December 16, 2008 – made it!
Greetings friends and family,
Just a quick note to let you know that I made it to South Africa successfully but of course...not without a hitch. At about 10:30 AM (I was suppose to leave at 2:30) I got a notification from United that my flight had been canceled (the plane was damaged in flight - definitely don't want to get in that one). Shocking! So I called the agent from my office as I tried to submit my third and final classes' grades. United agent in one ear, entering grades into the computer...A, B-, C+.
First they suggested I be re-routed through Frankfort! That's right, South Africa by way of Germany?? Then, they said if I could find a way to get to Charlotte I could go from there to DC and still make my connecting flight to South Africa. How does one find someone to drive them to Charlotte (2 hours one way) NOW since I couldn't possibly leave my car in the Charlotte lot for three and half months??
Finally, she figured out that, if I could make it to the airport in 35 minutes I could catch a connector on another airline to Charlotte then to DC. No problem...fortunately, since this actually isn't the first time I've had this happen, my bags were packed and ready to go. I hit "submit" on the grades, pack up my computer, jumped in the car, called my landlords to see if they could get me to the airport earlier than planned (fortunately they could), got home gave Shelby a quick kiss goodbye and we were off.
Overall the flights went well. I was fortunate to have the seat next to me empty so I collapsed and slept for a few hours. Since arriving in Joburg we've been running some errands for the safari company (getting a water tank for a vehicle replaced) and for Paul (having a cracked filling repaired) and doing some Christmas shopping.
We thought we might leave today but since it is a holiday in South Africa (no one seems to know what for) we were unable to pick up the safari equipment that had been ordered until Wednesday so we'll leave sometime tomorrow.
Just wanted to let you know I made it. Hope you are well. We made the mistake of going to the mall today, 9 days before Christmas and a holiday! It was mobbed...when do we get out of here and into the bush?
Take care and I'll write more soon.
Love,
Kristy
December 22, 2008 – T.I.A.
Well after a week of being back on the continent I am adjusting to life in Africa. It is amazing how things I seem to get used to when I’m here for a while are new and odd again upon my return:
- cows, donkeys and goats in the road;
- a herd of ostriches walking by as I hang out the laundry;
- the unending dust;
- bugs of varying types (the latest novelty are baby “wally wall walkers” in the bathroom that are so small they look like asterisks * * * crawling around on the walls; when they are full grown their bodies are the size of quarters and they look a bit like small crabs and run wicked fast!);
- the use of grunts as a way of communication (we were at a food warehouse the other day buying items for our upcoming 3 week trip to Tanzania and for every item we purchased the cashier grunted in confirmation…”3 tins (not cans but “tins”) of beans…grunt (in confirmation)…5 kgs of rice…grunt (in confirmation)”
We finally arrived back to Maun last Thursday (my home away from home) but not without a little trauma at the South African border. After picking up the safari equipment, getting Paul’s teeth cleaned, we head out on Wednesday around 2:30 or so. The plan is to drive to Martin’s Drift and cross the border there, stopping to reclaim VAT (value added tax) on 5 of the trailers for the safari business. The absurdity of this encounter is hard to explain. What should have been a routine turning in of forms in order to claim back taxes paid on the trailers, turned into a multi-hour experience. Despite the fact that Paul had inquired about exactly what was needed to reclaim VAT the last time he came through the border, the guy working that night insisted other things were needed (like copies of forms that we had but…the copier was broken).
In an attempt to accommodate his request, we venture over to the little strip of run down offices near the border station set up to specifically “assist” people going through customs. I’m not sure exactly what they do since there is not even a “legitimate” place to make copies (I think they help people to fill out forms). I felt like we were trying to buy crack or something…sneaking around this dusty dingy strip mall in the dark hoping to find someone who will cut us a deal. One woman, squatting on a stump in the sandy lot, was willing to do it but for a price (close to a dollar a page…nuts!). Finally, a young guy from Cape Town convinced his boss to turn a blind eye to his illegal copying for us (despite the large sign on the wall of the office stating NO COPIES).
Upon returning with our copies, the belligerent twit starts to actually process the claim. About half way through he states that, since the trailers where not all brought through the border on the same date (there were 5 trailers so they had to make 2 trips), he needed 2 letters of authorization from the company owner (which is Paul) one for each date of the claim. So…we ask for the one letter in his hand so that we can go “copy” it to which he states that his office does not accept copies (which of course, he just insisted on for the other forms). When I try to inquire as to why this won’t do, he states… and I quote he “needs a letter just like this one, but only different.” I repeat, “You need one just like it but only different” and he confirms “yes.” What the?
In the end he ends up processing 3 of the 5 trailers. Given the difficulties we’ve had and the fact that he won’t give us the refund check but rather it will be posted to us, we ask him to write his name down so that we will have it. He flat out refuses. He will give us his name, even spell it for us, but he refuses to write it down himself. What the?? Truly annoying and strange.
Since then, I’ve been trying to ask around to see if there is some cultural explanation for the refusal to write one’s own name. The only thing that seems like a possibility is that it could be related to muti (witch craft). Some native Batswana have informed me that one could cast a spell on someone if they had something they had written down. Given the uncooperative nature of the bureaucrats around here, it makes sense why they wouldn’t want to write anything down. If I could have cast an evil spell, I would have!
Anyway, I’m off to work on my study away class for the Spring before we head off for Tanzania for three weeks. I’ll check in before we go.
Cheers,
Kristy
PS: T.I.A. = this is Africa! 3 little letters Paul and I say to each other in an attempt not to burst at the bureaucratic idiocy.
December 25, 2008 – festive season greetings
Greetings from sunny Africa on this Christmas day!
As I write this we are cooking warthog in the oven, sweeping the dust out of the house, a lovely bluish-green lizard just walked across the living room floor, I’m listening to Christmas music on the TV and preparing for our Christmas feast this afternoon (not to worry, the neighbors are bringing the turkey…and some chicken curry and we have a ham…it’s a carnivore delight!). Our original plan was to go over to a friend’s house for dinner but somehow, not really sure how, the event ended up being move to our place so we are now in charge. Not a problem, just one more thing to add to our “to do” list before we leave town for three weeks for our trip to Tanzania.
The last few days have been spent shopping, packing, servicing the vehicle and trying to figure out which route is best to take for our adventure. While we had originally planned to go through Zimbabwe to get over to Mozambique and then up to Tanzania, we’re a bit concerned about the political unrest in Zim (not to mention the cholera outbreak) so we’ve decided against that. Then, there’s been a good amount of debate as to whether a bridge under construction over the Rovuma River (between Mozambique and Tanzania) has actually been completed. In the dry season it can be crossed via a ferry but since it is the wet season, the entire flood plain floods and it is only passable via a mokoro boat (dug out canoe)…which does not work to transport the 4x4 vehicle.
Currently the plan is to go north through Zambia and Malawi into Tanzania. We’ll head back South along the coast and, if we get word that conditions are favorable, we may try to cross the Rovuma. The guy at the Mozambique tourist board informed us that the bridge was a “political project” meaning that it has not been completed but he suggested that “if we are the adventurous types” we might be able to make it across. Paul’s response was that “adventure was his middle name.” I said I thought it was Timothy!
Anyway, warmest wishes on this Christmas day. Hope you have fun plans and are surrounded by friends and family.
Miss you all.
Kristy
PS: FYI - my driving is improving and I really like the new Subaru Forrester Paul got (Suzy). She’s got good pick up, navigates in the sand well and is able to make it through the “big mud” that appears after “big rain.” Cat and Erik – you might remember the big mud from our 2007 trip with the Furman students. Yep, think of that and…imagine me driving through it (required just to get home). Paul informed me that I get to drive the first leg of the trip. He thinks it’s best I learn how to manage the standard transmission without having elephants charge me. Probably a good idea.
December 27, 2008 – off to Tanzania
Hope that your Christmas was nice. We had a multi-cultural event with eggnog representing the United States, a cold appetizer dish of pickles, onions, carrots, beets and sour cream representing Finland, a chicken curry dish from Zimbabwe and mince pies symbolic of England…and of course, the wart hog for Botswana. That covered the 5 countries represented at the dinner table. We ate outside with our ostrich on lookers and my made-up ham glaze with honey, brown sugar, Worchester sauce and raisons came out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
Tomorrow morning we head off to Tanzania. The vehicle is packed, fridge chilled, tent packed down on top (see “safari vehicle”). I’ve learned how to operate the winch, in case we get really stuck and the vehicle is equipped with shovels, jacks, 2 spare tires, 2 fuel tanks and a tank for drinking water (which he haven’t filled yet, because we don’t know where to get drinking water…our water at the ostrich farm is not an option). I’ll have to get used to climbing up on top of the vehicle to sleep in the tent and I’m hoping I’ll be able to make it through the nights without having to climb back down the ladder in the dark too often.
We will head north toward Kasane tomorrow (about 6 hours from here). Not sure if we’ll spend the night there or push on a little farther. From there we’ll go up through Zambia and directly into Tanzania. I’m not sure how much e-mail contact I’ll have on the road. I’ll try to check in at an internet café (if I can find one). We do plan to go to Dar es Salaam and over to Zanzibar and one of these places might have internet access. We also hope to get up to Kilimanjaro but don’t think we’ll have time to climb it (I think it’s about a week each way).
The plan is to be on the road for about 3 weeks. I need to be in Namibia to meet the Furman students on the 27th so we’ve got to be back before then.
Talk to you all when I can.
Happy New Year.
Kristy
PS: I’ve included a picture of Max, the neighbor’s dog who has been staying at our place in his parents’ absence (the family went away for a month and left 3 dogs alone to be fed by Happiness, one of the Zimbabweans on the farm). Max, the smart Jack Russell terrier that he is, is lonely and has been basically living at our house since I arrived. At night he’s found a place to sleep on the bottom shelf of our towel shelf (see “Max’s Sleep Over”).
PPS: Yesterday I was bitten by a matabele ant. They are sometimes called “Warrior Ants.” They are rather aptly named after an African tribe that swept through southern Africa in the early 1800s destroying everything in their path. The little sucker got stuck in my sandal and bit me under my foot. It releases some sort of toxin the hurts like a son of a bitch and my toes were numb for about 3 hours. Paul says once your body gets used to the toxics, it doesn’t stay numb for as long so next time will be better. Next time? Great!
