We navigate immigration, baggage claim, and customs with no problems whatsoever. Outside customs we are met by Abu, Willie, and Samson, our Thomson Safari guides for the trip.  Abu is the head guide, and Willie and Samson are supporting guides, although all three share impressive credentials, and each is a head guide on other safaris.  We also meet the rest of our safari party, a bunch of tired, but excited and wide awake travelers who are all realizing similar dreams-come-true.
 
Our baggage is loaded on top and into three Land Rover vehicles.  Two are four passenger, and one is a six passenger.  We have Samson as our driver, and off we go for the 30 minute ride to Kigongoni Lodge, our home for Sunday and Monday nights.   This is our first exposure to the bumpy dirt roads that we will come to know so well over the next 10 days.  We arrive safely, check in as a group, and Russ kindly signs for all of us.  We are already figuring out how to get the bar tab billed to his room!
 
We are led to our bungalow, and are very impressed.  See the pictures to the right.  It is warm, comfortable, and we are pleased to have a bed to sleep in.  After dropping off our luggage and washing up, we head out to tour the property.  It is about 9:30 pm, and the night is clear and cool.
 
We end up at the bar, and find three couples already getting acquainted.  Paul and Pam, and Nick and Julie are good friends from the LA area, and have traveled on the Safari together.  Also there are Dave and Sandi.  We join them and spend the next two hours talking and laughing and getting to know each other.  I discover a local beer, Tusker (or Huskers if you listen to Julie), and Michelle has a glass of wine.
 
We are in Africa, making new friends, and have a lovely place to stay.  The stars are aligned, and we are well on our way to an unbelievable journey in Tanzania.

Sunday, July 17.  We land in Amsterdam about 7 am.  It has been a long night and we slept only a little .  But the excitement of getting closer to Africa keeps us going.  Although I wasn't really looking forward to this vacation, I find Michelle's excitement and anticipation contagious.
 
We have 3 ½ hours to kill before our flight leaves for Kilimanjaro, so we get some coffee and wander around the airport.  During that time we meet Dave and Sandi from Houston, and get to know them a bit.  We like them right away!  We also meet a mother and daughter that are on the same Safari as Tarzan and Jane and Boy.  Finally, as we are boarding the flight for Kilimanjaro, we meet Tom and Erika from New York, who are also on our Safari. 
 
The flight to Kilimanjaro takes about 9 hours, and we are tired from the long travel so far.  But the excitement mounts again as we get closer to Tanzania.  Finally, we are on final approach to the Kilimanjaro airport, and before we know it, we are down!!  Landing at Kilimanjaro is quite interesting, as the airport is an hour out of town, and there are almost no lights around the airport.  You seem to be flying in complete darkness, and then you hit the ground!!  But it was a good landing, and we are finally in Africa!!