Journey to work.

Well its time to head back to work. Bags packed with luxuries and necessities to make my life easier or at least bearable in Angola.

Its a long day ahead that starts at 4am and will include 3 flights, 2 car journeys and a bus drive that should get me to Malongo at 5pm (6pm SA time).

Bags are packed day / night before but there are always last minute items that go in at (you guest it) the last minute.

I always try to check in online day before and always choose aisle seats as far forward as possible and if you have read my previous blog this time i made aure my Moslem meals are booked - not that the food is that great on the early morning flight a it always leave me with heartburn.

Okay the day begins at 3:50am with a tap of the snooze button. Then onto a quick bathroom run and shower. Pack the final items into bags and make double and triple sure that passport is in. Kids already go their "please behave speech" the night before so its just a greeting kiss to them but it probably more of a sleep disturbance. A BIG HUG and a squeeze together with the accompanying kiss. That is the greeting to my wife.

4:30am and off to airport I go - stop at baggage wrapping station before i check in my bags, collect boarding passes and do the security formalities.

4:50am - I have enough time for a quick coffee at the SAA Premier lounge (I'm mos a Star Alliance Gold Member - refer previous blog)

5:15am - Time to board and I head off to gate A7 for SA 378 5:45am flight to Johannesburg. One of privileges of Star Alliance Gold Member is I dont have to stand in the long queues - so I ise my privilege to bypass queue all way to front, handover my boarding pass and passport only to hear a BEEP when its scanned. My first thought is "here we go again" but luckily this was a good beep "you've been upgrade to business class Mr Kleinsmidt".

5:40am - Doors are closed and journey has already had good start Algamdullilah with upgrade to business class, widow seat and an empty seat next to me so plenty of leg room :-). Pilot welcomes us onboard and warns of turbulence. So its farewell to Cape Town on the cold rainy morning

I might be upgraded to business class but the Moslem meals is and still tastes the same - scrambled eggs, hash brown with chicken sausage that leave me with heartburn. Well at least the yoghurt and coffee was good.

7:00am - Blog updated and time for quick snooze before we land.

7:30am - Awoken with a bump on the landing welcomes me to a 9 deg C Johannesburg.

As much as i prepare for journey I always seem to forget something so far i forgotten - sunglasses and hand towels

7:50am - Salaah up to date, bought KFC for supper. Now for immigration and security formalities.

8:35am - Waiting at gate A18 for SA054 to board and depart at 9:45.

9:00am - Boarding now.

9:50am - Up up and away. On way to Luanda. Its a three hour flight so now to check what movies are available on the in-flight entertainment.

From here on time will now be shown as Angolan time (GMT +1) thats one hour behind SA time.

11:10 (SA12:10) - Flight update: food wasn't that great and truth be told, I am still hungry. For in-flight movie i chose Identity Thief - good entertaining movie. Problem with a three hour flight is you only have time for one movie and then the is forty minute to kill.

12:25pm - Arrived Luanda and now for mad rush and queuing to clear immigrations, collecting bags and going thru security.

12:35pm - In queue for immigrations managed to get on first bus out of plane . These security is hilarious they cant even get a spiral queuing system right.

12:41 - immigration cleared in record time. Now the wait for my bag - it was marked for priority offloading. Hmmm lets see.

13:00 - So much for Priority Offloading.

13:10 - All cleared at International Arrival now we get Chevron transport to the Domestic Terminal.

13:40 - Checked in, security check and immigration done. Now to relax for few minute in the Chevron departure lounge before next flight.

Warning and note to self - always keep batteries on checked luggage. The security just confiscated a guys AAA battery pack as it such a BIG security threat this is after the guy traveled with it from South Africa- dont figure.

14:40 - Onboard Chevron flight for Cabinda.

15:30 - All well and arrived Cabinda airport. Just a quick passport check then collect our bags and off to bus for final (almost final) leg to Malongo base.

I was hoping someone would fetch me from airport as it would've saved me going into Malongo only to leave again to staff house. That would mean one less security check - but alas.

16:45 - Arrived Malongo base only to go back out to staff house.

Been away for 4 weeks but as always everything still looks the same. I guess I will only find out tomorrow about new rules and procedures. Time to find out from the guys about whats the latest on job front rumors and complaint and grievances - I guess some things never change.

17:45 - Arrived at staff house. Now for quick shower, salaah, supper and unpacking / packing.

Shukr to Almighty for bring me here safely and I pray for my and family safekeep while we are apart.

I will upload blog immediately as i want it as fresh as possible so apologies if the are any errors.