The flight to South Africa and our first day here

Wow! This has been an amazing trip so far, and we just got here!

The main reason it's been great is that the actual traveling was completely UNeventful - just the way it should be! By that I mean that we got to the airport on time, Esther didn't mind sitting in the little umbrella stroller which really saved our backs, we could fast bag drop our luggage with no wait at all, could play at the airport playground for an hour, and then got on the plane for the 2 hour flight to London. Esther was in a great mood, didn't mind sitting still when she needed to, and made friends with the little boy in the seat behind her, resulting in much squealing with pleasure.

Our layover in London was no problem, Esther liked riding the underground train and the moving sidewalks and the escalators, then she liked the drinking fountains in the waiting area. She also for some reason liked to walk up to the men dressed in business suits and stroke their cheeks and feel their hair (?????) which was a bit awkward!

When it was time to get on the big plane it turned out it was just over half full, so Niklas could sit across the aisle so that Esther could lay out across two seats next to me. This resulted in the miracle of all miracles that Esther slept NINE STRAIGHT HOURS on the plane. Niklas also got plenty of sleep. I didn't get hardly any, unfortunately – just couldn't get comfortable as my shoulder was killing me.. Towards the end of the 11 hour flight I got up and looked out a back window as we were flying over Botswana and northern South Africa, and it was really interesting to see it from that perspective. What a vast landscape – HUGE! I could have stared at it for hours, lost in thought. What an amazing continent.

The first thing Esther said when we landed and she looked out the window at the airport was - “Where's the elephants?!” We had to explain to her that there are no elephants at the airport.

The passport control line was really long, but we got to see some young African kids who are part of the Watoto Children's Choir. The airport was all decked out for the World Cup, with banners and signs and all kinds of stuff. Some people from all different countries had already arrived for the World Cup, you could tell by their jerseys and stuff.

A young girl who works for our travel coordinator drove us in a minivan from Joburg to Pretoria. At first she was very shy and quiet, but I was able to start up a really interesting conversation about how both of our lives were changed at the age of 19 when we gave our lives to Jesus, and then she really opened up and I feel like I was able to bless her a bunch. I hope I get to spend more time with her!

Then we got to our temporary lodgings (we'll only be here for one night until we can move into our more temporary lodgings) and we are COMPLETELY ALONE here! There are some other adoptive families at the other place we're going to tomorrow, and that will be a lot better.

Turns out we were the only family in all of Scandinavia (and Holland) who received these particular travel dates (we were the last family they were able to fit in, and they didn't try to fit in any other families because of the World Cup), and our third week here we are literally the only adoptive family in all of South Africa! The first two weeks there will be some overlap with families who arrived two or one week before we did, but our final week it is just us! So they are going to do all they can to finish our adoption process in two weeks, but they can't guarantee anything right now.

Esther really liked the train ride from Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark, where the airport was.

Boarding the plane to London.

This is what Esther did the entire 2 hour plane ride to London - goofed off with the boy in the seat behind her. Better that than whining!

Then we had an 11 hour plane ride to Johannesburg. Here is proof of the miracle of all miracles. Esther slept 9 straight hours!

The whole airport is decorated with World Cup stuff for all the tourists who will arrive here soon.

Esther liked the moving sidewalks and the escalators more than the airplane.



We had our first meal in Pretoria at a fast food place. Esther really liked the sunshine and warm air!

We walked to a park that had the World's Most Intimidating Playground for a Two Year-Old. But Esther was determined to enjoy herself.