Heading to South Africa

Our whole week has been so full of kitchen plans and details that I have barely had time to think about traveling to South Africa.

When the realization that today was the departure date, scrambled into my mind, instead of being excited, I was anxious, nervous and generally unsure about managing the 36 hour event.

Hailey came with me to the airpoprt, loaded the extra large and heavy suticases onto British Airways weigh scales and coached me through all the possible emergency contingencies.

It was hard to say good-bye. Usually I am distracted from my own feelings on these flights because I feel it is necessary to watch out and help Nana. But she is not here this time and I am left very aware of my own feelings. Without her here the experience is different.

This time solo, with lots of time to spare, because we checked in last night via the computer, I was able to re-group and settle in the most amazing environment.

The inner world of the Vancouver International Departures area is a marvel. You can pull a chair up to the edge of a gray slate stream, see reeds and ferns growing along the waters edge and be treated to the authentic sounds and calls of Canadian birds. The whole experience was very relaxing and peaceful. A perfect reason to check in early and save the rush.

Boarding was simple, and the flight was long. It ends up I have a seat beside me that is empty! What luck! After dinner and when the lights are dimmed, I offer to share the middle seat with the lady on the other side of it. She declines because she has the isle and is "quite good at sleeping in the seats, especially after drinking two half bottles of wine. (BA serves lots of liquor - free)

As best as I could as the night wore on, I rotated through every know position possible on the two seats, finishing up with my back on the seats and my legs leaning agains the window wall. Nothing was comfortable and I managed very little sleep.

London, England

On arrival, we had a long wait on the tarmac before we could disembark. People eager to leave, stood in closely packed lines waiting for the doors to open.

Stepping through the exit door, we are surprised to find a set of much older steps, poorly attached. A whisper rustles among the passengers, "What?" "No Ramp to the building?" "I wonder why we have to use the stairs?".

The landing wobbles with the arrival of my first step. It has the same kind of motion when first stepping on a boat deck, only this deck is several stories off the ground. Each successive step brings new cautions to my mind. The people in front of me are grabbing the hand rails and holding on fearfully as they decend. I am carrying a bag in one hand and listening to the mother behind me, trying to manage bags and two small children with support from airline personnel. A short walk across the tarmac and now we have to climb up! Yes I said up! The top of the stairs deliver us to the original level and we are then able to head down the lengthy corridor until suddenly coming into a room with massive amounts of people, all who are need to make connections in Terminal One to other parts of the world.

Although there are hundreds in the lineup, the air conditioning is not on, and the room is incredibly hot, stale smelling and humid. Hot bodies. Sweat. Slow moving lines. This is another security gate and once more everything needs to be scanned. They are definitely more thorough in London, or on a higher alert. Everyone's shoes have to come off. I am glad I am wearing slip-ons, so that they can slip off. Surprisingly the bottleneck where everyone has to take their shoes off and load all possessions into plastic tubs, moves relatively quickly and with some urgency (as all are very aware of the masses waiting behind.

The inside of Heathrow International Departure section is like a great big underground mall, with a few quiet gate areas off the side. Prices seem expensive. I look at a lot of "things" and saunter on in search of water. At the very end of the mall is a small convenience store and I am able to buy two bottles of water, one of that I drink right away.
Looking around, a shop catches my interest. It is a coffee shop. When I ask, the have soya milk and they make a lovely Soya Chia tea for me. After my tea I start my walk once more that when the 11 hour flight to Joberg starts, I will be glad to sit and read.