Layover at JFK....
Here I am, sitting in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport! I arrived in from STL at 10:30 AM local time and my flight to Johannesburg doesn't board until 4:30 PM. So, I have around 4 hours to kill...and what better way to kill it than starting my Africa blog. The morning started at 2:30 AM (Missouri time) and by 3:00, Kendra and I were on our way to STL. Kendra gave me a ride so that I wouldn't have to park my car for six weeks. THANK YOU, KENDRA!!! I boarded my plane at 6:30 AM and was off to NYC by 7:00 AM.
My flight to Johannesburg is on United, flying non-stop to South Africa (I hope it is non-stop, anyway, because the only thing between here and there is the Atlantic Ocean!). Duration will be approximately 17.5 hours on board a 343 Airbus (A340-300)! WOW! This will be my longest flight and we actually get served three meals. Estimated arrival time into O.R. Tambo International in Johannesburg is 5:00 PM tomorrow.
Once in Johannesburg, I will be meeting up with some fellow colleagues, some of whom I have already met last summer while in Rwanda. I'm anxious to see these friends again. We will spend the night in Johannesburg, and will also get a chance to explore the city on Sunday. Our flight to Maputo Mozambique will depart Sunday night at 8:00 PM. This is winter time in South Africa, but the temps will be fairly mild...about 60F during the day and in the 40s at night. So even though it's warm here, I'm reluctantly carrying with me a jacket...which has produced some strange looks from a few people here at the airport, too! In Mozambique, temps will be slightly warmer...averaging about 70F during the day.
ONE ITEM I FORGOT TO MENTION CONCERNING OUR 2010 WORLD CUP MEETUP...I will be visiting Ellis Park on Sunday, one of two stadiums in Johannesburg where some of the 2010 World Cup matches will be played. Rumor has it that FIFA is making backup plans for the World Cup in other countries just in case South Africa isn't up to par for accommodating all the events and tourists coming in. I haven't yet found any solid evidence that would confirm or deny that rumor, but will certainly be investigating it while I'm there.
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