DAY ONE, TRAVEL DAY.

DAY ONE, TRAVEL DAY.
Arrival (almost).
Well for the people who know me back home and for the people whom have received travel emails from me in the past, you will not be surprised to hear that although I should be writing this first blog from Ulusaba, my destination. I am infact writing it, whilst watching the Wallabies play the Springbok, drinking complimentary coffee and eating complimentary 'Ouma buttermilk rusks' from the comfort of a room in the Garden Court hotel, Jo Burg.
I missed my flight.
Yep, a typical Anthony start to anything. Not to worry though, I've been booked onto another one tomorrow at 12.40, giving me an arrival into Ulusaba of about 14.00, I think. So for tonight I'm in room 357 of the Garden Court Hotel. Mind you other than the 900 rand bill and a short shuttle ride, things are pretty rosy. My room has a desk, a king size bed (though he must have been a short arse king, so I'll give it 'queen' size at best), bath, shower with all the soap bits and bobs, a comfy chair, flat screen TV and a fair whack of teas and coffee. Oh and breaky. For the same amenities in the Hotel Intercontinental next to the airport I was given the knee buckling quote of 3,000 rands!!!!!! Erm no thanks. The exchange rate is 12 to the £.
So I could let Lindsay know that I'd be a day late I had to buy a mobile phone sim card for S.A, all I'll need to do tomorrow before the flight is buy a phone that it works in! Again though, not a great problem once I've mugged an ATM. By 14.00 tomorrow I'll be where I should be, with my own communications device and possibly a car for the rest of the month to have a mooch around.
The travel to get me this far has been a bit of a treat. The luxury of First Class travel from Manchester to London on Virgin Trains and then an unexpected upgrade to Premium Economy on the Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow to Jo burg......for two! This gave me and my 'Remora fish' extra leg room, wider seat and some good food with complimentary drinks and also an invitation to join the staff in at the bar in the First Class area of the plane. I declined this, feeling it would have been a little cheeky. Plus I was a more than a little embarrassed that the person whom was sat next to me in standard class told the very kind flight stewards that she was travelling with me whilst I was at the toilet and thus gaining herself an upgrade as well. Remora fish.
What actually happened was I had introduced myself as I sat down to 'Tammy' (the woman sat next to me on the flight)and we were having a chat before take off and then after. The flight stewards made an announcement for me on the P.A (not at all embarrassing) to hand me a note to inform me of the change of connection times at Jo Burg to Ulusaba. He then kindly said as I was coming out to S.A to work for Unite that he would inquire about an upgrade. Tammy had obviously heard this. I then went to the loo and when I got back the steward met me half way with my bag and took me to my upgraded seat, where oddly, Tammy was already sat. It turns out that she had told them she was travelling with me (cheeky bugger). The chief steward then came over to have a chat and, well, it just got to embarrassing and awkward to then 'put the record straight'. so yeah, two people got a very appreciated upgrade.
Right I'm going now, after a well earned shower I'm heading into the Hotel bar for a couple of drinks, some food and to let Lindsay know that everything is fine. I might even head into Jo burg to have a look round.
One other thing of note, whilst I was walking around the airport, there was two advertisement posters in the gents displayed next to each other. One stating tablets that 'made sex amazing, naturally' and the other, right next to it 'why suffer intestinal turbulence', tablets for freeing up wind and diarrhoea. Both arguably great products, I just hope I never get the tablets mixed up!
Tomorrow Ulusaba.