1st to 9th June 2016.

Based at the Kloppenheim Country Estate Hotel.

 

Up.

  

Wednesday 8th June. Start of the long journey home.

 

    After a last very good and filling breakfast, we borrowed the hotel computer to print out our boarding passes for the flight. The car wasn't due back until 17.00 and the flight was at 19.20, so there was no hurry to set off. We packed the car and spent our final time in the hotel lounge. David wandered around most of the estate taking lots of photos. We set off at about 12.45 and had a leisurely 145 mile drive back to Johannesburg airport, with just one stop for petrol.

 

    The plan was to drop Marilyn at the departure point of Terminal A. We managed to get a porter to take her and the luggage to the check in desk, while David went off to find the Avis return point (not an easy task!). This turned out to be rather more expensive than expected as he managed to ignore a stop sign (almost impossible to see as it was so worn on the tarmac). So, a 500 Rand fine, but also someone to ride in the car to guide him to the Avis drop off point.

 

    Mobility assistance worked very well for Marilyn and we were taken right to the departure gate. Security was somewhat less intrusive than at Heathrow and we then had to wait for quite a while before boarding. The flight was as tiring as ever, but we made good time to Heathrow. The assistance again worked well, although David had to do the usual marathon walk. The last step almost didn't work, mainly due to the long time it takes the staff to take each passenger through the system and get back for the next one. Our Driver Cliff was waiting for us and we were soon on our way home to Devon, arriving at about 10.30 after a good journey.

 

Our African Adventure was over.

 

Relaxing in the Hotel Lounge.