Kitwe Service Center staff
outside of our office (minus Pastor Blessings)
broken down on the highway in Mulenga...
Thankfully, we were able to get a taxi and he got me to the Ndola airport in plenty of time! I landed in the Ndola airport, but it is tiny. I couldn't picture what it would be like checking in and boarding, but it was completely fine. It really is a tiny airport though. You go through the initial security check, they scan your bags, and then check in at the counter. Then you walk through the second security check and they scan your bags again, and you go through immigration - they scan your eyes and your finger prints, stamp your passport all that jazz. And then you go to the departure lounge: there is just one. Everyone waits together and they call flights and load everyone on the corresponding bus that will take you to the plane. The flight was okay, some turbulence at the end. I have decided that I don't mind flying, but I always feel great joy when I am standing on firm ground again! We landed in Joburg (Johannesburg) and from that point everything was as expected. I went through immigration and eventually found my luggage - SAA always is sent to the most remote baggage carousel for some reason. From there it was a breeze. I exited the airport and said 'no' to about 20 different people who tried to help with my luggage or thought I needed a taxi. I made my way to the shuttle area and waited for two hours to board the Citybug. One 3.5 hour bus ride and Daytona and Ashley were waiting to pick me up in Nelspruit. :-) They may or may not have volunteered so they could also stop at McDonalds after picking me up, but either way I was ecstatic to see them. (And eat fast food!)
So I am back in South Africa settled into the Village for my last week. My roommate is still here! :-) But we are the only ones from our intake who are around :-( While I was sent to Kitwe, Zambia, Dave and Russell were sent to Luanshya, Zambia (they arrived the week after I did), Leyton was sent to Zimbabwe, Melissa and Mariah were sent to Malawi, and my roommate Alicia has been in South Africa working with the Clau Clau Service Center. Everyone else is getting ready to head off to Celebrations in the next few days: it will be bare bones here at the Village. I think I will actually be the only person living in the Village the last few days I'm here, but there will be people 'up stairs.'
As always, I sleep dramatically less in South Africa. It is freezing here compared to Kitwe! I slept in long pants and a sweatshirt, not to keep covered in case of mosquitoes, but because it is that cold at the moment! I think my mind was just spinning from everything that had happened and the long day of traveling, but I only got 2.5 hours of sleep. I'm going to hopefully sleep better tonight, and I will hopefully write a post about my last two weeks in Kitwe tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment