Totsiens Suid-Afrika

Goodbye, South Africa (in one of the many official languages, Afrikaans).

As with all trips, this one drew to a close. We had a three hour drive to the Durban airport where we deposited our rental car, 3,000 kilometers worse for wear. It was going to be a long flight home, as we were leaving Durban late afternoon to arrive eight, or ten hours later in Dubai. Eight, or ten, I don't even know, because I don't bother to keep track any more. I get on the plane, I get off the plane when it lands and how much time elapses isn't really relevant. From Dubai we then had another eight or so hours to Vienna. 

So, we dawdled [imagine me, dawdling, behind my i-Pad].

It was a lazy morning. We packed up slowly and Hope managed to sneak in another activity or two with the Kidz Klub. We gave Kevin a goodbye pat, Hope shared around the candy she won in the Treasure Hunt, and we drove out of the beautiful Drakenbergs. 

It had been a brilliant trip, with one, lingering sadness: no Zebra Mask. I had given up, long before this point, this point where we had only a few hours left in the country. I had accepted that the thing I was searching for was not indigenous to the country we were in, and even if I did manage to locate one, heck, I might as well be buying it on e-Bay for all that it represented anything about our South Africa trip.

Dreams die hard.

We stopped at a charming little town on the way to Durban for a final square meal before we boarded our plane. We found a twee tourist hotel restaurant and ordered our hearty lunch. While the children waited for food to come, I wandered over to the gift shop next door. 

And there it was, hanging on the wall too high for me to reach up and read the price tag (it's not in the photo above, you can stop looking). 

The initial price was too high, and I headed out of the shop, weeping silent tears. The shop keeper trotted after me and lowered his price. It was still too high, but, c'mon! I had been looking for this exact thing for weeks! And there it was, right in front of me! I did a quick check with Jeff (which went something like this: "I found it! I found it! I need some money! Quick, quick!!"), and bought myself a carved wooden Zebra Mask. 

I love it. (1)

Clutching my prize, which rode all the way back to Vienna on my lap, I happily skipped home. 

Dubai: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep." (The Temptest, Mr. W. Shakespeare).  

 

 Next: Poor Sisi, Part 3 

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(1) I'm cool if you don't. I get that it's a little creepy. 

 

Comments

[Nory P]

Who CARES whether we like it or not! (I do, in fact, like it). It's become like a Holy Grail, and we're thrilled that you finally found it!!

[Rodneyssaga]

Very art deco. Zebras be fairly art deco to begin with.

[Ellen]

Ha! I do love the thing. I walk past it sixteen times a day and whisper, "Hullooo, zeeba neighba!" Which might only be funny if you happen to be a Pearls Before Swine fan:

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine#.UxhkHvldWSo