(JS) When flying to South Africa a few things come to mind…. Numbers 1-100 are find a comfortable seat… but I’ll come to that in a bit. Our flight started at DIA early in the morning on Friday August 29th. Our flight on United was a typical domestic flight; semi comfortable seats with “complementary beverage service” and no entertainment. We met a guy on the plane named “Andy;” an English gentlemen currently living in South Africa near Durban. Typically on flights I’m normally the quiet one, but with Andy I quickly went to work getting the “skinny” on South Africa. By the time our plane landed in Washington, D.C. we had the information on places and things to see, safety tips, and what to do.
We had a 3 hour layover in D.C. where Brad and I grabbed some lunch and a drink then charged our various electronics and browsed the duty free shops. While shopping around I came across an “America” shop, where everything was government or USA related. One item that stood out in the shop was some toilet paper with “Flush out Terrorism.”
Our next flight was a two part flight. The first leg of the 17.5 hour journey (Including layover) was from Washington D.C to Dakar, Senegal. 8 hours of “meh.” We got on the plane and within the first two hours, we were provided with more food, wine, a sleep mask, and various other accoutrements. After a few hours the lights dimmed as our fellow passengers drifted off. My experience however was similar to that of snowboarding… You wake up, partially vertical with your legs, back, neck , and feet hurting. Brad and I were lucky to have an emergency exit row seat, however on this flight what we gained in legroom, you lost in seat comfort. At several points the pain in my tush radiated down to my feet so at various points I lost feeling in either side of my body. That is not something you want to experience for 17.5 hours. Finally we reached Dakar. The captain announced that he was landing, and we were all to sit up as we land. This of course was JUST as both Brad and I were starting to fall asleep. Unfortunately there is no “snooze” option for a plane. Instead we landed and were given the option of standing around the plane for an hour while the crew changed and a few passengers left, then more came on. After all the passengers were seated again, the captain made an announcement “According to the WHO (World Health Organization we’re required to sterilize the plane. They have assured us this is completely safe however if you have contacts please close your eyes and anyone with respiratory issues cover your mouth.” This was possibly the first time in my 27 years to have experienced this. However given the recent cases of Ebola in West Africa I welcomed the chemicals…l until it started to make me cough. Shortly thereafter it actually improved the smell of the plane. Even though we didn’t get to leave the aircraft Dakar made an impression on me. I was curious to find the architecture to be very cube like and several buildings seemed very governmental. The surrounding areas were white cubes nearby the airport. The city was quite since we arrived around 5:45am local time. By the time we left, the sun was starting to rise as were the people. We took off over the local bay to the sight of hundreds of boats crowding the water. As we rose into the cloud layer you could see the faster air move over the wing in two speeds. It was possibly the most beautiful explanation of how a wing works that I have ever seen. The second leg of our flight was approximately 7.5 hours. By this time we were professional fliers. Brad took a nap after a rousing game of uno that caught the attention of one of the stewardesses. Finally at length we arrived in Johannesburg. After going through customs we caught our connecting domestic flight to cape town. This time the atmosphere was much different. Locals were flying to the cape for a nice weekend out, similar to Americans flying to Vegas; Close by and relaxing.
South African Airlines was voted the top airline 12 years running, and I am in agreement with that assessment. On US airlines you’re nickel and dimed from the time you go through security to the time you leave. They charge for everything from internet to luggage. On our flight to the cape you’re offered full beverages (including wine), a full meal, and entertainment. In addition the staff were friendly and hospitable. When we arrived in Cape Town, we quickly gathered our luggage and met the driver to the hotel. We spent the whole ride asking him where the most interesting and best places to see are. He kindly offered some advice from everything from food, to tours. Finally we arrived at the hotel which of course means a championship Uno game with myself, brad, and a local guy at the bar. You’re looking at the winner right here. Then of course, shower, T.V. and bed! The next adventure awaits, this time with a down comforter and air conditioning. Here’s to being horizontal… hopefully the firm mattress won’t cause residual tush pain.
You need to do a PBS travelogue like Bert Wolf especially with your SoCal humor put to the fore front. I take it Senegal was a zero on any future vacation plans. One way to handle the seat comfort is to buy some local newspapers in the airport shops and use the stack as seat cushions. The way you describe your seats on the airplane it sounds like sitting on NorCal brownies. I take it from your comments that foreign air carriers are superb compared to American carriers which is what a lot of experienced travels have found.
Have a good time,
Professor W