We’ve got a two hour flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg before our 15 1/2 hour flight to Atlanta. Our final flight is the two hours from Atlanta to Rochester. If everything goes smoothly we should be home in about 30 hours. Kyle drops us off at the Cape Town airport and we bid him farewell. He’s been a great tour guide and friend during our stay.

As the Safair flight approaches Johannesburg, it’s dusk, and we fly over miles of the townships near the airport. I can see fires burning along the edge of the townships, probably burning garbage.

Johannesburg is where we started our travels and the airport is familiar. We go through customs and security and then have some time to kill. We’re flying Delta back to the states, and they have a deal with Virgin Atlantic that allows us access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

The Clubhouse is very nice, and uncrowded. They have table service, a dining menu and a full bar. Delta needs to up their game to compete. We have dinner with wine and then stroll to our gate. We’ve been upgraded to Delta Comfort Extra, which includes a larger seat and leg rests. At first it seems great. The seat next to me is empty and I’m looking forward to a comfortable flight. But then a very large man in front of me is having problems with his seat, so the flight attendant offers him the seat next to me.

We’re in a four seat row, and Melissa and I are in the two middle seats. We are surrounded by massive people at either end. We’re trapped in here for the next sixteen hours. I will of course need to use the bathroom a couple of times en route, and each time I have to get past my immense neighbor. He wears baggy shorts, and when he stands up he looks like a refrigerator repairman on steroids. The butt crack is monumental.

Time passes, and we make do. We’re able to get some sleep. We touch down in Atlanta at 7:30 in the morning. We have a brief layover, just long enough to get through customs, get through the security dogs, re-check our bags, take the train to Terminal D, and board our flight.

Two hours later we land in Rochester. Sam is there to pick us up, and in no time we are home. Quite a trip.