6 December 2024

Hi Shingy,

Msafiri and Shingy

Eighteen months ago, in June 2023, I wrote to you when we finished the Camino Frances. Since then, I have sat on the study's bookcase, hoping for a new adventure. 

You might remember that I ended that letter with these words: "It is always sad when a good thing ends, but then the next good thing can start." Make no mistake; since then, many good things have happened and some sad stuff. But I am glad to tell you the next good thing is about to start.

Thinking about the last eighteen months.

We are all eighteen months older. It has just now dawned on me that the youngest is only eighteen months old, and others are 46 times eighteen months older. 

Eish, how quickly time passes. It reminds me of this verse:
"Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

All of us are hopefully wiser. If some are not, they should pray for more.

During this time, I also saw more grey hair appear, even on you.

Some of us have less grey hair, but it is because we have lost some of it along the way.

Some are slower, which is a patience builder for others.

Some hear less, but the reason might be that others are talking softer.

Some have to drink more pills; I do not know anyone who does less.

OK, let's stop looking back and focus on the near future.

We are going on a hike, and I am sure it will be a whale of a time.
Can you guess where we are going? 

The plan is to hike the Whale Trail starting on 15 December.    

Many years ago, before I or you became part of the family, Punda, Mpanzi, and Barika hiked the Whale Trail. Punda says he cannot remember when it happened, but it was at least 20 years ago. In those days, you carried all your gear on your back. But you know, as time passes, things change. I see Punda and Mpanzi are thrilled to do this trail in Slackpack mode. 

Let me introduce you to our group. Since I have not given most people in our group nicknames, I will use their real names. 

Christo and Nelda Diedericks have been friends of ours since 2000. Nelda is the organizer, or instigator, of this hike. 

Louis and Hanlie Roos have been our friends since we were in varsity. They hiked the Whale Trail with us many years ago.

Trevor and Janet Joubert. We only got to know them when they planned to walk the Camino in Spain last year.

Valeri van Eck, we met only once, if my memory is correct.

Elna van der Merwe, Valeri's friend, which we must still meet.

The last four are my close family: 

I call Kobus Punda because he strolls and stops frequently. 

Belinda's nickname is Mpanzi, which means 'planter. ' Fortunately, it describes her well because I misspelt her name at the beginning of our stories. It should have been Mpenzi, which means 'lover.' 

I call Talita Barika, which means 'blessings.' She is Punda and Mpanzi's daughter.

Barika is married to Josh Smit, whom I named Rafiki. It means a friend. He is a friend to all who get to know him. 

You have noticed some changes in the house during the last few days. Did you see the strange-looking bed that replaced the old one in the study? See the photo below; I climbed in to find out what it is. It is called a camping cot, and I hear a second one is on its way. I heard Mpanzi is preparing for special guests that will arrive for Christmas. When we return from the Whale Trail, I must write to inform you about these special guests.

For who is this camping cot?

Talking about Mpanzi, it is her birthday tomorrow! 

Shingy, since you cannot write, I will speak a few words to Mpanzi on our behalf and Punda's. 

Mpanzi,

We want to congratulate you on your birthday. It is a great privilege to have you in our lives. Thanks for all you are and do, caring for us and making the house and garden the best, most beautiful place in the world for us. The garden is a joy to us, with all the lovely flowers and hiding places, especially if Bagheera is here. All the fresh herbs that make our meals so much tastier. Thanks for making the best delicious meals, looking out for our health, checking that we take our medication on time, and drinking enough water. Thanks for the effort you make to keep our families connected. Thanks for all the adventures we could share with you. Shingy says she is very thankful to you for all those times sitting on your lap.

May the next year be filled with blessings, joy, peace, love, wisdom, good health and adventures. Much love from all of us.

 

Shingy is on Mpanzi's lap.

Cheers.
Msafiri

Lifted high

23 April 2023

Hi Shinghy,

I hope you and Bagheera do get along very well  with Louis and Estelle. Be kind to them; you will be housemates for forty-five days. I am looking forward to hearing a good report when we come back.

Let me tell you about our experiences during the last three days, which was also the first three of our journey. During this time we have been uplifted in more than one sense.

The first uplift (if I may use such a word) was flying from Cape Town to OR Tambo. On departure, it was interesting to hear the captain saying "liftoff" and not"takeoff," but then the airline's name is Lift. We were lifted high into the sky, and then our spirits were lifted higher by Lift offering a complimentary glass of wine. The other airline we sometimes use does not do that!

On our first evening here in Pretoria, the celebration of Mwanba's birthday was another uplifting experience. If I remember correctly, it was the first time that Mwambo's and Malaika's families got together as an extended family to celebrate a birthday. You can see all of us in the photo taken at the restaurant.

For the ladies in the family, the next upliftment was the baby shower for Malaika and the coming twins. I was not on the guest list but took the liberty to gatecrash the party. What  a beautiful occasion! Here are some pictures.

Barika and Rafiki left earlier today and and are now on their way to Barcelona. They are going to watch the Moto GP in Jerez next weekend. We wil meet them in Logrono on the second of May when they and Mwambo will join us on the Camino for a few days.

Later today, Mwambo and Malaika will give us a lift to the airport, where Dadatu will join us for the flight to Paris and Biarritz in France. I don't think the Air France pilot will say "liftoff" like the Lift pilot. But we will be lifted high into the sky again.  So many uplifting experiences!

Cheers for now, the next letter will be written from France, or maybe from Spain.

Msafiri

Ready to go

19 April 2023

Hi Shingy,

I am ready to go. Do you see I have my own backpack for this trip? Mpanzi made me two new jackets and a scarf to wear as the occasion requires.  I will wear red during the day, blue for the evenings, and white for sleeping.

We checked and rechecked our gear and travel documentation. Punda is a nervous flyer. Thus I need to remind him to stay calm. I like this line from the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel "Everything will be alright in the end, if it is not alright then it is not yet the end."

We will soon fly to Pretoria on the first leg of our adventure. There we will celebrate Mwambo's birthday and have a baby shower for Malaika. I will write to you afterward about that.

Cheers

Msafiri

Why Mwambo is so happy.

17 April 2023

Hi Shinghy,

In my letter of 21 February, I promised to tell you why Mwamba looked so happy. See him smiling in the photo.

But this was only half of the story. See the complete picture below.

You can see Mwamba and his sweet wife having a happy moment. This photo was taken on 9 February 2023. They were celebrating the good news that she was pregnant with twins! Now you know why he was, and still is, beaming.

You will now understand why Mwanba's wife is not joining us on the Camino. But I still want to give her a nickname. Thus in my letters, I will refer to her as Malaika; in Swahili, it means "angel."

In three days, Punda, Mpanzi, Barika, Rafiki, and I are starting the first leg of our long-anticipated adventure. We fly from Cape Town to Pretoria, where we will stay for three days. The main event during these three days is the baby shower for Malaika, the twins expecting mum. What a happy moment that will be!

Since baby showers are usually a female gathering, I asked Mwambo what the men would do. His suggestion was enthusiastically accepted by myself, Punda, and Rafiki. We are going to a shooting range for some fun target shooting. On our previous visit, Barika was the champion shooter. This time Rafiki will have to show some style to do as well as she did.

Now I must go to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day preparing the house for our friends who is coming to look after you and Bagheera. We must also do the final packing and Mpanzi must finish my new blue and white travel jackets.

Cheers.

Msafiri

Also posted here: 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0CpyX4ajyg7GVH9DZpF2DqpZaqpu6tEPEK5t4KvpvFNZzzhChQGbqDQqwKfWbMyctl&id=100001362231767&mibextid=Nif5oz

The joy of walking in nature.

15 April 2023 
Hi Shinghy,

Two weeks ago, in My previous letter, I bemoaned the fact that Punda did not take me on training walks.

Did you mention it to him? 

Since that time, joy has returned to my life. I have joined him and Mpanzi on several outings.

On top of Dorst Berg.

On one outing to Jonkershoek with their friends Christo and Nelda, they discussed their love of walking in nature.

Mpanzi and Nelda in Jonkershoek

I heard them talking about why it is so satisfying to walk in nature. They agreed: All your senses receive positive input in those circumstances. You feel the sun, wind and rain. You see the beauty all around. You smell the plants and the earth. You hear the sound of nature, birds singing, water running over rocks in a stream, the wind in the grass and, best of all, the stillness on some days. And lastly, taste your favourite hiking food if you have packed a picnic. 

But, there is always a but; all these fantastic experiences will pass you by if you do not make it your goal to feel, see, smell, listen, taste and receive all the goodness into your soul.

On another outing, this time to Meerendal, Barika and Rafiki joined us for what they called a gear check hike. It was all new backpacks, shoes, t-shirts, pants and hats, like an outdoor fashion parade. Adjustments were made to shoulder straps, hip belts, and shoelaces until everything worked perfectly. The next step is to finalize our packing lists and load it all into our backpacks for the Camino.

Gear check hike at Meerendal

Looking at the resident Rock Kestrel

We have one week left to make all the final arrangements! Do I see some pre-trip jitters in our group! Oh yes, it is always like that.
Goodnight.

A rock story

31 March 2023 

Hi Singhy and Bagheera,

I see you are enjoying sitting on the veranda.

Singhy and Bagheera

In three weeks, we will cross the Pyrenees mountain from Saint Jean Pied du Port to Roncesvalles.  I see the pass is still closed due to snow. l hope the weather change before we get there. 

Can I ask you a favour, please? 

I feel left behind because Punda does not take me with them on their training walks.

Please remind him that he should be more considerate of my feelings. I would also love to experience what they find so uplifting while walking in the mountains at Jonkershoek nature reserve. Since they are carrying their backpacks to get used to the weight, there is no reason why I can not join them. My weight is such that it will make no difference anyway.

I must say, he does tell me about his experiences, but it is not like being there at the time. 

The other day Punda went hiking on his own, with strict instructions from Mpanzi about what routes he could follow. As far as I can gather, he mostly, with some unplanned and also unbeknown by Mpanzi detours, followed the agreed-on way.

Anyway,  let me tell you about the discussion we had about a rock that he brought back from Jonkershoek.  I asked him why on earth do you add a stone to your backpack. His answer was two-fold; firstly, it was after lunch. Thus, the coffee and sandwich were in his tummy, which made the pack lighter. Adding weight is better for training. 

Secondly, the stone caught his eye due to something interesting. 

Look at the photo of all the whitish rocks that were washed onto the road during a recent storm. What a storm it must have been to move all that gravel down the mountainside! 

Rocks washed into the road.

In the next photo, you will see me sitting beside the chosen rock while Punda talks about it. The stone was cracked, and the two pieces fit neatly. Do you see the dark inside colour?  Only the outer layer is whitish.

Punda said that stone was in a storm and got cracked due to all the rough and tumble coming down that mountain. 

That made him think about what comes out of a man when life gets rougher. Do you then look like the stone, a thin white layer on the outside with much darkness inside?  

My advice is to check yourself to keep the darkness from spilling out and worsening the situation. Before you say something, remember Nicky Gumbell's three gatekeepers for your words. He mentioned these in a daily devotional message: 

1 is it the truth

2 is it kind

3 is it necessary.

Let's try to keep those gatekeepers in place.

I must go now. 

Cheers

Msafiri

Meet Bagheera.

Hi Singhy,

Since our last adventure, Bagheera has become part of our family. Let me introduce this black cat with green eyes to our friends.

Bagheera in Mpansi's spinach bed,

He will be staying with you while we are away in Spain, walking the Camino Frances.

He is a real personality, inquisitive and playful. Always looking around to see what is happening.

He loves to chill out on his back when it is hot.

His tail is very crooked and short. When I asked him what had happened, he said he was born that way. It is a genetic thing in their type. 

It seems to me you two are good buddies. He belongs to Barika and Rafiki. They are travelling to Spain next month to watch the Moto GP race in Jerez. After the Moto GP, they join us on the Camino for one week of walking. I think you two will have a good time together while we are away,

When I met Bahgeera the other day, he rubbed his nose against mine in the same way he does when greeting you.

Noserub greeting each other.

You see, we are good friends.

Bagheera was not very impressed when I told him we are going away for forty days

"What, are you really going away for forty days?"

As I told you, he is full of fun. Just watch this video.

I am sure you and Bahgeera will have a great time while we are away.

Cheers until next time.
Msafiri