As I begin my annual ritual of scouring the earth for the first tiny signs of spring (saw the first pussy willows yesterday!)… last January I was in South Africa. I can’t believe so much time has passed.
The trip was a major milestone in my ongoing life-changing journey with Mtuseni — enlightening, unsettling, heartwarming, frustrating, happy, sad, and fun. And I never imagined myself saying this, but I’m dying to take another 17-hour plane ride — to return to South Africa soon. Tight finances means it couldn’t happen this winter, but I’m aiming for a short visit during Mtuseni’s April break. I miss him and his squeaky, lilting voice and Wheel of Fortune moods. I want to spend more time with his sister Bongeka and brother Musa. And I want to discover more of Joburg and hang out with new friends.
Although it seems longer, I realized this blog only began in April, so I never discussed my visit. As I bask in sunny memories of South Africa while a brief Boston warm spell gets blown away by Montreal winds, I’ll share a few photos from that trip — and hope to have new ones to share soon.
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Our first meeting. Major jet lag… but happy!
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With mom and the kids at their one-room settlement shack.
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Scene near Mtuseni’s settlement… a far cry from the wealth of his college town of Sandton.
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Walking from Camps Bay to Clifton Beach, Cape Town. Breathtaking!
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My clown in the clown fish tank at Cape Town Aquarium.
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Getting my feet wet in Southern Hemisphere waters — and Mtuseni’s first time at the ocean — at Clifton Beach.
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Lions Head Mountain over Camps Bay Beach — SA’s most expensive real estate!
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At Victoria Wharf, Cape Town. No, I did not get on that wheel. I’m chicken and proud of it!
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Fog over Table Mountain in Cape Town… echoes of my days in San Francisco.
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Personal fog! Exhausted flight back from Cape Town to Joburg. Next day… a 30-hour, door-to-door return to Boston.
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