Journal Reflections: Durban, Day 1

20 March 2009

First impressions. It's warm and sunny with a few rain drops here and there. Glorious. Palm trees and lush greens. Looking from my bedroom window (4th floor flat) I see red tiled roofs, each separated by a green tree reaching up towards the sky.

Excitement bubbles into my chest as the plane takes off from Johannesburg to Durban (only an hour left!). I'm back. Time made me forget how much I really missed Africa. The taxi ride from Durban International airport was fraught with smells, sights and sounds. Windows wide open. Lush green grass smells, warm weather breezes, and another smell brought me back to Zimbabwe. Doug and I walking down a dark Bulawayo street. Perhaps it was the smell of burning plastic?

The beach. Indian ocean breezes combined with beautiful swells. This evening, to stay awake, we walked along the pier looking out into the blackness of the sea. Clouded night. The stars were veiled. The lights of the city buildings light up the beach front. I snapped a few pictures. Will they grasp my first impressions?