My internet availability has been spotty so I have not had a chance to update the blog. My entries will slowly trickle in until I am completely up to date. I'm glad that I learned how to blog before arriving because I probably would have given up by now.
So my last post was my temporary goodbye to the U.S. as I boarded the plane headed to my home for the next three months. The flight to South Africa did not seem as long as one would expect (we also arrived an hour earlier than scheduled). After finding my seat, I walked down the aisles and asked a lady to take a picture of me (thinking about pictures for this blog) so that I could capture the beginning of my sojourn to Africa.
Aboard the Plane
Before the flight departed, I began to get very excited believing that I would have a both the aisle and window seat to myself. I had my Lonely Planet book in tow and was prepared to spend the next seventeen hours immersing myself in all that I could learn about the southern region of Africa. Five minutes before the door closed a gentleman entered the plan and sat down beside me. Though my plans for stretching out were thwarted, I thought he might not be too bad when he sat down and offered me a stick of Orbitz gum. Although I politely declined, I ended up spending the next five hours talking to the gentleman, Aly, who later became my new friend.
Aly, my traveling neighbor, is from Mauritania, an island north west of South Africa and slightly north of Senegal. He is a businessman who owns a company that digs holes for water wells and mining. He was on his way back to Mauritania but was departing when we stopped for fuel in Darkar. For the next five hours of his seven hour trip to Dakar, we talked about almost everything--from having kids and settling down to how he became a very successful businessman. We also talked about race relations in both of our countries, as well as how best to invest my money. He shared the New York Times he was reading and I shared my New Yorker. As we chatted, we drank about 6 little bottles of Amarula.
Amarula
Five hours into the trip and after having dinner, I decided to take a nap. One hour into my nap, I awoke feeling very nauseous. I stumbled to the bathroom and before I could completely get the door shut, I kneeled down over the toilet and threw up all that I had consumed for the day. I’ll spare the gruesome details, but I can’t recall the last time I threw up that badly. Once it ended, I felt ten times better. I went back to my seat to grab my toothbrush and after brushing my teeth and getting water, I sat down and hoped that my tummy was adjusted to the natural South African bacteria and that would be the last time I would lose my meal while there.
After saying goodbye to Aly in Dakar, where he disembarked the plane, I geared up for the other half of the flight to Johannesburg. Although I enjoyed my conversation with Aly, I can’t deny that I was happy to be able to stretch out in both seats. Before the end of the flight, I also made friends with the lady seated behind me who was traveling from Toronto. Her name was Heather and she was coming for six weeks on business and visiting South Africa for the first time. We also exchanged information and plan to meet up while we are here.
Seven and a half hours later, I looked out the window as we descended into OR Tambo International Airport.
Inside the clouds
South African Rand Exchange Rate
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