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Johannesburg, South Africa
Day OneOur trip to South Africa started on June 17, 2007, with our trip to Washington, D.C.We booked a flight on United Airlines because it had a direct flight to Dulles airport.After arriving for our 8:00AM flight, we were informed the flight had been delayed for two hours and thirty minutes because the flight crew had arrived late the night before and needed to get the prescribed rest between flights.We spent the time waiting in the United Red Carpet Club.We arrived late in Washington, and called our friends the Vinsons, who we had arranged to have dinner with.Al and Eva are among our oldest and closet friends.Our relationship with them goes back some forty years as we were next door neighbors in Warrensville Heights, Ohio -- a suburb of Cleveland.Sharee and Eva are like sisters, and after we spend time with them, Sharee usually goes through Eva withdrawal.Though they live in New Jersey, outside on New York, Al now works in DC, and has a condo downtown.We checked into the Grand Hyatt which is just around the corner from Al's condo.Al and Eva walked over and we all walked out to dinner at a Cuban restaurant within walking distance from the Hyatt.I had a Cuban version of a Pike, a decision I would pay for with an upset stomach for the flight to South Africa, the next evening. I went to bed early in that I was determined to get a good night's sleep, not knowing how much rest I would get on the plane over.Day TwoAl had reserved a limo-van to take us to the airport, given that between the four of us, we had eight bags to check.We arrived at the airport at around 2PM and seamlessly checked in.I had upgraded to business class using the American Express Platinum card program that allows your flying companion to fly free when you book a business class or first class fare with participating airlines.Fortunately, South African Airlines was a participant, and the trip's travel agent in South Africa was able to accommodate this change.We checked in and went to the boarding gate and met a few members of the Links that were already in the waiting area.We wandered down to the Northwest Airlines Club, and were able to get in courtesy of my membership in the Priority Pass airlines lounge club organization.After a few snacks, and a about an hour or so, we went back out to the gate where a large contingent of Links and their husbands and friends had assembled.There were a total of 112 in our group.We boarded on time.The plane was a large Airbus 650 series.It did not have a first class, and the business class cabin occupied the front part of the plane.Our seats were in the first row next to the bulkhead and there was a monitor right in front of us, that displayed a shot from the tail of the plane in real time.Though the captain came on and said we would be departing on time, we could see that there was still equipment attached to the plane near where we were sitting.As it turned out, there was some rearrangement of cargo that wound up delaying the flight for over an hour. We finally took off and drinks and dinner were served.Still suffering from my upset stomach, I passed on alcohol and ordered a beef dinner with water.One of the perks of first class and business class travel is the free drinks, but I was determined to manage my upset stomach.Our flight was scheduled for 15 hours, the longest flight I had been on, and so the primary reason for upgrading to business class was that the seats folded down into beds with a compartment around your head.After eating, and watching part of a movie it was eight PM, west coast time, and I bedded down to attempt to get eight hours sleep.As it turned out, I got about six, then watched a second movie.By that time, the morning snack was being served.Before we knew it, the captain announced our approach to the airport in Johannesburg. We eagerly looked out the window to get our first glimpse of Africa.The lands were green, and we were struck by the suburban looking houses that surrounded our approach to the airport.At least from this vantage point, we could have been flying into any American city. Day ThreeWe arrived late afternoon on May 19th in Johannesburg.The group was greeted by Michael Giles, the owner of Heritage Africa, our travel agent and host for the visit.After some time, we were all aboard the three buses that transported us to the MICHELANGELO HOTEL, a deluxe five-star establishment located on the famous Nelson Mandela Square in the heart of Johannesburg.There we were greeted with a check-in reception, and received our rental cell phones.We were off to our rooms so that we could shower before the trip orientation meeting held by Michael's company.We were told to respect the fact that we were in a foreign country and that things moved at a different pace than we were used to.We were also cautioned about the crime in South Africa and told to take normal precautions, and not to wander off alone.One of the major logistical points for this group of mostly women, was that irons were not allowed in South African hotels and that if we wanted to have clothes pressed, we should use the hotel cleaning services.In addition, we were encouraged to put our valuables in the room safe.It was pointed out that the minor valuables to us represented considerable value to many of the residents in South Africa, and that we should not tempt them by leaving things laying around in our hotel rooms.After the orientation, we were taken to a unique restaurant for dinner.This restaurant was several stories underground and as you went down the circular stairs, the architecture gave the impression that you were going down into a mine.Along the way down, there were alcoves that had people sitting on sofas having drinks and listening to the local African group that was playing their brand of Jazz.Given the size of our group, we occupied most of the dining room.We met a couple from Arizona, and another that had relatives in Cleveland.The dishes of food were served and shared among all those sitting at our table.There was lamb, chicken, and other more local dishes plus local vegetables. I modestly sampled the different dishes wanting to maintain the improving state of my digestive system. The highlight of the dinner was the African woman that came around and asked to paint our faces.We all complied, but unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of this decorative face painting.Day FourThe next morning, we were off to a day of shopping and exploration, starting with a visit to an African arts dealer. There were three buses that operated on different parallel schedules in order to accommodate the large group.
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