An Easy Trip (2-1-14)

An Easy Trip (2-1-14)

This year our travel to Burundi was as smooth and trouble-free as could be.  We were traveling on Cheapoair tickets, so we were surprised that we were not charged an extra fee for our third checked bag…neither at the United Airlines counter in Rochester, nor at the re-check counter in Brussels.  Out flight pattern was quite direct: from Rochester to Newark, Newark to Brussels, Brussels to Bujumbura.  Both layovers, in Newark and Brussels, were ca. 2.5 hours (enough time but not too much for international transfers).  All three flights were on time.  It was a fairly easy trip.

Of course, we had to endure a long “sit.”  Our total time in transit was ca. 25 hours, and the Economy class was a tight squeeze.  But as they say in French, “C’est la vie.”  That’s just part of the overall experience.

Our Brussels Air flight into Bujumbura, Burundi arrived Wednesday evening January 29 ca. 8 pm.  Checking through Immigration was a bit of a process and took some time, but we had no problems.  We know the routine quite well.  Every police officer who examined our passports was curious to find so many entry visas for Burundi; the current one, of course, was on the last page.  After collecting our suitcases, which all arrived intact, we were warmly greeted in the airport reception area by Gerald and Marlene Bates as well as LaCharite Buconyori. 

We arrived at HAU (a distance of ca. 10 miles from the airport) at 9:30 pm.  We had been assigned the same guest apartment in which we lived during our previous three years on this campus.  Before going to bed at 11 pm, we were able to unpack our bags and put most of our things in their familiar places.  Surprisingly, given the 7-hour time difference, we slept quite well that first night.

We feel like we are “back home.”