4. Leaving Monwana, fly HDS to JNB SA Express, stay night
We checked out at 11am. AT 11:30am we had our ride back to the airport. We had a nonstop ride back. Jeffery took us back to Hoedspruit in the game drive vehicle, so no stop at Serondella was needed. It only took us 45 minutes back versus the 1 hr. Cisco took for that leg. Jeffery is a tracker, so he can navigate the moguls that make up most of the “street” to the airport. Only a minor portion of the road is paved, in our way of viewing such things.
It only took us 5 minutes from van to having our luggage checked and boarding passes in hand. The distance is 20’, but again was “blessed” with yet another porter aid program. Leslie and I sit and share a coke lite (about $). We move to the other building where “tsa” is. There is a belt loader, screen viewer, and a scanner (when necessary). No removing shoes, belts or baggie of liquids. They even let people in with bottles of water. When boarding time comes, we all walk out to the plane together. The plane has lots of customers, but there were still a half dozen empty seats. On this flight, back to JNB we are given a couple snack bags and a beverage. I believe beer was available as a free choice. The flight is uneventful. Our luggage comes out quite early and off we go. We are solicited for taxi’s often and then questioned by a “certified tip representative (vested person)”. He doesn’t “take” our bags, but he does insist on showing us the way and loading our bags on a cart ($). I told him I knew the way, and pushed the cart, but he is ready to be tipped again when we get to the hotel shuttle.
Elvis, is our shuttle driver to the hotel. He glad hands everyone, and unloads the van at the hotel (R10). Again, someone inside comes out to take our luggage in to the hotel. After we check in, the bellman takes our luggage up. He stops to talk to someone else, delaying our room arrival (R20). This visit we are in room 231 of the Southern Sun Tambo OR Airport Hotel. The room looks a bit similar, but is lesser. No ice box here. There are spots on the floor and walls, as if, bugs were killed and not cleaned up. The curtain is loose from it hanger at the top. The room is very quiet, as was the last one. The room is well furnished for its use. The light in the bathroom is good, but not for shaving, as your body blocks the light when standing at the sink. Hot water took a couple minutes to get the following morning (5:45am) to the sink. The view was okay, to an obstructed fountain.
Sunday, May 21. Breakfast is excellent as to choices and appearance and taste. Eggs cooked to order. As both transports from the hotel to the next stop exclude lunch, the buffet allowed us the chance to fill up. Service with the coffee was poor this morning to get a second cup. Don’t know what I said, but it picked up thereafter. There are less people working the buffet this visit, but a lot less customers too. We held off our tip until we got to the desk staff at the restaurant (learned from last time). Most people were not tipping at all (R20).
Check out starts the ordeal of moving on. We take our bags downstairs, but are soon handing them over to the instant bellman. We check out. Then there is the person who takes the bags to the van and loads them. We take the short ride to the AP. There is the driver and he takes out the bags. Then there is the guy at the AP that insists on taking our bags to check-in. Note the van lets us off very far from where we needed to enter the building to check in. We have a material walk to the counter area. A handful of tips, that really do amount to much money.