The Vault | First trip to South Africa, 2001

With my girls in S. Africa until next Friday (it's been very quiet around the house), I've been thinking alot about that place lately.

This image was made on my very first trip to South Africa, back in January 2001, at a private game reserve called Tala, in Kwazulu-Natal, not far from Nicki's parent's home.

It's such an amazing country, full of history and the continent has a vibe like no other. And even though I am merely married to a South African, it feels very familiar to me. Perhaps it's because I have been following South Africa for decades and have been intrigued by the entire continent for as long as I can remember.

I started to gain even more appreciation for the continent, particularly sub-Saharan Africa by reading a book by David Lamb of the LA Times called The Africans. It's a book that was written following his stint as the Times' Nairobi bureau chief and his stories were exhilarating, funny, and sad, and sometimes all at the same time. It really captured the place in a way that wasn't too academic or political -- really from the street and you get such a sense of the people and characters he met in his journeys.

So I'm missing my girls -- only 9 days to go before they get back. I know they're having a great time visiting friends and family (leaving tomorrow from Cape Town back to Durban. They've been in CT since Sunday). So they'll be back to Durban, the friendly confines of 3 Leinster Place, and skype. Yeah!