Flight and Arrival

The song from Kim Thiessen's album 'Welcome the traveler home' went through my head a couple of times on the journey from Addis to Amsterdam. We were weary and light headed because we were traveling at such odd hours. I had not laid down to sleep, only catnapped and I found that my body doesn't do well with only that kind of sleep.

We landed in the early morning in Cairo and hung out at the airport for several hours. Cairo has a large modern airport, certainly in the top 3 of all African airports (South Africa has several world class airports). Addis Ababa has one of the top 10 airports in Africa but certainly isn't as big or as sophisticated.

We managed to eat something and wait out the boarding process. They took us by airport bus to the farthest corner of the airport in the heat of the morning. Finally we were off for our flight to Amsterdam.

The entire flight was in the sunshine above the clouds. We began to descend in the sunshine but the clouds were so low we didn't start going through them until we were almost on the ground (it felt that way, anyways). We landed in a misty, cold, rainy Amsterdam.

We were overjoyed to be in Amsterdam so the weather was the least of our concerns. What about passport control? No problem, she waved us through. What about our luggage? Every piece was present and accounted for. What about customs? No problem, the lady waved us through as well. What about finding Bob or Miriam to greet us? We didn't see anyone familiar as we passed through the sliding doors but within a minute I saw a familiar figure walking toward us. It was Bob. Such a smooth transition must mean we are no longer at Bole Airport, back in a world of sophisticated security and for that we were awed and grateful.

Bob had arranged for a van to pick us up with our luggage. As we were waiting we could look around in wonder at the Schiphol Airport with its restaurants and shopping areas, connections with trains, trams and buses. Amazing transportation coordination. We bought transport cards for all of us so we could travel on public transportation. An excellent band started playing in the

corner of the large space which attracted the girls (amazing violin and clarinet players!). Eventually the van came, the driver was a bit stunned by all the luggage but we got everything in the van, including us and within a half hour we were in Almere at the Phillips home.

It may have been cold and rainy but I was enjoying it. Holland in summer at its normal best. The countryside zipped by with a combination of city structures and field after field with dairy cattle. Water was everywhere. Fields are cordoned off by large ditches of water. There are bogs and swamps. Not a surprise since the Dutch have tamed the sea and live below sea level. Still it is amazing.

If I had to choose hosts for our time in Holland, Bob & Miriam would be the perfect choices. I'm not only saying this because they are family but because they can translate so well. They can, as North Americans and native English speakers who have lived in Holland for 18 years, translate the culture as well as the language. Bob is a fount of knowledge about the language and culture, a tour guide first class. He has a very warm and engaging personality which makes him good at his calling (missionary). But living in Holland for 18 years gives him perfect view as an outside observer of a culture that those born into a culture cannot have.

So Bob & Mim 'welcomed the travelers home', a real blessing to those who were tired physically and emotionally.