Homeward Bound

I packed light but brought an extra bag. I’m
taking home a few things. 

For some reason, I woke up extra early today. I must be anxious and excited about going home. But I didn’t have to rush, because I didn’t need to leave until 10:30.

I had breakfast and then packed up. I said my goodbyes to the staff who helped make my stay so extraordinary.

Then it was off to the airport. In the shuttle I met a man from South Carolina who had been on a hunting trip in South Africa before Vic Falls. It was a very interesting conversation, but I’ll spare you the details.

I didn’t previously mention the nice family from Spain that I met on the Botswana excursion two days ago. Of course, after hearing them speaking Spanish, I had to ask where they were from. We talked a bit during the morning border crossing, and they were so gracious to me. Seeing that I was traveling alone, they invited me to sit with them on the boat and to join them at lunch. Unfortunately, we got split up at the end of the day onto different buses because we were staying at different hotels — and I hadn’t properly thanked them for their kindness.

I was bummed that I didn’t get to say goodbye. But today, there they were, right in front of me in the security line. I was finally able to thank them, and then they invited me to have a coffee while we waited for our flights. We sat and talked for about 30 minutes before we had to part for our respective gates.

Life lesson: saying hello often ends with a reciprocal hello; sometimes it results in great conversation and new friends.

I’m writing this — I think it’ll be my last blog post for this trip — as I fly back home. Vic Falls > Cape Town > London > Los Angeles > Fresno. Quite a journey, but as I said in one of my first posts, it’s nothing to whine about. The long-haul flights serve a couple of decent meals. On this short flight to Cape Town, Airlink served a cute little meal with a delicious fudge for dessert. And, unlike domestic flights on American carriers, they offer complimentary beer and wine. I had a nice South African white wine with lunch.

On our first day together, Jos and Gerrit gifted me Trevor Noah’s book, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. I think I’ll finish it before I get home. I’m loving it so far. He’s a wonderful storyteller, and I’m learning a lot about late- and post-apartheid South Africa. I recommend it if you think it might be your cup of tea.

A note about language: I love trying to learn a few words and phrases in the language of whatever country I’m visiting. This proved to be a difficult task on this trip. South Africa alone has 11 official languages. Just about every new place we stayed had a different dominant language. I tried — hello and thank you, at least. It was the most challenging part of this trip, but it was fun trying.

After a few hours at Cape Town International Airport, I’ll be in the air for about 24 more hours before landing in Fresno. Thanks for coming along with me.

And… if anyone wants to go to Africa — or anywhere else, for that matter — let me know. I’m totally up for another adventure.