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We are here!  It has been uite an adventure.  Buckle your seatbelts and prepare for tales of misplaced walkerkies (walkers for the elderly of SA), beaches, irratating drivers and Dakar (not in that order)…and we begin!

Niether “team” (Dieuwke and Jesse or Dussie and Kiki) had any trouble on the first leg.  So lovely…you knew something would go awry!  That something was WDC!  The Dallas team arrived with no trouble, but trouble was lurking!!!!! First, our options for offloading were limited to either falling or rolling down a steeply banked incline to the tarmac.  Nothing fancy!!! Kiki couldn’t do this with her walker…go figure.  The minutes ticked away as the “certified” workers debated the merits of the aisle chair versus the more traditional wheelchair.  The aisle chair won out…after a good deal of daylight was burned!  We toddled on and halfway down the concourse (to a tight connection to Dakar, Senegal – you’ve been there, you know!)  I realized that we were sans walker.  Yikes!!!! I turned in horror only to see the comic-book good looking pilot (mmmmmm…..) who “volunteered” to retrieve said device for us.  “Wait here,” he said as his teeth glinted in the sun only known by those who live in EST, and we did.  Moments later he returned triumphantly carrrying the object of our desire (the walker – in case you you have gotten off track).  Thank God!  With the help of a lovely young man we found the other team than the adventure was about to begin!

The Boise Team fared well.  We arrived at Dulles with no problems.   A four hour lay over gave us time to wander the intenational terminal (photos attached — Jesse thought this would be great for long boarding!).  We hooked up with the Dallas contingency with no problems.  We boarded and were promptly served South African wines to soothe our nerves.   Yes, both my sister a accepted without hesitation. 

Oh, yes.  There are some who are probably wondering about the players in this adventure and why it matters.  First, the players:

• First, and and the star of this production, Margaretha (Grethe)  Louisa Schonken-Hutt (a.k.a.. Kiki) – Kiki is auntie to Dus, Dieuwke and great aunt to Jesse. 
• Dussie — a.k.a. Desmion sister to Dieuwke, niece to Kiki, aunt (Tanne) to Jesse
• Jesse — Youngest member of the adventure (age 11 and world traveler — 4th African adventurre)
• Dieuwke — Mother to Jesse, sister to Diussie, niece to Tante Kiki

There you have it.  Story proceeds.  We connected in DC with no problems.  Onward to Dakar.  Which, by the way, looks like a Star Wars Movie set.  Unfortunately, that is where we ran into our first delay.  For those of  you have traveled in Africa, this will be no surprise.   It took took forever to fuel!  Once landing in our Johannesburg, the adventure and run, (literally)  began.  In Jo’berg, we landed with basically no time to the next flight, due to our long refule stop in Dakar.  A very kind young man looked at us, two “middle aged women” , an 11 year old amped  up guy, and a 94 year old Afrikaans woman in a wheelchair and said “You can make your flight!  I will help you $$$$!”

We ran.  And ran.  Pushing wheelchair and luggage carts and hauling ass (my sister tells me she blogs this word to her high school freshman — and they already know it).  We caught the the plane to Cape Town, at a cost mind you.  On to Cape Town and a second in flight dinner, and a missed pick-up.

By pick-up Dieuwke means  “trusted driver” to deliver us to our lodging.  What a nightmare.  He was supposed to be there when we arrived.  We expected a man/woman with a sign that said Dizney/Spencer.  No such luck.  We waited.  We called.  We were told that he had left and would be right back for us.  We waited… we waited…we waited!  He arrived and asked “where have you been?”  Let me interject at this moment that we had been at the same spot the whole time and that we hate him!  An hour later we met him.  We were freezing (it’s winter here) and he was a ____ (insert what you will).  Finally we made it to Lagoon Lodge (pictures to be posted)  It was the middle of the night!  Cold!  Yet the best place we had been in over 24 hours!  Brandon, our driver, is like water off a duck’s back.

So, after much ado we went to bed and slept the sleep of the innocent?  We awoke, not for the first time mind you, and began the day, Wednesday the 20th (we think).  Ahhhhhh….coffee, Kiki slept until a million o’clock (poor Kiki needed to get up a couple of times – time change you know), went foraging for food, had a great afternoon at the beach, (pix to be attatched, we hope!) and back to the lodge to cook!  Tomorrow we meet with the lawyer and check out Victoria Water Front. 

Our accommodationos are lovely.  We left Kiki drinking tea on the veranda and waited for the rental car (they forgot about us until the maid at Lagoon Lodge kindly put a call in for us).   Once Irene and Isidore brought us the car, they remembered Jesse and Dieuwke from previous rentals and all was well in that relm.  Things calmed down and a trip to the grocery, and Dolphin Beach wound down a long day.

Tomorrow,  Thursday, will test  Dieuwke’s driving skills as we head into downtown Cape Town to take care of some business for Kiki.  For those of you wo don’t know, S.A. drive left.  I do fairly well, but usually don’t head downtown after only half a day of practise.  Hope to be posting after this adventure!  We have made it (tattered though we may be).  Tomorrow is another day.  We will try to post sans alcohol…no promises….