Nairobi, Kenya

We departed Rwanda landing in Nairobi for a night.  Lesson learned: don’t leave Rwanda with their currency!  We tried exchanging the francs at bureaus and banks across Nairobi - even the bank whose ATM we used in Rwanda to get the francs - only to be informed the currency was worthless (no trade in value).  After much searching and haggling we found one bureau willing to give us 50 cents on the dollar - not exactly fair but better than losing the full amount.

In Nairobi, en route to the airport the taxis tried charging an exorbitant amount ($20), so we jumped on a minibus (15 passenger van) headed in the general direction of the airport.  About 100 meters from the airport everyone scrambled off the minibus and several people directed us towards the “airport transfer bus”...feeling somewhat stranded in the dusty outskirts of Nairobi, we crossed our fingers and boarded the bus.  Unscathed, the 30 km adventurous trip to the airport only cost us 80 cents!  

On a previous red eye, Ken and I both wanted the window: who wouldn’t especially when you’re trying to sleep?  Compromising, we decided to sit in different rows with Ken directly behind me on the right side window.  The Ethiopian Airlines check-in girl thought this was a grave booking mistake and tried seating us together.  We assured her, no, we did not want to sit together.  Confused (she had clearly never encountered such a couple) she started giggling and laid her head down on the desk, laughing at our request.  The gentleman seated next to Ken was also concerned about our seating arrangement because then I couldn’t rest my head on Ken’s shoulder “like wives usually do.”  After again explaining we both preferred windows, he looked at us with total bewilderment.  Crazy Americans.