Adventurous journey

Even before my real "South African Adventures with Vultures" began, I had a very adventurous journey to South Africa!
I knew I had just one and a half hour in Paris CDG to get my connection flight to Johannesburg this evening and was nervous when arriving at the airport of Düsseldorf. Two hours before takeoff I got the message that my transfer flight to Paris will be 20 minutes delayed :-( Very anxious about the delay I went to my gate and had to change the gate three times! Half an hour later I got an update about the delay: Even now the plane left Paris, 45 minutes delay! Very bad luck and maybe no chance to get to South Africa. There were just five people in Düsseldorf who wanted to get the connection flight to Johannesburg, so the airport crew told us the big A380 will not wait for us... "but well, they know you have a delay!"... Fantastic, who cares what they know when they won't wait???
I went back to the information desk of Air Fance to ask for alternatives. The two women were very relaxed: "Don't worry, you will get your plane! And if not Air France will pay for your accomodation and you can fly tomorrow!" You've gotta be kidding!!! First of all Paris will be on strike tomorrow! And second, even if Paris would not be on strike, there are no flights to Johannesburg on Mondays!!! Had a bad discussion with this two women, very disappointing how unfriendly and unhelpful they were! "Oooooh, you are right, but you can take a plane to Amsterdam early in the morning, get the connection to Johannesburg and you will arrive at 10 p.m. on Monday evening!" Lady, how can I get a plane from Paris to Amsterdam, when Paris is on strike? "Maybe they will not be on strike!?" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! So I decided to try to get to Paris and in case I won't get my plane, I would try to go to Amsterdam by train and take the flight on Monday... I did not even like to think about the temperatures, 'cause this night it was horrbile cold, -15 degrees, and I just had my summer jacket for South African Summer... Why is it so complicated to get to my vultures??? :-(
When going back to the gate I remembered the flights to Johannesburg via London I was checking in the travel agency. There I would have had three hours to get the connection flight, but I prefered Paris because of the A380 I never flew with before! In spite of all confusion Paris was the better decision as this evening London was closed because of snow chaos!
After changing the gate two more times the plane arrived and we took off very soon... My nerves were on edge!!!
During the flight I was talking to the stewardess next to me all the time and asked her if someone called Paris to tell them to wait for us... She was very friendly and told me we will hurry up and I will get my plane. Really??? "Yes, I promise! Don't worry!" Are you sure? "Don't worry, the flight is very short and you will get your connection flight!" 15 minutes before landing the captain made an announcement that there will be someone waiting for all passengers to Johannesburg at the gate! The first time after some horrible hours I started breathing again.
The plane arrived at another terminal, so the other four passengers and me had to do a 20 km sprint through half Paris CDG airport to get to the right terminal - where the man with the information sign was waiting for us, haha. The boarding had already begun, but there were 550 people flying with A380. Enough time to board, enjoy my comfortable seat at the emergency exit at the upper deck and start relaxing... But I still have no idea how my luggage managed to be on board, too, in such a short time!
The A380 of Air France is fat but fantastic, very quiet and a friendly crew. Most of the seats have there own television with computer games, 50 movies, etc. But I would recommend to go to the upper deck, because there are just two-four-two seats, much more space than at the lower deck with three-four-three seats! Unfortunately there were turbulances all the time, every few minutes shaking from the left to the right, not easy to fell asleep.
The plane arrived in Johannesburg on time, 11 a.m., +26 degrees and the chance of more than +30 degrees in the early afternoon ;-) Goodbye German winter, welcome South African Summer!!!
The passport control was very slow and because 530 people were sitting infront of me in the airplane I was one of the last. It took me one hour to pass the passport control and get my luggage! I am so sorry for Joe, the guy who kindly fetched me up at the airport!
When arriving at the parking deck I went straightly went to the right side of the car... and raised a laugh: Wrong side! In South Africa people are driving on the left side, I did not know.
Vultures, see you soon in Harbeespoort!!!
After this stressful, adventurous journey I felt 10 years older, but now I will have three fantastic weeks with vultures, sun and fun! 40 km to the north, 40 km to the west and then I saw the first amazing vulture at the sky... Finally arrived in vulture's paradise VulPro!!!
Arriving at the vulture-rescue centre VulPro manager Kerri immediately showed me the vulture-enclosures, even before showing me my room for the next three weeks! Fantastic, because vultures are my top priority, too! ;-) I was overwhelmed by so many vultures living at VulPro!!! I expected maybe 20 vultures all in all, but here are two enclosures each with almost 30 vultures and some smaller enclosures, all in all more than 60 vultures I guess!!!
On a grassland there are five big enclosures with vultures and other birds of prey, six little rehabilitation enclosures and you can walk whereever you like, directly to and even INSIDE the enclosures! Wonderful! Most of the vultures are Cape Vultures who are endemic to Southern Africa and White-backed Vultures. By now I cannot see the differences, because both species look similar to the Eurasian Griffon Vultures. But I am sure I will get to know the differences the next weeks! In one enclosure there are two Palm-nut Vultures and a male Andean Condor. And there are living three Lapped-faced Vultures, one of them half blind and living in a rehabilitation enclosure. The next weeks I will take care for him, giving him eyedrops twice a day and some medicine. Well, and there are many, many wild vultures coming this centre, because there is a vulture's restaurant right next to the big enclosures on the grassland, where wild vultures get fed. Hopefully I will have the chance to watch the wild vultures in the vulture's restaurant many, many times! I heard sometimes there will be more than 100 vultures at the same time... can't wait to see them!!!
In addition to the wonderful "curved-bills" there are many dogs, horses, pigeons, a rooster and his hen and two funny, brown chickens with long, thin legs called "Dikkop" living in the centre.
To me the vulture recue centre makes a very good, well-kept impression and I know I will feel at home here! Sure, there are many things to do here, but that's why I came here, doing volunteering work and spending as much time as possible with vultures! Watching the amazing vultures I know they are worth it!
After viewing the centre and meeting the other people we went to another farm to collect some vulture's dinner, a big bunch of piglets... I am sorry for them, but all animals the centre gets for vulture food died in a natural way... and their carcasses keeps vultures alive!