Change In Plans

Greetings from Cape Town!

We have had a tumultuous, action-packed last several weeks.  India was deathly ill in mid-March (more on that later), and spent an awful week in the hospital.  I have been to Egypt twice, for extended visits, and to the U.S. once, on a two-day bounce dive.  The kids finished their first term at South African school, and spent the holiday on safari with us in the Northern Cape and in KwaZulu Natal.

India’s family came to visit South Africa, and joined us on the trip to KZN.  Our brother-in-law flew back a week ago, but India’s sister and her three kids, and her parents, have been staying with us in Cape Town.  They were scheduled to fly home, via Amsterdam, four days ago (incidentally, while I was up in Cairo).  The Icelandic volcano has caused a massive change in plans for them, so they are staying in Cape Town, more or less indefinitely.  The airlines are saying that April 29th is a reasonable expected departure date.  It is nice having them here, but a bizarre turn of events.

So, our lives go on here, with the house filled to capacity.  The “peace” in the title of this post is because I am sitting on the deck at daybreak, watching and listening to the waves break on Llandudno beach.  It is too early for surfers or people walking on the beach.  The waves are pounding the rocks, and a fine marine layer of mist is settling in.  It is difficult for anyone to get very agitated when the scenery is so magnificent and calming. 

Driving home from a dinner party last night, I said to India, “I love living here.”  We have many parts of our lives still to sort out, but the basic decision to return to Cape Town feels like a good one.