Happy Returns
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Of course!
4 days on the road to South Africa... 2000 km Tete-Johannesburg
33 days in the "Republic" as it is known at the border post. RSA. Republic of South Africa. The next best thing to America right here in Africa! McDonalds... kids had their first Big Macs when they discovered that Happy Meal isn't filling enough. 6 Pizzas. 2 Zoos. 2 Passport Renewals. Car tune-up, 2 new big expensive 4wheel drive tires. One spare wheel in the RIGHT size this time. Extra filters and timing belt to be installed later. "Ice-cream only ONCE a day"... we had to make a rule because we liked it so much and it was cheap. Barbeque ribs!!! Cookouts with friends. Real, good hamburgers (not to be confused with the Big Macs). Swimming pools. New guitar. Fresh clothes without holes or smudge marks from dirty water. 3 Dentist appointments. 2 doctor appointments. 1 eye appointment. HAIL... rain... cool nights and sunny days. Baking cookies without baking ourselves! Grapes, Nectarines, Apples... cherry tomatoes! Ham and hot dogs. Shopping in clean malls and all that! 2 movies with the kids. Inconsistent access to internet, but it was vacation, afterall!
3 days of driving 1500 km home to Tete.
Through ZIMBABWE!
7 years after the last Zim stamp in the passports, we ventured that way again. The road through Moz was LONGER, and had lots of detours into muddy margins. Not what we wanted to wade through after the rains started. So, we decided to do it. Zimbabwe, our old abandoned friend! The roads are better, but for a few years travel through this troubled land has been avoided. Now there is fuel again. Friendly policemen. US dollars are the official currency, so you don't have to convert all the prices in your head. The border posts where organized and friendly. We felt safe and welcome. It was a happy return to a place we used to spend quite a bit of time. Katie was born there, for one thing.
Back in Tete at 4pm on Saturday. We stopped for a coffee and to buy bread. The kids were begging to just go home. Driving down the road, Katie said it best, "I don't know why, but Tete just feels like home." Nice to hear from a child in the backseat sweating for an hour while we wait for the bridge to open!
We have returned! Hooray for Home!
Hot.
Of course!
4 days on the road to South Africa... 2000 km Tete-Johannesburg
33 days in the "Republic" as it is known at the border post. RSA. Republic of South Africa. The next best thing to America right here in Africa! McDonalds... kids had their first Big Macs when they discovered that Happy Meal isn't filling enough. 6 Pizzas. 2 Zoos. 2 Passport Renewals. Car tune-up, 2 new big expensive 4wheel drive tires. One spare wheel in the RIGHT size this time. Extra filters and timing belt to be installed later. "Ice-cream only ONCE a day"... we had to make a rule because we liked it so much and it was cheap. Barbeque ribs!!! Cookouts with friends. Real, good hamburgers (not to be confused with the Big Macs). Swimming pools. New guitar. Fresh clothes without holes or smudge marks from dirty water. 3 Dentist appointments. 2 doctor appointments. 1 eye appointment. HAIL... rain... cool nights and sunny days. Baking cookies without baking ourselves! Grapes, Nectarines, Apples... cherry tomatoes! Ham and hot dogs. Shopping in clean malls and all that! 2 movies with the kids. Inconsistent access to internet, but it was vacation, afterall!
3 days of driving 1500 km home to Tete.
Through ZIMBABWE!
7 years after the last Zim stamp in the passports, we ventured that way again. The road through Moz was LONGER, and had lots of detours into muddy margins. Not what we wanted to wade through after the rains started. So, we decided to do it. Zimbabwe, our old abandoned friend! The roads are better, but for a few years travel through this troubled land has been avoided. Now there is fuel again. Friendly policemen. US dollars are the official currency, so you don't have to convert all the prices in your head. The border posts where organized and friendly. We felt safe and welcome. It was a happy return to a place we used to spend quite a bit of time. Katie was born there, for one thing.
Back in Tete at 4pm on Saturday. We stopped for a coffee and to buy bread. The kids were begging to just go home. Driving down the road, Katie said it best, "I don't know why, but Tete just feels like home." Nice to hear from a child in the backseat sweating for an hour while we wait for the bridge to open!
We have returned! Hooray for Home!
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