Never a dull moment

 

We arrived at King Shaka Airport on time and went straight to the check in counter to book in in order to get the good seats in row 55 on the Johannesburg to Accra flight.  I tried to speak so nicely to Kholiwe at one of the check-in counters but she would NOT give us red priority stickers for our luggage. Even after an explanation about the last time, and after an argument with Porks and a call to her manager, she would not be budged.  I made her give me her name and telephone number so that it would scare her into helping, but nothing would frighten this chick, not even an angry Porkles.  He had to collect his passport and visa at the American Express counter in Johannesburg, so his luggage could not be booked straight through to Accra and there would be no time to collect the luggage and then book it back in again in Johannesburg.  I was able to book in a suitcase through to Accra with my ticket and passport and the first one to be weighed was Porks', so it went as mine. It was sent off down the "courawsel" without a priority sticker, but with me longingly wishing I could haul it back and hang on to it for safety!   We waited for Deon and Hans who were fortunately traveling up with us so that we could use their baggage allowance and book the other bags straight through. Deon used his charm at a different check-in counter and the other two bags, mine and mine, were given red labels! Yay!  So now all was well, provided that the luggage arrived in Accra.

Kelly and I went for coffee and some breakfast before she left for school and then I boarded the plane to wait for the guys, who had gone off to do whatever it is that men do when they go off together.  (Porks probably had a quick nap or read the newspaper!)
Absolutely smooth sai......flying all the way and in fact we landed at least 20 minutes earlier than expected at Oliver Thambo, very relieved.  Perhaps there would be enough time for the baggage handlers to transfer all the  bags onto the Accra flight.

We sauntered off casually to the American Express counter to collect Porks' passport and visa (which had arrived the previous day, we were promised) and .........NOTHING!  Passport and unissued visa still in Pretoria.  Porks had tried hard to prevent this from occurring, so it was extremely maddening for me.

                                         

His and especially my face just dropped! Now what? After a male indaba, the consensus from Porks, Hans and Deon (not me, no consultation there) was that I fly back to Ghana with them and Porks stay in Johannesburg and try and get on another flight as soon as he could.  Being the gentle, non-opinionated, compliant and obedient wife that I am, I meekly followed the guys, and waved goodbye to a lonely, sad husband, standing there in a strange land with a hat, a backpack containing a toothbrush, a jersey, a cell phone (no charger) and a credit card. We should have put a red priority sticker on him!  Not knowing when I would see him again, I had a change of heart about being quite okay to return to Ghana. I can't be liking this!

 

                                      

The good news was that all our bags arrived and I didn't have to phone Kholiwe, the bad news was that this time Porks got left behind to sleep by himself in Johannesburg like our luggage did the first time and might not get his visa tomorrow either.  There is a flight via Namibia tomorrow (Wednesday) but if the visa isn't issued, he'll have to fly on Thursday which will only get him home with me on Friday afternoon.  I don't consider the Ghana house my own, so it will be difficult to host the chaps without the support of my husband. They are staying for two nights, so will leave on Friday.

But  Kholiwe G,  078  509..........  had booked Porks and I our seats in row 55, although she wasn't able to give Porks a boarding pass for the international flight as he couldn't produce a passport, so I was at least going to be on my own and have space next to me and some privacy. Then, a young gentleman Gavin Whittaker, who had been sitting further forward in a squashy seat, saw the empty seat next to me and asked if he could sit there. (One of my favourite things is meeting new people, so it wasn't all bad.)

                                           

It ended up he is a " wine export manager" for Lutzville in the Western Cape and he taught me some things that even YOU might not know, Roger, although you probably do. The "A" number on the wine bottle tells one from which wine estate it is, check the SAWIS website.

 

 

The number on the seal is the information to prove that it has been tested, analyzed and approved. Some seals have a picture of a Protea on them to prove that that particular estate is sustaining the environment.

                                                                               

He also told me that in the pressurized cabin, one's olfactory sense is diminished by 30%. Heston Blumenthal has managed to improve the food on the BA flights by adding unami-rich foods (a savory flavour known as the fifth taste) to improve the flavour of their Business Class passenger foods and apparently it has been a huge success.  So you see, one is never too old to learn! Thanks Gavin!

 

                                     

 

I had some giggles to myself though.  He was on the isle seat watching "Modern Family" and everyone who walked past, seemed to knock his loose screen so that it fell over.  He would patiently straighten it again, and the next person would come past and knock it over again.  Back to straightening it again and then "boof", down it would go again.  I don't even know if he really noticed but it got funnier and funnier for me! Seriously, after about the tenth time, I was wiping away my tears. (Either the isles have been narrowed or the people have been widened!)

Hans, Deon, and Willem who had flown up from Maritzburg, (it turns out he lives near a very special angel I know, Rina) and I, landed in Accra and went straight to the Airside Hotel, as we usually do.  After some confusion and scary talk of my having been booked into a different hotel from the others, we were all moved to the Georgia Hotel.  Dodgy from the outside and dining area but the rooms were basic, clean and comfortable and we probably could have all stayed in the one bed it was so big!

The driver and one big man in the front and two big men and I squeezed in to the back of the tiniest taxi ever, each of us breathing in and out at different times so that we would fit and headed for the Holiday Inn for supper.  The breeze while we traveling was gloriously cool but stopping in the traffic jam reminded us of where we were.  

                                              

Without being aware, Hans ordered a Lutzville Cabernet Sauvignon for us.  How serendipitous  was that? Good word, Hans.  I had never heard of Lutzville before today and then after having learned about it from Gavin, we drank it for dinner the same night! (Gavin, if you're reading this, the men have put in an order for your wine for Bantama, free of course!)

                                           

 

I set my alarm for 5.15am and also asked Deon to phone me at 5.30am to wake me. We had to catch a taxi at 6.00am for the 7 o'clock flight to Kumasi. I woke up and looked at my watch at 4.40am and then dozed, being too scared to fall dead asleep again!  At 5 ish I got up, washed, dressed, repacked  my bags and then realized at 5.45am Deon hadn't phoned yet!  It hit me! I was still on SA time!  Two hours ahead of schedule! So I actually got up at 3!!!  Oh my word!  I climbed back into bed with my clothes on, now wide awake, and tried to sleep until the real 5.30am wake up call from Deon.

The flight landed in a cool 22 degree, according to the pilot, Kumasi and I headed for the toilet. There is no decent place on the way home for ladies to go but as we all know, men don't have that problem!  A few of the chaps chose to be civilized though and headed for the single male toilet at the airport. I was in and out of our single one in no time and they were still queuing up to wait their turn. I thought/think its the funniest thing ever as this is the first time in my life that there has been a queue outside the men's and the ladies has been free!   Not one of the chaps  was amused by my laughter......it is exceptionally funny, hey girls? (Very little sense of humour, these men!)

 

 

Exiting the airport building, I was leading the way, excited to see John, my hospital helper and driver, and he seemed just as pleased to see me, hesitantly half-hugging me in front of all the other passengers and drivers!  Willem and I went with John while Hans and Deon went with a new driver, Joe, John's brother. I had my pillows so tried to catch up on some lost sleep along the way. We popped in to the MTN shop in Atebubu to reconnect my Ghanaian Blackberry to the bbms and emails.

We arrived home. I scrambled in to find the children and Gundi sheepishly, or mongoosely came to me, using every mongoose word she knows at the same time while biting me in between as if to say "where the dickens have you been?"   We talked and cuddled for ages and caught up on all the lost loving time we had missed. Genie was in her box sleeping and when I opened it, she hissed at me.  I am going to leave her until she feels safe to approach me. She usually sleeps on the bed, so I'll see tonight. Sleep tight.