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.