Bob picked us up and took us to the airport early Saturday morning, and we had basically the same flights as last year, Delta to Atlanta and then South African Airways to Capetown and then Johannesburg.  Then a South African Airlines Express twin engine to Skukuza where we rented a car.  For some reason this year we got a car with an automatic transmission.  The ride seemed bumpy this year.  Last year we flew over the remnants of a hurricane, but I don't think there was anything that organized this year.

Once in Johannesburg, through customs, and checked into our little flight to Skukuza, we again relaxed in the hotel lobby across the drive from the terminal.  On approach I spotted a herd of elephant.  We saw more elephant and lots of impala on our short drive to the rest camp.  I went for a short run around the compound and tried to sweat out the travel dust.  It was 88 when we got here.  After a shower and a nap we dined in the dining room.  My journal shows we splurged - R70 each for dinner (buffet) and R49.90 for a full bottle of wine.  The stars are extremely bright here without any light pollution, but I don't know any of the constellations in the southern hemisphere sky.  That may be a research project for next year.

Tom told a great story about running a relay to celebrate the birthday of the King of Swaziland when he was in the Peace Corps, and how his friend Sean Sullivan wondered if a story about running in the dark through the night in darkest Africa carrying a message from the Great She-Elephant (Queen Mother) to the Great He-Lion (King) of Swaziland would ever be worth a beer.

In front of the Johannesburg Airport Sun Inter-Continental Hotel between flights.  It was nice and sunny, and I thought the flags looked nice in front of the hotel.  Especially the Stars and Stripes.  So here are Tom and I before we went inside.  That's not our Mercedes.