i ran the jo'burg airport marathon

of course this had to happen to me. i get to johannesburg airport, thinking that one hour is penty of time for a plane change. apparently it's quite tight. i was calmly strolling through the passport check only to have the border agent tell me (incorrectly) that i had to quickly collect my luggage (that was supposed to be checked through), re-check it, run upstairs to get a new boarding pass, and quickly head to my next gate. hmmmmm. i waited for my luggage to come, but it never did. so i asked at the luggage claim and was told that my bad had been checked through and to HIGH TAIL it to the gate. i thought that was weird since i still had 45 mintues or so until my flight was supposed to leave, but i picked up the pace.

here's what everyone was warning me about: the jo'burg airport, though thoroughly beautiful, and a shopper's paradise, is insanely peppered with checkpoints, stops, immigration posts and other heinous hindrances to getting to your destination in a timely manner. i was literally running through the airport, clutching my carry-on bag and pushing all sorts of people out of the way. i must have looked like a madwoman. after reaching my wit's end at the 2nd or 3rd passport check (i lose track) and feeling sick at the sight of a line wrapped around 3 of those barricade mazes, i quickly did this "do -you -mind- if- i- skip- ahead-my-flight- leaves- in- 20- minutes" kind of slurred push inquiry, not bothering to notice whether or not the person understood or even registered what i was saying. after that, more running. i got to my gate all out of breath and sweaty (and they had given my seat away), but i got on the flight!

...too bad my luggage did not! poor professor v. was waiting for me with a sign and was all crestfallen when i told him i had to go through the process of filing a claim for my bag and putting myself on a call list for when the sucker does roll into maputo. sad (and scary?) part is that some 10 other passengers didn't get their bags either, including a really nice norwegian girl who works for NORAD (norwegian USAID). we pal'ed up immediately and it turns out we're staying in the same hotel! we've pledged to go nighclubbing in our grubby flight clothes tomorrow night if our suitcases don't come. hooray for improvising!