Imagine my joy (dripping with sarcasm) when I phoned my airline on Thursday to confirm my flights for the next day, and they tell me my name is not listed on ANY of the flights!!! This news sent in an immediate and dramatic tailspin, as there were less than 24 hours for me to be on the flight that was planned 8 months ahead of schedule! The airline couldn't assist me further, since the tickets were arranged through a travel agent(CheapOair.com) and I had to work through them. After an unsuccessful hour on the phone to them, I miraculously found an e-mail address of a lady who seemed to be in charge of customer satisfaction. After a desperate e-mail to her, she responded and said she would investigate immediately. She came back to me a few hours later, saying that through a comedy of errors, my flights were all cancelled, but the good news is that she got me on 3 of my original 4 flights, including the two outbound flights! The bad news is that my original return flight from Johannesburg to Washington DC was fully booked as were the all the other flights for next 3 days at least. So right now, as this is typed, I am still not 100% sure when I will be returning to my home in the USA! But praise the Lord, I got on my original flights, had smooth flights, and landed at Oliver Tambo (Johannesburg) International Airport at 4:12pm on Friday!
It was wonderful to have my son run under the security barriers in the arrivals hall straight into my arms. Also to see my lovely wife was a awesome sight for my weary, jet-lagged eyes! My mother was also at the airport as well as Liesel
s brother and one uncle, who were there to pick up her other uncle and his family, as they were on the same flight as me.
Last night I had a good sleep and so far am not experiencing any signs of jet-lag. We are staying with my sister, and it is wonderful to simply "kuier" (visit) with them and catch up on news, as our sons all run around the garden, jump on the trampoline and ride their mini motorbikes as if they were South African taxi-drivers in the basement. We also went to Church and saw some old friends, and this afternoon, we feasted at a truly South African braai with bloubul steaks! Divine!
Early in the evening, we also made a pitstop at our best friends, and it was also special to be reunited with them! Now as it is past midnight, in the land of the sun, I am signing off, to go rest my weary, sun exposed head. Pictures to follow shortly!
Later that evening, the boys had a great deal of fun helping to decorate the Christmas tree!!
No comments:
Post a Comment