Thoughts on South Africa

(This was written a few days ago...)

It's our last day here in South Africa. Tonight we fly our of Johannesburg and back to the US. For days I've been trying think of how I will describe this trip when I get home. How will I put the experience into words? I'm sure even the pictures will not do it justice. Right now as I sit on the deck of our room (not really a room, more like a hut or cabin... I'm not really sure what to call it! It's definitely not as rustic as it sounds!) I can hear 3 types birds calling, insects singing, I can see a giraffe munching on leaves in the distance and the air smells so sweet. My belly is full from bobotie- a traditional South African meal made with minced meat, egg custard, jasmine rice and a sweet chutney. Served by a man named Moses, who is gentle and kind, and very nervous. I've been told he lives in a local village and lives and works here for 3 weeks and goes home to his family for 1 week. This morning we watched red clay-stained zebras hover near a group of giraffes for protection, while 2 newborn giraffes practiced walking on their new legs on the rough terrain. A bull elephant thundered by our jeep so close that I was fearful of his tusks, and he left a scent so strong we smelled him for a while afterwards. We saw 5 hippos bobbing in the river, a rhino catching some sun, and 3 kudo searching for their next meal. We had coffee and Amarula and "crunchies" high on a mountain. Last night we ate dinner under the stars with a hundred candles all around and moths flying into our wine glasses. We enjoyed conversation with people from Germany, England, Australia, and the US. In Cape Town we stuck our feet into the icy water on the beach at Camps Bay, flew in a helicopter over the coast, got to know the vendors in Greenmarket square, rappelled off the side of Table Mountain, and ate ostrich, kudu, and springbok. We took a boat out of Hout Bay to see thousands of seals on a group of rocks, climbed up to the lighthouse at Cape Point, tasted wine at 2 vineyards that are centuries old, watched penguins waddling on the beach, and saw townships with miles of sheet metal roofs as far as the eye can see. We had 3 guys (all at different times) talk to us about the history of South Africa, about apartheid, the effects on their lives and the current political climate. They all told us how they are proud to be "coloured" (not black or white), but they've been stuck in the middle for so long and it's hard for them to get jobs. There was the cable car operator who said, "Thank you for blessing our lives with a paycheck every Sunday!" And the opportunity of getting to visit the Wola Nani office, where HIV+ men and women bring their handmade paper bowls to be shipped to Noonday Collection and sold at my trunk shows. There was the group of kids that we met on the road at Groot Constantia that begged me to take a picture with them, and the cab driver that called out to everyone, "Hey brotha! Hey sista! Hey mama!" I could go on and on about various moments, each new and unique. I am overwhelmed with memories. The combination of wildlife, culture, languages, scenery, food and drinks is powerful on the senses. I can't wait to come back. And I would love to bring Chase, Siena, Lyla and Zoey one day so they can experience it!

I will post our pictures as soon as I get the chance!