Details: moving to Rwanda

UPDATED: November 13, from Rwanda

72 hr, 27 min = Total time from Fisher House [Lancaster] to Mercy House [Kigali]
34 hr, 5 min = Total time from Philadelphia to Kigali
17 hr, 15 min = Total time flying

We left with 8 bags. I know how Jon & Kate Plus 8 feel when they go to Disney World, you’re always counting. 4 checked bags, 4 carry-ons, 3 laptops, too many books. Everything was the right size and the right weight except the one. One bag was barely overweight (and oversized, but they fixed that by ripping of the handle somewhere in a back room). I suggested to both United and Kenya Airways that we were serving a nonprofit organization helping the poor in Rwanda – each generously offered our overweight and oversized baggage transportato gratis (no extra charge).

From Lancaster, PA to Kigali, Rwanda: here are the details. So far, these are just flights and times, but I'll go back and insert the actual details of traveling for three days as we move to Africa. I'm including real time departures and arrivals, travel time, and costs for two.

Day 1: Trains
Sunday, 9 November 2008

Amtrak: Keystone 664
10:03 am Lancaster
11:10 am Philadelphia (30th St)
1 hr, 7 min
$36

Septa R1 regional rail
11:34 am 30th Street Station
11:50 am Philadelphia Int'l Airport - Terminal B
0 hr, 16 min
$0 ($12 regularly, but we road at the grace of one sympathetic – yet brusque – ticket puncher)

Philadelphia Airport Marriott - connected to Terminal B by sky bridge.
$76.12 ($60 bid on Priceline, 3 stars, regularly $199)

Sunday night update: We caught the Eagles-Giants game at the Linc (a surprise for Danielle). We enjoyed a pre-game concert with ribs and a turkey leg. We also had the great pleasure of meeting three genuine Philadelphia fans (one with a classic Eagles knit cap) Jeff, Ed, and Dr. Rob. (I say Dr. Rob to distinguish him from myself; I usually go by Dr. Bob.) We had the subtle displeasure to experience the spitting of an Eagles fan upon a Giants fan. It is not as fun as it sounds when you’re in between the two. I almost saw two Eagles fans fight each other; it’s known to be a rough crowd. Our experience with Jeff, Ed, and Dr. Rob, however, was redeeming enough to believe in Philadelphia still.

Another Sunday night update: For Tech fans … I met Bill Weaver at the Marriott. You may know him as some very successful CEO, but I have the personal privilege to know him as one of the 1990 Yellow Jacket college football national champions. I thanked him for his service.

Day 2: Planes, part I
Monday, 10 November 2008

United 7218
6:50 pm Philadelphia (PHL)
7:59 pm Washington (IAD)
1 hr, 9 min

United 924
10:04 pm Washington (IAD)
--overnight--
10:15 am London (LHR)
7 hr, 11 min

Day 3: Planes, part II
Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Kenya Airways 101
7:00 pm London (LHR)
--overnight--
6:30 am Nairobi (NBO)
7 hr, 30 min

Day 4: Planes, part III
Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Kenya Airways 472
12:30 pm Nairobi (NBO)
12:55 pm Kigali (KGL) 1 hr, 25 min

Total approximate airfare cost, roundtrip (returning June 2009)
$1,865

As we finish our travel, I'll update all of the travel times and maybe some more costs of travel. Also, you cannot move to Rwanda without vaccinations and drugs: typhoid, yellow fever, polio, meningitis, (hepatitis we’ve had already), and we’re taking malaria prophylaxis – $1,125
not to mention a serious checklists of what to remember before you leave the country. I should have friends help out with this one . . . Bentleys? McDades? Strykers?