Fluffy

As we approached Johannesburg we descended through what I think were the fluffiest clouds I’ve ever seen from the air. It was a terrible pity I couldn’t get to my camera, as they would have made a great photo.

Big? Actually, Jumbo!

Today is going to be my first trip on a 747. Ever since I was a child I have I think subconsciously held the belief that it wasn’t really International travel unless it took a 747 to get you there. So between the jumbo jet, the 14 hour flight, and the fact that I’m on an entirely different continent makes me fairly sure this fit’s the bill for real international travel.

Fluffy

As we approached Johannesburg we descended through what I think were the fluffiest clouds I’ve ever seen from the air. It was a terrible pity I couldn’t get to my camera, as they would have made a great photo.

Movie madness

With 14 hours to kill what else do you do but watch movies. Back to back. Four of them….

  • Charlie and the chocolate factory
  • Batman begins
  • Mr and Mrs smith
  • Madagascar

My eyes aren’t so much square as that slightly rectangular shape of the little screens on the back of the airline seats.

Big? Actually, jumbo!

Today is going to be my first trip on a 747. Ever since I was a child I have I think subconsciously held the belief that it wasn’t really International travel unless it took a 747 to get you there. So between the jumbo jet, the 14 hour flight, and the fact that I’m on an entirely different continent makes me fairly sure this fit’s the bill for real international travel.

Adventuring into the unknown

Well exams are over and now I am departing into the great unknowns of Africa. Of course it’s not entirely unknown, but I am operating on a pretty limited quantity of information, and it will be interesting to see the extent to which information and reality match up, and what stuff simply falls completely outside both my pre-departure advice and my scope of personal life experience up until now. No doubt the trip will spawn a plethora (I really do love that word) of additional blog entries, so stay tuned…

Absurdistan

As an initial side note, Absurdistan is also the title of a book that Catherine showed me the other day.

This evening I arrived at the airport an hour before I needed to be there to discover that there were probably 300 people in line waiting to check in, and 4 people at the counters doing the checking in. It was rediculous. And then at regular intervals they would announce over the PA system that all passengers for whichever flight was closest to departing should proceed to the front of the line and the counters would process those people and stop checking in anyone else.

As one of my associates in the queue observed, you can see how the airlines are making huge profits by reducing costs (eg. of check-in staff), but it’s hard to deny that service has gone out the window when you wait an hour and a quarter patiently in line, only to have your flight finally called to the front of the line anyway. It would have made far more sense to simply have gone and gotten some take away coffee and a paper and found a seat near the check-in for the hour, and just pottered up to the front when your flight got called. It was frankly rediculous.

Absurdistan

As an initial side note, Absurdistan is also the title of a book that Catherine showed me the other day.

This evening I arrived at the airport an hour before I needed to be there to discover that there were probably 300 people in line waiting to check in, and 4 people at the counters doing the checking in. It was rediculous. And then at regular intervals they would announce over the PA system that all passengers for whichever flight was closest to departing should proceed to the front of the line and the counters would process those people and stop checking in anyone else.

As one of my associates in the queue observed, you can see how the airlines are making huge profits by reducing costs (eg. of check-in staff), but it’s hard to deny that service has gone out the window when you wait an hour and a quarter patiently in line, only to have your flight finally called to the front of the line anyway. It would have made far more sense to simply have gone and gotten some take away coffee and a paper and found a seat near the check-in for the hour, and just pottered up to the front when your flight got called. It was frankly rediculous.