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on John and Dinah with VSO in Namibia (Namibia), 07/Jun/2009 14:53, 34 days ago
I really don't know where to begin. Our lives in Mpungu are continuing almost as a background to all the dramatic events that keep happening in the rest of our lives. It is very difficult to focus properly on the job we came to do. Even as I write John is due at Heathrow to fly back here from yet another funeral.We got news before the end of last term that John's best friend, Hywel, had been shot in the Bahamas. He had taken two shots to the head and was still alive but horribly injured. Mercifully he died about a month later. He had been due to give evidence in a court case and the suspicion was that this was to prevent him from doing so. It really is like the plot from a movie and not something we expect in our lives at all. It hit J very badly as he loved Hywel like a brother. We didn't have a best man at our wedding as Hywel was unable to come. He later said we were very lucky as all the weddings where he'd been best man (several) ended in divorce! He was already living in the Bahamas when I met him so although I saw him several times (and spent holidays over there with him) I decided not to go to the funeral. Also I felt I couldn't take more time off work and I really couldn't face having to say goodbye again. I found it very difficult to keep tearing myself away and the actual parting is almost physically painful.We had planned to go down to S Africa for the May holiday and despite this harrowing news set off determined to try and have a good time. We drove down to Cape Town and I must say it was a beautiful drive. We stayed in a back-packers place and they told us it was OK to park outside as there was a security guard. However our car got stolen. We were bemused to find it gone and it took several futile looks up and down the street before we accepted it really wasn't there. Now we are back (courtesy of friends and the Intercape bus) and claiming on our insurance. Hope that will be OK. We have bought a car from friends (Barbara&Addie) who are returning to England on Tues. after being here nearly 4 years. They are meeting J in Windhoek to hand it over when he gets in tomorrow. We feel we can't really manage here without a car. The only good thing about all the real troubles we've had is that we can see this in proportion (kind of).We had planned to visit the Cape Peninsula, Wine area, garden route, Robben Island and Table Mountain. We were able to hire a car and did all of this and it was really great although J was not himself at all, and had a couple of minor accidents (a fall, and a crack on the head) which is very untypical of him. However we both managed to enjoy ourselves. The highlight was actually a lovely guesthouse we stayed in in Wilderness along the Garden Route where the birds were fantastic (the one in the picture is a sunbird) and we enjoyed a couple of wonderful walks. This was sort-of training for our 3-day hike in the Fish River Canyon which was the grand finale of the trip and supposed to be on our way back. In fact we zoomed past on the Intercape and then doubled back with B&A who walked with us.There were 8 people in our party, 4 very fit Germans and 4 rather unfit VSOs. In fairness our male contingent would have been alright but Addie got sick one day and John developed a horrible blister which made the last day a real trial for him. Barbara and I were just generally a bit slower and I really can't wait to get some serious exercise and regain my pre-Namibia olympian form! It was a wonderful walk however. The first day we walked away from the river but ended up camping next to it. I prefered the next 2 days where the river was never far away and we could paddle, swim and drink when heat and thirst got too much. We had mules to carry our stuff and I was really glad not to have done it the hard way. We also had lovely meals prepared and excellent, very knowledgeable and helpful guides and tents put up for us. The last camp site was the best and the loo there was open to a wonderful view of the canyon. Thoroughly recommended to keen walkers.The whole holiday was crowned by perfect weather (when we didn't have fog in Cape Town!) as you can see from our pictures. It was sunny but not hot, like England in May (if you're lucky).Now I have had a week here on my own and everyone has been very supportative. I take my hat off to Julie who was here for her whole placement alone. It was complicated by the fact I got a tooth abscess so spent Wed. feeling terrible and then visited dentist on Sat and spent that day recovering.To finish on a positive note. My learners in Grade 12 are doing a statistics project and doing a survey on themselves. One of the questions was which was their favourite subject and 2/3 chose Maths. Either they are terrified, or sycophantic or maybe they do (or some do) really like Maths! I felt very pleased anyway.Good to be back.THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE THE AUTHOR'S OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF VSO.