7th May, 2023

Two Steps Closer

May 5, 2023

It is the wee hours of the morning. Outside my window the sun is rising over the Indian Ocean. I am exhausted from the long hours of travel yesterday but I cannot sleep. Excitement I suppose. We are here. We have arrived in Africa.

The sound of the waves crashing on shore draws me to the terrace. To the East the sky is a muted orange. To the north dark clouds threaten rain. The tide is high. Ships are lined up across the horizon, waiting for their turn to enter the busiest port in Africa. Many people have already begun their day with a walk along the sea. It is cool with no wind.

Our plane landed late yesterday afternoon. As we walked through the airport, we noticed a dramatic contrast to Dubai. We came from a modern city surrounded by desert and dry air to being enveloped in humidity. The building (although built in 2010) seemed worn with age. And it is sparsely populated compared to the throngs of people in Dubai.

It is the beginning of winter here so the sun set quickly once we were on our way to the hotel. Our first glimpse of terrain was of lush green hillsides as we wound along the highway headed for the sea.

We are in uMhlanga in north Durban where we will stay for four nights. It will give us a chance to acclimate to the time change and catch up on some rest.

This is not the Africa I dreamed about. It is a stepping stone until we arrive in the bush. But it is Africa, albeit a different version. One with modern buildings, black rocks and a raging sea.

As one of our guides said, there is much to “unpack” about our journey. There will be many stories to share once we get home and I have some time to gather my thoughts. Until then, I think we should go explore.