Doha to Arusha, Tanzania: Week 2 / Day 12 / January 22
Arusha, Tanzania: We arrived into the Doha airport after an uneventful flight from Marrakech. The airport is quite clean and modern, far better than Logan or LAX (granted, that is a pretty low bar to clear). We found a designated quiet room to relax in, however it was anything but. There was a woman sleeping on the floor with a small child and she was snoring like a chainsaw. Add in the constant sneezing and coughing, and we decided to head elsewhere. Many previous times traveling I have inwardly chuckled to myself when I saw a Japanese person wearing a facemask while traveling. After that experience, and having seen the sneeze etiquette or profound lack thereof in Marrakech, I am not laughing anymore. I now think that wearing a surgical mask while traveling is a pretty good idea. Not that I will ever do it, but it is a good idea.
We only caught a glimpse of Doha as we were bussed out to our plane. We could see the city off in the distance but that was about it. Our flight to Arusha was pretty much without incident. The only real thing of interest was the degree to which the flight seemed to be avoiding Saudi airspace. I had noted the some thing on the flight in, but it was even more dramatic on this flight (as shown below). Also interesting, was the fact that the inflight information had a map that would show which direction was mecca relative to the front of the plane.
One of the things I had read up on a lot before this trip was getting an e-Visa vs. a Visa on Arrival. I could not get the e-Visa system to work for me, so I was resigned to doing the Visa on Arrival. Many articles had warned of the length of wait and the haphazard nature of things. Instead, the line was short (maybe 5 min) and the entire process ran smoothly and efficiently. A nice introduction to Tanzania.
After leaving the airport we took a cab to the lodge we were staying at for the night. The lodge was surprisingly nice since we chose the mid-tier option for the safari (neither the budget nor the luxury level).
The dinner was excellent and the beer was cheap. Both good signs for the upcoming safari. Tomorrow morning we are off to see wildlife.
