Africa Again

I’m in South Africa 4 days now!!

The trip from home to O’Hare in the Chicagoland area didn’t take any time at all. Has to have been the fastest ride to the airport I have ever taken. NOT a single orange road construction barrel out there!!!! It is an unusual occurrence for a Chicagoland Interstate Toll Road… and has to be a first since I’ve lived here. So I checked my bags, (which were considerably under weight), got through TSA without a hitch and proceeded to the gate; where, since I was early, waited 2 hours to board the plane. The flight was uneventful… on United which is saying a lot.

So for all the talk about long lines and cramped travel…. I noticed that both Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles are deserted. Not many travelers on the concourses; at least in Terminal C at O’Hare or Terminal B in Dulles. They say the plane is full going from N American Continent to the Dark Continent… but I did manage to have my seat switched from a center to an aisle…. Would have preferred a window, but I hate centers… You never get an arm rest in the middle.


The plane to Africa was full. There were 1 or 2 vacant seats, but of course not next to me!!! I don’t know if it is just me or what, but on flights in the US I just about freeze to death. I always take a light jacket to put on. The flights to Africa are warm, very warm; I just about roast. But I got here in one piece and in great shape. I landed at my final destination at 10 pm on Wednesday evening. I left O’Hare at 11 am on Tuesday!!! I did manage to get a fitful 5 or so hours of nap time on the plane which left me in good shape to catch up easily with a regular nights sleep.


On Thursday I got through the whole day without a nap!!!! Surprised everyone with the quick body clock turn around. I got unpacked and discovered that TSA had searched one of my bags and somewhere the other bags lock and the tabs the lock goes through were broken completely off, and the contents of my bag had been gone through…. Nothing missing as far as I can tell. But the one bag will be history when I get back to the states.

After I unpacked, I took a walk on the beach and promenade. It was hot and a bit humid. I even got a little sunburn. I took a couple of photos. One of the pictures is of the beach. This is the South African summer, so school is out and this is the major holiday/vacation spot for many South Africans and some from interior countries too. So the beaches fill up, the umbrellas are toe to toe, and there are lots of people on the beach, as you can see in the photo. (To see more photo detail or a larger version, remember, just click on the photo and it will take you to a larger view.)

I snapped a portrait of an African Daisy again, but this time with a bee. I like the shot.

On Friday, I had to go over to one of the local resorts to look into a rental car. They have a small pond with some Macaws (Scarlets and Blue and Golds) with a small pond with some Wood Ducks. I really liked the face on this guy.

The Indian Ocean is rife with sharks, but there are also Whales and Dolphins. So the other morning looking out the window I spotted a pod of Dolphins. Not that you can tell that much from the picture, but it is Dolphins.

And last but not least today, we went to a flea market/street market, where mostly handmade goods are sold. Mostly African, but there were some East Indian stalls with food and clothing, some linens and some Tupperware too! I picked up a couple of things… but I didn’t go hog wild. I know we will be going to some other places, so I save a couple of dollars/rand to spend elsewhere.

I took one other picture, a red hibiscus flower. It bordered an old garden along the waterfront. Since South Africa will be hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup (Soccer), they are in the midst of fixing up lots of public areas. I think that along with the waterfront, the garden is also getting some attention, it was fenced off and not really looking to well cared for.

Christmas will find us at a Farm, celebrating with a very large eclectic 'family' of friends. We will be semi camping in the wilds. I can't wait to see some more of Africa.

I hope everyone that reads this has a joyous Christmas!!!

and as always-

More Later!!!

Preparations

Yes I have been quiet. I have been sitting on my hands. Well that is not really true. I have been very busy getting ready to spend the holidays away from the cold. Far, far away from the cold, actually where it is SUMMER!!! Of course I will change my mind and wish for cooler temperatures, shortly. Here -Near Chicago it is cold. I’m sure everyone in other parts of the US is aware, because half of the news broadcasts are about the cold and snow in the mid-section of the country. We didn’t get the feet of snow that other areas around us received (Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan), -nope just a few inches, which already look a bit dirty and bedraggle. Of course we had rain first which turned to sleet which turned back to rain then froze with a layer of snow on top. Talk about treacherous driving conditions.



So what has been going on in the meantime? Well I have the baby quilt quilted and the binding machine stitched down, hand work will be done next week. I have the wreath quilt also quilted and the binding machine stitched also, and again hand work will commence next week. Today I will start on my 4” x 4” Crazy Quilt Squares, so I will have something to work on by hand once the bindings are done. I have one smaller project to complete, 2 -4” 4 patches for a baby quilt being done for a Pickle Road Yahoo Group Member. I think picking the fabrics will take the most time. We are supposed to think… Crayola.


Last week I hosted my Bee’s holiday party. What was I thinking when I volunteered? Anyway, we had a potluck that was absolutely delicious. Not much in the way of leftovers. So we are all really good cooks or starving… I think it was more along the lines of good cooks!!!


I also went to another holiday party… These ladies are all Longarm Quilters. I was invited to join, by a friend, when I was looking into purchasing a longarm machine. Well that has all changed because I am not home as much and my so called budget has been spent on plane tickets and kennels for the dog. Anyway it was a very fun afternoon. The best part, for me was when, one of the ladies pulled out a printout from the Internet of something she wanted to make!!! It was from my Flickr page, and was the Mariners Compass I did as the center for a Round Robin a couple of years ago, (it’s not done yet)… Anyway I am flattered….. and my head swelled for a nanosecond, but hey it was a compliment!!!


I have shipped a small fake Christmas tree, battery operated LED lights and ornaments by mail along with lots of other Christmas stuff. It will be like being in San Diego again for Christmas. I have not idea what else we will do for the actual holidays... but it will be different and the is good.
More later....
The countdown begins… So my next post will be from South Africa!!! Hopefully with pictures…