Saturday, July 17.

A few notes about the Amsterdam airport:

1. All of the signs are in English. Getting from Point A to Point B... much easier than expected.

2. I did get a few "silly American" looks from a few obviously Dutch airport employees. So what if I'm a careful traveler and ask lots of questions?

3. I got through security like a pro. Nobody questioned my American-ness. Or my ability to follow directions.

4. Dutch men are HOT.

5. Sitting in the boarding area. There is a small child SCREAMING at the top of her little lungs. This does not bode well for the next 8 hours.

6. I'm halfway there.

10:30 a.m., Amsterdam time.

On the plane. Small screaming child is sitting one row in back of me, across the aisle. Directly into my right eardrum. Typical.

2:30 (or 3:30?) p.m. (Whatever time zone).

Currently 39,000 feet over the largest desert in the effing world. Mind trip.

P.S. I have the worst seat on the plane. The worst. Tail-end aisle seat. Lost count of how many times elbow lost the battle with service cart. At least small screaming child is now small sleeping child.

When I say "worst seat," that doesn't necessarily involve my row-mates. Sitting by a nice German family. Papa Pavel is humoring the inexperienced American traveler. We're all getting off at Kili International (before the plane heads to Dar es Salaam).

Stomach is queasy. Can't tell if it's the lunch meal, the malaria meds, or the intermittent bumpy-bumps. Trying to sleep now.

6:30 p.m. (East African time).

My teeth are fuzzy. FUZZY.

It turns out the Sahara Desert isn't scenic enough from the air. Slept through most of Libya and Sudan. Sweet sleeping children are adorable.

2 more hours. Outlook improving.

8:00 p.m. (East African time).

Currently over Nairobi, Kenya. I think the Germans are bored with me. That's okay because I'm really too tired and too excited to think straight anymore. The oxymoronic combination of those two emotions isn't lost on me. Going to put the journal down for a while and regroup. Next entry will be from on Tanzanian soil! Kwaheri!