T.I.A.

T.I.A. stands for This Is Africa. And, boy, was it ever...

You didn't think my final post on our South African adventure would be Vermox, did you? The truth is, I have found it rather difficult to write a "final" post on such an exciting chapter of our lives.

There is an old saying that goes like this: "you only cry two times in Africa. Once when you arrive and once when you leave. But they say the second time is much harder and longer." I must say that I agree.

When I reflect upon our time in South Africa, I realize that I never thought I’d call the country my home, even if only temporarily. I admit that the cultural differences, alarming crime rates, and peculiarities of the people were challenging to adjust to, but we did it AND we had a lot of fun along the way.

I thought about writing a post about how much living in South Africa touched our lives, but I decided to let our photos do the talking instead. I hope you enjoy the highlights of our adventures in ZA!!!!

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Our first big adventure was getting to pet a lion cub. Oh, and Mat's infamous lion attack:

Learning to flyfish in Dullstroom was another first for us:

An amazing trip to Durban:

Adjusting to the annoying and very loud cry of the African Hadeda bird:

Stalking zebras in our golf community. Well, Jess stalked the zebras and Mat just played along to make her happy:

Seeing the Big 5 (and other amazing animals) on safari topped the list of our coolest adventures:

Jess's mom coming to visit was another highlight. She got to share in several adventures including the cheetah run and petting:

Our trips to Cape Town and Stellenbosch were unforgettable:

After years of watching the New Zealand rugby team do the Haka war dance, we got to see it live at the South Africa Springboks vs. New Zealand All Blacks game with Anton and Candice:

On Christmas Eve, Santa even brought us our very own duck (who we named St. Nick):

We got to WALK AN ELEPHANT and I got an elephant-sized smooch:

And then came our most adrenaline-charged adventure: cage diving with the Great White Sharks!

But, it wasn't all fun and games. Weird electric outlets, dirty water, hijacking hotspots on the highways, massive potholes, slam gates, and incessant burning made life challenging:

Although, the high crime rates allowed Mat to practice his sniper skills (while wearing his camo Crocs):

But the most beautiful sunsets South of Santorini made us temporarily forget about the quirks:

Things I won’t miss about South Africa include power outlets and how every appliance seems to use a different plug. I will not miss paper towels, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap that rips to shreds before you use it. I will not miss road signs that say “hijacking hotspot” and “crime hotspot.” I will not miss the need for a JoJo watertank and generator. I will not miss living behind slam gates, high voltage and barbed wire. I will not miss crooked police officers and I will absolutely NOT miss the minibus taxis that run you off the road!!!!!! Or Eskom and Telkom. I won’t miss potholes so large they could swallow our Toyota Corolla in one gulp. I will also not miss the possibility of seeing a black mamba, puff adder or boomslang snake. I will not miss carting giant water containers to be filled with purified drinking water and I will certainly not miss not having a dishwasher!

However, I will miss seeing women carrying items on their heads with babies tied to their lower backs. I cannot believe I am saying this, but I will miss parking guards calling me “mami” and cupping their hands for coins. I will miss seeing zebras and various boks almost every time I leave my house. I will miss having someone pump my gas, wash my windshield and check my tire pressure each time I go to the petrol station. I will miss the vibrant colors of the African sunrise and also the setting sun. I will miss cheap but delicious red wine. I will miss the exchange rate (right now, 1USD gets us about 10ZAR). I will miss the lovely shade of purple when the jacarandas bloom in spring. I will miss rugby and cricket on TV. I will miss Friday nights at Vee's Video and Pizza Chicken Perfect. I will miss the feeling I got when I saw the Big 5 on safari. I will miss weekend trips to the bush and especially the friends we’ve made here.

So long for now, South Africa, but we will be back one day, for your country and people have touched our hearts. 

Love,

Jess & Mat