29 hours travelled. From start to finish. 3 separate flights. One of which lasted 14 hours and 32 minutes. The longest trip of my life. All with a 10-month-old in tow.
Oof!
What a long haul.
But we made it. Welcome to South Africa!
Before I carry on, I have to give full credit to my son. For a baby, he did exceptionally well. He only cried once on the plane. And maybe for 2 minutes? But only because he was confused about why mom decided to get up from her seat and leave him for a minute or two. Other than that, not a peep. Besides laughter. We received several positive comments about Nathan from our initially concerned seat companions. In all honesty, I can think of no higher compliment as a parent.
Now, on to our destination.
It’s hard to say what my first impressions are. Travelling for nearly a day and a half has made the first few days here more about recovering from intense jet lag than experiencing the country. However, what I have seen is beautiful.
A country filled with wildlife and trees foreign to me. The grass is not grass as I’m familiar with it. In many respects, it’s like walking into a section of Europe, that isn’t Europe. And despite my tiredness, quietness, and possible crankiness from travel, the people have been nothing but friendly and welcoming.
The most noticeable thing so far is how differently they live, despite the glaring similarities – and with some of the things we take for granted. Even though the houses and lots seem, on average, larger than what I’m used to in Canada, the security that goes with it is something else entirely. Bars on the their windows and doors. Gates. Security systems. Ice cream trucks drive down residential streets in which children hardly ever play. It’s taken some getting used to, I’ll admit. It’s still strange. And interesting. But in a country with such a fascinating history – I probably shouldn’t have expected any less.
I’ve had a few days of downtime in Pretoria and Johannesburg to relax and recover.
There’s much to discover here, and I look forward to experiencing what the other side of the world has to offer.
Next stop, Jeffreys Bay!
The CJBuzz 