Monday August 10 to Wednesday August 12 - Leaving South Africa Week 4

I’m not really ready to leave South Africa yet. Getting beyond the reality that it is more like 3-1/2 weeks and not four, it feels as if my time here has been too short. I’ve not really explored a great deal beyond my area but for the most part I am OK with that. I’ve rather enjoyed living and working in the southern suburbs and just hanging out there.

Monday is Women’s Day and a national holiday. I have been told the day itself honors the women who were protesting the passbook laws and arrests of their husband back in the 60’s. Much of my day is really just spent hanging out in a coffee shop in Muisenberg and going on the internet where the second half I hang out in Kalk Bay and act like a tourist.

Tuesday is a work day again and the last full one I have on the surf project. The waves are not very good but I get about an hour of surfing in during the morning but I pulled a muscle in my ribs which makes it uncomfortable if I breathe deeply. But nothing major, just annoying. In the afternoon we have the township kids in and that evening we have a braai (BBQ) at the Smith’s house.

Some things are pretty inexpensive in South Africa and surf boards are one of them. The project is in need of some more and with the exchange rate, for around $120 I can buy one so I head over with Chrisjan to a local shop and we pick up one that the high school kids can use. There are times when I feel rather guilty about how much I can afford in South Africa compared to the people who live there but this is one of those instances where I feel I can use that advantage in a good way.

Me and the new board, I make that wet suit look good!

Wednesday I get one last surf in and help paint a bench at the café and then have to head off to get ready to leave. I should have planned out a little better and you would have think I would have learned more from when I originally packed for this trip. I packed some the night before but it again became a mad scramble for me to get everything packed away and I have decided I have too much stuff and need to shed some of it. Once I get to Peru I am going to have to take a close look at what I have and see what I can get rid of. There is no way I can travel around Europe on my own with all the junk I’ve got in my bags.

My time in South Africa and Botswana has been good overall but I would say rather had on my physically. But it has helped me to build a new appreciation on what we have in the United States and often take for granted as well as help show that one can live quite well with less. So I think we get rather wrapped up in the material things as well. Another clue that I should shed some of the weight hanging out in my bag.