I got back from holiday to discover I had to arrange for one of our girls, B, to get her visa for the Netherlands and then get on the flight. This involved a very early start on Tuesday up to Joburg and then drive to Pretoria in time for 10am to collect her visa.
All of that passed without incident, until we got to the Royal Netherlands Embassy to be told that her visa has been sent back to Durban and would be ready for collection on Wednesday morning. All great plans thwarted by bureaucracy…
Hmm, in any case, there was nothing for us to do but chill in Pretoria until Wed lunch time when we met a volunteer who’d flown up specially to put the newly-collected visa into our hands and then I could make sure she got the flight at 5pm. A lot of flying for one little visa.
However, it was all worth it as B had never flown before and it was good for her to fly with me from Durban to Joburg to discover what it’s all about, before a long-haul flight Joburg-Paris-Amsterdam. She really appreciated that experience. And also the nice room she got to herself in Pretoria (she has never had her own room, or a TV to watch in bed!)
We spent the evening at Mcdonald’s and then seeing a movie. Things we take for granted, such as popcorn, were a real treat for her and when someone phoned her the next day on the way to the airport she excitedly recounted the events of our time in Pretoria as being ‘the time of my life’…
It was fun getting to know her better and helping her out. She walks with a crutch and had to have a wheelchair to get to the plane and it was quite emotional saying goodbye to my new friend when the time came for her to go through security.
All of that passed without incident, until we got to the Royal Netherlands Embassy to be told that her visa has been sent back to Durban and would be ready for collection on Wednesday morning. All great plans thwarted by bureaucracy…
Hmm, in any case, there was nothing for us to do but chill in Pretoria until Wed lunch time when we met a volunteer who’d flown up specially to put the newly-collected visa into our hands and then I could make sure she got the flight at 5pm. A lot of flying for one little visa.
However, it was all worth it as B had never flown before and it was good for her to fly with me from Durban to Joburg to discover what it’s all about, before a long-haul flight Joburg-Paris-Amsterdam. She really appreciated that experience. And also the nice room she got to herself in Pretoria (she has never had her own room, or a TV to watch in bed!)
We spent the evening at Mcdonald’s and then seeing a movie. Things we take for granted, such as popcorn, were a real treat for her and when someone phoned her the next day on the way to the airport she excitedly recounted the events of our time in Pretoria as being ‘the time of my life’…
It was fun getting to know her better and helping her out. She walks with a crutch and had to have a wheelchair to get to the plane and it was quite emotional saying goodbye to my new friend when the time came for her to go through security.
Unfortunately as soon as I’d seen her off, the day went downhill with a delay for my return flight (someone had apparently run into the side of the plane?!?!) and the disappearance of my luggage (which thankfully turned up the next afternoon – just as I was getting major flip-flop withdrawal…)
