My journey to Copenhagen has been a long and difficult one. From the Danish Embassy refusing to issue me a visa to enter the country before 17th December despite pleas from within Denmark to let me in sooner and not being able to be physically present to host a workshop.

I was finally about to board my 12h45 flight when an announcement was made that our flight would be delayed because an owl flew into the engine as our airplane descended from Amsterdam. We were therefore grounded with uncertainty of a next flight until at least 9PM the following evening. This was unacceptable to me as I would then miss all scheduled meetings in Amsterdam and Copenhagen the following day. My conclusion was that God is telling me that this trip is just not meant to be, that I am forcing the matter and should just stay home this time around.

We were put up in a nice hotel for the day that turned out to be a networking feast. I met a new Canadian friend with shared values currently doing work in Zambia, two American geologists working with dams and its surrounding communities in Mozambique, was able to able to catch up with a New Ideas for Africa participant, a journalist gave me PR advice and I was able to dispense advice to a nervous first time international traveller. Not too bad a silver lining!

When attempting to cancel my trip I was told that I would only receive about a 15% refund on my investment. This was unacceptable and my tired spirit decided to make the best of a grim situation. After quite a bit of email and telephone calls I now find myself diverted to an icy but beautiful Amsterdam for the weekend with a planned trip to Arhus, Denmark and finally to Copenhagen making my way back to South Africa.