Home again, home again (jiggity jig)
Well, we have returned to our home. Today, saturday, is cold, rainy and wet and I have had to put on my only pair of long pants and a fleece – I refuse to put on close toed shoes though I’m not exactly sure why : ) ! It was definitely not like this last year when we got here!
Our journey was long and stressful and exhausting. We flew out of Winnipeg on Aug2 at noon with the expectation to land in Toronto at 3 EST. 10 minutes before landing we were informed that due to an electrical storm we would be rerouted to Ottawa. When we finally arrived we were told to sit tight since we might be able to take off again shortly. Well, we did – sit tightly, that is – for 3 hours in a hot, foodless and drinkless plane (though they did put on Madagascar which was somewhat amusing – particularly the penguins!). We had had breakfast at 8:30 that morning, had no lunch expecting to eat in Toronto during our layover, but did find the 6 Kit Kats Dad Enns had slipped into my backpack (that’s 24 fingers!). Finally we were told that we had a gate. Many planes trying to get into Toronto were in Ottawa, all waiting a turn to disembark. We were told there was a crash and finally that all the passengers were safe. Made sitting in the plane easier to take when put into context of life and death.
When we came out of the gate we were given a slip of paper and told to make sleeping arrangements and to rebook our flights with the numbers provided – what?! Also, we had to reclaim our 7 monster bags ranging mostly in the 70lb category – WHAT?!!!!! Opening up into the terminal we see hundreds of people in an airport about the size of Winnipeg ALL instructed to do the same. We were hungry, anxious and really disappointed. Also, we didn’t have one foggy clue where to start. do we eat first, make phone calls, hang out with the possibility that a flight would go out that evening yet? Anyway, I did get on the phone and after waiting for around 1/2hour made a rebooking to get to Toronto the next day at 10. In hindsight we should just have gone with that and made for a hotel pronto so we could rest. But instead we wandered around aimlessly, eating a muffin for sustanance, and cursing our 300lbs trolleys each. Wes had a brain wave and remembered that friends from Calgary days had moved to Ottawa. Found their number, but only got a machine. We finally got into a line up for Air Canada but I just couldn’t accept the fact that Neil and Stacy weren’t home and called again. No answer. Back into line. Open bags, get out warm clothes since the terminal was frigid, and wait. I decided to call friends again and this time they answered!!! This was now 10:30pm and they were on their way! Wes also asked if we needed to be in line and the person said no, since I had rebooked over the phone (this is how much of no foggy clue we had!!). Anyway, the Osters came and found us, had a van big enough to put our luggage in, plus us, and took us to a hotel for the night. My brain was beyond agitated and so I got 5 hours of sleep, but the boys got 6. Neil and Stacy were God-sent, of that there is no doubt.
The next morning we checked in without trouble, sat and had breakfast, and then Ez says, “my fingers really hurt”. I look at them and they are all swollen as tight as drums, unable to bend. I’m thinking ” no, I do not want to miss another flight”, but really I wanted Ezie to not be in pain. We found a paramedic who seemed baffled, but suggested an antihistamine, but had none to give. Neither did the Relay stores. So I gave him motrin for kids and prayed. Not much difference in the way they looked but he did say after a while that they didn’t hurt as much. We’ll take it!
Our flight to Toronto was short and uneventful. Again, had to collect our luggage. What the…?!!! How can there only be 5? After about 1/2 hour Wes wanders over to the oversized luggage area and there they sit , our other two pieces- good, great. Let’s find the right terminal and the British Airways counter and make some tracks! It was heavy work getting the luggage (did I mention it was around 400lbs of gear ? : )!!!) onto the transit buses and I only JUST about missed the bus taking the trolley back to get my .25 cent reward (like a good Canadian and Mennonite), but we got to the right terminal the first time AND were the first people at the British Airways counter AND were attended to by one incredible lady who got us processed and relieved us of our luggage in jig time. Now we had 8 hours before our flight to London. Grabbed lunch at Tim Hortons, the boys played with cars from the Magarrell’s, Isaiah took a nap and Jean slept for 5 min. Also convinced the airport nurse to give us an antihistimine tablet for Ezra for when his fingers blew up again (of course they weren’t doing it when we were there, but whatever!) and basically did a royal job of killing time. We knew the connection in London would be tight since originally we had 4 hours layover, but now leaving the Toronto airport 2hours later could be challenging. Then once on board we sat around for another hour and had one measley hour to make our connection. Nothing to be done about it so whatever will be will be. Let’s watch some t.v. and sleep.
Get to London, walk off the plane, walk through security, walk to the departures telly and find our gate, walk to the washroom, walk up to the counter at gate 8 because “those passengers with children will now preboard for our flight to Nairobi”. Doesn’t get much slicker than that, PLUS we had requested 4 seats across AND we got bulkhead! Let the stretching out begin. Don’t hold out much hope of our luggage doing the same kind of quick turnaround, but you never know. I believe I (Jean) fell into a coma upon take off and slept for 3 blissful hours and then only had 5 hours of consciousness before we got to Nairobi. No one threw up, or had their fingers explode, or was overly cranky.
We got into Nairobi and were greeted with the delightful smell of exhaust. We made our way to the visa area, I saw the lineup (a headache), and quickly enquired of a staff member where to go if we were residents and had re-entry passes. She pointed us down a hall way where there was one other person and we were processed in around 2 literal minutes! Unfortunately all that by passing of people was for naught because we were the last to leave the terminal as we waited with baited breath for the last luggage cart to be unloaded and realize that NONE of our baggage had followed us (as suspected). Fill out a report and get HOME.
It did take a few days for all our luggage to get there, but it ALL did and the bikes were assembled and the boys are remiss to part with them for any extended periods of time (Ezra would like to ride to school, and the fact that I can nearly see his classroom from my living room doesn’t seem to dampen his resolve at all – I’m SO glad!).
We have all done much better with jet lag this time around ( I now know that I must not give in to the overwhelming urge to sleep until 3pm and then expect to get a solid nights sleep that night), It was terrific to open the door and enter our home – small but familiar. Wes quickly engaged with staff orientation, I am busy getting the fires stoked at home and readying Ezra for grade 1 (which starts on Tuesday). There are new friends all around, and of course old friends too, who are such fun to get caught up with.
Thanks, everyone, who spoke into our lives this summer. It was good to be back in Canada and to make sure you’re all doing all right without us there to keep track of you : )!! We now re-enter the world of emails and blogs to accomplish the task of keeping connected and trust that we will all do our part. Blessings on you all.
Oh, yeah… I seem to have left a watch somewhere, has anyone found it? It’s silver and the face is black (I think it’s Guess brandname.) Anyway, let me know if you’ve seen it.
That’s it for now. Over and out.
Jean (for the Enns crew)