REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

ODOMETER READING: 265 651 (We’ve driven 26 879km since April last year)

IN REHANA'S WORDS

15 February

After we crossed the border into South Africa and passed through Zeerust in the North West, we gawked at mealie fields stretching as far as the eye could see and rubbernecked as we passed silos – the tallest buildings we had seen in a long while.

Julia nervously voiced the dark thought that had slipped into both our minds: were we going to tell people that the most developed of the 12 countries we visited was the one that was liberated last? 
No, I said firmly, we are going to tell people that if African leaders do for their people only a smidgeon of what the apartheid government did for the boere, our neighbours might eventually be freed from the yoke of smallholding economies (or words to that effect). 
The ancestors of the people who own these mielie fields and silos stole the land from indigenous people. Then their offspring benefited for centuries from cheap labour, soft Land Bank loans and price controls.

But still. The roads into Johannesburg were smooth and tarred. We passed very few mud huts, and only a handful of homes without electricity. The goats, sheep and cows were behind farm fences and couldn't stroll into the middle of the highway. 
We couldn’t believe how many new shopping malls had sprung up unnecessarily during our short absence and flipped middle fingers at the tolls on the smooth, delicious six-lane highway.

Oops, almost forgot there was an election. The Kagame-clean street in Magaliesburg is a sign

A week in Johannesburg was never going to be enough but was sufficient to do some admin and to get fierce hugs from our nearest and dearest.
The news soon spread that we were back – even in a city of eight million people its hard to be anonymous when driving a Big Red Car with a tent and other camping paraphernalia on its roof. Again, apologies to everyone we missed. We’ll be back. Our holiday isn’t going to last forever (unless we find a very generous funder).

I went to see a doctor who filled two syringes with my blood and sent it to the pathologists. Good news: The results are that I am infection free, with a dash of anaemia and a soupçon of dehydration. I have two weeks' supply of TB antibiotics to swallow and then I’m home free.

The anaemia’s not bad; I can eat it away and I am doing exactly that. My liquid intake has increased and my sweating levels have decreased (it was cloudy and cold in Joburg, for us at least). My mother said we were both very wrinkled and haggard and there was an amazing improvement when we left days later. Must be her food.

Ruhi Khan was shocked when his Nana and Julia arrived back home in the Big Red Car. His great-grandparents brought him down to the pavement from their flat, saying his mum was coming for him. When he saw the car coming round the corner he took three steps back and then peered to see who was inside. His smile was tentative, but his silent hugs were fierce.

Ruhi and his wrinkly Nana

It was good to be back in the land of washing machines and car washes. The Big Red Car needed some attention again. We discovered that the “faulty” car alarm unit had mysteriously disappeared in Kigali (no surprise, we were warned about the staff at Toyota there). The tyres were balanced and aligned so now we’re veering slightly to the right instead of hugely to the left.

After six gloomy days in Joburg, the sun blazed into life as we left. All along the N3 farmers were making huge bales of hay. It struck me that we hadn’t seen much haymaking in all the months we’d been north, despite passing multitudes of domesticated herds. 
We chuckled at the new signs posted all along the highway – an exclamation mark above the word “goats”. We didn’t see one goat but I licked my chops when we passed sheep.

Pikachu gave us a huge scolding when we shocked her with our reappearance in her Durban life. Jules finds her smaller than she remembers and I find her uglier than I remember (ugly in a cute way, of course). Pikka barked and nipped nonstop at our extremities until Julia said the magic words: “Want to go for a walk?”

Lying in the loving arms again

Durban was hot and humid and we loved it. While the locals complained and sought the shade on Valentine’s day, Jules, Pikka and I strolled leisurely through the wet, thick air on the beach. When we struck out on the promenade in the midday sun poor Pikka came to a standstill as her feet began frying.

Julia’s mum seems as grateful as my parents that we’re back. No amount of throwing of statistics at them seem to make much of an impact – like Zambia’s festive season road death toll soared almost 25% to 16 last year. I’m sure 16 people die every day on SA’s roads.

We’re now in the holiday section of our 12-month adventure. We expect working campsites, affordable chalets and washing machines wherever we go. Wow, have we been washing! I can’t get enough of the fresh baby smell that emerges.

We’ve been living so soft since returning to South Africa. The shower in Jackie and Tumi’s cottage is to die for – you could throw a party in it and you don’t have to wear flip flops! Their new house has every marvel of modern convenience that  a couple crawling out of the bush can hope for. 

Sue and Nick’s Durban home is equally well stocked and my stomach has stretched to at least four times its size since I arrived. Just can't get enough of steak and beetroot. The poor Brouckaert family were rudely dumped by Pikachu despite their intensive care for 10 months. She only has eyes for Julia.

Pikachu's last Sunday walk with Nick and Sue - till she comes to visit again

We are going to the Eastern Cape so we’re not expecting Woolies food at every turn. But we’re stocked up and stoked up, our petrol tank is full and Big Red Car is purring after her Durban service. Once again, we were surrounded by admiring mechanics as we collected it from the workshop.
One of them was trying to persuade me to install something that makes the front wheels lift off the ground when we roar off – he kept saying it was in Too Fast, Too Furious. Julia had no idea what that meant. I was sooo proud of her.

HOW ORGANISED IS THIS CAR AFTER 
1O MONTHS ON THE ROAD?