A Proper South African Braai

To Sandton, South Africa -- September 28-29

I’ve been feeling increasingly out of shape lately, so made a point of getting outside for a couple runs.  When I do, it’s always nice to see a little bit of the town and what people are up to.  In South Africa, there is usually a fair number of folks walking around, either on the partially constructed sidewalks or the well-worn paths along the roads.  I felt better about being so totally out of breath when I learned later that the elevation in Johannesburg is actually quite high at over a mile (5750 ft).  One thing that definitely seems different from the big cities in Europe is there are very few people walking around with earbuds... and I haven't seen a single kid playing Pokemon Go.  

The drive back to Sandton was uneventful. After spending so much time in parks tooling around at 30, 40, or 50 kph, we really felt like we were covering some ground at 120. We did have to reinstitute the seat belt policy, though, since we had all gotten pretty lax inside the park.  

It was great to see Philippa again, and this time we got the chance to meet her husband, Andre, who had been in Washington D.C. when we had first stayed a week ago.  We unpacked the truck and tried to put their camping equipment back in the garage as best we could. It was super nice of Philippa to lend us their camping stuff, so we really wanted to do something for them.  We selfishly offered to take them out or bring dinner in, which would give us a little extra time to get to know them. In the end, we settled on a proper South African Braai (barbeque) at home. With Andre being an avid hunter, there was sure to be plenty of meat to go around.

The main goal for Thursday was simply tackling our to-do list: send a few little miscellaneous items back home, pick up an India guidebook, get some cash, look for a swimsuit for Kylie, buy a few groceries, and finally, fill the truck with fuel and return it to the rental agency.  Dex and Kylie, as usual, were not particularly thrilled with our list as “play the whole day” was not on it.  They, instead, really wanted to stay at the house. Since they had already spent a good chunk of the morning working on math, and we found out the housekeeper, Thumani, would be around, we eventually agreed. At 11:00, we jumped in the car leaving them Meg’s phone and instructions not to go in the pool and only to stay in the tree house or up in our part of the house.  

We did get most of the things done that we wanted, though it took quite a bit lot longer than we expected. On the plus side, Meg and I got the chance to have a nice lunch alone at a mall while trying in vain to check in to the next day's flight. The only bummer came when we noticed a text that there had been a little mishap back at the house -- the tree house hoisting bucket hit Kylie in the eye so she wasn't feeling so great. By the time we got back, she was doing much better and when Richard and Nina got home from school she seemed as good as new. The kids all jumped in the pool and then played an energetic game of cops and robbers.

Downtown Sandton

Richard: cop or robber?

Dinner was incredibly nice.  We ate outside on the patio between the fountain and brick barbeque drinking a variety of South African wines.  Andre did the grilling with proper South African charcoal -- not the briquettes we use but actual charcoaled pieces of wood.  The warthog sausages were a huge hit, along with the steak and lamb chops. It was a real pleasure to have time with the whole family.  Andre works for an animal healthcare company called Elanco, and every year, one full day is dedicated to local volunteer work, company-wide.  Today, the local team worked at a food bank sorting and organizing donations.  It took a while to download, but Andre finally got the video queued up highlighting the day’s activities.  In it, he spoke very eloquently about the significant need in the Johannesburg region and countrywide for donated food and other supplies.  

The night was capped off with raspberry and lemon cheesecake while the kids watched the Lion King on the couch.  This was yet another fortuitous meeting for Family Hoornaert.  Amongst well wishes and hugs goodbye, we made sure to extend invitations if ever the Westerveld family makes it’s way to the Bay Area. Our accommodations may not be as nice, but we’ll try to make up for it with an extra helping of California hospitality.