Sunday, May 18, 2014

Ellie, Kohlton and Mark Have Arrived Safely in South Africa

Mark (Kohlton's dad) has a lovely tradition. Mark like to start off his vacations the night before flying out by going out for a nice dinner and then staying at a hotel near the airport. This allows them to relax and start off rested. It also allows him to store his truck in the hotel parking garage for just $3 a night, instead of the much higher price he would pay at a parking facility near the airport.
Thus, on Wednesday evening we met Mark at the Bass Pro Shop where we had dinner at Islamorada Fish Company.
Ellie sent me a few messages and photos during their long journey. The three of them flew to Washington, D.C. to meet up with the rest of the group that are on the same tour. They had a 2 hour layover that was extended by the rain.
The group transferred to South African Airlines and were on that plane for about 23 hours. Ellie said the food was good.

Kohlton got sick on the plane and I doubt that he rested very well. Ellie, being small, was able to curl up next to him and sleep. They had a fuel stop in Dakar. I was a bit worried about that one. The last time Mark and Kohlton went to South Africa and stopped in Dakar, some large men with gun boarded the plane and roamed the isles, looking for people who they thought should pay a "traveling fee." Thus, Kohlton and Ellie were instructed to look like they were sleeping. It was about midnight our time, so they might have actually been asleep. The plane continued on to Johannesberg where they stayed for the night. I hope that they were able to go into town a bit and take in the culture.
Next up was a commuter jet and then a rented vehicle to make their way to their destination. We know that they arrived safely, but Larr told Ellie to concentrate on having a good time and not to worry about calling home every day. The eight hour difference between Colorado and South Africa makes that a bit difficult.

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