First Day in Africa

We had a quiet day. We spent most of it relaxing and getting used to the new timezones. After a late breakfast we went to the mall in Johannesburg to pick up some last minute items. The mall was neat, clean and modern but smaller than Towne Center in Fayetteville and it is rumored to be the nicest mall in Johannesburg. I'm hoping this got the shopping out of Carolyn's system for a while.

Our hotel was on the outskirts of Jo-burg in a relatively rural setting. Check out the accompanying photo. The homes are remarkable for their diversity - from very small, downtrodden places to very nice homes.

All of the people we've been involved with are delightful. The hotel personel met us at the airport and helped move all of our luggage. Most of the people we've met at the hotel are expatriates from Zimbabwe, where the president is Robert Mugave. He is causing issues for many folks in that country. Most of the Zimbabwean expatriates work here for 11 months and go home for 1. They usually leave their children with relatives in Zimbabwe and send money home. It's hard for us to imagine but they seem happy.

It's also quite interesting to be in a country where you are an obvious minority. We feel quite safe and comfortable but do we stand out!

Arrived on schedule after a delightful but long flight. We both got a good 7 hrs of sleep and I got a lecture written!! Nothing like being locked up in a tin can to focus your attention.

The guest house we are at, Africa Sky, is delightful with great food and wonderful staff. We’ll probably crash tomorrow and do a little site seeing in Johannesburg. Then on Thursday it’s on to Malawi. Ken, all supplies arrived intact without a scratch on them!

We Like to Travel Light!

Do you think the plan will get off the ground!

One more item on the "to do" list for our trip is completed: setting up a blog. We look forward to sharing our trip with our family and friends.