BY SARAH LAURENCE
Spending time on three continents in two days definitely makes one feel like a globetrotter (although by the end it was more of a dawdle than a trot). Apart from battles with the range of time zones – just when you think you have a handle on it, it is time to fly away again – and the varying weather – summer in springtime South Africa and snow in early fall, Alberta, the amount of time I’ve recently racked up in waiting areas, duty free shops, an array of airport bathrooms and of course, cramped and smelly planes themselves, is truly astounding.
Worth it, of course. Even with what amounted to four days travelling time, the three days I spent in the magnificent city of London and more than two weeks of pampering in Cape Town meant that I’d go back to Edmonton’s mingy little airport tomorrow if I could (although this time my husband would probably appreciate it if I at least took him with me).
That said though, as one commiserates with other travellers about the lack of paper towels in Terminal Three, complains about the arrogant idiot in front who insists on pushing his seat back full tilt as soon as he boards the plane, or tries not to drop off on those ugly green airport waiting chairs in case someone nicks one of your many on-board travel bags, would we arrive at our destination in the snap of the fingers like a proverbial blue genie if we could?
Probably. No, definitely. But I for one would miss the whiff of the retro romance of travel (all but squashed out of today’s economy cattle class), the exact moments of take-off and landing, pushing a trolley of suitcases out of the arrival doors to the sea of expectant faces, the multitude of people-watching opportunities that travel affords, the relief as the passport official nods you through, catching the eye of a handsome stranger, waiting with fear for the person to arrive at the seat next to you, switching on your cell illegally before the seatbelt sign goes off, waking up and finding that hours have passed even though you didn’t really know you were asleep, watching the expectant lights shining out of 747 portholes before you board, loving the ground staff member that says nothing about your tragically over weight suitcase, finding that the person who used the bathroom before you actually has wiped down the basin as recommended, and the first shower after a day and a half of travelling.
Sarah Laurence, The Soapbox’s travel editor, is a South African writer based in Canada. See her blog here.
Tags: airport, plane, travel