Charles Apple

As I predicted, I’m broadcasting to you live again from beautiful Dulles Airport just outside the capitol city of the U.S.A.

And, as I predicted, I’m awfully tipsy at the moment. I can’t wait to get on the ground in Africa so I can read what the hell I’m typing.

Out of sheer boredom, I left Harry’s pub in Terminal B after something like six hours of sitting there and blogging. I knew I had been there too long when the guy who had been taking care of me all day — he said his name was Hany — ended his shift and went home. I closed out my bill and tipped the lil’ fellow 50 percent. I’m hoping I made his day. He sure made mine.

I checked in with South African Airways — I have a gorgeous business-class seat reserved just for me — and then I went down to the airport electronics store to see if I could find an electrical adapter that might actually be helpful to me in Cape Town.

A brief recap: In my first post back on Wednesday, I bragged about how the folks at Brookstone in Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach had helped me buy a cute little voltage converter that would fulfill my needs in South Africa:

Well, guess what? They ripped me off. Turns out, I don’t really need a voltage converter. I’m bringing only two electrical devices with me: My MacBook Pro and my Canon camera battery charger. And I didn’t realize that neither requires a converter — each runs just fine on 220 volts, double the typical U.S. voltage. Both are rated up to 240 volts.

So all I really need is a plug adapter. And the one included in the kit — the one in the middle, which you see has a little yellow color-coded dot, corresponding to the map of South Africa in the world map inside the lit — does not fit South American outlets. The prongs on this plug are flat. South African plugs use rounded prongs, like my good pal Robb Montgomery pointed out this week:

So I asked Sharon to return that kit to Brookstone — she did it today, in fact — while I would hope to find the correct adapter during my journey today.

I did, in fact. And a place called Airport Wireless, here in Terminal B of Dulles. It looks like this:

So I’m all set up. And for a fraction of the price I had paid at Brookstone. So much for my faith in Virginia-Beach-area retailers.

Ah, well….

So when I finally checked in with South African Airways, I was given a coupon that would gain me entry into the Virgin Airlines courtesy lounge. D’oh! I’m sitting there now…

…enjoying a rum and Coke:

I’ve had way too much to drink this afternoon, in fact. Idle hands, and all. You know how it is. I can’t wait to get in to Johannesburg tomorrow to see what the hell I wrote just now.

I just spoke with an interesting guy waiting for the same flight who has connections with the Obama administration. Very interesting fellow.

They’ll finally be calling my flight soon. And away we go…

—
EXPEDITION TO SOUTH AFRICA

You’re reading the third chapter of my journey to Cape Town, South Africa.

• CHAPTER 1: Preparing for the journey.
  
• CHAPTER 2: I made it as far as the Dulles airport bar

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 pm and is filed under Charles Apple, Travelogue, Trip to South Africa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.