Sunday, 17.2.19

Alright, let's get started! The suitcase is packed and almost bursting at the seams (I think I'll have to buy a big bag for carry-on luggage for the return journey). I was very nervous as I set off for the airport with my mom and Janic. At the baggage drop-off, I asked again about how my luggage would work since I had to transfer twice along the way. The woman at the counter said that my luggage would go all the way to George, to my final destination (but that wasn't the case...). After dropping off my luggage, I wanted to buy an adapter for the South African sockets. This adapter is only available in a few stores, so I called the Interdiscount at the airport in advance to make sure they had it. And then... the adapter was sold out. So, thirty minutes before boarding, we had to find an adapter somewhere in the airport. But since we couldn't find one anywhere, we decided to buy an adapter for South Africa to British plugs and then use another adapter from British to Swiss plugs. With this makeshift adapter, we headed to the gate.

The first flight with British Airways to London was short and on a smaller airplane. When I checked in online, I thought it was a smart idea to choose the back seat so I could have some privacy. Unfortunately, I didn't consider that there were no windows in the last row. It would have been a somewhat boring and dark flight. However, since the plane was only about half full, I was able to change seats and experience the takeoff with a view. I was a little worried about my luggage at Heathrow because this airport is apparently known for losing suitcases. I quickly realized why during the transfer to the next terminal - a 20-minute bus ride from the arrival to the departure terminal, and then another 10-minute walk to reach the gate. It's a huge airport! From London, we flew 10 hours overnight on a Dreamliner operated by Virgin Atlantic to Johannesburg. Unfortunately, the large American woman next to me by the window had to go to the bathroom approximately every half hour, which made sleeping a bit uncomfortable. Since we had a two-hour time difference from London to Johannesburg, there was a big English breakfast served on the plane at 3 AM (London time). You can do that in the middle of the night, I guess.