Off to Botswana
Note: Often, in my blog, I write about our daily adventures. But for Botswana, everything is mixed up, rogue, just like Africa itself. In the week we were there, we made two stops, one in Xigara and one in Savuti. We saw many of the same animals and birds in both places, so the descriptions are lumped together by animal rather than by location. Credit for the majority of the videos goes to Phyllis and Roberta. I was busy taking pictures while they shot video.
Leaving South Africa
After spending some days in Cape Town (please see that post) and a day in Johannesburg (please see that post too), we were ready for our safari experience. Phyllis and Ben, and Arnie and Roberta, four of our usual traveling companions, joined us. We were picked up at our hotel in Johannesburg at 845am for an 1145 flight. The airport was only 30 minutes away so we couldn’t figure out why we needed so much time. But when we got to the airport and saw the long line to check in, we understood. We were flying South Africa Airlines, an airline on which we have no status. So it was stand in line and patiently wait your turn to check in. Our guide, Nelson, was with us, walking us through each step. I’m not exactly sure why, as checking at Tambor airport is no different than checking in anywhere else in the world. But he was assigned to assist us, and so he did.
Serendipity
As we checked in I told the woman behind the counter that I was hoping for a window seat not over the wing as I loved to take pictures. She said she never takes pictures. I told her that I hope others take pictures of her because she is beautiful. I find African women in general to be absolutely gorgeous. She laughed and thanked me. She looked at the computer screen and told me that I had a window in row 8, but it was over the wing, so she moved Andy and me to row 15 where we could have an unobstructed view. Nelson, in the meantime, was trying to get the attention of a couple on line. It was the Wilderness Safari manager for Europe and England.
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