30th July , Karibu Nairobi!!!

The Gods are Happy. Maya ne apna jaal faila diya hai! J

 

Deepali, who stayed back, made sure we reached the airport on time. The pouring, nahhhhhh , pelting humongous  droplets of rain, had stopped. An afterthought call to Rajesh, minutes before we reached the airport, and we breeze through the check in , with security & immigration , a piece of cake!!

 

Par kisiki nazaar lag gayi , shayad humari hi lag gayi hogi , sighhhhhhh!!!!! The flight is delayed by an hour , and we take off at 05.10am . So , its another cuppa coffee at The Coffee Bean. Trying to take a few photos at the airport , but cant coz I am asked not to ( wonder why????although I did manage to take 2 clear shots! ) . And , relieved  that Mom had double checked her hand luggage tag for the security stamp, which the security women had conveniently forgotten to do! If Mom, hadn't done that , we would have been made to scuttle , like quite a few of the passengers , back to the security for the stamp , just when one was ready to board the flight!!!!! ( ADVICE: Make sure the hand luggage tag is stamped at security , warna , wapas jana padega, last minute !!! Be it Domestic or International ) .

 

Slept through the entire 5 hour Kenyan airways flt , before we touched the Kenyan Soil !

 

Karibu aka Welcome, to Nairobi!

 

Took that 5 minutes to orient myself to the surroundings, and then it was , Fill the visa form , Go to the Visa on Arrival counter , to the Friendliest visa/ immigration Officer , till date! And lo behold , who do I see , while the process is on , Pannag !! My dear kid brother, has used his clout to welcome us all at the visa counter!!! J 

 

Jambo aka Hello, Habari aka How are you, Bombay Mausi …. Rinnie's  welcome to Mom with array of Roses & Rajnigandha. Our suitcases need to be checked by the customs people for gifts et all , and poor chaps , open the biggest and Fattest bag to find absolutely Nothing!!!

 

It's a super sunny day , that welcomes us at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.And with Rita's arrival , thoda bahut , hulchul hona , is a part & parcel of reality. So, we encounter a major traffic jam & 2 small time accidents !!!!! Thank you , Nairobi for an interesting welcome!!  ;-)

 

Rinnie & Pannag's , warm home takes us into its fold. A session with the Karaoke set , specially got , for some major Karaoke parties & improve Pannag's vocal cords & singing talent!!! Ahem!! And after that , it was a quick looksie at the small Kiosks , selling local artifacts ….  Bead jewellery , leather bags , local textiles, carvings ! ( my shopping list is getting ready!!)

 

We have done quite a bit on our first day at Nairobi , and it's time to catch up on some very required sleep, after a super dinner & knocking down a bottle of wine!!!

 

Highlight : My dear cousin was expecting us on Sunday , 1^st Aug & not on Friday,30^th Jul. Had I not messaged him that we were ready to leave & would meet him in a few hours , he would have been in a dreamworld of his own , with us waiting at the airport till he eventually came. And this would have meant, his elder sister aka Me, making sure he did 100 uthak baithaks for this goof up!!! Lol