Travel - the gift that keep on giving - and todays gift is jet lag !
Another 3am start coz my body decided that was the time to wake. After arriving in Johannesburg last night we were back at the airport this morning for a flight to Windhoek.
Unfortunately I ended up having to pay $42 in excess baggage weight. Bit of a shame really as I could have split my luggage into 2 pieces and not paid anything. Flying Qantas I had 30kg for checked luggage but it could only be one piece; with Air Namibia I was allowed 2 pieces of checked luggage each weighing no more than 23kg. So I might have to do some creative bag management on the way back.
We also had a scary moment getting stuck in an elevator at the airport. Damn thing wouldn’t go up, down or open the doors. We pushed every button we could see, several times, including the alarm bell. After a short time envisaging missed flights & a lack of oxygen, someone came to investigate. And wouldn't you know it just as they turned up the doors decided to open.
It's been 8 years almost to the day since I was last here & I had forgotten how cheap Namibia is compared to NZ. Some rough examples: A small tin of Pringles 49c; 500ml bottle of water 50c; taxis, $7 for a 10-15 minute trip; a one course dinner with double nip vodka & tonic $18 all up.
The concept of looking after tourists is also notable, we don’t pick up our 4x4 until tomorrow but the rental company picked us up from the airport, delivered us to the hotel and will come back and get us tomorrow to collect the car. I can't see that level of service happening in NZ.
Had dinner at a really quirky restaurant called Joe's Beerhouse - totally mad with toilet seats everywhere instead of bar stools and the place was decorated with empty Jägermeister bottles. There is a serious appetite for Jägermeister here. Tough drinking crowd!
Another 3am start coz my body decided that was the time to wake. After arriving in Johannesburg last night we were back at the airport this morning for a flight to Windhoek.
Unfortunately I ended up having to pay $42 in excess baggage weight. Bit of a shame really as I could have split my luggage into 2 pieces and not paid anything. Flying Qantas I had 30kg for checked luggage but it could only be one piece; with Air Namibia I was allowed 2 pieces of checked luggage each weighing no more than 23kg. So I might have to do some creative bag management on the way back.
We also had a scary moment getting stuck in an elevator at the airport. Damn thing wouldn’t go up, down or open the doors. We pushed every button we could see, several times, including the alarm bell. After a short time envisaging missed flights & a lack of oxygen, someone came to investigate. And wouldn't you know it just as they turned up the doors decided to open.
It's been 8 years almost to the day since I was last here & I had forgotten how cheap Namibia is compared to NZ. Some rough examples: A small tin of Pringles 49c; 500ml bottle of water 50c; taxis, $7 for a 10-15 minute trip; a one course dinner with double nip vodka & tonic $18 all up.
The concept of looking after tourists is also notable, we don’t pick up our 4x4 until tomorrow but the rental company picked us up from the airport, delivered us to the hotel and will come back and get us tomorrow to collect the car. I can't see that level of service happening in NZ.
Had dinner at a really quirky restaurant called Joe's Beerhouse - totally mad with toilet seats everywhere instead of bar stools and the place was decorated with empty Jägermeister bottles. There is a serious appetite for Jägermeister here. Tough drinking crowd!