Arrival to South Africa

Wednesday was the day that MIA Delta decided to test if it could process HUNDREDS of passengers with two attendants, (likely) knowing that their flights were to board in an hour.   Once the public started to realize this, the chaos of the ENTIRE terminal was managed by a hopeless employee.  I was so fortunate to be chosen for this experiment in patience, organization, and survival.  I tried to keep it cool, but I did start to panic a bit when my bags were being checked in with thirty minutes to departure (the usual boarding time).  On top of that, I cursed myself for not weighing my bag when it turned out to be 15 pounds overweight (a charge of US$150.00 – cue shouting expletives loudly).  I transferred some to my camping pack, and it was all good.  I hauled my butt over to security, which had one person processing all the people who just yelled at Delta for not proceeding quickly enough and being understaffed.  They (finally) opened another line, and I was able to get through with about 10 minutes to spare (or so I thought.  There was a slight hold-up when they confiscated the mini Swiss Army knife I had forgotten in my bag, but I could not care less what they did with it.)

SPRINTING to my gate, I arrived breathless and handed the attendant my ticket, only to hear “your plane has left.”  Said attendant, after taking note of my homicidal facial expression, swiped my boarding pass and opened the doors of the gate.  I ran down the hallway and flew/fell 20 ft. onto the tarmac.  Just kidding.  I hollered “HOLD THE PLANE” way too dramatically (that part actually happened) and went to my seat.
 (Note: a man arrived behind me wearing socks, shoes in hand.  I may or may not have saved us both.  He’ll thank me later.)

Points of interest on the approximately 24 hours in the air/airports:

+ almost missing a flight for the first time in my life

+ receiving peanut-flavored salt as my snack on the plane (see image for reference)

+ watching “17 Again” on the Dakar flight and not being mildly impressed with Zac Effron

+ journaling at 10:00pm US time, making it 3:47am, unable to sleep (cue colossal jet-lag)

+ crossing the Atlantic Ocean

 

  

+ dawn over the ocean (photos above)

+ having my first meal in Cape Town consist of a bean burger with goat cheese and avocado

+ waking up to my view of Table Mountain (photo coming soon)