airport

Rhona left on Sunday along with Debbie and Susan both American nurses. They were all on the same flight to Jo’burg. Very hard to say goodbye. Isabelle and james came as well. The airport was in chaos. Lines for forever for all of the flights. No explanation as to the 3 maybe 4 flights that come in are all scheduled for the same time (well within an hour) and the flights out are about the same. Just causes a traffic jam. Anyway. We waited in line for at least 2 hours just to check in. then we actually had to say good bye as they went through security…lots of tears and then we waited for them to get through the customs doorway and give us a wave. Debbie and susan were through and we still didn’t see rhona. And then she was coming back down the stairs saying they wouldn’t let her through. Since I’ve got the same stamp/receipt in my passport I thought I would see what the problem was (as if I could do anything she couldn’t)…the difference is that I got my letter so I could get the stamp I needed and she only had the receipt…but the immigration officer was adamant that the permit we have is good only for the first 6 months we’re in the country no matter when you buy it…and as I didn’t have my passport (leaving the next day) I couldn’t show him what I had…and he wasn’t going to believe me as he’s worked for immigration for 20 years. The ter haars were at the airport picking up some family that were coming to visit so we called reynier (medical director of the hospital) and hoped they hadn’t left yet. They hadn’t and he came up…spoke some Chichewa and somehow solved the problem…then the guy told me I needed to go and get another permit so that I wasn’t illegal…I told him that I was leaving tomorrow and wouldn’t have time…well he’s working so we’ll have problems then. Ok. See you tomorrow! Cuts down on the tears at the very end when you have issues like that…

Dorothy and I had no problems getting through customs on Monday—he wasn’t working or was on break because I didn’t see him…of course I really wanted to show him the stamp in my passport that says I was fine until the 2nd of January 2011 but it was probably better that he wasn’t there. No crazy lines or anything to hold us up and so it went way too fast for me to get through and be gone…