The Background
We - or rather I - operate a Guest House called Marlinspike Guest Lodge in Hout Bay. A few years ago when we started a man arrived on the doorstep from RCI and said that if we gave them some rooms (mostly in the off season) we could get points - and thus 'free' holidays. Well the holidays aren't exactly free as there is a bookng fee but generally its turned out to be a good deal. He didn't specifically mention it - but I did suspect - that the points expire. For this year I have around 15 000 points about the expire. We wanted to go overseas, so the first place I looked was to a place where there was RCI accommodation. To be honest, that's how the trip was initially planned.
The Trip
The Basic Itinerary was :
30 June 2009 - 1600 - Leave Cape Town for Johannesburg
30 June 2009 - 1930 - Leave Johannesburg for Barcelona via Madrid (arrive around 10.30am)
2 July 2009 - 10.00 - Barcelona to Tenerife to stay at the Club Casablanca in Puerto De La Cruz
10 July 2009 ? Overnight Ferry to Gran Canaria
18 July 2009 Ferry back to Tenerife, Flight to Barcelona, Flight to Johannesburg (via Madrid) Iberia,
19 July 2009 Johannesburg to Cape Town BA.
Sounds so easy doesn't it!
Everything was set, timing was just right. Housesitter arrives at 1.30 and Les to pick us up at 2pm. 11am I get a call from a client to install an ADSL line. Phone MWeb, fax info through, go to client to make sure line is in - panic stations at home as now its 1pm and I'm not back - but made it in time although the last minute packing was very last minute.
Les and the housesitter arrived on time (Thanks Les!!!) and we were off to the airport. Uneventful flight to Joburg (arr 6pm) and quick walk to Iberia check in. First signs of trouble -'Sir, would you like to earn some money by delaying your flight to Thurday?' (now Tuesday)
Not bloody likely - been planning this trip for months.
'Sorry but we have no place for you on this flight'. An official looking man now appears who rushes off leaving us at the counter wondering what next. After around half an hour he returns.
'We can get you on to Air France to Charles de Gaul and then on to Madrid - plane leaves in 30 minutes - check in is about to close'
Rush off to Air France. The man says to the check in lady
'Don't check in the bags, we need to check something'
5 minutes, 10 minutes - someone drops by to tell the lady that its time to close check in. So she checks in the bags. As the last one disappears up the ramp the man returns. 'We don't have a flight for you from Paris to Barcelona until Thursday. Please take your bags to our counter. Problem - bags have gone. Frantic phone calls to some distant baggage handler. Everything sorted.
There is a counter at the back for Iberia with a lot of people milling around. A family of 4 is trying for a flight via Portugal tomorrow and there are a couple of Swedes with back packs. Of course this is what happens when we have the Confederations Cup. Beware the World Cup!!. The man appears. 'We can get you on to BA leaving at 8.30!'.
Off we rush - no bags this time - they're somewhere in the ether. BA woman books us all on to the plane. Booking through to Barcelona - and we've been given some money vouchers - its all going to work out!
'Passports please'. Fiona has British - no problem. The kids and I are South African. Her face drops.
'Do you have transit visas?'
'No, but we don't plan to go to the UK and we do have Schenken visas.'
'But you need a transit visa if you go through the UK as of 1 July - that's 12 pm tonight'
Desparate 'But we don't plan to stop there!'
'Toughski Shitski' She didn't actually say that but that's what she meant.
Back to the Iberia Counter. Eventually she gets us a flight via Berlin the following evening.
'There is a bus to your hotel leaving every 15 minutes' Her assistant takes us down to the bus station and says to wait for a white bus with the name of the hotel on the side. Then she disappears to handle some other crisis.
Its now 10pm we're tired and just a bit pissed off! 10.15 - 10.30 no bus. Finally we find the number and phone the place. The bus is every hour at 10 past. We didn't see any bus at 10 past.
10.45 - 11pm . Finally at 11.10 the bus arrives with 'Safaris in South Africa' on the side the name of the hotel in small letters on the trailer. We have a snack supper - of as much as possible on the menu and go to bed.
Wednesday 1 July
Hotel's OK but its somewhere in the back of Boksburg We spend the day relaxing and take a few hours in East Rand Mall (what a thrill!) Make the most of the Breakfast and Lunch (included)
Finally take the bus to the Airport and successfully get the flight to Berlin and then to Barcelona.
The baggage rack goes round and round. I anticipate problems and go the the baggage retrieval office (at the far end of a very long terminal) 'There is a note for Fiona Herrmann's bag in CDG Paris - but this may be old. Check the two other baggage ramps (at either end of the terminal).
An hour passes and no baggage. We return to the lost baggage man (who is very helpful) and fill out the relevant forms. We exit in to Barcelona (finally!!). Pick up from Ally's guest house not there - time to learn about the transport system. Fortunately its pretty efficient - we ge the train in to Barcelona and the undergound to the relevant station and finally find the guest house.
Small, but comfortable room. We sleep for a couple of hours!
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