Coming home

Well, our big 2010 trip came to a close with a flurry of activity. Last Tuesday night we got on the plane and took a red eye from Douala to Johannesburg. It was a fitting end to our time in Africa--Tim and Jessy hosted us for one final night on Wednesday as we slept and showered and re-packed for the last time. Thursday afternoon we flew to Dakar, then Washington, and on to San Francisco for a mid-day Friday landing.

After all those flights it would have been nice to get some sleep, but there were two problems facing us. First, Becca is running for El Cerrito's City Council this fall and we needed to file some campaign papers on Friday afternoon; second, we put all of our belongings in a storage shed and, thus, had no home to go to. So we took the BART to Becca's dad's house, picked up our car and a few belongings, raced to El Cerrito (where we missed the campaign filing, but managed to arrange for a valid delivery on Monday at 8 AM), looked at an apartment, liked it, signed a lease and activated the electricity and renter's insurance. THEN walked into our new apartment, collapsed on the floor, and slept and slept.

Friday was busy, but Saturday would turn out to be even busier. We made use of our jet lag to get up at 4:30 and do lots of things: file address changes, read old mail, contemplate how we will fill our new apartment. And, feeling ambitious, Becca found us a moving van and we moved ALL of our stuff out of storage and into the new place. By 8:00 PM, we were again sleeping HARD.

Sunday we unpacked boxes. Monday we went to work, Becca filed one set of campaign papers (the late ones) and picked up another, I met the cable guy to get internet and cable turned on, and Becca went to a local art opening to meet and greet voters (and get some much-needed signatures). Tuesday night was National Night Out (more meet-and-greet, more signatures). And so it goes.

Through all the activity it is difficult to reflect on the summer. Certainly we had a unique experience--it is extremely rare for Americans to have the opportunity to take lengthy vacations abroad. Traveling in Africa, though, really requires a lot of time, and involves an awful lot of downtime. Our routine generally involved completing activities by late afternoon, eating a leisurely dinner of some kind, drinking a beer and playing some cards. During the World Cup we traded watching soccer for playing cards, but the pace was basically the same. We visited five countries, traveled 10,000 kilometers by road, flew 35,000 miles, watched six World Cup matches, visited six national parks, slept in 35 different cities, visited fifteen people I knew from past lives, stayed with two of them, and played dozens of games of gin and rummy and war.

What was most memorable? Certainly the first 72 hours of the World Cup, where we went to the opening concert, saw the US play England, and watched the South Africa-Mexico match in a square in Johannesburg. Our gorilla visit in Rwanda won't fade fast. Our first night in Tanzania, in a border town (and former Rwandan refugee camp) called Benako with no electricity and no running water. Watching the US score on Algeria in the 92nd minute, in an Englishman's hotel, to qualify for the second round. The sounds and smells and noise and excitement and pride and patriotism of the South African World Cup. Walking into GBHS Kumba and finding it unchanged.

What was profound? Staring into the eyes of a mountain gorilla. Walking with Ugandan orphans to visit the local primary school. Watching Desmond Tutu dance with excitement the night before the World Cup. Taking nine hours to travel 200 kilometers on a Cameroonian bus. With the benefit of time I am sure the list will change as some memories fade and others remain.

So this is the final travel post for this blog. It is not the end of the year's adventures, though, and as we progress through a wedding and a political campaign I will, from time to time, post a few photos and thoughts on our progress and experiences. And check out www.rebeccabenassini.com, as most of my internet energies will be directed that way over the next several weeks!