79 hrs and 26 min later, I am now in Dondo, Mozambique….how you ask….here is how:
Pack, be in lobby at Holiday Inn in DC by 6am
Shuttle from hotel to DC airport
Make sure all 50 of us are together
Stand, Wait for directions
Check in for flight
Pray to God your pack is not over 50 pounds
Figure out that they weigh in kg and have no idea how much your pack is
They accept it, either right weight or mircale, either is an act of God
Get to terminal, about an hour to find your last fix for american coffee
Ice coffee gone, boarding flight, find seat
Make sure your day pack can be shoved in to overhead compartment
Enjoy movies and music provided on flight
13 hours and swelled cankles later, arrive in Dubai
2 hour layover
Call parents, assure them you're alive on the other side of the big pond
Get water that cost 5 american dollars because you don't want to get sick
Hop on next flight to Johannesburg, South Africa
Movie selection same and you watched all you care to watch, sleep the whole flight
Arrive in South Africa
Go through customs, get bags
Realize no free wifi in Johannesburg airport, parents must know I am okay
Get onto the first bus ride at 7:40 pm
Stop at gas station
Get back on bus
Stop at gas station
Get back on bus
Stop at gas station
Get back on bus
This pattern continues for like 10 million more gas stations
Only get gas at like 2 gas stations
Realize South Africa is very westernized
Get to border at 4 am, wait forever to get visas
Leave the border finally at 9 a.m.
Arrive in Maputo at 11:43 am rest break
Take showers, eat, sleep, lavish the African luxury
Next morning, wake up at 3am
Squish all 50 of us on two compact busses
Become best friends with the your neighbor
Learn your best friends sweat smell, and other lovely body odors
Stop only a couple of times to eat and use bathroom
Wonder where the need to stop at million gas stations dissappeared to from last night
19 hours later, swelled ankles, cramps, knee pain, and sweat later arrive at ministry contact
Lay out for the night, welcome
Write this blog.
So to the 79HRS and 26MIN You Wish You Had Known, welcome to Iris Ministries and to the World Race
sleeping on the 19 hour bus ride to Dondo!
