More fun at the airport...

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We arrived in SA just fine--I whizzed through passport control on my SA passport, while Ross and Owen took 45 minutes to get through the "other passports" line. We zoomed over to the domestic terminal and asked about getting on an earlier flight to Joburg. After waiting and waiting for them to board all scheduled passengers, we were sad to hear that we wouldn't be on the flight after all. Exhausted does not begin to describe how we were feeling! So, back past security and into the 1Time line again we went. About this time, we discovered that a belt in the baggage-moving system had broken, and consequently, EVERY check-in desk was at a standstill. No flights were leaving, because they wanted bags to go with the passengers, and bags were not leaving the check-in area. Eventually, some wise person decided to initiate a manual system of moving bags via luggage carts. (At this point, I was ready to pass out, so Ross went in search of food--he brought back a package of droewors and a can of Just Juice. What a guy!!) And eventually we got checked in for our flight. We boarded about 30 minutes late, and then waited for 75-90 minutes on the jet way. Our pilot insisted on not leaving without all the bags that were supposed to be on our plane. Finally, we left, and all in all, had a great flight to Cape Town. I enjoyed the fresh attitude of the flight attendants--it seemed like they enjoyed their jobs and that serving passengers was a pleasure, not a chore (very different to the attitude on Iberia!!) Got to Cape Town at 7:00 pm. We had now been awake (short of "sleeping" on the plane) for 36 hours. After searching and searching for our luggage, we finally headed into the arrivals area where all of our Cape Town family was waiting. Ced and Sandra took our luggage, and we went with Tessa and Glenn, Ruthie, Fabes and kids to the Durbanville Spur for supper. It was lovely to see them all, and to sit down and eat something real! Our waiter deserved a medal! Serving 12, including 5 children running through the Kid Zone like mad things, was quite a challenge. I had a cream soda--green, like it should be, and not a sticky-sweet as the American version. Absolute heaven! John arrived just before we ordered, and he kindly took us home to Ced and Sandra's when all was said and done.

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