Dear Diary

Day 1
Up very early to finish packing. David has been away almost the whole past 3 weeks and got home late yesterday evening. Car packed with food and water for the 24+ hour journey (plus a stop at one of David’s prison’s along the way). Left at 10 am so we would not arrive at border posts when they were shut. Got to the Namibia-Botswana border about 11pm, having stopped to tow someone’s bakkie/ute. By 12 midnight we were starting out on the long drive across Botswana along the Trans-Kalahari highway. We chose to do this long haul all at once so the children would pass some of the trip asleep. The driver had to be careful of buck etc on the road. We crossed into South Africa at 9am the next morning. Then kept going towards Johannesburg. We stopped at Hartebeespoort Dam and took the children through a reptile park so they could stretch their legs.
We arrived at my friend’s house (Voni) just after lunch and thanked God for a safe (27 hour) trip.

Day 5
Exhausted after being up with Caris much of the night. Took her to the doc’s who said she had tonsillitis and an ear infection. Able to catch it early, she was soon bright again. Drove over to David’s parents, sister (Alison) and brother-in-law (Uli).

Day 6
Saturday. All drove down to the South coast (San Lameer, south of Durban) in driving rain to stay by the beach (courtesy of Uli’s boss; in his apartment). Caught up with my friend, Rose, along the way. The children enjoyed swimming in the warm Indian Ocean despite the rain and wind. David has enjoyed the respite of cooler weather we have been experiencing since arriving in South Africa. We have done 3000 kms since leaving home on Monday.

Day 7-13
Swimming in the sea and pool, taking a paddle boat on the estuary, climbing up a working lighthouse, exploring the tropical undergrowth along the estuary (which Étienne calls ‘lush’), seeing cheeky monkeys running into the apartment and nicking off with the children’s sandwiches, playing Bolivia, Phase 10 and Settlers with David’s family, being taken out by Uli for giant waffles and milkshakes … all added up to a fun holiday for us. We also went to church pastored by a couple who had been missios in Northern Namibia, and students of whom are now being taught by David. We first saw this couple in 1997 when they spoke in a church we were at in Cape Town, speaking about their plans to go to Namibia … little knowing we would one day head the same way!