So the year started off last Thursday (the 29th of August) at the airport. Having said an emotional goodbye to my family and my boyfriend I set off with the rest of the Project Trust volunteers through security. First problem - my hand luggage (a large backpack with 5 separate pockets) was so full that airport security couldn't actually work out what I HAD in my bag. Therefore everything had to be emptied, inspected, re-scanned and re-packed - which took a very, very long time.
Finally though I managed to catch up with everyone else in the Giraffe cafe where we stayed until our flight (although I did manage to go to WHSmiths for a quick stock-up of sweeties hehehe). Excited (and a bit scared) we boarded the flight which would soon take us to our new home. Well, I say soon, it actually took two hours for the plane to even leave England due to the fact that one of the doors wouldn't close - something which is quite an issue for an airplane apparently! But oh well, we had a large supply of movies and TV episodes to keep us entertained and after watching Iron Man 3 (which I personally don't think is as good as other 'Marvel' movies) I managed to sleep for the rest of the journey.
Once we had landed in Johannesburg (which due to a MASSIVE amount of turbulence was something some of us doubted we would achieve in one piece) we were rushed through the airport by a guide, due to the fact that we only had a short time to catch our next flight. Our problems didn't end there however, as we quickly realised that our guide had in fact taken us to the wrong place! Luckily however the correct gate was only next door and so finally we settled down into the seats of the correct airplane.
It was at that moment however that I realised disaster had struck! In the frantic rush of being ushered off the original plane and onto the next one I had left my bag of sweeties behind! I can only wonder what happened to those delicious bags on haribo, minstrels, gumballs and more...
Arriving in Namibia itself was also an experience. Waiting in a long line for nearly an hour we nervously approached the stern looking men and women who would be giving us our three month visas. We could not tell them we were connected with Project Trust. We could not say that we were volunteers. We must not tell them we would be working. Instead we would have to lie, and say that we were simply tourists that would be wandering around the country for the next three months... Thankfully however, we all made it through and relieved that none of us had been denied a Visa we looked forward to grabbing our bags and making our way to the cardboard box backpackers where we would be able to relax.
Yeah right. Walking through to baggage reclaim we saw no sign of our bags. Waiting patiently for them to arrive we were told by a bored looking employee that all the bags for the flight had already arrived.....great. Then started another not to patient wait as we tried to explain our situation to a woman who clearly had no idea what we were saying. Finally, after what seemed like forever we left the airport with a piece of paper telling us to call back at 8 O'clock and the promise that our bags would be delivered 'soon'.
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