The Terminal

Yes, I know this blog title derives from a 2004-movie starring Tom Hanks, but at the moment I am at OR Tambo International Airport anxiously waiting to get on a flight home. The one I have scheduled leaves on Wednesday, but I just can't seem to accept that I have to wait that long.

The truck Janis, who/which have taken us 7000 kilometres through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimabwe and back again over the past three weeks finally arrived in Johannesburg last night. We had a short stop in Francistown, Botswana as one of the girls had to see a doctor, but otherwise it has been driving, driving, driving for the past two days. As I arrived at OR Tambo I was damn ready to get out of Africa as soon as possible, but the BA lady bitchily ignored my pleas and said the flight was not only booked, it was overbooked, so I had no option but to wait.

I went to a hostel I had booked before leave Cape Town, and despite being rated highest on the hostel-list it is one of the worst places I have seen since Guatemala. Brownie points for the free pick up, but the lady at the counter should be fired for her unpoliteness, the internet-provider for its lousy internett-service and the plumber for the terrible plumbing in the bathroom. Every camping place we've been to have had better fascilities than this one. But nevertheless, Heather, Tara and Emily joined me in the dorm and after watching Garfield we all went to bed and were bright and early awake at 7am this morning.

As the hostel could provide no food nor internet there was really no point in staying so we were at the airport before 10am to get some breakfast. I went back to the BA counter and the lady now at least made the effort to check for availability. As I went back a third time I was told to try for a stand-in spot at the check-in desk, and there I was again told to come back at 8pm to see how the story goes for the later flight.

So that's my current position. At Mugg and Bean, an excellent coffee and Belgian waffle place, making use of the wireless internet and waiting to (really, I just know it) to be turned down yet again and having to wait til tomorrow, possibly Wednesday to get home. Luckily Mugg and Bean is open 24 hour a day, and as there are plenty of police roaming the airport I am quite convinced this is the safest place to be in Jo'burg at the moment, so not really worried about that either. Where I will sleep however, that's another question, but still got one sleeping-bag that I didn't trade away, so should be able to figure something out...