in Africa as a whole. Just checking who's up and why, the police usually check i.d., look in the vehicle and let you go. Well, for some reason Apostle Minga didn't see that this wasn't a normal checkpoint. Usually there are a few pilons that slow you down but they don't always stop every car. Well, this one had a "spike strip"! Well, before you know it, and too late to do much about it, the Apostle cruised into the checkpoint, swerved onto the sidewalk to avoid the spike strip and almost ran over the young police man (he leaped into the bush beside the sidewalk to avoid getting killed). Well, I thought for sure one or two tires were damaged or something stalled, etc. The Apostle really didn't stop and I think he would have continued to the airport if it wasn't for the gun pointed at us from the front of the vehicle. Yes, a gun, a loaded gun, a gun held by a young Rwanda police officer that, I believe, may have been a bit trigger happy. The Apostle really stopped now and the policeman kindly requested (NOT) to shut off the engine. After a (somewhat humourous) exchange between the trigger-happy policeman and his counterpart (with dirty underwear, I assumed) for about 5 minutes, we were on our way to the airport. I told the Apostle I needed a good story from Rwanda and he gave me one!

Arrived at the airport a short time later, did our good-bye embrace with the brothers there and then proceeded into the airport (alone) through baggage security then to check-in. Remember it's 2:30 AM! Immigration process was fairly painless, left an NAC pen with the officer there. Then went to the lounge. There really is no such thing in Kigali. It is a lounge but more of a casual bar/restaurant setting that's open to anyone. If you have lounge access, as I did, you get 1 free drink. So "Coke" it was at this early morning and beginning of my 24-hour day. Called home and talked to Lisa and the kids while browsing Duty Free (really cheap). Lisa wanted to watch her shows, so I let her go. I bought some chocolate, macadamia nuts and 3 bottles (they said I could take them through Nairobi).

Again I was the last one to come through boarding and had to walk to the plane because I missed my bus (maybe 500 m). Plane was quite empty, we left on time and arrived early (6h00 Nairobi time). It was only an hour flight but we still received a "good" Continental Breakfast. Oh, how different it is outside North America. Food (almost) on every flight. I enjoyed the inflight magazine and before I knew it, we had landed in Nairobi just as the sun was coming up.

Off the plane, no direct passageway to terminal for our flight so another walk outside. This is very common in Africa as there's no cold weather to tolerate or deal with. The weather was really "fresh", meaning probably only about 12-15 degrees. A welcome "calm before the storm" of the heat and humidity that I would endure over the next 2 weeks.

Nairobi was crazy as ever! Searched through Duty Free and had a little buyer's remorse as there as the selection was better in Nairobi with just as good prices. Then, all of a sudden, there was an announcement for my flight to Brazzaville, 75 minutes before the flight. I forgot that they do security screening at the gate as well. It's interesting to see Africans, Indians, Arabs, Europeans, all fighting for their way through. There was no time to go to any lounge this morning.

Got to the screening process and they told me that I couldn't take my bottles on board. So I took my two carry-ons and repacked them and checked in the larger one. There was no way I was going to lose those bottles. I kept the bag in view as it basically just stayed on the counter. I said to myself I wouldn't board the plane until I knew and saw that my bag was on the plane. Kenya Airways actually let me bring the bag with me to the plane (another walk outside) to the bottom of the stairs leading to the aircraft. I asked 3-4 times that they would assure me that it would make it on (and it did).

OK, I knew something was up because the flight from Nairobi to Brazzaville isn't 5 hours. This flight stops in Kinshasa (DRC) first, 45 minute wait, then 5 minute flight across the river. Business Class was full on this 3h10m flight to Kinshasa. Sat beside a nice DRC man who wants to send his son to Canada to study. Had the same breakfast as the earlier flight but this time they added a hot dish. I think it was a vol-volant, which is a filled pastry (eggs, mushrooms, etc.). The inflight movie was "African" and the story-line was reaching. Slept for about 90 minutes. Enjoyed Nairobi newspaper as well and took some of the articles with me in addition to the inflight magazine.

Kinshasa is an airplane graveyard or, at least, a hospice. It actually reminds me a little of Tucson (call-out to Carl Z). Difference is that the planes here in DRC are still running.

Most of the passengers disembark at Kinshasa. Met the Ghana Ambassador to Congo-Brazzaville on the plane. A very nice and short conversation ensued. The flight (5 min) to Congo-Brazzaville was quite uneventful.

I arrived to the security/immigration/police check and they're looking for my authorization. I didn't have the chance to print what Apostle Kalala sent to me as my authorization letter and I didn't see Apostle Kalala, as I usually do, when I arrived at the airport. In hindsight, I forgot that I should have gone to the VIP lounge directly and not to security. Where's Apostle Kalala? I've been here 6 or 7 times and never had such problems. After changing my SIM card on my phone, the "nice man" at security used his phone to call Apostle Kalala and, sure enough, he was waiting for me two rooms over in the VIP lounge. Within a couple of minutes he was there with the letter and a few short minutes afterwards with the 2 pieces of luggage, we were on our way.