It’s Fall! What?!

At times, we live in disbelief about the fact that we live in Africa. “Umm, we live in Africa!” Chris and I will often blurt out at random moments. However, as we carry on about our workdays, it can sometimes feel like any other day at home. So the most recent reality-check of living in an entirely different hemisphere hit us as we drove in the mountains the last few days looking for fall colors on the trees. Meanwhile, we know that our friends and family are eagerly anticipating the first sign of a blooming flower and hoping that the last snowflake has finally fallen. Sorry, if this is sounding like a marijuana moment…

Our blogging has been absent because we have been B-O-R-E-D! After a completely adventure packed, hyperstimulating two weeks with my family, we were left with ourselves (and a limited social network), the reason we actually came here (for Chris to do research, but even this has been a bit lame the past two weeks because his interviews were all pushed back), a tightened wallet that has restricted our adventurousness, and routine (groceries, gym, read, language training, resumes, etc.). In fact, there was a period where I, Jodi, could count the number of hours I left the apartment on one hand for several days. Needless to say, there wasn’t much to write.

With our upcoming move to Grahamstown in mid-June, we have renewed energy to get the most of our five weeks left living in Durban (before Chris’ parents arrive on June 1 – YEAH!). And we certainly cannot live in South Africa without experiencing rugby, right? So, with our housemate Stef happening to have some extra tickets, we went to a “Super League” game at the Durban ABSA stadium (aka “The Shark Tank”) to watch the Durban Sharks take on the Hurricanes of New Zealand. It was a blast, especially sitting among the drunken South Africans yelling things we didn’t understand. We viewed the game like a puzzle, attempting to put the pieces (the rules) together to comprehend what the heck was happening. Boy, lots of injuries in an hour and a half. In fact, the refs didn’t really stop the game when the players went down since it would take too long if they did so. This meant that at times there were four or five huge bodies sprawled out on the field while the game continued. What a bunch of sissies…

We have also been hoping to visit Lesotho—the country within South Africa—and the southern stretch of the Drakensberg Mountains known as the “Underberg.” It is only about a two and a half hour drive from Durban to Himeville in the Underberg, and from there we took a tour up Sani Pass (the pass connecting KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa to Lesotho). We hired a tour company because, technically, you need a 4x4 to get to the top. The road is extremely rugged and we gained about 4,500 feet during the 14-kilometer stretch. The summit and the Lesotho border post sit at about 9,500 feet. In fact, the pass is so steep that the South African border post is at the foot of the mountain, meaning there are miles of what our guide called “no-man’s land” between the two countries. We say that “technically” one needs a 4x4 to go up and down the pass, but at the base of the mountains lies a minibus taxi rank where rickety-old vans are packed with people making their regular journeys over and back down the pass, to and from work. Crazy.

The ride was beautiful, viewing the mountains, including the “12 apostles,” small waterfalls, and windy roads. We got our passports stamped. We ate at the “highest pub in Africa.” And, we visited a Basotho village, which, while interesting, made us feel uncomfortable as the people perform for us (sing, dance, and bake bread), once again for tips or hopes of selling their wares. As with our Langa township tour, we wish the tour company had a more equitable partnership with the village since the villagers are being used to sell tours (the tour advertises a “village stop”). We had three South African tourists along with us and they challenged the driver on this as well. We really appreciated having other guests along with us; we clicked immediately and they added an additional layer to this trip, especially with their great senses of humor.

In addition to Sani Pass, we drove and hiked around to view the beautiful fall leaves in the Underberg. It is wild to see fall colors in April! Oddly, we found ourselves suddenly thinking about the unbearably infinite number of sexy-lady costume possibilities, stuffing with cranberry sauce, adult contemporary music, and optimism about Vikings football (before the winter depression from losing sets in). Also, something else magical happened to me, Jodi, of which has not happened in probably 10-15 years. I took a bath! We rented out a tiny rustic “rondoval” cottage in Himeville, and the only option was to take a bath. It was quite relaxing, though not as efficient, and perhaps clean (after all, you ARE sitting around in your dirty water), as a shower. It was a bit chilly up there at night so we made a fire in the rondoval’s little furnace to keep us warm. It was all very cozy.

So, what next?! More work and research, which aren’t bad things… But, we’ll also keep making a list of things to see in Durban before Chris’ parents arrive. We can’t wait to see them, and, of course, more of this lovely country. We are trip junkies right now! Going to the mountains gave us a fix, but we will be looking for another one soon. We are addicts.