Final Reflections

We're home now.  All unpacked.  Little to no jet lag.  Back into the swing of things.  Here are our final thoughts.

We learned a lot, saw a lot, ate a lot

We learned

How to pronounce Mbane, Hluhluhe, Knysna.  We learned about apartheid from museums and from individuals who shared their personal stories with us.  We learned that the difference between a white rhino and a black rhino is the shape of their head and what they they eat.  We learned that the Jews of South Africa mostly came from Lithuania.  We learned that Cape Town really IS one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  We learned that giraffes look graceful when walking through their natural environment.  We learned to tolerate some of our fellow travelers and grew fond of others. Now we understand that the ocean temperature in Cape Town is warmer in the winter than in the summer because of the direction of the prevailing winds.   We know it's worth it to pack long underwear, even if you only wear it one day.  We learned that in South Africa "now now" means right now and "just now" means in about a half hour or maybe never.  We were amused when reminded to "mind your head" and" mind your step".  We learned that In South Africa proteas are beautiful flowers and restaurant entrees come with rice or chips or rice AND chips. We learned that the king of Swaziland has 14 wives.  We saw that South Africa is a first world country.  We saw that South Africa is also a third world country.  

We ate

Ostrich, hake, baboetie, prawns, malva cake with custard (Adele's was the best and I tried every version that was served), pap, boerwors, Wimpys, and rice and chips and more rice and chips.  

We saw

Bustling cities, extreme poverty, skyscrapers, stadiums, townships, magnificent scenery,  women carrying bundles on their head and/or babies wrapped in blankets on their back and people riding on ostriches.  We felt privileged to see elephants, zebras, rhinos, giraffes, warthogs, kudu, baboons and penguins in their natural habitat.  We experienced fields, forests, veldts, scrub, rivers, lagoons, channels, estuaries, oceans, beaches, rolling hills and mountains.

Our travel in South Africa was fascinating, educational, emotional, tiring, thrilling, frustrating and personally satisfying.  We saw a corner of the world very far away from where we live.  We are grateful for the opportunity to expand our experiences and interact with a different part of the world.