Transportation Adventures Once Again - To South Africa We Go!

YES! Transportation Adventures!

For those of you who remember last year three friends and I took a pretty crazy adventure across southern Africa by big bus, taxi, mini bus, and pickup trucks to the beautiful banks of Lake Malawi. While it will forever be an adventure I will never forget, it will also be an adventure I probably will never put myself through again. After coming home, I get a text from Derek that said “baring we don’t become mortal enemies, wanna go to South Africa for the April holiday next year?” Hell yeah I do. South Africa is an extremely popular holiday destination for many Namibians and Peace Corps Volunteers. Namibia was a part of South Africa up until 25 years ago and so even today, there is still a lot of connections and similarities. It felt like home in more ways than one, almost like a Namibia meets America, but awesome-er.

Upon planning (and thankfully not becoming mortal enemies) with Derek all the fun and exciting things we wanted to do, Derek goes “Would you be cool with adding a third person to our adventure? I need someone to climb Table Mountain with, and we both know you wont be that person.” Boy knows me so well…  I told him I got his back because he clearly had mine and told him I’d be cool with whomever. And so added to our group was the wonderful Lawrence, us becoming the Meme (a name used to show respect to an older woman) and her two Tates (a name used to show respect to an older man). Actually it was more like Meme and all the Tates as there were 4 other PCVs joining us on the same bus ride, and at the same hostel, as well as another PCV who was meeting us at the hostel, and then another two Americans flying in to meet us, all of whom were guys. This meme did fine though.

As with Derek and I’s previous bus adventure, this trip did not come without it’s bus stories. However these ones happened before we even left our villages. Getting to Cape Town is about a 24hour ride, so our two options for busses were the fancy renowned double decker Intercape and the cheaper-we-found-out-the-hard-way-why Bailey’s. As PCVs we obviously take the cheaper option, so everyone takes Bailey’s. After traveling across the continent and not having a set timetable or price range for anything, I thought, how hard could one bus ride, with a real company with an actual website be? Oh, hunny, this is still Africa.

Different PCVs had different experiences with getting their tickets, some going into a shop in Windhoek and purchasing actual tickets, others taking the more sketchy option and depositing money directly into the account of the company and keeping the deposit slip as the ticket onto the bus. So I begin the process of finding their phone number on their website. Conveniently there a Book Now button, so I think this is perfect and easy. I click the button, fill out the information and then get a confirmation number, which I must call their office with to confirm the booking and payment. The number is a South African number so before making an international call, I decide to call their Windhoek office instead. Here is how the call goes:

Bailey’s: “Hello?”

Shannon: “Hi, is the Bailey’s Bus Liner?”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“Hi I just filled out a booking form on your website and received a confirmation number and would like to make sure it went through and confirm my payment.”

“Online? We don’t do that.”

“What are you talking about, I just filled it out and it emailed me a number?”

“Okay well it doesn’t work”

“Okay, so can you help me? I need two round trip tickets and a one-way.”

“Yes, I will SMS you our bank details now and you will deposit the correct amount into our account then fax the deposit slip to our office and then call to confirm your seat.”

“How do I know if you have seats available on the dates I need?”

“That is why you call to confirm we received your fax.”

“But what happens if I make this deposit and there are no seats left on the date I need to travel?”

“That is not possible, there are always seats, it will be okay.”

After a few more reassurances and what-if scenarios I feel okay and he even helps in advising me to make two separate deposits (one for the two round trips and one for the one way. I was extending my South Africa after Cape Town and would not be returning with the boys) to make it easier to keep track of.

My next time into town was the last time Id be there before leaving for South Africa so I needed to get to the bank. It was also conveniently Easter weekend and Namibians take their holidays very seriously so after maybe 3pm on Thursday, the banks would be closed until 8am Tuesday morning. I rush to the bank and successfully deposit the money. N3,000 out of my hands. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a fax machine until school on Tuesday, but I know volunteers have emailed a scanned copy of the deposit slips.  I SMS back the number of the guy who helped me on the phone, and his response “We don’t have an email.” What? How in the world do you have a website, but no working email address? Okay fine, “I’m coming to Windhoek, can I bring the deposit slip to the office for confirmation?” Just a one word “yes” was the last I received from the helpful man. Back on their useless website there is no indication of a Windhoek office, and their Facebook page looks like it’s in a location I don’t want to go to by myself. All of the men in Windhoek that I know who could accompany me cannot take me, so I was stuck having to fax it when I got back to school on Tuesday.

In preparation to fax it I tape the deposit slip to beautiful clean pieces of white paper. In my best most clear handwriting I give all the information I could possibly give, dates of travel, times of travel, destinations of arrival, destinations of departure, names of the people traveling on which deposit slip, emails (in case they get a working one), and all phone contacts, JUST IN CASE something happened. I ask my secretary to fax them in the morning, and at the 9am break I go see her, get the fax confirmation receipts and sit down to call the office. Here is how the first conversation went:

Bailey’s: “Hello?”

Shannon: “Hi is this Bailey’s Liner?”

“Yes”

“Hi, my name is Shannon. I just faxed two deposit slips and would like to confirm that you received them and confirm the travel dates.”

“Okay can you call back? I’m with a client.”

…….WTF am I? “Uh-Okay, I’ll call back.”

5 minutes later.

Same lady answers: “Hello?”

“Hi, my name is Shannon and I just called a few minutes ago, I faxed my deposit slips and need to confirm my bookings.”

“Are you being picked up in Keetmans?”

“No in Windhoek. There are two different deposits, one for two round trips and one for a one-way.”

“We have nothing here, you will have to send them again.”

“Well could you check again? I have the confirmation receipt that they were successfully sent.”

“No, you need to send them again.”

“Okay thank you”

Amid the chaos of exams I ask the secretary to fax them one more time. She does and I return to class at 930.

15 minutes later, my cell phone rings with an unknown cell number. I generally ignore these as its most often a wrong number or someone who got my number without permission, I was also in front of a classroom of rowdy teenagers who I just got quiet. It calls a second time and I ignore it as well. About 10 minutes later my iPhone rings. I have one stupid phone for actual calls and texts in Namibia and the iPhone for Facebook, iMessage, WhatsApp. Peace Corps and a few PCVs are the only ones that have that number, so when it rang I thought there was an emergency and I pulled out the phone in front of all the students. Here is this conversation:

Nervous Shannon: “Hello…?”

Crazy lady yelling something I don’t understand.

Shannon: “I’m sorry I think you have the wrong number. Who is this?”

More crazy Afrikaans speaking woman yelling.

Shannon: “I’m sorry I can’t understand you” (My students mouths have dropped to the floor as this is now the debut of my new phone.)

Crazy lady: “THIS IS BAILYS BUS LINER! YOU JUST DEPOSITED 3,000 DOLLARS INTO MY ACCOUNT HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO THIS IS?”

Shannon: “I’m sorry you are calling on a private cell phone number which I do not have.”

Crazy Lady: “WHY WOULD YOU DEPOSIT 3,000 DOLLARS IN REHOBOTH INTO OUR ACCOUNT WHEN WE HAVE AN OFFICE IN REHOBOTH?”

Confused Shannon: “I’m sorry I was not aware that you had an office in Rehobth.”

Crazy Lady: “WELL NOW SOMEONE MUST PAY THE BANK FEES. WHY WOULD YOU BLINDLY DEPOSIT MONEY INTO AN ACCOUNT WITHOUT ASKING QUESTIONS? ARE YOU STUPID?” I don’t remember if she actually called me stupid but that’s certainly how she was talking to me.

Shannon: “I’m sorry, I’m a teacher, and am in the middle of teaching right now. Can I call you back?”

Crazy Lady: “Humph. Okay fine.”

This woman, I kid you not, was so terrifying, I was shaking. About 10 minutes later I get a text from Derek asking if I knew anything about an Afrikaans lady from Rehoboth calling and yelling at Lawrence about bus tickets. Oh no, she got to him too. I apologize profusely, because if he got a fraction of the fury that I got, he’d probably be shaken as well.

There was no way in hell I was calling this woman back on her cell phone so I gathered up the courage to call the office back. After all, they clearly got my 3,000 dollars. I needed to make sure Derek, Lawrence, and I all had a bus ticket. I nervously dial the office back.

Bailey’s (same younger lady as earlier who told me to call back): Hello.

Still-shaky-Shannon: “Hi, my name is Shannon. I called earlier about confirming a bus ticket and -”

Bailey’s: “Oh YOU’RE the one who deposited money in Rehoboth?”

Shannon: “Yes, that was me, I would like to confirm my travel dates for the two round trips and the one-way”

Bailey’s, now getting worked up and raising her voice: “Why would you deposit money into the bank in Rehoboth when there is an office in Rehoboth.”

Shannon: “I’m very sorry, I was not aware there was an office in Rehoboth or I would have gone.”

Bailey’s: “Well now someone must pay the bank fees!”

Shannon: “Umm, okay”

Bailey’s: “Is it going to be you?”

Shannon: “….It’s not my account or my business, so I don’t know why I would have to pay.”

Bailey’s: “Why would you lie and tell me you were based in Okahanja (a town about an hour north of the capital) when you were really in Rehoboth?”

Shannon: “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bailey’s: “Do not lie to me! I recognize your voice, you told me you were in Okahanja and could not get to Windhoek which is why I SMSed you our bank details! Why would you lie?”

Shannon: “I think you have me confused with someone else because I have never talked to you before”

Bailey’s: “DO NOT LIE! I remember your voice!”

Shannon: “Excuse me, but I have never spoken to you before.”

Bailey’s:  "Well where are you right now?” As if I lived in a town and could just waltz into their office at their beckoning call. Ha-ha.

Shannon: “I am on a small farm 100km south of Rehoboth called Schlip. I received your bank details from a man who answered your office phone last week.”

Bailey’s: “A man? Oh, fine. Humph”

Shannon: “So, can I please confirm my booking?”

Bailey’s: “Fine. (Scoffs) What date are you traveling on?”

Shannon: “April 22, its all on the paper of the faxed deposit. I need two round trips and a one way.”

Bailey’s: “Well I can’t read a single thing on these faxes so you will have to bring the original deposit slip to board the bus. I will say it again, you need the original deposit slip to board the bus. Without the original deposit slip you will not be allowed on the bus. I repeat, you will not be allowed on the bus without the original deposit slip. Your reference number is 1. The round trips’ reference number is 2.”

Shannon: “That’s’ it? My reference number is 1?”

Bailey’s: “YES THAT IS WHAT I SAID! 1! AND THE OTHER IS 2!”

Well that’s not the most secure reference number but okay…

Shannon: “Okay and where does the bus pick up?”

Bailey’s: “At the bus terminal across from the KFC.”

Now, there are a total of 4 KFCs in Windhoek. I am only familiar with one. ALSO, every capital city in southern Africa I have been to, has a bus depot. Strangely, I have never been to Windhoek’s if it has one. So being familiar with one KFC I ask if it’s the one across from a certain service station called Wikka. Everyone knows it, and it conveniently really close to the Peace Corps office.

Shannon: “Is this the KFC that is across from the Wikka service station in town?”

Bailey’s: “NO HOW COULD YOU ERWOUROWEFOE! IT IS THE BUS TERMINAL ACROSS FROM KFC.”

Shannon (shaky again): “Okay thank you for your help.”

I was so fed up and upset with how I was being talked to and treated as a customer who put a hell of a lot of faith in their company, but there was nothing I could do. They had $3,000 dollars of mine and I had reference numbers 1 and 2. Like really?

Thankfully everything ended up working okay, actually kinda perfect. Upon arriving at the bus terminal across from KFC (which was actually a taxi rank next to KFC and across from the service station Wikka like I thought. Who knows her shit now?) I realized the lady checking the bus tickets was the same crazy lady who called to yell at me during school. I heard her voice and boy if I was a guy…okay we’re not going to get graphic here but we’ll just compare it to Chandler on Friends hearing Janice’s laugh. It didn’t help that the deposit slips I had were stamped at the Rehoboth branch, bright and clear right in the middle of the paper. I was terrified I was going to be publicly shamed and yelled at in front of a busload of people I’d be sitting with for the next 24 hours. I probably would have cried then made fun of by the 6 boys I was traveling with for being a girl. My shaking hands handed her the paper, she looked it over, I was free. Derek handed over his paper she made some comment on how the money was short for a full round trip. My heart started beating faster, my muscles tensed up, I was ready to pounce. But she gave them the all clear and took the slip. We find our seats, then Derek realizes he doesn’t have proof that his return ticket leaving Cape Town is paid for and confirmed. He goes back up to the lady to ask if he can take a picture of deposit slip just in case. She snaps at him about not trusting her. “IF I SAY YOU’RE ON THE LIST, YOU’RE ON THE LIST!” He just walks back wide-eyed.

Albeit the disappointing customer service experience leading up to the trip, the actual bus ride was not so bad. I got two whole seats to myself to sleep on and at every rest stop and even the border crossing the Bailey’s bus drivers made sure to pull in before the larger Intercape busses. Therefore we got in and out of places pretty quick. Our only hold up was someone who may or may not have been trying to smuggle a child across the border and the physical pat down I got at trying to enter South Africa. As an American I am used to TSA being all up in my business, so to prime myself I usually pat myself down first make sure all the pockets and normal hiding places are empty, then I stick my arms out ready for the official inspection. Well, to start with I was laughed at by the other women in line for patting down myself. Then as if that wasn’t awkward enough I stick my arms out and stand up straight and the agent I guess didn’t know what to do with someone as experienced in security measures as I was so she just kinda hesitantly stuck her hands out, cupped my boobs and said, okay you’re good. Welcome to South Africa!

P.S. When departing Windhoek we made a stop in Rehoboth, to pick up more people. Conveniently it was at their offices I should have walked into. I was really excited to see where this elusive place was, as I feel pretty confident in knowing my way around my own shopping town. Turns out their office was a shack/room/area attached to a no-name gas station that I have only ever seen taxis use. The only taxi’s I’ve seen use it are the ones I am in as they either want to show off the pretty white blonde haired girl they picked up for a ride to the attendants that work there, or there is some sketchy deal they got going on. The only indication that that was the Bailey’s office? No there was no sign, but a printed piece of A4 paper with a non-descript picture of the bus and text that says all sales are final and they do not make refunds. Apparently I’m an idiot for not knowing that existed. Even if I had asked, I don’t know how they would have ever been able to describe to me the location cause all I know it as is the sketchy gas station.