March 15, 2012

A long day of travel...After dinner with Tom on the night of the 14th, he encouraged us to grab a few hours of sleep before heading to the airport to catch our 2:45 am flight. We slept from 9:00 pm until midnight, at which time a cab arrived to tame us to the Kigali airport. (yawn!)

After clearing security, filling out the departure forms, checking in our luggage (thank you, Tom for sending word ahead for VIP treatment, or we would have been charged overages for a piece of luggage that was easily classified as carry-on), we relaxed in the waiting lounge before passing through one more security check to get to the gate. Thankfully, we proceeded to that last check point about 40 minutes prior to boarding. The boarding announcement was made just as we were scrambling to get through security. Our flight departed 35 minutes ahead of schedule!! Apparently, this happens commonly in Africa. One is expected to confirm one's flight at the airport in person the day before the flight. If that isn't done and the schedule changes, the airline isn't responsible for missed flights.

Our travels on the 15th took us from Kigali, Rwanda to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (3 hour flight/2 hour layover), Addis to Johannesburg, South Africa (5 hour flight/1-1/2 hour layover), and then Johannesburg to Capetown, South Africa. We rented a car and made the one-hour drive to Bridges Academy, just near Franschhoek, where Addi has been living and teaching. All told, from the midnight departure from Tom's house to our arrival at the security gate of Bridges Academy, we calculated that we had travelled 18 hours to get to this most precious destination.

We were met at the academy by a locked gate with no one in sight, no intercom, no cell service...ie no way to find our Addi!! Finally, Craig chose to leap a security fence and crept up on Addi in her room.