Vacationing in Johannesburg. 17th -24th January 2020

A whole week!
We got to stay with Penny and Jose - the two we  met back in CapeTown on the peninsula when they basically picked us off the side of the road in Simon’s Town. Back when our journey through South  Africa began - now more than three month ago.
Once we cycled to their weekend home - about 100km south end of the city - we parked the bikes and didn’t even look at them. (Except when we loaded them on the cars to be driven into the city).
We got to play on a fast boat on the Vaal River

and also chilled a whole, gorgeous, rainy day reading and socializing with these generous and fun people.
They chauffeured us around to the museums and the caves of “the Cradle of Human Kind”. Most impressive! I walked away from that experience with my head in my hands and if you don’t know what that means, try it some time!

The other one was the “Apartheid Museum”.  I wish we would have gone there first! This one left me feeling annoyed and angry at us humans ..how we judge and blame and destroy...not just for that period of time, but as a whole, since history -with all the wars and crimes against humans/humanity -  began. I walked away with my ass in my hands...feeling the weight of the world carrying around all of us are and have been capable of.

I had to narrow my vision and stick with what’s right in front of me to just stop being so very unsettled.
Penny, Jose .....their family and friends came over for family night and we got to meet their lovely, beautiful and witty grandchildren. When I get to play with children..or even just watch them play, I feel better and that sliver of hope starts creeping back into heart and soul.
A big shout out for these fine people,

who are also getting ready for their first cycle tour in Europe this year and we were able to be just a little bit useful to them too. Needless to say, this week was the crescendo of our tour through South Africa.

Now we are 8km away from the Botswana border.
We have overstayed our welcome (visa vise), hoping to slip through..maybe not unseen, but hopefully without major consequences into the next country of this  exciting continent.