This is my travel penguin. I try to take him everywhere I go. 
This is my husband. We get to the hotel in Johannesburg, and now he’s trying to get on the WiFi!!!! 
This is my So, he loves to update his instagram and FB account 😉I think he tweets, but I’m not sure. 
And me 😉looking slightly tired (it was a long flight) 
And Percy my Penguin needed to chill too. 
The Hotel we stayed in. Very nice. 
After checking in, the boys needed feeding …. 
Our room, loved the huge bed. And seating for my reading and journal writing. 
View from my window. Right at the top is The Union Building. We are going to hopefully walk up to it the next few days. 
Percy needs a nap after a loooooong flight 
Diary entry ……..
Due to depart Heathrow at 19.05 (7.05pm) we actually left at 19.08, which wasn’t too bad considering the amount of people we needed to get on the plane (and there we a few who were making loud noises in the queue)
I think hubby was hoping we were going to be upgraded, and was a little disappointed when we had to walk past the comfy seats. My son had warned him the flight was full (but hubby was hoping my son was going to surprise us) but we were sitting together, so I didn’t worry.
Hubby had the window and I was sat next to the aisle, my son sat in the front and had an empty seat next to him. He turned and said he was glad he could stretch out. But no such luck …… A gentleman went and sat in the empty seat (my sons face was a picture) but that wasn’t the best bit, the man chatted to my son the WHOLE ELEVEN HOUR FLIGHT!!!! My son was hoping to catch a film, then sleep. The man was either a nervous flier or lonely!!! The only time he was quiet was when there was food being handed out😦
Hubby didn’t fare much better either, he had a student behind him who had either too much sugar or was just really hyped and a first time flier ….. he bounced, he whooped, he must have had headphones on, because any conversation was at a very high level….. the only time he was quiet, was when he was eating.
I didn’t watch a film, I’d brought books and a diary to write. I did catch a little nap, but it was a little cramped and awkward to sleep for too long. So I got plenty of reading done, and wrote in my diary. I also listened to my music and a few chapters of an audio.
Whilst reading I made a few notes on a Post it pad. The lady sat in the aisle seat opposite me was fascinated. She asked if I was a beta reader, I said no, just a blogger. I didn’t want to drain my phone by listening to music and writing notes on my phone (but it works have been easier to copy and paste 😉
We had a few children on the plane, and keeping them occupied was a full time job. It did remind me of when we took the kids on holiday when they were younger (I had them both a bag filled with books, colouring and a few small toys, and snacks) but it was a pretty quiet and smooth flight, once the lights were turned down, most of the passengers settled down too.
Technically it’s day two, but as we are still on the plane, I’m going to add this as day one still…..
Landing wasn’t too bad. Getting off the plane was simple enough, and even passport control wasn’t too bad. Waiting for the suitcases to arrive on the carousel was fun🙄 and it brought back memories of waiting for suitcases with the kids. (Now we travel on our own, it a couple of small suitcases and we take them on the plane with us, easier and quicker)
We had transport laid on, courtesy of the hotel we are staying at. Looking for our name on a board, we spot our driver and we are whisked away to the car.
Driving through the airport and onto the African motorway, I was struck with how brown everything was. In fact it didn’t take much imagination to see a Spanish landscape (I didn’t expect to see wildlife, but I just imagined something else!!) But the driver was chatting to my son, explains they are just coming into their spring/summer season, so that’s why it was looking so drab, once the rains come in the spring, the summer will look lush and green (almost made me want to come back for the summer) but the summer is sooooo much hotter, so we got sun but not the really hot sun that comes with October/November.
Approaching the place we will call home for the next five days, the Sheraton is a majestic looking building. And walking through their large revolving doors, you got that sense of stepping back in time. Very austere, very grand.
Heading towards check-in we are asked if we’d like a drink. Bottles of water are given out, and I’m directed to an area where I can grab a coffee and a muffin. Sitting down I watch hubby and my son check us in.
It’s not long before a man with our luggage on a cart is taking us up to our rooms.
We have a beautiful room. Large bed, en-suite. And a nice seating area where I can read and write. The window looks out onto a park, and at the top is a building (we find out later it’s a council building)
Unpacking and sorting out clothes for five days (then off to Cape Town, so I don’t want to unpack it all. Toiletries in the bathroom. Kindle and books on my side of the bed. I grab a travel handbag I always take on holiday. And we pop out to stretch our legs and see a little of Pretoria……
We’ve had a quick look around the town, but there really isn’t too much local, we would have to get a taxi so the larger town nearby.
Back in the hotel we chill and decide to eat here. Then pack an overnight bag for my safari adventure tomorrow.
Shower then an early night. It’s been a long day.
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