I'm finally back in Australia, have just flown into Sydney, but this journal is coming from how I was feeling in South Africa seeing as I couldn't find any internet access when I was there! Yes, I flew through South Africa and not Bangkok! Funny how both my original flights over and back were supposed to be through Bangkok, but I actually never got there!
I had a great last day with the boys on Thursday, many a drink was consumed during the afternoon and all too soon, and half an hour late of course, it was time for us to make our way to the airport. We said our last goodbyes and after being moved up in the line because there was less than an hour till my flight was due to leave, I was told that it had been oversold and there was no room for me. 3 hours later, I finally had a new flight organised for Friday morning, connecting through Johannesburg. It didn't really bother me that much, I remember talking to mum on the phone and saying exactly that, after all, Africa is all about delays and random events, and it was going to give me more time to have another final drink with the boys. So at 12am the airport organised me a driver to take me back to Upper Hill (where we'd been staying), and two and a half hours later, we were still driving around looking for it. He had no idea where it was and I didn't really either, I've only been there a couple of times, and after trying to call Adam for directions, after stopping at many petrol stations for directions and after picking up random people off the street to help out, we gave up and headed back to the airport. It was 3am by this stage and the driver took me to this little office/control room that during the night was full of guys getting directions for their pick-ups, and I tried to fall asleep in the middle of it, on this little wooden bench. Before leaving, the driver told me to stay put, to not go anywhere, and to hold onto my bags, so after awhile, alone and a bit sad, and holding onto the straps of 3 bags, I dozed off for a little while. I waited for the driver to come back, because he wanted to take me to get checked in for my flight, but at 6:15am I gave up and had another guy take me there. I just had to pick up some money and a new boarding pass, but there were so many people, and after the manager was running around trying to organise it, it was 7:15am and my flight was due to leave at 7:30am. He rushed me all the way through to the gate and literally put me on the plane and had the ground people load my bag into the plane. And then I was off.
4 hours later I arrived in Johannesburg, absolutely exhausted, and not looking forward to the 7 hours I had to burn there. I couldn't get more credit for my phone, and there was one computer in the whole airport for public internet, and that didn't even work. So I curled up into a ball on some seats, let a few tears fall and dozed off. But I made it through, tired and alone and a bit sad, but I made it. And then I was finally on my way to Sydney. Even now as I look at it, it wasn't so bad, and I definitely feel like a seasoned traveller now, it just wasn't the way I wanted my trip to end. But these things can't be helped and in reality, these last 2 days have only been such a tiny part of my trip.
It feels odd to be back in Australia, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone but at the same time I'm already finding it hard to settle back in. And I'm not even home yet, let alone back into everyday life. I'm really going to need to keep in touch with people in our group, especially over the next little while, or I think I'm going to go insane. I think I said it the other day, but I already miss everyone back in Kenya so much.
Now I really am on my way home guys xoxo
