Day 1: Travel to South Africa

After a frenetic day of packing, finishing work, and saying goodbye to my family, I finally boarded my evening flight from Washington, DC, to Johannesburg (Jo’berg), South Africa. I was excited that it was going to be a non-stop direct flight and thrilled that the seat next to me was empty, so I could stretch my legs a bit.

This is my first trip to Africa this year, and I always get excited as I feel like I’m returning home. Ever since I spent four years living in Zambia (from 1996-2000), I have shifted my sense of home as being with my friends and colleagues in Africa, as well as my personal network. There is something bittersweet in the combination of my fascination with learning about the dynamic and expanding state of the HIV/AIDS response, and my sense of despair that despite the progress, there are still too many lives being lost and our collective response remains totally inadequate.

With a population of 43 million, there are over 5 million South Africans who are HIV-positive, and hundreds of thousands have already died. It is estimated that 1,000 people are tragically dying each day because of the lethargic roll-out of treatment programs, due largely to the failed leadership of President Mbeki and his administration.

The flight to Jo’berg was uneventful, thank God. I always feel a bit disappointed when I fly over Zambia and know that I won’t be going home. I checked out the flight navigation system as we flew over the western province of Zambia and thought about all of my friends and loved ones and sent them greetings and blessings for good health. On arrival to Jo’berg I quickly transfered to a flight to Cape Town, which arrived in Wednesday evening, February 7. After 22 hours of non-stop travel, it was great to crash on a comfortable bed at the St. George’s Hotel in central Cape Town.