Monday, January 9 and Tuesday, January 10, 2012.
We left Muizenberg and headed to Cape Town to catch the first of our many flights home.  Max, Urszula and Heinz's son, had an earlier flight than we did so we got to the airport around 1:30 to get him there to check in and get everything squared away.  We found another Ocean Basket at the airport so we opted to have some more of the wonderful fish we've all grown to love.  Since our flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:00 PM (10 AM our Illinois time) we had some time to waste so why not eat?!
We finally left Cape Town and got to Johannesburg for the next and longest leg of our journey.  The Jo-Burg airport is amazing.  I swear that they had this fabulous mall and then constructed an airport around it.  There are so many signs for the shops that you really have to look hard to find the gate signs.  After being patted down and having TSA go through our carry-ons, we finally headed out for our 17 hour flight to JFK.  We were on a Airbus 340-600 which can carry 317 people but I think we only had about 260 or so on board.  It's a big f----g plane!  Before we took off, a flight attendant came walking down the aisle with a spray can that was an insecticide.  I guess they wanted to kill off any malaria carrying mosquitoes.
By the time we landed at JFK, I had finished reading my book, watched two movies as well as several tv shows on board, ate dinner, a snack and breakfast and had maybe 2-3 hours of sleep.  I even bought a duty free bottle of liquor on the flight with plans to put it in my checked luggage (because of the 3 oz. TSA rule) when we had to open our checked baggage before going through customs.  This WAS a great plan and would have worked EXCEPT when we got to baggage claim to claim our luggage and go through customs, our baggage wasn't there.
After talking to many people, we did the only thing we could -- head to our next flight.  First, however, you have to go through security where you are mauled by TSA reps and made to feel violated.  I really felt that I've had some very amorous relationship that did not get personal as the TSA rep.  Since I had no luggage to put my liquor in, I surrendered it to the TSA people.  The only other choice would have been to put it in my carry on luggage that has my laptop, my chargers and cords for all of my electronics, my jewelry, and my make up and CHECK that bag.  Now, I ask you -- they had already misplaced this huge piece of luggage that I had so why give them another shot at losing the rest of the things I hold near and dear to my heart.  Not me!!!   Plus, I bought this really cool stone carving that was in the bottom of my carry on that the xray couldn't see through so we had to unpack the whole damned bag (that I had meticulously packed that morning so that everything would fit) in order to xray my carving.  I was so close at this point at going into my "bitch mode" that I had to keep telling myself that I could be in big trouble if I didn't shape up.  The one thing I have decided out of all of this is that I am going to avoid the JFK TSA people if at all possible.  I truly dislike being made to feel like a criminal by a bunch of very unfriendly people.
I finally escaped from the TSA people and met up with Urszula and Heinz at one of the food courts.  Urszula was also upset with the TSA folks since they were tossing around some of her jewelry like it was worthless crap.  Poor Heinz had to listen to BOTH of us rant and rave.  I'm sure he was wishing that he had a hearing loss at that point in time.  He is such a sweetie!
We did finally get out of JFK where we had to fly to Dulles Airport in DC and then on to St. Louis and home.
From the time we left Cape Town airport -- Monday 10AM Illinois time -- to the time we landed in St. Louis -- Tuesday 2PM Illinois time -- approximately 28 hours had elapsed and I was way past exhaustion.  Thank goodness for my sister, Sandy, and brother in law, Tom, who picked us up from the airport.  I don't think I could have found my way home at that point in time.
More to come...