Homeward Bound: Final Legs And Next Thoughts
It’s a small aeroplane, seats arranged in twenty rows of three, two one side of the aisle and one the other, roof low enough to necessitate a stooped walk towards our places. There’s something odd though; a makeshift barrier tape (looks like the demo seat belt used by stewardesses in the safety briefing), strung across the aisle, beyond which all the seats are already taken, even though passengers have only just started boarding. These guys are clearly too settled to have only just taken their places. Who are they, we wonder.
Our designated seats are in Row 16, which is beyond the tape and therefore already occupied. Michaela moves the tape and walks towards those in our seats, but is quickly told that Fly Namibia operates a “sit where you want” policy and the seat numbers on our tickets are irrelevant. OK.
So we take seats in Row 11. Pretty soon a guy with tickets for Row 11 bowls up. We tell him what’s happened, and that he can sit where he likes. He looks miffed for a minute, then shrugs and sits in Row 10. Pretty soon a couple with tickets for Row 10 bowl up, we all tell them what’s happened, and that they can sit where they like. They look miffed for a minute, then shrug and sit in Row 8. Pretty soon a guy with tickets for Row 8…….yeah you get the picture. On and on it rolls with much confusion until eventually the rather stern looking stewardess comes to see what the problem is.
When a guy in the aisle explains that his designated seat is already taken, she asks to see the seated guy’s boarding card, and then points out that he’s in the wrong seat. Cue a chorus of voices, ours included, telling her what’s happened. She scans up and down the whole plane, and exclaims in her clipped South African accent…
“So, you mean, nobody is in the right seat?!”. When everyone nods, she rolls her eyes and puts her head in her hands. She doesn’t however attempt the reorganisation which, had she done so, would probably have taken longer than the flight time.
If at this stage we’re confounded by who all those people are and how they came to be already occupying the last six rows, it’s about to get a whole lot more confusing. On a flight of just over two hours in total, the flight time, we already know, includes 20-30 minutes for what is referred to as a “technical stop” at a different airport which is unnamed on the flight details.
When we make this technical stop, and are told to stay in our seats, every single one of those people in the back six rows gets up, collect their hand luggage, and leave the plane. A few minutes later, a handful of new people board the plane and head straight for the now empty rows at the back. We have not the slightest idea what that was all about or how all of those unusual occurrences knit together. Answers on a postcard please.
And so we arrive in the Namibian capital city of Windhoek, an instantly appealing city which is about to seriously impress us in our meagre twenty hours here. Modern, clean, European influenced, Windhoek is bright and lively and immediately welcoming. Our evening stroll takes us perhaps predictably to a vibrant wine bar, our Saturday morning stroll to a trendy coffee shop for breakfast and then on around the bustling centre.
Windhoek just has a great feel to it, with so much appeal that we talk straight away about including a longer stay here when we reschedule to hit South Africa. After so many nights over the last twelve weeks where we have been billeted in isolated lodges, wandering through such a lively and energetic city feels utterly liberating.
German architecture and colonial designs rub shoulders with the shiny new buildings of an obviously vitalised city which gives us the good feeling which you get when you pass through somewhere which is only intended to be a stopover but soon gets you talking of a return. We leave very impressed, and with this briefest of city breaks following on from the Okavango adventures, we have ended the trip on a high just as we hoped to.
We leave Africa with a whole load of fabulous memories and the wildlife experiences of a lifetime, having seen a host of wonderful places which will stay in the memory for ever. We are so, so edified to have made this journey, equally happy that we called it a day before we overdid it and tempered those memories. There’s absolutely no doubt that we will be back. South Africa was already calling, now, thanks to Windhoek, Namibia is too.
The route home from Windhoek is a long one via Addis Ababa, door to door about 22 hours, arriving back in England just as the day is breaking on a quiet Sunday morning. Our home country welcomes us with a beautiful sunrise…..but not before Michaela has studied the arrivals board noting the names of exotic destinations. Where next, she is clearly wondering….
24 Comments
Miriam
What a surreal shuffling of seats on that flight. I couldn’t help but laugh. Sounds awfully like some of those sleeper bus trips in Vietnam where everyone shuffled and ended up everywhere but in their assigned seat. At least you made it! And sounds like the last leg was a really good one. Where to next?
Phil & Michaela
We will know the answer to that very soon!
Annie Berger
Your seat reshuffling experience was a hoot to read and made me smile. Don’t you wonder who the mystery people were and the the mystery destination was?
I wonder which place on the departure board caught Michaela’s imagination and when you’re setting off again. Glad that you left Africa on such a high note after your whirlwind stop in Windhoek.
Meant to ask previously what knowledge do you both have of other languages?
Phil & Michaela
We have absolutely no explanation for the aeroplane shenanigans, I’m kind of hoping someone might tell me! We’re planning a trip of about 4 weeks before Christmas, then the bigger trips for next year are in the draft stage but coming on nicely. Languages? Well….I have very limited bits of French and German (and even less Spanish) but enough to at least break barriers, and have broken conversations. Michaela is pretty good with Greek and can hold proper conversations. Apart from that, we learn little bits in each country as we go along. The language we really struggle with is American 😂😂😂😂
Annie Berger
Aha, I do remember now about Michaela’s prowess with Greek as you mentioned it a while back when you were touring the islands. Struggling with American – bet that was in the South particularly?!
Phil & Michaela
Ah it was only tongue in cheek, Annie. But actually in Southern California, lots of people had difficulty understanding us….!
Heyjude
Well that was a bizarre flight! I wonder who those people were? As for Windhoek, you will never get me there again.
https://traveltalk.me.uk/2013/02/25/windhoek-warning/
Phil & Michaela
I just read your story, what an awful experience, one we travellers all dread. I can only say that our brief impression of Windhoek would suggest that much has changed. But then you can get “done” anywhere can’t you. It felt a lovely welcoming city. And yep, that flight was a bit on the weird side and I guess we’ll never know the detail.
Travels Through My Lens
Well, after the other bizarre experiences you had during your journey, it seems par for the course that your final leg would also be a bit off as well. I’m glad to hear you made it home safely.
Phil & Michaela
Yep, I wish I knew what happened on that flight, what the explanation is…
leightontravels
Is there any chance that it’s the same company who trains the hotel and flight staff? Very amusing again Phil, though not to be in the situation in real time I imagine. I can totally see why Windhoek appeals so much and why you figure on a longer stay if you ever make it back to that neck of the woods. Welcome home!
Phil & Michaela
Ha, who knows!? I really would like to understand the story behind the flight shenanigans. Thank you for the welcome home, I’m thinking we won’t be here to long.
Helen Devries
You just had to have a final bizarre experience…….
Phil & Michaela
It would seem so….
Toonsarah
We had a similarly brief visit to Windhoek and just as you did, liked what we saw. That flight sounds bizarre however, and I’m turning over possible explanations in my head without coming up with a satisfactory one! We’re heading home in a few days time and already thinking about where next, although that’s likely to be the other side of Christmas for us.
Phil & Michaela
Plans are coming together here….but we’re still likely to be in England for the whole of December.
Toonsarah
Should give us a good chance to catch up then. We’d love to hear more about your African adventures!
WanderingCanadians
Such a weird plane ride with the free for all seat system. But hey, as long as no one was bumped for running out of seats before the tape, sure, whatever. Glad to hear you made it back home safely. I think we’re all wondering where to next!
Phil & Michaela
A work in progress!
Lookoom
What you show of Windhoek is very attractive, modern and European in a place where it’s not expected. It’s not surprising to feel comfortable in a place that looks like the place you came from.
Phil & Michaela
It was extremely welcoming for all of those reasons
wetanddustyroads
My guess … you flew with undercover VIP (and I love the seat arrangements on the plane)! I’m very happy to hear you’re going to give Namibia a chance – it’s high on our list to visit (with our 4×4). Beautiful sunrise … a perfect way to welcome you back home.
Phil & Michaela
Hmmm yes you could be right. A VIP, I hadn’t thought of that.
grandmisadventures
I had an aunt and uncle who spent every other summer in Namibia and I loved hearing about it, but seeing some of it in your pictures just makes me want to visit all the more 🙂 What an amazing adventure you’ve had!