September 3, 2008, and we're on our way to Africa for Aaron's wedding. Goodbye DFW!!! We got up at 5:00 this morning to get ready and out the door by 6:30. Joey stayed the night with us so she could take us to the airport. 
We flew Delta which was a change from usually flying American out of Dallas. I must say, I was quite impressed with the service and the people. We left on time for our flight to Atlanta and again on time from Atlanta to Dakar. That was really surprising, as the last two flights we made earlier this year on American (to Tampa and then to Washington) were both late taking off and late arriving. The employees couldn't have been any nicer or more helpful. We were having a little issue trying to check in our bags and a pilot stopped to help us with the self check-in. He stayed there trying to help us until another employee came over to help, as the one we were using wouldn't scan our passports like it was supposed to. But we got everything checked in and made it to the gate by 7:30 to sit and nervously wait for our flight to Atlanta.Our seats on our flight to Dakar were right over the wing so we didn't have much of a view taking off from Atlanta, but we flew eastward and it was dark pretty soon anyways. Our plane was a 737, seating was 2 -3 -2. Si and I were on the right side of the plane with Seats F & G. It was nice not having to worry about disturbing someone else when we had to get up. I watched some "How I Met Your Mother," "New Adventures of Old Christine," "The Bill Ingvall Show," "Two and 1/2 Men," " and a couple episodes of "The Office." I also watched two movies; "Ironman" (lots of action), "Drillbit Taylor," (funny moments). As you can tell, I didn't sleep at all on the plane, but the time actually did pass quicker than I thought it would.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
We landed in Dakar about 4:40 am, local time; 11 pm Dallas time. It took the "reception crew" about 20 minutes to ready us for disembarking, but only about 20 of us got off here in Dakar. Our flight was going on to Johannesburg -- another 9 + hours for those folks. We have to walk down steps (from the door of the plane to the ground); haven't done that in a long time. There is a bus at the bottom to take us on a very short ride to the terminal. The guy at the bus is checking our names against our passports and their list of (I guess) who was getting off in Dakar, before they would let us on the bus. There are military police standing all around. Its pretty intimidating!
After we went thru "customs," (basically just looking at our passports (again)) we gather all of our luggage and then proceed to the X-ray machine. Yeah, your luggage has to go thru X-ray as you enter the country -- as if from the time we left the states we could have picked up something else and put it in our luggage. Oh well, that' their procedure, so we just comply.
After we finish up there we make our way to the exit where Aaron and Jeanne are waiting for us. After hugs all around we headed to the 15 person van that is to be our mode of transportation during our stay here in Senegal.
Our driver, Cheikh, begins by folding down the very back seat and we start loading all of the luggage. By the time he is done, the back is full to the top and a couple of us are holding our carry ons in our laps. Its then that we realize how HOT and HUMID it is. And that's an understatement. It is extraordinarily HOT and HUMID and we are all sweating like pigs! UGH!!!
So, apparently it has been raining off and on all day and Dakar, the part we are seeing, has a drainage problem. We start down one street and get about half way down to find there is a "river" across the road. So, Cheikh backs up the van to turn it around and we proceed to head back the way we came. Luckily, only a couple cars are behind us and they move over to let us pass. After about 15-20 minutes of a hot car ride (the a/c wasn't turned on) we arrive at Aaron and Jeanne's apartment. We now have to carry all of our luggage up 4 flights of stairs. NO elevator!!! Oh yeah, did I mention how HOT and HUMID it it? I thought maybe Aaron was trying to kill us all!!! Just kidding.
Needless to say, when we get into the apartment we are all a little bit more sweaty than before. We all sit down in the living room where Aaron has an A/C unit working. Imagine a window size A/C at the top of the wall, trying to cool about 450 sq ft, with at least 10 hot and sweaty bodies in it. (I'm sure I now understand how everyone feels at our house on Sunday afternoons!!!)
Since none of us are really ready to sleep yet, we let Aaron and Jeanne open the suitcases full of stuff that everyone had brought to them. It was like Christmas in September on their living room floor! So much stuff! We had seven suitcases coming to Dakar; should probably have more like three going home. 
As the kids finished opening all of their presents and stuff, a few of us decided to go out on the balcony and take some pictures of the sun rising on Dakar.
The picture to the left shows the stadium near the
apartment. Aaron says they play soccer and have out-door wrestling there. (Wrestling is the national sport.) All these pictures show the view from the apartment from left to right as you stand on the balcony.
This last picture is looking to the right from Aaron's balcony. (I think we're looking north. ) You can see the clouds rolling in. It looks like it might rain again today. Doesn't really matter much as today is supposed to be a day of rest and catching up on sleep.
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