Thank You

Through all of the ups and downs of our Peace Corps adventure, we have tried to remain positive and are very thankful to all of our friends and family who have supported us. Your love, shown through letters, e-mails, phone calls and kind thoughts have meant more to us that you will ever know. We have enjoyed sharing our adventures with you and wish you all the best. Although this is the end of our blog, we are excited at the opportunity to catch up on a more individual basis and hope to be in touch regularly. Enjoy the day!

What’s Next?

We spent our first few weeks back in the states doing everything we could to get back to South Africa. We investigated alternative volunteer organizations and debated the risks of going alone. After many e-mails and phone calls, we were finally informed that VSO would not be able to send us back to South Africa for 6 - 9 months. Although tempted by the possibility, we decided that it would be best to move on. It was once again difficult to explain our situation to Ma and Dora on the phone, but we assured them that PC would be placing another volunteer in the village as soon as possible.

To make things more interesting, we both found out that we had intestinal parasites. Joe got off easy with Guardia, while Kelli had two very unusual, difficult and expensive to get rid of parasites. This was nothing, however, compared with the Kelli’s back. After seeing countless doctors and physical therapists, everyone is still scratching their heads as to what is causing the constant pain. All of the unknowns make it very difficult to plan for the future, as we have already had to turn down a few job offers due to Kelli’s inability to work at present. We comfort ourselves with the knowledge that everything works out for the best and continue to tackle one day at a time.

The Last Goodbye: January 10

We spent a painful morning traveling to all six of our schools, explaining our situation and saying good-bye. It’s hard to describe how emotional it was to inform our new friends that we would not be able to share the next two years with them, working side-by-side to fulfill all of our great school-improvement plans. As a small consolation, we were able to leave each school with some Frisbees (donated by Daredevil disks, a Canadian Frisbee company) and hope that they will continue to encourage their students to play. As we had agreed with Ma, we also informed our principals that we would spend the following three weeks investigating all possibilities of returning to the village with another volunteer organization. If we were not able to return within a few months, we agreed that it would be fairer to everyone if we all moved on. Before we knew it, we were back at the airport, preparing for our 19 hour flight back to the states. We had been informed not to carry any liquids or cosmetics onto the plane, but were pleasantly surprised when our water bottles weren’t checked at the security gate. Taking this as a good sign, we filled up all four of our bottles at a water fountain before joining the line at our gate. It soon became clear that we would be going through more security at the boarding gate, and scurried to hastily dump our Nalgenes into other discarded water bottles. The new security measures were obviously not well thought out as the two pea-sized trash cans were overflowing with hazardous items such as bottled water and toothpaste. As we passed through three more security checks, all between the ticket counter and the plane, we resigned ourselves to the fact that it was going to be a long ride home.

Although our seats were right next to the bathroom (Joe didn’t even have to get up to use the toilet) and a couple with an infant, we soon drowned our sorrows by catching up on all of the movies we had missed over the past six months. Kelli laughed so hard at the ending of ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ as to elicit stares from halfway up the plane.

The ride was broken up with another security check while refueling in Senegal, made more interesting by having to sit for twenty minutes with all of our carry-on’s on our laps while security guards tore apart the seats of departed passengers. Stumbling out of the plane almost a day later, we had no problem getting through security and finding our way to Satan’s den, a.k.a. baggage claim. Our irrational optimism that we were entitled to a clean pick-up because of all we had suffered over the past few weeks was slowly drained from us as we were once again the last ones standing around an empty carousel, anxiously looking for our fourth bag (ironically the only backpack that wasn’t stolen on the mountain). After a few more lines, tedious paperwork and the promise that our bag would be delivered to the Kramer’s’ house if a few days, we were finally able to leave the airport.


pictures: parting shots of Vezubuhle

Tribute to Jan: January 9

We spent the morning touring Bundu and visiting with the Nkosi’s. It was then that we learned from Sesi that Jan had committed suicide. Supposedly, he had hung himself in the house after discovering that his bank account had been wiped clean. We can only speculate that one of the oversees job employment agencies that he had been applying to lately had gotten hold of his bank account information and robbed him blind. We will always remember Jan as a proud man with big dreams and aspirations. He was successful in school, landed jobs in the business world and cared deeply for his family. Furthermore, he was always looking for ways to give back to his village, school and family. He volunteered at the local high school in an attempt to start computer classes and was always encouraging his younger sisters. Additionally, he openly accepted us into his life and was always going out of his way to make sure we were comfortable and that we were expanding our knowledge of South African language and culture. From translating entire church services into English, to teaching Joe to cut wood for the stove and prepare traditional foods, to brainstorming ideas on how to improve the community, Jan was always full of life and fun to be around. We will always carry a piece of him in our hearts.
On a slightly more positive note, we got to meet Antocia’s mother and younger brother who were in town for the funeral and we were able to inform the Nkosi’s of our swiftly approaching departure in person. Sesi summed it up best with one line, “Peace Corps can go to hell.” Like everyone else we had told, the Nkosi’s couldn’t understand why we were being sent home instead of being punished in-country. Returning to Vezubuhle, we busied ourselves with preparations for dinner as we had invited all of local PCV’s over in order to say good-bye. It was great to exchange laughs, hugs, vacation stories and appreciation for all of the support over the past few months. Furthermore, we were able to give away handy items that we would not be taking back to the states. Our family friend Linky took off with some whole wheat pasta and a cribbage set. We had a good laugh as to what a five year old would possibly do with two such random items. We are eternally grateful for the time we were able to spend with our friends and family, allowing us a bit of closure to the whole nightmare. We will treasure our Peace Corps memories dearly and have vowed to stay in touch with all of our new friends.

Pictures: Jan Nkosi; touring Bundu; the Nkosi family; dinner preparations

Vezubuhle: Januray 8

Taking our time driving back to Vezubuhle, we stopped at more scenic spots and craft markets. The potholes ended up being the main attraction, not only for their beauty but also for the hilarity of Mrs. Kramer getting her sandal stuck on the visitor center’s roof. While waiting for Kelli’s mom to snap her last few pictures, the four of us decided to see who could flip their sandal the furthest, using only their foot. Realizing that the park was closing and flipping sandals looked more fun than taking pictures, Mrs. Kramer ran up to us excitedly exclaiming that she wanted to play as well. Before we could say a word, she flipped her sandal straight up, landing it on top of the closed visitor’s center. Literally rolling with laughter, we all watched as Joe scaled a nearby tree, traversed the roof and victoriously rescued the sandal. Thank goodness we were the only ones still in the park!
Back home, we spent the afternoon on a leisurely walk around the village. Arriving at the house just as the sun was setting, we played Frisbee and human jungle gym until we couldn’t see each other any more. How do we even begin to explain to these kids that we will be leaving in two days? pictures: the potholes; walking the village; our favorite yard; average house; frisbee fun

Safari Adventure: January 4-7

How do we even begin to describe our three fabulous days of safari rides and walks? Each day began with a 5am wake-up call for the 3-4 hour morning safari ride, complete with hot drinks and snacks. Upon returning to camp, we would recount the ride over a humongous breakfast. The days were filled with naps, dips in the pool, games, short safari walks around camp, and lunch before departing on our 4-5 hour evening safari ride. After enjoying a sunset drink in the bush, we would return to our camp for dinner and a peaceful sleep before repeating it all over again the following day. Although our guide was more than a little pompous (we nicknamed him lord of the bush), he worked hard with our ranger to find the big five for us: leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant and lion. It was beyond our belief that they would announce what we were looking for at the beginning of the ride and after a few careful hours of tracking, we would inevitably find what we were looking for. Incredible. The big five break-down:
- Leopard: We tracked the leopard for roughly two hours before finally finding this elusive and very hard to see animal. We were able to follow her for 10 – 15 minutes before she dipped into a ravine too steep for the jeep to navigate. What a treat! - Buffalo: We saw buffalo on almost every ride, although that did not diminish our excitement in the least. The symbiotic relationship between the oxpecker and the buffalo was fun to watch, especially when the birds seemed to be picking the buffalo’s nose. - Rhino: A ‘bolter’, we were very lucky to catch a fleeting glimpse of this dangerous animal. Our guides explained that these rhinos tended to run away from the sound of jeeps, conditioned after being hunted for so long. Unsatisfied with our glimpse of the rhino crossing the road, our guide convinced us to try and track the animal on foot. To our relief, we did not see the rhino again and quickly returned to the safety of the jeep. - Elephant: We saw many elephants on our rides, constantly awed by their immense bulk and power. The highlight was watching a large male gorge himself on armarillos from a tree he had recently pulled to the ground. - Lions: Not only did we see lions, we were smack-dab in the middle of an evening lion hunt! Catching a tip from another guide, we sped to the last know location of the 3 lionesses and cub. As we pulled into the field overrun with impala, our guide cut the lights as we listened to the lions take down two impala. Navigating by the sounds of their crunching, we were able to watch the lions eat their catch, undisturbed by our spotlight. Furthermore, we caught up with the well-nourished group the following morning sleeping off their meal. Not officially a member of the big five (so named for their difficulty to hunt) we also saw the rarely spotted cheetah and her cub stuffing themselves on their recent kill. Although the larger, elusive animals were a thrill to see, we enjoyed spotting the lesser-known and more commonplace animals just as much. A few of the highlights included a black mamba, zebra, giraffes, lilac-breasted rollers, hippos, giant millipedes, chameleons, scorpions, spiders and hundreds of impala. Being so close to so many wild animals lent itself to feelings of incredibility and we had to constantly remind ourselves that this was not a Disney ride but the real deal.

Sightseeing: January 3

The day was spent sightseeing on the way to our safari lodge. We took in two more waterfalls, the pinnacle and God’s window. Complying with the obsessive shoppers, we also stopped at every roadside craft market along the way. Mrs. Kramer made it up to Joe by surprising him with a gigantic wooden hippo which he ironically named buthakathaka (“weak” in Ndebele). Although our extended sightseeing prevented us from joining the evening safari ride, we were satisfied with the elephant, giraffe, zebra and impala we had seen on our drive into the lodge. Touring the safari camp, we excitedly settled into the rustic lodge (no electricity) which would serve as our home for the next few days.

pictures: three rondavales; the pinnacle; Joe's hippo; Akeru safari lodge

Hippo Hollow: January 2

We spent the day driving east towards the game parks, stopping at a few scenic waterfalls along the route. Although Kelli’s back restricted her to lying down in the back seat, she frequently popped up to view the changing landscape following “oohs” and “ahhs” from the family. Climbing the mountains, the arid dust quickly transformed into lush green vegetation and farm lands. We couldn’t help but marvel at the diversity of a relatively small country. To Joe’s delight, the evening was spent at Hippo Hollow Resort. Quickly chucking our luggage into our rooms, we ran to the river, cameras aimed and ready. Just as we decided that the whole place was a hoax, Kelli’s sister spotted some “moving rocks”. Sure enough, there was a pair of hippos munching on the tall grass. We watched in awe until they quietly slipped back up the river, satisfied with our sighting. Preparing for bed, we once again received more bad news via phone. Esther SMSed us to let us know that she was in the hospital for her diabetes. Joe was able to speak to her on the phone and found out that after visiting the doctor for weakness, she had been sent to the hospital because of her low blood sugar. She assured us that she was feeling better and would be home in a few days. Despite our usually optimistic outlook, we couldn’t help but wonder how much worse it could get.

pictures: Horseshoe falls; dinner with the hippos

Beach Bums: January 1

Like everyone else in the Cape Town vicinity, we spent the morning at the beach. We marveled at the mass of humanity: the streets, parking lots, walkways, beaches, and swimming areas were packed. People were on rocks, under buses, overflowing cabanas and piled on blankets. Finally finding a parking space, we enjoyed a leisurely walk along a beachside path before heading back to the airport. Thankfully, travel back to Vezubuhle was uneventful and we were even blessed with an upgrade of our rental car, a BMW mini-van.

pictures: Happy New Year!; a million miles from our village...

Crafts, Ostrige and New Year’s: December 31

We began New Year’s Eve at a traditional crafts market. Although the Kramer’s had already purchased a car full of souvenirs, we had not yet been inspired to claim anything as our own. That is until Joe spotted the hand-carved chess sets. Running back and forth between stands, haggling prices and handling every single piece, Joe finally decided on a board and accompanying stand. Happy with our purchases, we set off to explore a near-by ostridge farm (Kelli’s mom loves them and we really couldn’t argue as she was footing the bill). Although we were more than a little skeptical, we ended up having a blast. Paying for the guided tour, we learned all about the fascinating birds, had the opportunity to feed them, tested the strength of their eggs by standing on one, marveled at the cuteness of the little ones, and even got to sit on one. On our way out, one greedy ostrige made a fleeting attempt to snag Mr. Kramer’s watch, leaving us rolling with laughter. Good times. The evening was spent trying to digest a five course meal, each one larger than the previous and enjoying fireworks from our room at the bed and breakfast. Reflecting on the rocky end to 2006, we allowed ourselves to fantasize about an outstanding 2007.

Heartbreak and Penguins: December 30

The day began with a heartbreaking phone call from our host family in Bundu. Although the connection was really bad, we were able to discern that our brother Jan had died. The family wanted us to come to the funeral, but we had to unfortunately inform them that we would still be in Cape Town. Promising to visit them when we retuned, we offered our sympathies and tried to stifle the hundreds of questions that were running through our heads. Suppressing our sorrow, we once again escaped from reality in the adventures of travel.

Deciding to take full advantage of the day, we made plans to drive to the point. Piling into the rental car, we had a great time taking in the landscape and stopping at every craft stand and lookout point. Our first big stop was at Boulders where we marveled at the penguins. Braving the ocean at a public beach, Kelli, Joe and Kelli’s mom joined a group of penguins on a nearby rock in order to get some close-ups. We then entered the national park where we were treated to hundreds of penguins- in the brush, on the beach and even a few swimming. They all either seemed to be sitting on a nest or helping to build one. We were fascinated and had to be lured away with the prospect of making it to the point with enough time to do a few short hikes.

Although very crowded, Cape Point was spectacular. We took the cable car to the lighthouse where we enjoyed majestic views of the ocean and surroundings. Braving the wind, we enjoyed a short walk to the tip in order to view the newer lighthouse. Closer to the ocean, the view back at the older lighthouse on the edge of the cliff was stunning. Meandering back up the coast, we devoured a late-night Thai dinner before once again snuggling into bed.




















pictures: road-side craft market; penguins; cape point

Cape Town: December 29

After a quick flight down to Cape Town, we found ourselves at an incredible bed and breakfast with four days to explore what Lonely Planet lists as one of the top 200 cities in the world. Although a little disappointed that all of the Robin Island trips were booked, we were confronted with more than enough activities to keep us busy. The evening provided us with a perfect opportunity to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain where we took in the views and caught a spectacular sunset.

Recovery: December 28

Joe spent a horrible night sick with body cramps, chills, profuse sweating, splitting headaches and extreme fatigue and weakness. Kelli did the best she could helping him to the bathroom, wetting rags, and making sure buckets were on hand, wondering the whole night if a trip to the hospital was necessary. Joe convinced Kelli to hold off on the hospital and was actually able to sleep most of the day. Due to jet lag, the Kramer’s also spent a large portion of the day in bed.

The big excitement for the day came in the form of flying rats. Standing in the hallway speaking to her parents in the extra bedroom, Kelli kept hearing splats from the end of the hall. Finally distracted enough to investigate, she discovered five newborn rats on the floor. Pondering where they had come from, Kelli looked up just in time to see another rat falling from the ceiling, landing inches from her feet. Apparently there was a rat in our ceiling euthanizing her babies as they were being born. Never a dull moment. While Joe continued to recover, Kelli took her family on a relaxing walk around the village. Her parents and sister loved trying out their newly learned Ndebele and seeing all the places that Kelli had talked about over the past few months. We met some very nice villagers and were even invited to tour the house and property of one very proud woman. Making it home just before dusk, we cooked up a lovely meal which was enjoyed by both families.

Victoria Falls: December 27

We spent the morning touring the falls (have we mentioned that Victoria Falls are one of the seven natural wonders of the world?) with our new friend from the U.K. We decided against an organized tour and instead took our time exploring the trials and snapping lots of pictures. Each bend in the trail seemed to provide an even better view and the only reason we didn’t take more pictures was the fact that we had to keep hiding the camera to protect it from the spray. Unbeknownst to us, we had picked an ideal time to view the falls: mid-flow. During high flow, the mist obscures the view of the bottom and many of the waterfalls disappear during low flow periods. After a few rejuvenating hours, we began our journey back to Vezubuhle.

Just as we pulled into the airport, we realized that we had forgotten our rafting video at the backpackers. Eek! The shuttle driver calmed us down by telling us that her colleague would be returning in an hour and would bring it for us. We then fought over a now illegal $25 tax, paid it in frustration, got ripped off on postcard stamps and finally boarded our plane. Everything went smoothly (Kelli was even able to get a visitor’s visa) until we hit the baggage claim. For those of you who have heard our airport baggage claim horror stories, you understand our hatred. An all too familiar scenario found us as some of the last people anxiously waiting for our bag after the carousel had shut off. We tried to remain calm as we realized that our remaining possessions were probably lost somewhere in southern Africa. After an hour of waiting and trying to figure out where our bag was, the airport staff finally discovered that the carousel had broken and the remaining bags were sitting downstairs.

It turned out we weren’t in that big of a hurry since the Kramer’s plane had been delayed and we had over an hour before they were due to land. Keeping ourselves entertained with airport games, we finally met up with the Kramer’s and were ready to begin yet another adventure. The first obstacle was getting to our village. Kelli’s dad bravely maneuvered the rental car onto the left side of the road and despite four backseat drivers, a crummy map and a couple of wrong turns; we finally made it to the village. Ma and Dora gave us all a warm welcome. After a brief tour of the house and lessons in bucket baths we crashed into bed.

Class V Adrenaline Rush: December 26

Awaking from some crazy Larium (malaria medication) dreams, we excitedly dressed and pumped ourselves up for a day of rafting. Kelli was a bit scared about her back as it was still in constant pain, but couldn’t let that stand in her way of rafting one of the most exciting rivers in the world. Popping some ibuprofen and dousing ourselves in sun block, we were ready for anything.

The tour began with a pleasant breakfast where we signed away our lives and were scared speechless by the safety talk. Shakily grabbing our helmets and paddles, we re-convinced ourselves that this would indeed be fun. A short walk straight down into the canyon found us on the bottom of the falls, staring at the first of 26 rapids. We were also treated to a view of a brave bungee jumper plunging off the bridge spanning the canyon and numerous micro flights zipping around the falls. We were surrounded by crazy people.

Kelli immediately informed our guide of her metal implants and assured him that she was feeling good about the trip. He kindly responded by making sure to pull her into the raft first after a flip or a swim. Following a quick review of rafting commands and a brief test, we were ready for the first rapids, or so the six of us thought. In order not to be smashed to bits by the looming rock wall, we had to power across the first rapid. Confused by the wrong commands shouted by our guide, we quickly found ourselves gulping water and swimming for the raft. Scared by the rude awakening, we all scrambled back into the raft, ready to try again.

Our second attempt went off without a hitch and we soon fell into a rhythm of crazy paddling through class IV and V rapids followed by enough of a lull to catch our breaths and get to know our fellow rafters. Three of the other rafters were from Canada, volunteering and working in Africa through an organization called the VSO (Volunteer Service Overseas). They explained the organization as the Canadian equivalent to the Peace Corps without government interference and stifling rules. After sharing our story, one of the women, a staff member for the VSO’s main office in Canada, said that we should look into an in-country transfer to the VSO as they were always looking for qualified volunteers. (Kelli had a little bit of a hard time imagining any sort of future as she became increasingly convinced that she was not going to make it out of the canyon alive with each new rapid.) Our fourth rafter was a friendly man from the UK at the end of an African vacation full of scuba diving and sightseeing.
Although we had a few close calls, we only flipped once more. After a quick lunch, the river calmed down a bit and we were even able to swim a few rapids and catch glimpses of small crocodiles, colorful birds, deer, lizards and the elusive Zambezi rock, spotted by Joe =). Thankful to still be alive (one of the other rafters had been evacuated on a stretcher at lunch after a long swim and a terrible shock), we exited the canyon via rotting wood ladders and a pulley operated tram. An hour plus ride along an extremely bumpy dirt road, complete with free drinks and views of primitive bush camps, found us back at the lodge where we enjoyed dinner and the movie of our day. We couldn’t resist buying the video as it was very well put together and would be happy to share it with anyone who wants a good laugh. Returning to the backpackers, we quickly shed our soaked clothing (our bathing suits had been stolen on the mountain) and decided to treat ourselves to a second dinner in town. Although it was already dark, we were assured that it was safe to walk. Nevertheless, we flinched every time someone passed us and couldn’t seem to get comfortable walking in the dark. Understandable since it was the first time that we had left a building after dark since arriving in Africa. We almost gave up after a few wrong turns and our fears started to get the better of us, but were rescued by two locals who kindly guided us to ‘the best burgers in Africa’.

pictures: our put-in location; the bungee bridge; the flip; still alive