Hi Everyone. I know it’s been a while. We’ve been traveling through beautiful South Africa. We started out last Thursday from rainy and cold Cape Town and drove along the coast to Kenton-On-Sea after stopping for a night in a Backpackers’ Hotel in Swellendam. In Kenton we participated in a run to support the fight against rhino poaching.
We spent most of our time in Kenton visiting with Rita’s aunt and uncle. We also spent a good deal of time with Rita’s old mates from her childhood. The rest of the time in Kenton was spent meeting new people and making new friends and connections. Kenton-On-Sea is a beautiful place situated betwixt two rivers and the bordered on the south by sand dunes and the ocean (of course).
Today, we left Kenton and drove back toward Port Elizabeth. We spent some hours in Addo Elephant Park where we observed dozens of animals. The highlight of the day was watching 30 or so elephants come and go to a watering hole…see some of the pictures from Rita’s artistic lens.
We’ll be in Port Elizabeth (PE) now for a couple nights with Rita’s aunt Zelda. We’ll also be visiting aunt Mercia and a couple of Rita’s cousins while here.
Next, we’ll be heading north to spend a few nights in Lesotho (another country), then on to Centurion for Rita’s — year high school reunion. The reunion is the 5th of October so we’ll be traveling around the country until then. We’re traveling by car so we won’t make it back to homebase until probably the middle of October.
The trip’s been great so far. The car’s running great. The weather’s been great too. We were in our bathing suits yesterday on the beach in Kenton. If it weren’t for the wind here in PE, we’d be in t-shirts and shorts. It’s been really nice to develop deeper and deeper relationships with Rita’s kin and friends. They’ve all been very accommodating and interesting to spend time with. I love listening to their stories and learning from their personal histories and perspectives. Our pace has been slow as we savor this five-month “mini-retirement” (Rita’s phraseology).
I’ve been growing increasingly enthusiastic about my new career decision. I’ve been soaking up the South African environment with a new passion and intention.
Some of you who know me well have probably heard me contemplate and share this Alan Watts advice: http://zenpencils.com/comic/98-alan-watts-what-if-money-was-no-object/
Well, I’m finally, just now, following that advice more closely and contemplating it more earnestly. It feels really good and liberating.
The Mercedes in Elands Bay.
Traveling up to the Northern Cape a couple weeks ago.
Simon in South Africa 