Sun, Sand, and Sea!

In our last entry that Dan wrote from the back of the "bakkie", our holiday weekend was not looking too promising.  We arrived at the coast in the pouring rain.  But, when we woke up on Saturday morning, the sun was shining brightly and the beach was calling our names!  We grabbed the boogie boards and hit the waves.  The 30+ temperature stayed until evening, when it began to drizzle again.  This is common here at the coast...hot days and misty evenings.

We are staying at a "backpacker" which is sort of one step up from a hostel.  It is the common method of "travelling on a budget" here in SA, and offers a lovely local experience.  There are "backpackers" every few kilometers in every direction, so I have a feeling we'll become experts at finding them.  This one is right on the beach, has beautiful gardens (complete with hammock and monkeys in the trees), and super friendly owners.  The kids have loved all the geckos and our first monkey sightings!

Last night we went for supper at a local pub just up the road.  We definitely felt like foreigners since everyone there seemed to know each other.  The food took a long time to arrive (typical South African style!), but was excellent once it did.  Dan had the fish "catch of the day", and the girls and I had pizza and Greek salad.  Refreshingly normal!   The four of us took time to chat about the past 2 weeks and share our ups and downs.  There is definitely a depth and maturity that comes with these new experiences, and we find that our family discussions are at a different level now.  Then we laughed as the biggest beetle that we've ever seen (a good inch and a half long!) crawled into the pub and made it's way across the floor to the bar.  Apparently Jessica's compassionate heart extends even to large bugs, so she help the beetle back outside so that it would not get stepped on!

Today was another beach day, but it's almost time to head back "home" to GGA.  This weekend was just what we needed.  We were able to rest, nap, relax, eat good food, and recover from all the new adventures of the last 2 weeks.  On our way home we will stop at the big mall in Durban to stock up on groceries and a few other necessities.  So, for all of you that have been feeling sorry for us, remember that we will have weekends like this one where we wouldn't want to be anywhere else on earth!