Countdown Begins: 30 hours and counting
After spending a reflective day at the Genocide Museum, and then doing some gift shopping, it was time to get ready to leave. I spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out at the PIH house. Said good-bye to Ann (Dana-Farber nurse) as her and others went out to eat.
Aloys, the taxi driver who had driven me around Kigali all day, came back to pick me up for the drive to the airport. He was a real nice man, didn't talk to much, but nice enough. He helped me my 2 suitcases to the inside of the airport. That's when hell broke lose on me!!
I have a backpack carrying my computer, camera and other necessities. I'm wheeling 1 suitcase,returning all the blocks and slide that Gaspard, Irenee, and I had processed and packed, along with a few barrels (bottles of beer!). I have a rolling duffel bag,that I might add is a little awkward to roll, and I come up to the 1st women who says something to me about my suitcases. "Excuse me?" saying cause I didn't understand what she says. "Do you understand English?"in this snotty tone and a look on her face of disgust at me!! I was like WHAT??!! I am so excited to be heading home and this is what I got to be confronted with!! Oy vey!! So after lifting the behemoth suitcases onto the x-ray belt, she so lovingly (yea....right) tells me take my shoes off, and take any computers out. I do as I am told!! Get, thankfully, to the other side and away from her and now stand in a new line. This wasn't bad, security looking at my passport and look at me.......go ahead through. Phew.....that was good.
Now I'm in line for the boarding pass and check luggage. I'm up..........throw the suitcase up and it alarms it's over weight limit!! Well duh!! I know this......
Two women behind the counter and one says to me that it's too heavy and start unpacking!!! What??? I said I can't unpack this is all coming home with me!! So with attitude like I just slapped her in the face she tells me I have to pay for it........fine, I figured that much, but you just treated like shit with attitude. We then proceed to the office upstairs. Go through all the paperwork, make payment, all done. I asked her for the receipt so I can get reimbursed because it's medical material and she was said they charge no matter what it is!! Okay, fine............but I proceed to tell her that United Airlines waived all fees on the way to Africa because I volunteered. She says "Really? Well we don't do that!!" Fine, whatever......how do I get to the gate?
Next!!!!!!!!
So the bit of hell is over........now to go throught security again to get to my gate. Shoes-check, computers-check, backpack-check. Go through metal detector, and the guy looking at the x-ray says something Kinyarawanda (no comprende!!) and the other guy says "do you have a bottle in your backpack" Yup........it's got water in it!! "Drink it now" I'm told.... okay,okay.
So I'm drinking and drinking, take a break......."Keep drinking!!" I'm told!! Alrighty.....I thought I was going to drown myself in Kigali airport!! Finally I was done......I got x-ray man's attention,unscrewed the top and tipped it over!! I'm said "is that good?" I passed and got into the gate... oh thank God.
At Kigali, you walk out onto the tarmac to get to the plane. It's kinda cool......the plane was huge!!
I sat next to a young guy, who told me he was a EMT turned cop, who proceeded to tell me, after hearing the above, that they can be that way with women traveling alone. Well I can't let it bother me anymore........I remember at what I had left the day before, and all that I tried to achieve and things I did achieve and all the memories I had made.
We flew to Entebbe......dropped off the cop and picked a lady with a scarf on her neck. Before we take off she's sitting over there pulling the scarf over her mouth and coughing like crazy!! I'm thinking this is great, I'm gonna get sick after I get home!! Eight hours to Brussells next to this!! I eat, watch Parental Guidance(it's kinda cute!) and fall asleep. Don't know how long I had been sleeping well all of a sudden I feel moisture on my left leg and I hear her say UHHHH....in my sleep I was thinking "She just puked on me!!!" when I wake up hearing the stewardess saying "It's just water!!" "Sorry" Oh thank God!!! I can handle water......since I didn't pack an extra outfit in the backpack.
Next!!!!!!!!!!
"Would passenger Viens please report to the gate" Really? Now what??!! It's a 10 minute interrogation about who,what,where,when and why. Yup look in my backpack......
Just get me on this plane and to the United States!!
Finally............on the plane.
I watched about 4 movies, played some games, napped and then finally landed in Newark!! I'd kiss the ground, but we are in Newark!!
Now to go through customs.....wait in the snaking line and finally I'm up!! Questions, questions and then......"What were you doing in Rwanda?" Volunteering at a hospital......."Are you a doctor or nurse?" Yup.....doctor- general practice!! Oh just get me outta here!!
Then it was to luggage to pick it up,go through more customs (with no problems or questions) and re-check it for the last flight to Boston!!
Finally I land in Boston........find my love, Bill and grab our luggage and go!!
I AM HOME!!!
It was the greatest, most life changing experience I have ever been through.
Thinking about all that I have been through in the past two weeks, I would go and do it again.
There's no place like home..........but I know Rwanda and Butaro Hospital will always be a part of me and my life, and I want to go back............
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