Going Home
Well, all good things eventually have to end. After 32,000kms, 14 countries and even a couple of centuries, the day dawned when we had to board our flight back to Canada. It was with mixed emotions that we said our farewells to Israeli. There were feelings of sadness tinged with the excitement of seeing family, friends and dogs again after a long absence. London was spectacular. Spring was in the air and all the parks were ablaze with new the fresh colours of new growth. After the 3 months of desert browns, the bright green grass and brightly colored flowerbeds of Hyde Park were almost blinding. I did the tourist thing, riding the big wheel of the London Eye, taking in museums and visiting some of the famous spots. Four days is really too short a time to spend in Britain, but after eight months of traveling I was ready to return home. Sitting in my economy seat winging across the Arctic Islands, I reflected on the incredible journey we had just completed. I remembered with a chuckle the night we left Calgary with as much hand luggage as most people get checked. I chuckled to myself when I remembered how we thought we had missed our connecting flight to South Africa from Heathrow, and how on our flight to Johannesburg I had looked down at the parched African land below, not quite believing we where about to attempt. Now we had completed it and it felt very satisfying to be part of an exclusive group who had done “Cape to Cairo.”
It was not to long before the Captain informed us that we were descending
into Calgary. I looked out the window and saw the familiar landmarks.
The flat brown prairies, the majestic snow covered Rocky Mountains and
the office blocks of downtown Calgary. It was good to be home again. David,
Marzena, Derek and Iska were all around to greet me. The dogs looked a
little confused but soon were nuzzling up against me and wagging their
tails. I settled into the old familiar couch with a sigh…Africa
seemed so far away but forever etched in my mind. What an adventure. It
would take years to process all we had seen, experienced and felt.
Thank You
The trip we had just completed would not have been possible without the support and generous assistance of a number of people.
Special thanks to:
- Calgary Team
- David and Marzena Feuchtwanger
- Monika Iskra
- Derek Feuchtwanger and Iska Moxom-Emry
- Darcy Widdefield
- Chris Pazarka
- Jeff, Anne and Melanie
- Alan Jochelsohn
- Tony Smith
- Barbara Malutta
- Niel Wagner
- Michele Moss
- Tom Coffman
- South Africa Team
- The Boswell Family
- Basil Crackett
- Margaret Wilson
- Jack Wittles
- Bob and Rosa Wilson
- En Route Team
- James and Lee (Cairo)
- Nico (Namibia)
- Amanuel Yetayew, Translator (Ethiopia)
- Antaneh Alemu, Nurse (Ethiopia)
- Uri Bundy and family
- Staff at the Canadian Embassy in Addis Abba, Ethiopia
- Fellow Overlanders
- Betty and Gerhard (Netherlands)
- Mark and Blanca (UK and Spain)
- Ivan and Rachel (UK)
- Tony (Canada)
- Leon and Pitta (South Africa)
- Henning and Anna (Germany)
- Bill and Carol (UK)
- Richard and Camilla (UK)
- Heidi and Kuhn (Belgium)
- All other family, friends, and colleagues whose support, wishes, and prayers gave us strength
Top Ten!
- Gorilla Trekking, Rwanda
A truly awe inspiring experience being in the presence of these gentle giants.
- African Rift Valley specifically Lake Malawi.
Nature's spectacle creating undiscovered gems.
- Namib Desert, especially Sossusvlei and Sandwich Harbor, Namibia
The world's oldest desert and its towering shifting and silent dunes.
- Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
A garden of Eden.
- Water Holes in Etosha Pan, Namibia
A special place to watch wildlife interact.
- Elephants in Chobe, Botswana
Intelligent and emotive creatures at the waters edge.
- Lalibela, Ethiopia
Ancient churches still living, hewn out of solid rock.
- Nubian Desert, Sudan
Where you can see forever and feel how small you really are.
- White Desert, Egypt
Stunningly beautiful.
- Wadi Ram and Petra, Jordan
Soft desert sands contrasted with towering ocherous cliffs and ancient dwellings.
What Africa Taught Us!
- If you believe (and plan), you can achieve magnificent things.
- One can live with very little.
- People who have the least are often the most generous.
- People are naturally curious, friendly and helpful.
- Wilderness still exists.
- Err on the side of caution when it comes to global warming.
- Teamwork is very powerful.
- Fear is an acronym standing for False Expectations Appearing Real.
- Aid Agencies are complicated businesses, creating many unintended consequences.
- There is an alternative to consumerism.
- Our opinions are not that important.
- There are millions of stars in the sky.
- Attitude is everything.
- Canada is well loved in Africa.
- Africans are resilient.
- Having too many rules takes all the fun out of life.
- News is only a very small part of the story.
- Made in Africa solutions are necessary.
- Doing the right thing will get you a long way.
- Sign language is very powerful.
- Muslims and Christians get along very well.
- Animals are precious.
