A busy day of traveling! Flight from Boston to JFK went well, but had to run from one terminal to another to board flight to Johannesburg. By the time I was on the plane my clothes were soaked. Great way to start a 15-hour flight! I pity the person who will be seated next to me!
Shortly after we were airborne, they served our lunch. I had read that the food on South Africa Air was very good. Must agree! Cheese, crackers, salad with goat cheese, chicken in BBQ sauce, red bliss potatoes, green beans, brownie/cake with frosting. Just gained back any weight I may have lost running from at the airport!
Watched two movies, slept a bit and walked around every two hours or so. Oddity for me to watch movies… I don’t usually watch two movies in a year! Plane was very roomy so walking laps was good for keeping the blood flowing!
Two complete flight crews on board. They work 8 hour shift, then go to another section of the plane to rest. Funny to see crew walking around in their sweatsuits (with SAA emblem) during their down time. At times, I forgot that I was on a plane!
Watched flight map quite a bit. Was delighted to see that we had finally reached the halfway point! Flew at 37,000 to 40,000 ft altitude most of the time. Air temp at –60 degrees F. Total of 7210 miles for this flight. Wow! That puts things in perspective.
At about midnight I asked flight attendant when they would be serving dinner. She laughed and informed me that I already had it and that the next meal would be breakfast. Hmmm… I thought the meal served at noon was lunch. With my blood sugar issues, this was not the best news. She did give me a couple of salami on baguette sandwiches that they have for people who request a snack. They were quite good and filled the void.
The crew kept the plane very dark during the entire flight. Most people sleep through it all. I am convinced that most must medicate themselves. Many young children on board and all slept.
5 am (South Africa time) and it is time for breakfast: blueberry french toast, fruit cup, croissant and yogurt. Amazingly good for airline food! Time difference of 6 hours but determined to get in the new time zone. The crew turns the lights on and wakes everyone up. Almost time to descend.
Arrived in Johannesburg (hereafter referred to as Joberg, as the natives do) and had to retrieve luggage for customs. Luggage was delayed in being offloaded. Caused quite a problem for many, including me. Tight connection for my next flight to Hoedspruit. Finally enlisted the help of a porter to get me through lines quickly. He was most happy to help. Joey asked me to ask for him next time I was at the airport! Ha! Guess I tipped too much! I was the last person to arrive for my next flight, but thankfully made it! One part of this Joberg Airport visit that did not go as planned… I did not have time to exchange money.
A quick 45 minutes later we are beginning the descent into Hoedspruit Airport. I watch giraffes eating on the side of the runway. After many hours of travel, I am finally going to start the vacation part of this vacation!
Exchanged US dollars for South African rand at Hoedspruit Airport. Small airport… two flights in and two flights out daily. Exchange rate was very poor. Next time I will be sure to have more time at Joberg Airport to do this task. Ah… lessons learned. Transfered to Gomo Gomo Lodge with a local company. The driver graciously stopped along the way so that I could take a few pictures of giraffes and baboons.
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