Life from a new perspective!

I tried to update the final days of my Africa trip earlier. Since I use this as my journal, I wanted to document the remainder of that trip for myself, if not for anyone else.

Life here is as chaotic. We are steaming ahead with our graduate program and Beckie and I are trying to keep our heads above water. I'm not sure we are being successful. I have survived two vitrectomys in the last 5 months. The left eye is almost healed and I can read out of it, although not as well as I had hoped. Unfortunately, the left eye is not healing well. I go back this week to see why vision has not returned. The surgeon said he was afraid I would have a surgical cataract in that eye that could be removed in a year. I am going to get him to spell out the results. Keep me in your prayers!

After the fact...

July 6, 2008

This is my attempt to try to document the last few days of my Africa trip many days (weeks) after the fact. The last entry was dated July 5th. I typed it as I waited for Beckie and Sara at the Waterfront. It seems like a lifetime ago now. We headed into Livingstone to do some bargaining at the market in Livingstone. I traded some of my pens and the pair of black dress shoes for some "crafts" to bring back. It was a pretty good morning. Unfortunately, as we got in the car, I had a severe hemorrhage in my right eye. I'm not sure I have mentioned anywhere that I had been having eye problems and was just recovering from surgery on my left eye. I must admit that it a little disconcerting to be in the heart of Africa when you suddenly go blind in one of your eyes. I knew I had to get home, so I just passed the car keys to Beckie and buckled in for the remaining several days of the trip.

We lounged around the hotel that afternoon, watching monkeys play outside our rooms. I was really worried about Sara and her mosquito bites. We headed to the drug store to get the malaria medicine to take if we needed it once we were back here. That evening, we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River aboard the African Queen, a steamboat that departed next to our Waterfront hotel. It was expensive, and probably not worth the money, but we did see an excellent sunset and buffalo, hippo and a croc or two. I really enjoyed getting back to the room and resting after the trauma of the day.

July 7, 2008

Today is our last full day in Africa. What an experience we have had! Our students will love it here and learn so much from the experience. My eye has not improved so I am sure I will need surgery as soon as I return. I hope there are no complications from the flight home. It make me really nervous but there is nothing I can do.

We went back to Victoria Falls today. I am in love with that place. I hope to see it someday in the full moon light. If I am back, I hope to drive back here from Namwianga to take advantage of the night opening. Beckie and Sara decided to trade in the Falls market instead of seeing the Falls again. When I returned from the hike, I walked along the market and ended up trading my hiking boots for a giraffe walking stick. I also traded the pens for some additional carvings. I wasn't sure I could get the stick back since I would need to carry it but I thought it was worth a try. I had planned to leave the boot at the hotel anyway since they were old and I needed some new ones before the next trip.

Following that adventure, we headed back to the hotel to pack and lounge around until our departure the next day.

July 8, 2008

The flight from Livingston leave at 13:00 but we want to be there early to return the car and deal with any potential difficulties. The flight was smooth and the transfer in Jo'berg was fairly quick since we didn't need to spend the night. It was a long flight back, and I certainly hope that I can figure out some alternative before I fly back. Nineteen hours in one seat with limited movement is about more than I can handle.