American Visitors

Last Saturday morning, I made my way to town for a special event – to meet up with a former colleague from Princeton High School, Lisa and her husband, Larry who were on vacation in South Africa. It was truly a special treat. I met them in my shopping town, hopped in their rental car, and then we were off for a few days of exploring South Africa.

The Bird and Butterfly Bed & Breakfast.

We arrived in Mtunzini early enough on Saturday to be able to explore the coast and have a bite to eat not far from the water. I had never been to Mtunzini before, in fact, I had never really heard of it before, but it turned out to be a quaint town with several nice B&Bs, a beautiful beach, and a handful of restaurants and local attractions.

Sunday was our big day out. We started off the day hiking a short trail to see the nearby Raphia Palms. To be honest, I don’t know why these specific palms trees are so special – it may be because they grow very, very tall, or live longer than others, or just because they are here in South Africa. I couldn’t say. But I was happy to be out and about. After our brief journey in the forest, we headed up to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park just outside of St. Lucia for a look at the wildlife and beaches. We ran into warthogs, buffalo, and zebras, as well as a variety of birds along the drive both before and after we stopped at Cape Vidal for a dip in the ocean. We finished up the day with a nice dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in St. Lucia and then returned to Mtunzini for the night.

Lisa and Larry at the Raphia Palms. 

Our last morning in Mtunzini.

Monday I headed back to site while Lisa and Larry carried on to Joburg and then my favorite vacation destination, Namibia. For the first time in many trips, I was a little sad when I arrived back at home. In addition to eating several fantastic meals, it was surprisingly nice to catch up on things from America as well as answer questions about the work that I have done here. In fact, I realized just how much I miss people and am looking forward to going home. Emails and the occasional phone call are nice, don’t get me wrong, but it really will be fun to finally see everyone and talk face to face again. It won’t be much longer before that becomes a reality.