Finally in Gabs!

I finally made it to Gaborone! I got upgraded to 1st class from San Diego to Atlanta. That was the only smooth portion of my travels to Gabs. My flight from Atlanta to Jo'burg was delayed because they oversold the flight and had to get 7 people to give up there seats. We finally got on the plane and proceeded to sit there for 1 1/2 hours while they tried to find the bags of those 7 people that gave up there seats. The pilot didn't make up any time in the air and I only had a 2 hour lay-over. There were many of us on the plane that were trying to catch our next flight. We had to go to another setion of the airport for international transfers. They weren't very helpful there let me tell you. None of us made our connecting flights. We went to the airline counters that we were booked on and they wouldn't help us and told us to go to Delta. We went there and they wouldn't help us and said we had to go to another Delta counter and they would help us. We had to go out through customs and find the Delta counter. I was with 2 woman, 1 from Maun and the other from Gabs. The Delta counter wouldn't give vouchers for the woman from Maun and her son and I because our flight weren't booked through with them(Delta). I wasn't happy. I told them Delta was the reason I missed my flight and I was a Medallion member but she didn't care. These people are very rude. She did get me on the next flight even though she said she couldn't. The lady from Gabs said I could go to the hotel with her so I wouldn't be alone. THey had a car to take her there. We got to the hotel and it wasn't like a normal hotel. I shared a room with Pelo(sounds like Pellow) and used her voucher so I didn't have to pay. We left for the airport at 5am. She was on an earlier flight on air botswana and I didn't want to stay at the hotel alone. She helped me find where I was supposed to go and she had to go somewhere else. I went to 3 different counters before I found the right one. Of course the men were much more helpful than the women. They would just ignore you and then would tell you the wrong place to go. My carry-on was to big to carry on but the 2 men said it was ok, just go and the women the opposite. I shuck it through when I finally got to the right line after about an hour of trying. Then I had to find the departures gate and again you ask them for help and they ignore you and when they do help you you can't understand them. It was an exprience, hopefully I won't have to go through it again. I got through the security check ok then it was off to customs. The guy kept saying something to me and I couldn't understand a word he said. I kept saying I am sorry I don't understand. He then went on about how I was angry, I said I mssed my flight but I am not angry I just can't understand what you are saying. He laughed and let me through. Then it was off to the gate which you really have to pay attention to the signs or you will miss the right gate. They go off in all directions. I found it and sat there for 2 hours before I was to board. Luckily I had a book. I was exausted because I really didn't sleep at all at the so called hotel. My plane was to board in 20 minutes when the gate next to me started to board. They were weighing the carry-ons! Crap! I had to come up with a plan, there was no way I would check my backpack with all my camera stuff in it. The rolling bag had my computer in it so I was going to take the computer out if they stopped me and let them check the bag. While I was waiting a man from my Altlana flight came over, he missed his flight to Zambia. I should have gone to his hotel, his was 3 minutes away and had restaurants. It was time to baord and luckily they weren't weighing bags! I got on the bus real quick in case he was just late coming over to weigh the bags. The bus took us over to where the smaller prop type planes were and when I saw the plane I though my bag will never fit in there. Luckily when we stopped at the plane they had a skycap cart so I took out my computer and they took the bag. It wasn't a full plane so I had the row on both sides all to myself. It ws a short 1 hour flight to Gabs. We got to Gabs, one of the smallest airports I have ever been in, and went to the customs to fill out the papers. Of course I didn't have a pen and they didn't have any to give. Luckily a nice guy from Australia had another pen and lent it to me. The 2 of us weren't so lucky with our bags. Neither of us had our bags on the plane. I wasn't happy and of course I was thinking they broke into my bags in Jo'burg and what was I going to do without any bags. I didn't have a phone number to give them to have them tell me if they would arrive on the next plane and I didn't even know if Kerrye, Justin and David would be at the airport to pick me up. Pelo gaveme her number and told me if they didn't pick me up to call her and she would come and get me. I was so happy to see them sitting there when I came out. We went to the apartment so I could drop off my stuff that I did have and then went to lunch. We were going to go to the market before we went back to the airport but I wanted to wait to see if my bags arrived because that would change what I needed to get. We went to the airport and went to the S. African airline counter and they said we had to co to the office. We go there and the 2 women working there were sitting on the couch and said they were at lunch and couldn't help them. Come back in 1/2 hour. They were so rude. An Air Botswana perosn wlked by and asked if we needed help and told her what we needed. She couldn't help us because it was a different airline but she couldn't believe they wouldn't help us. They finally finished with lunch and she came out to help. She took me to the back and I saw my bags, I was so happy!!! I had to go through the line when I had to tell them if I had anything to declare and said no, he had to check my bags. I think it was because the were so big. We went to the costco type store on the way back to the apartment where I got a coffee maker and some other items. I couldn't get too much because there was no room in the trunk with my bags. We hung out at the apartment for a few hours before dinner and I put the mattress pad and my own sheets on the bed. So glad I brought those!!! My bedroom is such a mess, there is stuff all over the floor, I need to get some hangers. We went to dinner at Bush and Bull and had a filet. I asked for Medium but it was more like med-well to well done. I will ask for med rare next time. It was only $10 US. Stuff is much cheaper here. After dinner we went to a grocery store and got more supplies and then back to the apartment. I slept for awhile and got up. There are a lot of barking dogs-would drive my dad and sister nuts! I will hopefully get used to it or have to use earplug. I decided just to get up and write on the blog and drink coffee. Today we are going to visit a village and see some rock paintings. Hopefully I will take some pitures today. I did see a white headed vulture flying when we were leaving the airport. Didn't get a picture to have Aunt Susie ID it for sure but I am pretty certain from the markings of its underside that I am right. I am just happy the traveling part is over. Will write more later