We departed Johannesburg at 1:45 in the afternoon and arrived in Singapore at 6:30 in the morning (one day later).
Jan 25-30: Singapore
Jan 21-24: Addo Elephant National Park
On our last morning in Knysna, Jeff and Mick went for a run, cooled off with a swim around the loop, and were packed and ready to go by 10:00!
Jan 18-21: Swellendam & Knysna
In the morning, Mick and I made one last stop at African Gems & Minerals while Jeff met up with our host’s cleaning person to check out. Mick added one more stone to his collection – this one a Herkimer diamond. It’s not a real diamond, of course, but it’s really pretty and interesting. Mick looked it up and found a Herkimer diamond is a double-terminating (pointed on both ends) quartz crystals found in Herkimer County, NY, of all places! They’re called diamonds because they’re clear and because they have 18 facets – 6 on each end and 6 around the center.
Jan 14-17: Cape Town, South Africa
We arrived in Cape Town feeling pretty good, despite the very long flight (14 hours including layover in Frankfurt). The exhaustion from the hours-long repetitive attempts to find a comfortable position eventually led to a few winks, which definitely helped. We picked up the one bag that we’d been asked us to check, and headed for the rental car lot. When we walked outside the airport, the first thing we noticed … heat! Ahh…… warm, but not hot, breezy, but not windy. In a word, heavenly. Time to put the winter uniform away and dress for summer.
Jan 5-13: Zürich, St. Moritz, Zürich
With a solution to the birth certificate debacle and a new flight scheduled to Cape Town, we arrived in Zürich relieved and excited for Mick to see the city that Jeff and I remembered really liking when we’d stayed there briefly in 2000. While the winter scenery is perhaps less vibrant than in summer, the city itself and the views of the Alps are amazing.
Atticus Finch for President
Last summer, Mick and I listened to the audiobook version of To Kill a Mockingbird and followed it up by watching the movie. There’s a lot to learn from Harper Lee’s story, but it’s the impact of words, particularly coming from a soft-spoken man like Atticus Finch, that lingers. Mick and I even considered making up T-shirts saying, “Atticus Finch for President.”
“As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat [degrade] black men [minorities] every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” ~ Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird
When we read the news today, the day before we depart for South Africa – one country of an entire continent that President Trump has now labeled as a “shit-hole” – I wished we’d made up those T-shirts. Since August 1st, the day we started our world tour, we’ve been trying to dissociate ourselves from the racist, misogynistic, homophobic, anti-immigrant agenda of Donald Trump as each country we’ve visited has different, but justifiable reasons to dislike his policies and/or him personally. I love my country, even more so after our travels thus far, but I am embarrassed to be represented by someone I do not respect and whose actions and words I consider to be ignorant, unacceptable, and quintessentially un-American.
“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.” ~ Samuel Adams
Dec 31 – Jan 3, 2018 in Pictures
I thought I’d follow up on the prior post, with some pictures and a brief description of New Year’s Eve and the subsequent few days. Continue reading “Dec 31 – Jan 3, 2018 in Pictures”
Dec 31 – Jan 3: NOT Cape Town, South Africa by Cathy
New Year’s Eve 2017 is a night we will never forget!
Even if we wanted to.
And, WE DO.
Continue reading “Dec 31 – Jan 3: NOT Cape Town, South Africa by Cathy”