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.
Our first meeting. Major jet lag… but happy!
With mom and the kids at their one-room settlement shack.
Scene near Mtuseni’s settlement… a far cry from the wealth of his college town of Sandton.
Walking from Camps Bay to Clifton Beach, Cape Town. Breathtaking!
My clown in the clown fish tank at Cape Town Aquarium.
Getting my feet wet in Southern Hemisphere waters — and Mtuseni’s first time at the ocean — at Clifton Beach.
Lions Head Mountain over Camps Bay Beach — SA’s most expensive real estate!
At Victoria Wharf, Cape Town. No, I did not get on that wheel. I’m chicken and proud of it!
Fog over Table Mountain in Cape Town… echoes of my days in San Francisco.
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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