Huge scare sent us into a tizzy!…Off to Nelspruit hotel for overnight stay…

Yesterday afternoon, as we were gathering our belongings for our upcoming trip to Madagascar, departing tomorrow morning from Nelspruit at 7:00 am, we had quite a scare. Actually, “scare” may not even begin to describe it.

Tom went to his computer bag to retrieve our passports, which are always kept in the same place, safely tucked inside the passport holder. But when he opened the bag and looked inside, the passports were gone.

Just like that, panic set in.

We both started running around the house, looking everywhere imaginable. We checked drawers, bags, counters, bedrooms, and every other possible place we could think of. Where could they possibly be?

The last time Tom remembered taking the passports out of their usual holder was a week ago Thursday, when we went with Di and Peter to Kruger National Park for the game drive and bush braai. Suddenly, we were both trying to replay every moment of that day in our minds.

Neither of us could imagine what we would do if we couldn’t find them.

After all, we were scheduled to leave South Africa tomorrow morning, since our current 90-day visa expires at midnight tomorrow night. By then, we expect to be safely in Madagascar. The thought of losing our passports just before an international trip was almost too much to contemplate.

For more than 30 minutes, we searched unsuccessfully. Every passing minute made us more anxious.

Finally, Tom jumped into the car and headed to Louise’s office to see if he could get the phone number for the driver who had taken us on the bush braai. Perhaps the passports had been left in the safari vehicle?

But surely, if the driver had found them, he would have let Louise know. Everyone knows how important a lost passport can be.

Tom was also wondering if the guide might have left them at the Crocodile Gate office when we checked into Kruger National Park. Did he need to drive the 20 minutes to the gate to see if they had been found there?

As Tom stood there explaining the entire situation to Danie, suddenly, a thought popped into his mind.

The cool bag!

When we had left for the bush braai, Tom hadn’t taken the passport holder with him. Instead, he had simply grabbed both passports and put them into his pocket. Once we were seated in the safari vehicle, it must have been easier to put them into the zippered compartment of the grey cool bag than to continue carrying them in his pocket.

Tom immediately dashed back to the house.

He pulled the grey cool bag out of the closet, opened the zippered compartment, and there they were.

Both passports.

What a relief!

We both let out the biggest sigh imaginable when he pulled them out of that little zippered compartment. For over half an hour, we had tortured ourselves, imagining all the complications we would face if we couldn’t find them. Would we have to cancel our trip? Could we get emergency passports? What would happen with our South African visa?

Fortunately, none of those questions mattered anymore.

The passports were safe.

Thank goodness, we were able to put the panic behind us and get back to packing. As of 9:00 this morning, we were both fully packed. Each of our checked bags has been carefully weighed and is under the 20-kilogram limit. My carry-on bag is packed with everything I need, so when we arrive at the hotel this afternoon, I won’t have to open my main suitcase except for toiletries.

At this point, everything is ready to go, and thankfully, our passports are exactly where they need to be. We’ll be leaving Marloth Park in an hour.

A post for tomorrow will depend on what time we arrive in Madagascar and how long it takes us to get settled into our hotel. If there’s no time to post, we’ll be back the following day.

Thank you for following along with us as another adventure begins!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 6, 2016: