We Made It!

 

Saturday, September 10, 2022

When we last saw our intrepid travelers they were in the Atlanta airport, waiting to board the  15 hour and 15 minute flight to Johannesburg, South Africa! The flight left right on time and, joy of joys, the middle seat was empty!! I was able so spread out aa bit and although I never sleep, I did close my eyes.  There was water, then dinner with wine and then a small meat and cheese sandwich (I can't be more specific because it was served in the dark!) and then breakfast!

Lightly curried chicken with rubber green beans and rice, an orzo salad with goat cheese and a few vegetables, and delicious blueberry cheesecake ice cream!  And a red wine of indeterminate origin.

really dark!

That's kind of an egg McMuffin thing with a fruit cup and strawberry yogurt

And there were lots of movies, some I watched all the way through and some just didn't grab me!  I made it through 30 minutes of "Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness".  Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful to watch but enough is enough! The same is true of "Gasoline Alley" with Bruce Willis, and "20 Feet from Stardom". But I sure enjoyed the old "42nd Street"! "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" was lots of fun; "Blade Runner 2049" was so reminiscent of its forerunner and "Dear Evan Hansen" was not what I expected at all!

We arrived about on time and had no trouble with passport control and baggage claim and found our Road Scholar driver with ease.  There are four of us on this flight and we have lots of room in the van that takes us to our hotel, City Lodge Hotel, East Gate.  We check in and are escorted to our room, with two single beds, no air conditioner or fan, but a large balcony.  The air is thick with smoke both from the coal-powered power plant and the fires that burn in the surrounding townships.

Named for Oliver R. Tambo, who was in Nelson Mandela's government.

With separate rooms for men and women

Haze from the coal-powered plant and the fires in the surrounding townships

Our room has strange power plugs that don't match any of our universal converters, except for one by the desk.  Marilyn and our guide for the whole trip, Sisa, talk to the front desk and get an adapter so she can plug in her c-pap.

We return to the lobby and meet most of our tour mates, for a complimentary drink before dinner.  Marilyn and I both follow Sisa's suggestion of a wine that is made from a local grape, Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage, from Iran.  Dinner is a lovely buffet with rice, mashed potatoes,  chicken in cream sauce, a kind of beef stew, roasted veggies, broccoli and cauliflower au gratin and salad with goat cheese.

a few of our group

Sisa in the red Road Scholar vest

A most auspicious full moon!

During dinner Sisa introduced himself and told us more about our tour.  He is 36, with two daughters and has been guiding for 14 years.  He lived in the US and was studying to be a zoo curator.  And he's got a great sense of humor!

Our last two members arrived before the end of dinner, so we have our full compliment. Breakfast will be at 7:00, and we all disperse for a much-needed night's sleep!