Travel time … Time to pass … Time travel?
It’s beginning to feel real now … my next adventure that is; Rwanda for a whole month.
So here I am, 5pm Tuesday the 14th and sitting down to my first cup of coffee at a restaurant in OR Tambo International Airport. I flew in from Hoedspruit two hours ago and have another ten hours to go before winging off to Kigali. But that’s okay. There's coffee; one of the reasons it was invented, or discovered, I think? I hear they grow really good coffee in Rwanda.
Okay, that means ten hours of people watching, coffee, guessing nationalities, more coffee, noticing who looks happy to be here and who, not so much. Funny thing airports – mostly happy looking people I think. Guess it’s a function of reunions, going somewhere new and exciting, adventures on the horizon … I’m generalising of course.
Someone I met a long time ago told me that they view airports with absolute excitement and travel had become even more fun because she would sit there in front of the departure gate waiting to board knowing that when she passed through it she would be passing back out a similar one on the other side somewhere totally different, new and culturally exciting.
That sounds like fun. Think I’ll adopt this view. Kind of like time travel? In the movies though they make it look painful, don’t they? People all bent out of shape like one’s body is being forced through the eye of a needle at a few million miles per second, but very cleverly slowed down using the latest high definition technology … I guess to give you enough time to really feel the pain?
Makes what we experience for real between boarding and arrival gates (portals) seem like a breeze – find your place; seat-belts please; stomach rush; chicken or beef?; will you have beer, wine, water or juice with that sir?; if you’re lucky a movie you haven’t seen, but mostly one you already have; fitful sleep at best; drool down your chin; a sore neck; some bouncy eggs for breakfast; fasten your seat-belts and replace your table tray; reverse stomach rush; and voila! You pop out other end of the time warp.
Great, so I’ll be doing all that from 3am tomorrow morning. Back to now. Still have nine hours to kill. More coffee. Take another walk around. Watch more people. Aircraft viewing deck; that was fun, for a bit. Walk some more. Hey! Christmas lights.
And have a look at this! Airport Craft Brewers. Didn’t know about this place. Awesome! Coffee can wait, beer time now.
Wow! A proper on-site brewery and, according to the very helpful waitrons, when brew master, Phumelelo, is here he’ll talk-walk you through the brewing process. And even when he’s not here you can order yourself the tasting tray and sample all they have on offer. They’ve recently added a Pilsner and Cider to the original family of six, which consists of a Blonde Ale, a Red, a Weizen, a Porter, an English IPA and a Country Ale.
... My personal favourites – the Blonde Ale and English IPA.
The menu looks good too. Will definitely head straight here next time ... after a visit to the aircraft viewing deck of course … because apparently that’s what people do at airports when they have time to kill.
Okay, that was fun. Have a few more hours still to go, but am ready for some time travel now.
… hmm, maybe some coffee first.
