Geoff Brock & Bruce Gamble
         
     

March 2023: South Africa

  
   
 
A year since my last visit to South Africa in March 2022, it was time for another visit to see Mom and the family. Despite seemingly endless power cuts in South Africa, the visit was, for the first time since 2020, mask-free and it was lovely to see Mom for her birthday once again. It was also very nice to be invited by Jackie to visit her in her home at Ballito. Linda accompanied Mom and I and we flew to the coast for a very pleasant week.
 
 
 
 
Jenny made a delcious fruit cake for us.
 
Mom opening all of her birthday presents.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At the airport before flying to Durban.
 
 
 
Our first dinner at Jackie's home.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jackie has a small van. Transport options are limited!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We enjoyed our meal here the night before we all flew back to Benoni.
 
 
 
Linda, Kathleen and Damian invited us for brunch the day after we returned from Ballito.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
On my last day, we went out for lunch with Gail, Marc, Clare and Cameron (Kylie was visiting a friend).
 
 
Time to fly home and prepare for my next big adventure almost as soon as I got back.
 
I said the same thing at the end of my last visit to South Africa. Every trip I make there still feels like a privilege. If nothing else, the official end of the pandemic has taught us to appreciate the small things in life and not to take our family and friends for granted.
 
 
 
©Geoff Brock and Bruce Gamble