Durban, SA

It was a rough start. Amber and I seem to struggle on the first leg of vacations taken together. Whether detained at the border buy an overzealous customs official for hours or moved from one line to another (longer) one in our attempt to leave Lesotho, we were understandably anxious about our short trip to Durban. But the border crossing was fine - it was the 6 hours we waited for our taxi to fill that got mildly frustrating towards the end. Finally at 130 pm we left the border town of Ficksburg, SA and started our 6+ hour car ride to Durban. Public transport in SA is a milder version of what we go through in Lesotho - they stick to the maximum number of passengers, the vehicles are in much better condition, and the music is never so loud that you consider putting two ear plugs in each ear instead of one.

So we finally rolled into Durban late - after dark, which wasn't ideal - and while our taxi driver was incredibly rude and unhelpful in every way, the passengers were wonderfully kind (we were united by our dislike for the driver all around). So they helped us get a private cab and made sure we got safely inside before departing themselves. Off to the backpacker's for a shower (desperately needed after a sticky kombi ride) and then out for food. Amber might love food more than I do - it's a close call - so our priorities were identical.

The next day we decided to ignore advice and walk to the shopping center where Amber wanted to get her hair cut and I could find a pair of new running shoes (the old ones no longer have treads on them...). So we walked. And walked. And then we walked through a less than safe area. Then it got a bit more shady. So we found a woman selling fruit along the road and bought some as we asked about getting to our destination. She gladly pointed us to nearby taxis ("It is too far!") and it was the best R2 I've ever spent on fruit. Her hair chopped (R100 for a blow dry???), my running shoes purchased and we were off to find a Mexican restaurant rumored to be good.

And it was good. Corona and lime, tortilla chips (home made!) and salsa...

We went out on the town later that night - always an adventure. The next day we hit the uShaka Aquarium and then the uShaka water park. Up and down slides, around rivers of heavily chlorinated H2O on tubes... it was pretty amazing. Some beach time later and our vacay was complete. And the taxi trip back was far less painful, although it holds true in SA just like Lesotho - having any sort of breeze from an open window is strongly disliked by all passengers except the two Americans who are sweating profusely and starting to look quite carsick.

Before we took off for vacay, I spent a day at Amber's site in Leribe District. Amber works at a center for disabled children and adults and her most recent project has been to build a play ground there for the kids to use. It was pretty amazing to visit the center and see the kids there, who all adore Amber. And I "helped" her to stain some of the new equipment; mostly I spattered her with brown stain and tried to keep kids from climbing on the wet structures.

From here I'm looking towards my last months in Lesotho. Since Jenny is comin' to visit in April I'll be away for much of that month. My days here are looking very numbered all of a sudden. I'll officially finish my service on June 3rd (but won't be home 'till some time in July). So the next few months involve getting the most out of the time that I can while simultaneously trying to slowly say my goodbyes. I can't wait to see everyone at home -- I truly can't. But until then, I'm focusing on making the most of the time I have left here. And none of this is going to be easy.