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Published: February 24th 2008
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Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean
Business class is the new first class, at least in the current 767 configuration. I’ve been to this rodeo four times and it is the one instance where popping for the expensive seats is worthwhile. They recline pretty near fully, have personal video screens, and a good four feet of leg room. They also come with free cocktails. AND the food is pretty good. I’m old enough to remember meals on domestic flights, even in steerage, and I have always liked airline food. (Cathy comment - this is the most expensive plane ticket I’ve ever purchased and I know I should be cool and want my income level to one day make this normal but it is TOTALLY awesome. I can stand up in our area, yes our area, and not touch the seats next to me or even Dan. I can’t hear Adam and he’s just across the aisle. I watched TV and movies, got hot towels, and more food than my “too young to remember food on a domestic flight” could have imagined). NOTE: Dan does not condone the use of the phrase “totally awesome” in any context.
So we eat, drink
our free cocktails, read our books and everyone but me sleeps. The sun goes and comes, the flight crew tags out and goes to bed. Endless hours provide a view from the window seat of ocean, clouds, curvature of the earth and the stars above us.
Finally the passengers reawake, the lights flutter on, ears begin to pop, the crew collects refuse, the TV screens go dead and twinkling lights of civilization, of a sort, appear in the loaming. And the, the magical moment comes as we touch down…in Dakar…Senegal… we’re halfway there. Honey, where is that Ambien?
In Dakar we are informed that a ground crew will come aboard to “service” the airplane. I believe this is essentially a jobs program for the children of government ministers and such. About fifty of them -- fresh faced young Dakarians - swarm aboard and, well, I am not sure what they were supposed to be doing. One young man’s job was apparently to extend and jiggle randomly selected tray tables and he was very diligent at it. The trash picker-uppers did not pick up any trash but they smiled broadly and cheerfully while they did not do so. The
toilet cleaner-uppers (if there were any) must have been smiling somewhere other that in the bathrooms because they actually got less clean during the process. I hope the refueling crew belongs to a different union.
The handsome flight attendant that has taken a liking to Adam tells him goodbye and hopes to see him again on the return flight. I’m not sure why the attendant that kept getting my drinks didn’t say good bye to me but that’s another story.
At last, we back out and are informed that South African law requires all flights be sprayed throughout the cabin with an insecticide. What a terrible commentary by those snooty South Africans about their nice co-continental brethren. To assuage any of our fears about being sprayed with (Cathy- some crazy ass bug spray from a third world nation), the disembodied speaker voice assures us repeatedly that it was “approved by the World Health Organization.” When we heard that we were COMPLETELY safe - right I will have gills and a third eye by Monday.
We finally arrive in Johannesburg after only eight more hours. We pass through customs, surprised to find bags for all six people and
scurry to the domestic flight area. We run for the plane through an overly warm airport and find ourselves on a bus with no air conditioning and various people trailing a potpourri of bodily odors to the next flight. Once on, we think we’re home free. However, a mysterious unattended bag, a medical emergency (we actually got to hear the movie line “is there a doctor on board”) and a forced deportation to the cargo terminal for offloading by a nonexistent bus delays our travel by an hour and half. Hell, we’ve been traveling for 26 hours and we’re in no hurry.
We did finally make it to Mom's in Rooi Els. While dark and late, it is the most beautiful place our cloudy eyes have seen - even at 1 am.
Day Two
Its easy going at Chez Pat. We’re up early but groggy and make our way to the store and Kleinmond for some lunch. Cathy bought postcards, which some of you will receive soon. We saw a baboon perched on a neighbor’s house (the bastards are tricky and will slip through open doors, turn on the TV (I’m not kidding), grab food from the
fridge and eat it on the couch) and a mongoose, napped, read and adjusted to our life in paradise.
The photos we are uploading include day two - lounging, readjusting and cooking a feast but the words will have to follow because we are pooped!
Sleep will improve the quality of future blog entries.
Please check out Amanda and Dave's
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Monica
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wOw
Just when I thought passing the days as a housewife in suburban DC was the pinnacle of exitement, you all have to show me up with your amazing adventures in Africa. Way to go! The blog comentary was just hilarious and the photos were absolutely fabulous. Have a little fun for me, eh?