Checking in from Dakar, Senegal

Its midnight and we’ve just arrived in Dakar, Senegal. We have a 1 hour lay-over as we refuel, unload and load passengers, and then head down to South Africa (for the final, 10 hour leg of our flight).

Joe is convinced that lions have surrounded our airplane – and he is tickled by the thought. Upon landing here in Senegal he gleefully exclaimed, “I see weeds [that would be grass to those who know Africa]…I think there’s a lion in there!!” He has been an absolute delight to watch (and listen to). Seeing its usually me who’s easily tickled and acts like a kid in a candy store at the slightest hint of amusement – it’s so fun to be with someone who’s expressing delight in the same ‘child-like’ innocence/silliness as I do. Some would call that ridiculous…I call it ‘enjoying every little bit of life’.

While a little uncomfortable – who was I kidding thinking I would actually get sleep on the 7 ½ hour flight from Washington to Dakar. Not a chance. We did watch 2 movies in a row (ooh, what rebels), read a little, and tried – in about 27 different positions – to catch a few zzzz’s. We were so blessed by the airplane we flew on – each seat has it’s own little screen (in the seat in front of you), it’s own headset, it’s own remote control – and loads of movie channels, TV shows, music stations and game options. Oh, it’s scrumptious – we feel like anti-social 13 year olds huddled in our bedrooms over the long, lazy summer holiday. There are actually 3 cameras externally attached to this airplane, so at any given time, we can view the camera angles from underneath the plane, in front of the plane, and above the place (attached to the tail).