3/11-12/07 continued

At lunch today there was a three piece band and four native dancers performing all through lunch (two hours). They made 3 or 4 costume changes. Whether this was a typical Sunday entertainment or meant for the Aga Khan I don't know.

We arrived around 7PM for our flight to Dar Es Salaam continuing to Amsterdam. Since the security check was just inside the airport door there was a long line outside waiting to go through security. We made it in plenty of time. In the waiting are there were a number of gift/duty free shops. Surprisingly , the prices for the souvenirs were equal or less than we had paid before.

Our flight left about 15 minutes late which didn't seem so bad considering that the Tanzania (TSL) flight to Nairobi , Kenya left just before ours one hour late.

During the flight on our DC11 we had a poor excuse for a supper, two movies, and an even worse breakfast, served just before we landed in Amsterdam around 6:50 AM local time. We decided that the meals originating in Amsterdam were much better than the meals originating in Tanzania. :(

Our flight to Detroit was scheduled to leave at 10 AM but the security check before boarding started around 8:20 AM. We found out that our bottle of "Sun & Bug" lotion was too large for carry on luggage (237 m vs 100 ml maximum) I had put it in our checked luggage for the flight over, but put it in my back pack to use during the trip and never thought about the restrictions. Of course we didn't have access to our checked bags and I had to toss the lotion. :(

We now had an 8 hour flight into Detroit, our choice of movies, a little better meal and a snack (a cheese sandwich and an ice cream sunday).

In Detroit everyone had to pick up their luggage and go through customs, then recheck the bags going to Erie. After clearing customs we had about 2 1/2 hours until our flight to Erie so around 3 PM we decided to have "dinner" at an A&W food stand. I had a bacon-cheeseburger and a vanilla shake. Carolyn had a hamburger and a Root Beer and we shared a fries. Now that's a real American meal!! :) To welcome ourselves back into the good old USA.

Helen and Mike arrived to pick us up just as the luggage started to arrive, unfortunately, my duffel with all our souvenirs was not on the plane. ( it showed up the next evening) Our flight from Detroit to Erie was on a regional Canadaire jet and took just 30 minutes from wheel up to wheels down.