ROADTRIP! Reconnecting with this beautiful country...while catching up with friends all the way! Week 6-8

 

We spent the first weekend (of what would turn into a 2 week trip for me and the kids) with one of Tim's friends from his Stellenbosch days: Wynand (and his lovely wife Emily). They have 3 champion kids who were so kind and welcoming of LJ and Lily. These 5 formed an instant bond. They just played and played. It makes parenting feel so easy and proves that the saying 'it takes a village to raise a child', is so apt.

We had a wonderful morning catching up with my cousin Tracey, and her fun, kid loving daughters Paige and Carey. I last saw the girls 8 years ago, and 4 years before that, so it was wonderful to see them all grown up. They are all just so lovely. 

My Uncle, Max also joined us. At 86 years old he still plays golf and drives himself around. Aunty Lol sadly passed away just a few weeks before we arrived in Zim. It has been a sad time for the family, so it was really special to be able to spend time with them, and for them to meet my kids. They loved each other instantly and it just proved to me how special family bonds are, even after years apart.

Lovely to spend an evening with Doug and Chloe, and see little Siyo again.

My original bestie/cousin/one I convinced to do many crazy things that she wouldn't have ordinarily chosen to do...Jess, happened to be visiting Harare as we arrived. She was leaving the day after we got there, but we managed to fit in a quick visit. The kids (once again) had such a lovely time.

Needless to say, it didn't take much persuasion from Jess to get me thinking that I needed to try and make a plan to visit Bulawayo the following week. It was perfect timing because Tim had a busy week ahead at work with colleagues coming out from SA, and a very kind and generous friend of my sister had offered me the use of her car (not the one in the picture above!)

Before our time in Harare was up, we went out to Bromley for the day to Visit Pod and Jord's farm. They are the friends we met in Kariba, who were so kind at a time when I was struggling quite a bit.

The crazy part is that I have family ties with this area because my Oupa (mom's dad) farmed somewhere around there and a few of my moms Aunts and Uncles lived in that area. I think I have grown up a bit, because my family history is suddenly so interesting to me!

It was such a pleasant day spent with Jord (Pod was away fishing) and her parents. The kids spent the day fishing, swimming in the dam, cycling around the farm, and playing sweetly. Jord is just so generous and kind hearted. She grows all her own food and our entire lunch was her own produce! We had home made Halloumi and home grown chickpeas to start, then lamb, with asparagus, butternut and home baked bread. She does everything... from cows, to sheep, to veggies and even essential oils herself, and that's aside from the Tobacco!

To make the trip more fun, we decided to visit the other friends we met at the Lomagundi Lakeside pool (Nicky, Rowan, Michael and John) who live in Kwekwe. We left Harare at 5am and were greeted at the gate by a very excited Mikey at 7:30am! Early visitors! 

The plan worked well because Lily slept all the way there, and then Nicky made us a lovely cooked breakfast. The kids had a lovely time playing, riding quad bikes, swimming and jumping. 

We left again at around lunch time, just in time for Lily to nap again. She slept all the way from Gweru to Bulawayo, and we arrived safely just after 3pm to more excited friends/cousins!

Coffee and milkshake dates at simply delicious were a treat.

Sweetest baby Nora, only 3 months old.

Bulawayo. What a wonderfully strange feeling to be back after all these years. I think what made it feel more strange was having my kids with me, and being there with Jess, who was such an integral part of my first 15 years in Bulawayo. Also, having our kids with us, and seeing the similarity between their interaction now, and ours 18-20 years ago, was just crazy (ok, I'm officially old now!). Seeing them playing in the places we used to play, with the toys that we used to play with. It was an unexpectedly, incredibly special time together. 

We visited the railway museum and got to go into Cecil John Rhodes' actual carriage! Grampa Bobby would've loved to come with us.

Beth and Ria were amazing, they took LJ and Harry down as any times as they wanted so Jess and I could keep and eye on kamakazi's 1 and 2.

We spent an afternoon at Waterworld. LJ was in his ultimate happy place, friends AND waterslides! I got to catch up with my friend of 26 years (thanks for pointing it out! We're so old.) - Kim (Drummond) Sparks.

We were supposed to head back to Harare the day after waterworld (Friday), but heading back to Kariba in arguably the hottest week of the year, when there was only one week left before the kids head back to school, just didn't make sense. My kind and considerate husband conceded that it made sense for us to stay another week. Our car was also supposed to have arrived, and the original plan was to pick that up when we met back in Harare. So we decided to delay by a week in the hopes that it would arrive. Not much goes according to schedule here though.

Mikey and LJ giving each other a high 5 during an intense game of 'stuck in the mud'.

2 little adventurers were very happy to learn that they had another week to play with their friends. We even got to go to a birthday party! LJ made another friend called Mikey who is Martha and Ezra Prescott's eldest boy. Lily and Finlay had their own game going on most of the time too.

Playing with chongololos after a lovely rain storm.

The village raising the children. Communal bedtime stories.

Sometimes 4 is easier than 2! 

These 2 sat on the bench and chatted for at least 10 minutes!

We had a few more days of playing happily, eating ice-creams, going to coffee shops, more playing, and visits to my childhood second home  (Jen and Dave's house).

I went cycling with Jen and Scottie while Jess looked after the kids, got to meet and spend time with Emmy and Nora (Scottie's wife and baby), joined in on few exercise classes with Jess and Emmy while Mitch had the kids. Visited Whitestone school (where my dad taught, and we lived for 25 years). We had a few dinners with Jen, Dave, Beth, Scott, Emmy, Jess and Mitch, all of the time spent with family was wonderful and it made Bulawayo all the more beautiful to me.

Jen "Gogo" showing the kids an ant lion.

Coffee at Kim's farm, with Jenna (Viljoen) Armand.

Creamy Inn...the best ice cream!

Sneaky evening tiger documentary watching.

Jess hadn't alerted her kids to the fact that the bell ringing outside her house every afternoon is, in fact, an ice cream man. Finlay proceeded to ask if that sound is a goat (because the only other bell he had heard making that sound had been on a farm goat). So naughty Aunty Rach bought ice creams from the goat as it walked by!

Saying goodbye is never fun, but we have plenty of amazing memories to treasure from this special time together.

Kwekwe again! This time Nicky and her boys met us at No-elle (Jardine) Austin's stunning farm called 'an eye for the wild'. It is animal lovers paradise and we had a very special time seeing all the amazing animals No-elle has rescued over the year. No-elle and her daughters were so welcoming and friendly and I think Lily was ready to move in there. No-elle's mom was my ballroom dancing teacher when I was young and she was such a beautiful soul. She most definitely lives on in these 4 beautiful girls.

Rascal face thought it was funny to spray me with the water spray meant to keep the kudu away!

Echoe taking good care of Lily, Yardli and Earthli showing the Mikey, LJ and John all the animals.

I may or may not have stumbled backwards and fallen over Lily while taking those photo's of Zulu charging the fence.

Beautiful Eland in the background as the sun was starting to set.

Cutest little pookie called Frog. I think we need one of those!

We were supposed to meet Tim in Harare the next day to sort out cars..but ours still hadn't arrived, so I decided to stay an extra night in Kwekwe and leave early in the morning for Kariba. It saved Tim a trip, and was more direct for me. We will need to go to Harare anyway in the next couple of weeks when the car arrives.

LJ, Mikey and John swimming in the most amazing pool!

Nix helping LJ to fish. 

Trouble found some mud.

Boys exploring. No Lions, hippos or ellies in these parts luckily.

Nicky treated us to a fun day on their farm with swimming, fishing and exploring. It was a great way to end off a lovely couple of weeks adventuring around this beautiful country.