As always, our life has been oh so hectic! Pieter had a busy day at his office and on Thursday, November 14, 1985 he got off in the afternoon. That meant not being free but working hard in the garden. Unfortunately a wooden log fell on his foot; it hurt! He did attend a supper at a Lake House and after that I had to go with him to the hospital. X-rays got made and luckily nothing was broken. Packed with ice and his foot elevated onto a pillow, he made it through the night with some Tylenol 3, from the hospital.
On Friday, November 15 at 18:10 we departed from Atlanta airport for Johannesburg, South Africa.
A long journey on a 747 with Sabena Airlines, via Boston to Brussels, Belgium...
We got onto the airport train and in 15 minutes we reached the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels north, where we tried to use our pre-paid voucher for November 28. If we only could shower and find a bed to stretch out.
But NOPE - nothing! Very poor customer service...
A long journey on a 747 with Sabena Airlines, via Boston to Brussels, Belgium...
We got onto the airport train and in 15 minutes we reached the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels north, where we tried to use our pre-paid voucher for November 28. If we only could shower and find a bed to stretch out.
But NOPE - nothing! Very poor customer service...
Johannesburg
Saturday, November 16, we landed in Brussels at 10:00 and only at 16:35 on our way in a 747 to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo where we landed at 1:00 in the morning, after good 8 hours flying time.
Sunday, November 17, we landed at 6:00 in the morning in Johannesburg after another 3.5 hours in the air.
Approaching Johannesburg...
Johannesburg - postcard
JOHANNESBURG "The Hub of GOLD"
The railway station and high-rise buildings of the centre of the sprawling metropolis - with symbolic distant mine dumps of "The Golden City."
The railway station and high-rise buildings of the centre of the sprawling metropolis - with symbolic distant mine dumps of "The Golden City."
By 7:15 we were through customs and we had retrieved our suitcases.
A very long journey without a BED! We had been 42 hours on the road since we left our home in Dublin, GA!
Colin Jacobson did pick us up and dropped us off at the Holiday Inn in Sandton.
On the way we did pass a huge Termitomyces, a termite mount. Pieter would have loved to stop and make a photo...
On the way we did pass a huge Termitomyces, a termite mount. Pieter would have loved to stop and make a photo...
We took a bath and went to bed for about 2 hours... BIG MISTAKE!
It took a lot of cold water splashes for WAKING UP...
Our host Colin, came to pick us up by 12:30 for a barbecue and for meeting the other speakers for the Congress.
The barbecue was held in the private garden of one of our hosts.
I was in HEAVEN - JACARANDA HEAVEN THAT IS!
Seldom I'd seen such beautiful lanes of blooming Jacarandas, when driving to our hotel.
One lilac splendor and even the roads got covered by the fallen off blossoms.
Here I proudly stand next to these beautiful Jacarandas!
A sheep was being roasted...
Such a lovely garden for having an outdoor barbecue event in late spring, yes the southern hemisphere has opposite seasons.
While the sheep roasted to perfection, we mingled and got to know the group.
Such a lovely spot for entertaining!
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and even went home with another couple for a coffee.
They erroneously dropped us off at the Sandton Sun hotel, instead of at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Sandton, so we took a taxi and were in our room by 20:15 and FINALLY went to bed for a real night sleep!
Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part II
I was in HEAVEN - JACARANDA HEAVEN THAT IS!
Seldom I'd seen such beautiful lanes of blooming Jacarandas, when driving to our hotel.
One lilac splendor and even the roads got covered by the fallen off blossoms.
Here I proudly stand next to these beautiful Jacarandas!
They erroneously dropped us off at the Sandton Sun hotel, instead of at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Sandton, so we took a taxi and were in our room by 20:15 and FINALLY went to bed for a real night sleep!
Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part II
Related link:
My South Africa Publication Around Husband Pieter's Lectures at Congress | previous post by me
Good afertoon with every body and after this dificult travel !
ReplyDeleteBye Mariette
Dearest Mariette,
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing those memories with us!
hope, you both are well and you have a good time!
Sending Love and hugs and blessings,
Claudia xoxo
Hello Mariette, I am glad your exhausting trip ended up in such a lovely spot. I am quite envious of your and Pieter's travel adventures. I can see that you were treated royally in South Africa once you arrived. Except for one trip to England I rarely got away from Cleveland, where my job as a systems analyst kept me pinned to one spot.
ReplyDelete--Jim
It looks like a lovely place to enjoy a barbecue, dear Mariette. So very much like our own barbecue's in a neighborhood here, without the beautiful Jacaranda trees! (And whole roasted sheep!) Such wonderful memories for you both, and don't you look sweet in your pretty blouse and skirt. A long trip, indeed. Sending hugs xo Karen
ReplyDeleteLiebe Mariette,
ReplyDeleteich freue mich über deinen schönen Post.
Alles Liebe
Elisabeth
Alles groot en wijd denk heel vaak wat is het hier maar klein ..
ReplyDeleteIhr habt viel von der Welt gesehen, liebe Mariette! Es ist aber auch alles sehr anstrengend, wenn ich das mit den 2 Stunden Schlaf lese nach der Anstrengung des langen Fluges und allem! Das ist nicht jedermanns Sache! Aber solange man jung und gesund genug ist ...
ReplyDeleteDer lila blühende baum ist wunderbar, Jacaranda kenne ich, wollte ich gerade fragen. Die sind ganz herrlich!
Liebe Grüße
Sara
My goodness, what a long trip! My longest has been 24 hours or so. Can't imagine how exhausting it was!
ReplyDeleteThe garden is really beautiful, so colorful with all the blossoms. I once visited town which was having jacaranda festival. There were lot of blossoms all over the town, but not as glorious as ones in your photo!
Dear Mariette - I too was lucky enough to see the Jacaranda Trees linning the streets, filling the parks and gardens in Pretoria too. The magnificent clouds of purple flowers are so memorable - once seen, never forgotten.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Mariette!
ReplyDeleteFantastic to see Joburg as I knew it! We could have met... We settled there in 1983!
You're bringing back incredible memories to surface, for you and me!!!
Many thanks for you sweet visits, much appreciated, at long last I am reconnected to the net as from this morning... amazing how isolated you feel now without a connection!
No abroad trips in the pipe line in the near future??
Warm hugs and keep well :)
Hello,Mariette,
ReplyDeleteYou had a wonderful memory with your husband Pieter. I liked to see all of your photos.You are a wonderful couple and I think that Pieter is always proud of you!! Thank you for your comment and the translation to Japanese. I think of you and Pieter. Have a good day.
Mariette quanto amo l’Africa. Ho passato del bel tempo in Kenya, circondata da profumi di jacaranda e frutti maturi. Bello, oggi però avrei paura a tornare in quelle terre.
ReplyDeleteUn abbraccio e vrazie per questo bel post.
Buon w.e. Lorena
Good evening Mariette, my goodness what a long journey you had, but what a wonderful treat at your journeys end.... to see so many flowering jacaranda trees must have been a wonderful sight.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Cyprus we looked forward to the jacaranda blooming as their colour was so beautiful.
Thank you so much for sharing your fascinating travelling adventures.
With warmest wishes.
Daphne