I stepped off the plane into the hot, humid dusk.
Both the temperature and the humidity were close to 100.
it so hot I could barely breathe & so humid I could barely walk
& there’s hoards of men, & it is hot & humid & dark
& lots of people

& I had to weave my way through the close chaotic mob
to the one room arrivals shed, to the passport desk
through swarms of men to show my passport to the military man behind the desk.
with gruff questions the uniformed official slams his stamp hard on my passport
& everything is so strange.
I don’t know what’s going to happen next, what’ll be expected next, Its like a crash landing

I go a few feet to the table in the center of the room
with the pile of luggage & its so hot and humid
& I get my pack & now they really want to help me
& I go a few feet to customs & show my passport again
& I’m sweating & still more men want to help me
& I’m telling them I can do it myself

& I’ve finally figured out to pay attention only to the ones in uniform
& then a seated man without a uniform asks for my passport
& I hesitate a moment, & 3 large uniformed men step closer
so I know I’d better show it,
I fumble & drop things & then through the doors, I’m outside.

uneasy about going outside the little fenced area
& the 6 people in the group take soooo long to join me
& by this time I’m really sweating & hot & nervous
& they finally come out
& again hoards of men try to “help” me with my luggage. a taxi, a place to stay
& I feel very conspicuous, very white-European,
& someone asks Harvey about all of us being his wives
& Nancy gets proposed to
& they want to help Katie off with her pack
& Barbara goes to get transportation
& Larry goes with her
Larry, the only African American in the group is as uneasy as the rest of us
& finally the hoard thins, the bus comes & we ride to the guest house.

Africa!!! Welcome to Africa