| A Botswana trip. After being sent to Gabarone, Botswana on short notice, I was not entirely looking forward too the day. It started early, At 04H30 my alarm went off, ending an unsuccessful night�s sleep. Getting ready was complicated by the fact that I had not packed the day before. Pack, why pack you might ask? Well because I wanted to be caring a REUTERS bag to make it easier for my contact to notice me. Great idea, however my usual bags already had things packed in them for the move, so it was plan B. I had an unused bag, however if was folded up, which meant I need to take some padding. I chose jerseys. Now in defence of my choice I had to say that it was cold in Jo�burg at the time. (05H00) and my brain must have felt that this was the most important thing. Then off to the airport, a bit later than I wanted, however I was in plenty of time for the plane. Which is when I received another jolt. Nobody had mentioned anything about a two prop plane. Not that I have anything against the De Havilland Dash 8 Series plane, just, well it was the first time I was flying in one. The safety instructions were not entirely reassuring either! Never the less I had a window seat 11D actually, and no one beside me. not that I�m anti-social, it�s just that I did not feel like making small talk while my brain was still trying to work out if this was a dream, and hoping that it was� We took off in cloudy weather, and it was pleasant to watch us leave the ground. I had a good view of the wing, engine, and wheel. I�m not sure if I was relieved, or concerned to watch the wheel fold up into an area below the engine. More intrigued I guess. The service was pleasant, and being at the back meant that I was served early by the other air-stewardess, while the first started at the front of the plane. Unfortunately airline food falls into the �hospital� category, no matter what they try, if you don�t want to be there, it�s not going to be nice. It being a cold meal did not help either, as I was cold, and I�ve always preferred SAA�s breakfast. It was incredible to rise above the clouds into bright sunshine, just like in the fighter pilot movies, and for a while it seemed like we were sky surfing. Later on in the flight, and clutching a warm cup of coffee, I watched as the cloud disappeared and the land of Africa emerged. I�m always struck with the same image. That of �Out of Africa� with Robert Redford, where he is flying over the land, towards the end of the movie, and just seeing tracks of cars in the grass, and the spoils of man masking the beauty of nature. If you ever find your self flying to Gabarone from Jo�burg, a useful direction tip: Remember to turn left at a big lake shaped like a T. Landing in sunshine on a wide-open airfield must be the best way, and I enjoyed (for a couple of reasons) watching the wheel make it�s first touch onto land. My entrance into Botswana was an example of what not to do in international travel. It started back on the plane, when they were handing out the arrival forms for Botswana, it�s easier to fill in out on the plane, than in the airport, if you have a pen that is� One should also know where one is going, who one will be with, and which company/place you will be visiting. After a couple of attempt and shrugs of my shoulders, the passport control person gave up on me, and passed me onto her supervisor. There I was just asked to fill in the company I worked for, (which was easier enough to remember seen as though I was carrying a bag with it�s name written across), and allowed into the country. Once in was in the airport proper I was faced with another problem. My contact was not there. Another useful tip, if you have a cell phone, enable it for international dialling� After about 40 minuets wait, I decided to walk around the airport. 2 minuets later, ending up back where I started, I though I should try to contact the office to see if they could track down my contact seen as though I did not have his number on me. Not having any of the local money, I proceeded to the exchange office where the answers to my questions of, "How much does a phone call cost?" and "How much does a can of Coke cost?" determined how much money I exchanged. Then, after learning what number to dial to get international access (it�s 00, i.e. 0027 for South Africa), I proceeded to call the office. Here I encountered an interesting phenomenon of Botswana public phones. I was able to connect, and speak for about three seconds, before being disconnected. Fortunately my colleague Tracy was able to put together: "Hi it�s Justin." "Stuck at airport." "Help call." Into an intelligent sentence and call my contact. He was already on the way to the airport, and arrived about three sips into the Coke I had bought to console myself. So on to the client, well actually not. We first had to stop at another client that was experiencing problems. There I was able to do some training, and impart some knowledge. After a cup of coffee we headed off to the new client. On the way it was explained to me what was not working, (most) and what was, (some). At the client, not only were not all the positions working, but also not all the dealers were there. So as not to sit idle I leapt in and started to train the dealer that was there. The second dealer arrived later, and after a long technical discussion, on "How does the data get into my machine," and brief diversions into "How Internet Service Providers rip their clients off," and "What is not working," I trained him as well. Thus at about 13H00 I was finished. Fortunately the people are quite laid back there (as long as you are not ripping them off), so we struck up a conversation, and went to lunch with a few of his friends and another branch of the company. We walked into a room, where about four guys were already sitting, with a few sandwiches on the table, and soft drinks. Thus lunch was also small. It was however listening to these guys talk a bit about business, but mostly just joking and talking about their days, and planing what they were going to do. Back to their office at 14H00, I was pretty much left alone. The head dealer went into meetings, (with the aforementioned ISP) and the other dealer was also out. Every now and then, some one would pop their head in the room, or come over and look at some rates. Our sub-contractor however was still busy getting another one of the system working, so he was mostly not there either. This was fortunate, as my brain must have worked out that this was indeed a dream, and that it was going to get some sleep. Finally the time came for me to leave, and we headed back to the airport, a bit late, but still in time. I was again booked into a window seat, with no-one siting next to me, seat 7A, which gave me a better view of the engine and wheel. Again taking off it was pleasant to watch, this time in sunshine as we took off, and we passed through some clouds, doing the sky surfing bit. During takeoff the engine was vibrating in the cabin, adding to the noise level, however there was an occasion, when the pilot must have throttled back, and the engines reached just the right frequency, that they seemed to cancel out the noise, and everything when quiet. A bit too quiet. Once above the clouds I had to very pleasant surprise. At first I though I was seeing thing, until the people in the row ahead of me also saw it. In the clouds, around the shadow of the plane was shaped like a dart-board, rings of the rainbow. As we got high, the rings got bigger, and you could hardly see the planes shadow. It was a very comforting to watch, and restored a sense of peace that was lacking until then. The people ahead of me did not want their meal, so I jokingly asked to the stewardess if I could have theirs. She quickly put three boxes in front of me! I quickly returned them, but after seeing what was inside, I asked for another one. A pasta salad, (x2) curried carrots (only one) and white chocolate mouse (I was starting on my second one when the plane started it�s approach, so they were clearing and I decided against the second one.) all helped restore a feeling of normality. Again it might not have been the food as such, but I was really happy to be on the flight home, so that made it taste all the better. The first stewardess must have spoken to the second, because when she came around offering drinks, and I accepted an Amarula liquor, she quickly asked me if I wanted a second! Needless to say I accepted, and did not relinquish that as we were coming in to land. Landing was not the most pleasant experience as I was sad to leave the sky above the clouds, and return to the misty, wet and cold realist below. It is amazing how we can be affected by our eyes. I�m convinced that I felt warmer above the clouds, but as we descended I got cold� The transition however was pleasant, to be slipping through the clouds, initially white and puffy. I was in for another surprise. On the approach, when I though we were over residential area, (we must have been further out that I first thought) the clouds parted, and I was treated to a glorious sight. The rich dark reddish-brown earth was ploughed, and almost as if it had been arranged for me, laid out in circles, and fields. My heart twinged with strong feelings of patriotism, and I was deeply reminded of my love for Africa. Never-the-less we were ground ward bound, and I was reminded of the character in the Duckburg series, Tailspin is it, who proudly boasts that he has never had a successful landing, and of how one is fine until you hit something. Needless to say the landing was fine, and I watched out especially hard for the first contact the tyre made with the tarmac, and how is gave off a puff of smoke with a squeal as it got up to speed. In fact the taxing from the runway we landed on to the airport building was one of the longest parts of the trip. One would have thought that they could have landed a bit closer! Once off the plane we returned to the wet cold weather I had left that morning. Into Johannesburg International Airport, which is, to put it mildly a bit larger than Gabarone International Airport. Thought I was home free, think again. It was after all still Monday. Arriving at the parking payment machine, I realised that I only had Botswana currency! So off to find an ATM I went. After walking almost to the far end of the Airport, I decided to ask, and was told, "There�s one just around the corner, or just on the other side of the parking payment machines� " Thus I had managed to find the longest route to an ATM. I was in for a further surprise as on returning to the now intensely disliked parking payment machines, I found out that they accepted credit cards! Finding my car was perhaps the easiest part of getting home, as I still had to get out of the airport, and drive home. Needless to say not only was I pleased to be home, but home was also very welcoming. |