We landed at New York and went through immigration in no time. We went looking for baggage collections, expecting to collect bags and head off to customs. It does not work that way in America. Well no visible customs checks anyway.
We collected our bags and headed off to Delta Airlines to check in. They insisted on removing our plastic wrapper (we are from SA) and we were done. I had allowed 4 hours for a process that lasted 30 minutes at most.
We found the Delta lounge and relaxed, even showered. Pure bliss!
Then on to Chicago, an easy 3 hour flight, meaning further than Jhb to CT!
It did take at least 20 minutes to find the luggage collection point at O’Hare. Departures and arrivals are intermingled and the collection point is located at the airline’s allotted space, nowhere near where you land.
At the hotel, we discovered that our bags had been opened and rearranged, but nothing stolen. I was a bit surprised though. Must have been a security check, but who gave them permission to rifle through my stuff without my knowledge. “In a land that’s known as freedom, how can such a thing be fair”?
What I learnt:Estella was correct when she said we need to take tea with us. Eventually we found some in a tiny section on lowest shelf in supermarket, amongst a myriad of green and other teas.
Kim's journey 