Stuck

Johannesburg, South Africa

Long strange story that I'll fill in later -- with flowcharts on how it happened, etc. -- but the short story is that we missed our connecting flight in Johannesburg back to DC. The next flight isn't out until tonight, so Adam and Danielle were gracious enough to pick us up at the airport for yet another night of lodging. Now we are at the Supreme Court, where Danielle is clerking. It is an amazing building, but utterly cold (remember, it's winter here). We're sitting in the library, shivering while telecommuting to work. Not bad, eh?

Will provide update later on how we missed flight -- not our fault -- and other details on trip.

C Town

Cape Town, South Africa

Today is LBJ graduation in Austin. Bill Clinton is speaking. I'm sure it will be nice. Then again, I'm sure Cape Town is just as nice...

Despite some lousy weather, we have had a marvelous time here. I can understand why this is Adam's favorite city in the world. It's got it all: mountains, coast, culture, entertainment, good weather (except the past 3 days!), etc. We've spent a lot of time at the harbor area, where there are shops, etc. We also visited Robben Island a few days ago, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years. That visit was very powerful -- I plan on writing up a more thoughtful post on apartheid when I have more time (right now I'm in a gay Internet cafe -- one of the best Internet cafes I've been too actually -- and we're going to dinner on Long St. in 9 minutes).

Today we had great weather on a drive down to the Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southwest point of Africa. It was a scenic drive, and the coastline is gorgeous down there. On the return we stopped at a beach and saw hundreds of penguins. I understand why Stilwell loves those guys -- their waddle is great. We then stopped in what Danielle described as South Africa's "Coney Island" -- a coastal community that once boomed. It's on the comeback though, and we enjoyed a nice coffee while watching some kite surfers, which is the sport that Adam and I plan on taking up next. Also in our plans: Newcomer's buying a house in Cape Town, Sarah in the mountains of Colorado, and Danielle a flat in Paris. My place will either be in Costa Rica or the DR. All are welcome of course. This was all decided over coffee in Muisenburg too.

Upon returning to Cape Town from the excursion, we were finally able to see Table Mountain, which sits in the background of this hip city. We drove up the mountain a bit, and are planning on hiking up early tomorrow morning. We enjoyed a sunset on Camps Bay and are now off to a Kurdish dinner. We leave right after the hike tomorrow -- Sarah and I are on a 23 hour trip back to the US tomorrow and Danielle and Adam go back to Jo'burg.

This will more than likely be my last post from over here, but I will definitely have a few followups upon return. I will say this though: the trip has been amazing and I highly recommend a visit to South Africa. It has been the perfect blend of adventure, culture, relaxtion, entertainment, history, and fellowship. I look forward to sharing stories and pictures with you in person.

"I am like a sausage" and other strange stories from Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

I have been offline for the better part of the past ten days, and I must say that it has been quite refreshing. I checked my gmail account yesterday for the first time in many a moon, and had 123 email messages waiting. I refuse to check my work account; it's time like these that I take great pleasure in not having a blackberry. Goal #27 in life: never get a blackberry. Don't get me wrong, I like being in touch. But it has been outstanding to be thousands of miles away and without any work, social, investment, fantasy baseball, etc. worries. Of course, I don't need to be a continent away for that situation. Enter goal #27.

Sarah and I arrived to Jo'burg on the 7th -- an 18ish hour direct flight from DC wearing us down. Adam Newcomer is living here in Jo'burg while his girlfriend Danielle clerks for the South African Supreme Court, and they were at the airport to greet us. The first day was a blur -- jetlag got us both down.

The adventures started immediately the next day, as we embarked for Kruger National Park on a 3-day safari. It was a pleasant drive -- Sarah slept much of it and Adam and I planned our future world domination in the heads of states consulting industry. We arrived at Mohlibetsi lodge in the late afternoon on the 8th, and as their Web site promised, we were greeted with a "warm welcome." With barely enough time to drop our stuff off in the cute little huts (which were really 3 star accomodations and quite nice) we were out on our first game drive with Monica and James, our two guides for the next few days.

We went on a total of four game drives, and had a great time. Highlights included the funny occasion in which we had to stop so I could "relieve" myself, Sarah and Adam battling hangovers on the bumpy ride the next morning, and amazing sightings of 3 of the big 5. But perhaps the funniest memory came when an elephant chased our Land Rover, blaring its trumpet and stomping after us. In the height of the chase, a German tourist (that we later befriended) yelled out "I am like a sausage!" in a funny german accent. Needless to say, it has become Adam's favorite saying during the past week and the title to this blog entry.

All in all we saw lions, elephants, zebras, water buffalo, giraffe, monkeys, impala, warthogs, crocs, hippo, and more. Pics will be online soon!

From Kruger area, we ended up on a marathon car ride to the beaches of Mozambique. We stopped overnight in Swaziland -- dinner in the capital city of Mbabane and finally found (shoddy) accomodations in the commercial center Manzini. I'll keep the description of Swazi simple: I wasn't impressed and will not be heading back anytime soon. Perhaps one day you can ask Sarah about it; she might not be so kind.

We were up early for the final leg of the ride to Mozambique, securing a stay at the Motel Do Mar on the beach and a ride from the border (Adam's car couldn't go into Moz b/o insurance). After paying 30 bucks for a visa to enter the country, we only had to wait a few moments for the ride. With a misty rain beginning to fall, Adam and I climbed into the back of a tired midsize pickup truck while Sarah enjoyed a broken conversation in English with the driver in the cab. The ride exemplified why I love to travel, and why I tell my co-workers at Deloitte that I want to be an explorer one day. Adam and I hung on for dear life as we rolled through the sandy roads of Mozambique towards the beach. The 15 kilometer ride included about 100 meters of paved road -- the rest of the way we bounced and slid through the sand dunes on the way towards the Indian Ocean. Adam and I laughed as we passed small huts and children yelling for "sweets." It was a fun adventure. I loved it.

The Do Mar proved to be a sub-standard venue for lodging, but the location was amazing. I could throw a baseball from our balcony into the ocean; it was the closest I have ever stayed to the water. We had a relaxing evening, enjoyed a good Porteugese-influenced meal, and got to bed super early for a busy day at the beach the next day. During the night, Sarah was attacked by mosquitoes but despite being convinced that she had malaria she seemed to enjoy a dive off the coast the next day. Adam and I tamed the wild waters, swimming most of the morning and afternoon. That night we enjoyed another delicious meal; they even had green wine, which I've only ever had in Portugal. It was remarkable how much Porteugese influence remained in the country, despite being independent for nearly two decades (right?) and not anywhere near Portugal. One strange/funny thing to relate about our stay in Moz: there were no banks or ATMs in the town, and we had very little cash because of the visas at the border. There were only two places in town that accepted credit cards, so we were limited to eating at those fine establishments.

We left the Motel Do Mar on the 13th in an even sketchier pickup truck. Sarah snapped a picture of it and I'll post it online at first convenience. The drive to the Drakensburg Mountains was about 5 hours, and we there in time to clean up for a nice dinner at the very scenic lodge that Danielle had reserved ( we met her there along with her co-clerk Chris). The Drakensburgs are on the border f the tiny country of Lesotho and South Africa, and truly are a beautiful and relaxing getaway. JRR Tolkien was fond of the area; evidently the mountainous region provided much inspiration for content in his writings. We were up early on the 14th for a day-long hike and it turned out most excellent. We hiked up to the top of a small peak -- probably about 3100 meters high. That night we had a "brie" which is what South African's call a BBQ or grill out. The excursion was perfect -- a good mix of exercise and relaxtion. My only regret: we didn't get to ride ponies, although we did get to hang out with some on the first night when they charged toward our porch area!

We drove back to Jo'burg yesterday and had a great meal last night at a Vietnamese restaurant. This morning we visited the South African Supreme Court and got to see Danielle in the chambers in her robe and all. Then we were off to Soweto, which the most famous of the South African townships which were used as settlements for blacks during Apartheid. Later that afternoon we went to the Apartheid Museum. The day was very powerful, as we got to see close up the effects of years of Apartheid (the extreme poverty that still exists in Soweto) and then learn about the history of Apartheid at a really great museum. I plan on writing more about today's experiences in another blog entry; these brief mentions don't do them justice.

Tomorrow we are often to Cape Town. Hope to write more in a few days, then maybe one or two entries upon my return.

Arrived safely -- after 20 hours!

Johannesburg, South Africa

We've arrived safely, after a really long flight from Dulles to Johannesburg. Had a quick stop in Dakar to refuel, but had to stay on the plane. So it was 20 hrs or so on the plane. At least it was a double decker plane -- kind of cool.

We've made it to Adam and Danielle's and had a relaxing day looking around Jo'burg. We're off for a safari tomorrow to Kruger National Park.

More later...

Quick summary...and off to South Africa!

Mi Madres, Austin, Texas

Well well -- too long. Entirely too long. Some of my biggest fans -- about 3 of you -- complain about this on a consistent basis. I would promise to update the mighty blog more often. The problem is that my life is not nearly as interesting as it used to be. I wake up at 7:37 every morning, go to work in a cube, go to the gym, and then drink a glass of the cheapest red wine I can find while contemplating my takeover of the DC council. Okay, so it's not that boring...

Two weeks ago I was in sunny Seaside Florida for the civil bachelor party of the William T. Elias III Esquire from Gannon Tech University. This is a kid that prides himself on not only his good looks, but his smooth ways with the ladies. But in July of this year our dear friend Willie shall be taking his wedding nuptials, and soon thereafter will move to the suburbs to buy a house with a white picket fence and raise his kids (Andy and Ivey -- Willie the IV). I look forward to the celebration, but for now revel in the fact that I was yet again able to snag some of Chip Fox's garments during the trip. I previously confiscated a pair of 1999 Gannon Tech football shorts from said Fox. Looks like I'm the real fox. All in all, the trip was a blast, although entirely too short. I will put some pictures up as they come available.

In other news, I just finished up a big report at work. I worked like a dog last week to finish it up in time for the printers. You can see it here -- I was one of the writers for section 2 of the report. Fascinating, yes I know. Now that the report is finished, I've had a bit of spare time. So I'm back on the construction scene with Cliff -- he is rehabbing a house on the Hill that he will move into with his wife. This past weekend (and through Monday) we built a brick patio. It was a lot of fun. I find it quite gratifying to bulid things with your hands -- I'm considering the possibility of doing this on the side. In part as a hobby, in part so that I can become a millionaire by 35 and retire by 40, teaching economics and politics to high schoolers while coaching the 8th grade basketball team to city championships and raising my first born (Jack) and second born (yet to be named female). Note to the Stilwells: I've now put it out there on official Internet record, so you can't use the name Jack for your first born. Sorry, but that's the way it works.

In other news, I leave for South Africa on Saturday. Yes, this is indeed big news. Another adventure. Sarah is tagging along -- she has a way of weasling into my planned trips. No, actually we're both going to see good friend Adam Newcomer. Now talk about a guy that has some adventures/scams going on. This kid is doing his PhD at Carnegie Mellon, one of the finest institutions of our day, but is doing it from South Africa from Jan to July. I don't know how he pulled that off, but I want some of it. So I guess I'll live that dream for two weeks. We'll be touring Johannesburg, Mozambique, a bit of the Kingdom of Swaziland (where Adam assures me we will meet the King), Kruger National Park for a safari, and Cape Town. I will try to post some blogs, and will definitely put the pictures of me and the King up at some point.

One last bit: at the top of this entry there is a picture of the new sign at Mi Madres. Some of you might wonder the significance of this. Well first off, Mi Madres has the best breakfast tacos west of the Mississippi (mine are the best east of the Mississippi). This fine establishment is a mere two-minute walk from 2800 Lafayette, I walked there on many occasions with the boys. Sir George Rivas especially loved Mi Madres; in fact he once attended their breakfast hours for 14 days in a row. The documentary will be released shortly. To celebrate his passion for bean and cheese Mi Madres breakfast tacos, I honor him by IMing him a link to the Mi Madres sign. you can see that picture here. As my dedicated readers will know, I have not been in Austin since this time last year and between that time, Mi Madres has actually put up a new sign, which you can see at the top of the post. Sir George was kind enough to send the picture from his camera phone, and now I am displaying his artistry for all to see. Oh, and now the picture actually has it's own link -- so all should feel free to IM George the link on a daily basis. He does appreciate it.

Good day to all.

March Madness

Here is Mehul's pool

I am also running a free pool for LBJ alums. Email me if you're interested.

Shot down!

Washington, D.C.

It's been a busy and interesting few weeks. First off, I bought a place and close next week! More info on that in a few days -- I'll put a picture up and further details.

At work, the client was on the Hill last week testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the report that I helped write. Very interesting, especially since the findings got Condi into a bit of trouble on the Hill yesterday!

But the latest news in my life is quite pressing. See here.