Arrival in Port Elizabeth

The flight from Frankfurt to Joburg was the best.  We had a row of four seats to ourselves so we actually slept a great deal of the 10 + hr. flight.  Even so, we arrived in Joburg weary from the long journey.

Immigration was horribly backed up with many flights arriving at the same time and mobs of people in queues snaking around.  With only one hour until our connecting flight to PE, it looked like we wouldn’t make it.  Never fear, intrepid and apologetic, we climbed over a barrier to get closer to the front of the line.  Once through passport control and sweating bullets, we quickly moved to the domestic terminal with the aid of an airport porter who told us it was his birthday and asked for a big tip.  We gave him something smaller and said, “Happy Birthday” J We were the last to board the plane to PE, but our luggage stayed behind to arrive later.

Now, 36 hours from our Chicago departure (including the 15 hr. layover in Frankfurt), we land in PE and are greeted by Andre, Anette, and Iona.  Iona is the provost at the campus where I’m working, Anette is my colleague who has arranged all the details, and Andre is a good friend from my very first visit to South Africa, former head of student counseling at the University, and the one providing our accommodation.

We are finally settled in the flat adjacent to Andre’s house.  It is fully equipped with kitchen as well so we will stock up at the local grocery store tomorrow.  I am driving a car that Anette has loaned to us.  It’s manual transmission, and here you drive on the other side of the road.  My driving skills are slowly returning as it’s no small feat to handle the stick shift and remember to stay on the left!  I drove to our flat from the airport, and I think David might need a valium now.  Anyway, he’s snoring away at the moment, but soon I’ll wake him for another driving adventure back to the airport to pick up our bags.

There you have our first hours in PE.