Arrival in South Africa

I had to wait for quite a while, uncertain whether I was even was even in the right queue. Apparently I was though and after being scanned for Ebola with a thermal camera, security let me through and I collected my suitcase. 

My cousin Tommy and his girlfriend Nicole picked me up and drove me to his mother’s – my aunt – Rynette’s place in Pretoria. My aunt’s boyfriend Diets and his son Werner and daughter-in-law Altea were waiting there with my aunt and my other cousin Wynand. We all chatted in the bright sun – quite different from Dutch weather – while my aunt Rynette made a fantastic Sunday dinner: chicken, beef, pumpkin, potatoes and salad.

Tommy, Nicole, Werner and Altea left soon after. Wynand needed smokes so I went with him to the store – he went without shoes (!). Everyone was a bit tired so we all caught a short nap before my other aunt and uncle came to pick me up.

My aunt Zanne, my uncle Burgert and cousin AJ (10) picked me up and we drove to Odendaalsrus, where I’d be staying for a week. It’s about a 3.5 hour drive on a good evening. It wasn’t a good evening… The thunderstorm was visible for ages before we drove into the rain. It was like a disco – flashes through the  sky every few seconds all over the horizon. When the rain finally started I swore Burgert couldn’t even see through the rain, it was coming down that hard.

When we finally arrived at their farm, their eldest daughter Zandri (16) was waiting for us. Saskia (13) and their youngest Burgert Jr. A.K.A. “Boetie” (4) woke up just for a hug and went back to bed. Everyone followed shortly.