Welcome to Tanzania!

We spent exactly 24 hours traveling. 24!!! MSP to Amsterdam was on Delta and pretty much empty, which was wonderful. We were able to space out a little bit (even though we didn't get much sleep!) We were excited to realize that you get free cocktails on international flights.............we all may have enjoyed a glass of wine or two ;)

It was a delight to spend our 4 hour layover in Amsterdam being serenaded by Natty playing the piano, serenading us and the other airport guests. We filled up on coffee (It's 7am in Amsterdam but we feel like its midnight) and boarded our next flight, KLM Airlines from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. THIS FLIGHT WAS NOT EMPTY!!!!!!!!! We were packed in like sardines and separated (in groups of 2, at least). Things we learned on these two legs of the journey..

1. Delta's food is WAY better than KLM's

2. If you can get on an international flight thats half empty, CLAIM THE EMPTY ROWS ASAP! We were a little too slow on that but the guy that swiped the row we were looking at snoozed allll night long. What a jerk.

3. People are still apparently achieving statuses in the Mile High Club. Nat and Kari had a good show from an American man and a Dutch (?) woman. Yep. IT happened. If you know what we mean.

4. Eating airplane food for 24 hours is NEVER a good idea. Seriously. Never. Pack a lunch. Bring an apple. Do anything you can to avoid the 3-4 meals per flight

5. Delta hands out full sized water bottles every few hours. YES.

6. People do not like it when you elbow them (Looking at you, Cari) (They may "accidentally" spill wine on your empty seat when you're walking the aisles to prevent blood clots.

We arrived in style at JRO, walking straight off the plane, down steps, and onto the tarmac. Inside was a cluster. No apparent lines and we waited to make it through customs. All of our bags arrived with us! Our driver found us (thankfully he was holding a sign that said KCMC FCCT Nurses) and we had not one, but two guys from the airport helping us wheel our 400+ lbs of personal bags, books, toys, and medical supplies. It was pitch black out so we couldn't see much on the drive to the house. Here's the house! (Obviously taken during daylight)

Got ready for bed and all took COLD showers (apparently there's a hot water switch...we learned....too late)

Woke up this morning and got ready to tour KCMC. The hospital is vastly different than what we are used to. Its a 600+ bed hospital, overfilling with patients. The nurses are spread so thin, each taking 10-20 patients. They have a few nursing assistants to help with transportation and bathing. It was so different to see how a hospital in this part of the country is run. One thing we noticed were the beds. They were paper thin, and there were some in the hallway.  Seems like they do 5 beds to a room. They have male rooms and female room. (of course, all the beds have mosquito nets over them). It really makes you appreciate what you have. Never again will we complain about our fancy beds and how the buttons on the sides don't work.

Looks like we will be doing a LOT of education! It's exciting how many people we will be reaching Some days we are going from a 1 hour presentation in the morning to all the nursing staff, to a 4 hour presentation to 50 nurses, and then going to the nursing school for 2 hours in the afternoon. 

We need to prepare 5 days of class time (to a crowd of people which will represent each of the 34 "departments" they have in the hospital)  4 hours each. Plus three 3 hour sessions at the nursing school and then two 1 hour presentations for ALL the nursing staff at the "Tuesday morning meetings." We are also going to help them in the Cancer Care Center effectively utilize the materials they have.

Here is Jane, one of the Chemo Nurses. She is mixing the chemo under the hood!

Until next time!

Kari & Brittany (the other girls are "napping" aka giggling away in there)