White River

Our last day in Kenya was good, we met our driver Francis at the airport and he took us to an Ethiopian restaurant. We have never eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant but it is a unique experience. Your meal is served on a big pizza pan with a sheet of fermented rice covering it. It was like having a large tortilla covering the pan but thinner and spongier.

We ordered a beef and a fish dish which came in bowls but were quickly dumped in a pile on the rice sheet. You got no silverware, the idea was to rip off a small sheet of rice paper and pinch a piece of your meal or just eat with your fingers. It was quite tasty and fun trying a new experience.

One more night at the Fairview Hotel and then it was a very early flight to Johannesburg. Before we left I did get some more good news, Carolina lost again, this time to Wake Forest and Duke is #1 in the ACC. I think I saw UNC was #4; I had to break out my Carolina blue crying towel.

We arrived at Paul’s house (our second home exchange) in the afternoon and it was like catching up with a long lost friend. Their guest home is beautiful, right on Longmere Lake. Paul broke out multiple bottles of wine. Paul, John, Louie (Paul’s next door neighbor) and myself stayed up most the night (until 3am) talking and laughing. Lou, Sue (Paul’s wife) and Lynne were the smart ones by cutting out early for bed. Actually Lynne went to bed early but then got back up and joined our group because we were so loud sleeping was difficult.

One of the highlights of the night came when Paul started explaining the inferiority complex he developed while taking showers as the only white guy on a South African soccer team as he was opening a bottle of champagne. Just as he was at the peak (or climax so to speak) of his story the cork of the champagne bottle shot up in the air and we heard it land of the roof of the house. The timing was perfect. Now we know, not only are we worthless jumpers but also severely underdeveloped.

Madison and Sue are awesome! Madison is just short of two years old and is cute as a button. We all were enamored as this darling little girl imposing her charm on us. Lou and Lynne are obviously ready for grandchildren. Sue missed out on the trip to the US but didn’t miss a beat with our group. What a lovely family! We are going to have a lot of fun in White River.

This morning we had breakfast with Paul’s family and it was off to Kruger.