Travel to Tanzania
Luggage...
I left for the Airport at 5:40 am...first flight to
Johannesburg. The line, typical for Harare, was chaotic. You think there’s
no one visiting until you get to the Airport.
Due to a typo on the Ticket, I had to explain my way through the baggage check-in. Because I’m doing 2 Round trips in Africa then back to the US...I can carry 65 kgs to and from New York but only 20kgs between countries. Obviously, this doesn’t make any sense but it’s become a bit tiresome explaining it (Which I have to do each flight). It generally starts out with a quiet conversation with me trying to explain it...then i slowly increase the volume moving through managers until someone oks it and I get quiet and apologize for raising my voice. It childish but it works. Airlines really don’t like loud customers and will usually let you go if it’s not a truly big issue. You’d be amazed what you can do with the technique...once, I accidentally boarded as someone else by pushing so hard that I was on the flight...when I actually was 2 hours late and missed it :)
Anyway, the trip was uneventful..except for the annoying practice in J’Burg airport of shuttles to the planes...anyway...
The next step was getting through customs which turned out to much ado about nothing. We had to fill out forms declaring electronics and other valuables. When you are at baggage, you see that they are going to have to pay 20% for valuables above 3000R (about $750)...I was carrying $20K of equipment...but once I got through the line...they just took my slip and I was off...
When I got through that, I hadn’t figured out where I was going to stay. Hanif had set me up with friends but, to be honest, I needed the solitude. I felt like I hadn’t come down for 2 weeks and just needed a hotel room.
The next day, I met up with Todd Thille from Technicolor who is joining me for the Tanzania leg. Tood specializes in localization of DVDs...which we will need shortly in Africa. Anyway, after “explaining” my baggage again...we were off to Tanzania.
The Line for the Dar Flight...
Dar Es Salaam from the Air...
So...this will be the last entry for a week! I will be in the Bush in Tanzania for the week and will not be able to post until Sunday, the 21st. When I do, I will fill in the week with postings...expect a lot of new material...I will be in Mikumi National Park taking pictures of wildlife with Pixel Corps members from LA, San Francisco, and Dar Es Salaam...It will be intense to say the least...
Due to a typo on the Ticket, I had to explain my way through the baggage check-in. Because I’m doing 2 Round trips in Africa then back to the US...I can carry 65 kgs to and from New York but only 20kgs between countries. Obviously, this doesn’t make any sense but it’s become a bit tiresome explaining it (Which I have to do each flight). It generally starts out with a quiet conversation with me trying to explain it...then i slowly increase the volume moving through managers until someone oks it and I get quiet and apologize for raising my voice. It childish but it works. Airlines really don’t like loud customers and will usually let you go if it’s not a truly big issue. You’d be amazed what you can do with the technique...once, I accidentally boarded as someone else by pushing so hard that I was on the flight...when I actually was 2 hours late and missed it :)
Anyway, the trip was uneventful..except for the annoying practice in J’Burg airport of shuttles to the planes...anyway...
The next step was getting through customs which turned out to much ado about nothing. We had to fill out forms declaring electronics and other valuables. When you are at baggage, you see that they are going to have to pay 20% for valuables above 3000R (about $750)...I was carrying $20K of equipment...but once I got through the line...they just took my slip and I was off...
When I got through that, I hadn’t figured out where I was going to stay. Hanif had set me up with friends but, to be honest, I needed the solitude. I felt like I hadn’t come down for 2 weeks and just needed a hotel room.
The next day, I met up with Todd Thille from Technicolor who is joining me for the Tanzania leg. Tood specializes in localization of DVDs...which we will need shortly in Africa. Anyway, after “explaining” my baggage again...we were off to Tanzania.
The Line for the Dar Flight...
Dar Es Salaam from the Air...
So...this will be the last entry for a week! I will be in the Bush in Tanzania for the week and will not be able to post until Sunday, the 21st. When I do, I will fill in the week with postings...expect a lot of new material...I will be in Mikumi National Park taking pictures of wildlife with Pixel Corps members from LA, San Francisco, and Dar Es Salaam...It will be intense to say the least...
Posted: Sun - July 13, 2003 at 03:16 PM Africa, Summer (Winter) 2003 Email Comments
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Total entries in this blog: 31
Total entries in this category: 31
Published On: Aug 05, 2003 10:45 AM
Total entries in this category: 31
Published On: Aug 05, 2003 10:45 AM