Departure for Lesotho

October 19, 2008

So the five of us, Wes, Gary, Shelley, Jeff and myself all connected at the Kitchener airport mid-afternoon. We are travelling to Lesotho to meet with the administrator and staff at the Tsepong Clinic, and to visit the operation of Help Lesotho, a Leribe based organization that helps support the community there. Our families were present at the Kitchener airport, and for many it was a first chance to meet each others spouses and children. And we were all excited, ready to embark on the journey, keen to begin the experience, and yet each of us with our own anxieties about what may lay ahead for us during the next few weeks!

But what a pleasure for me on this trip to have fellow travelers, and to feel part of a team! My first African experience felt much different - there was a greater sense of being in it alone. So its nice to think that whatever comes our way in the next two weeks, we will have friends to count on.

My bags are checked through to Johannesburg, but my boarding pass only assures me of reaching Amsterdam. Our first glitch! Gary is in the same boat, the other three have boarding passes that take them through to Johannesburg. The ticket agent placed a call and assures me that Gary and I will indeed make the trip all the way with our bags - we will get new boarding passes in Amsterdam.

Gary is one row in front and furiously journalling! I razzed him about it - "how can you be journalling ten minutes into the trip!" He took my good-natured comment in stride and explained that he is catching up his journal with the past weeks events so he will be caught up and ready to go when the exciting stuff starts happening.

Shelley and Wes are two rows further ahead and chatting up a storm since take-off. Shelley told us she is anxious during takeoffs and landings!

More later, when my thumbs are rested.

:p