Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Carmen's farewell...

My best friend since I moved to Durban, Carmen, is moving to Johannesburg. Or, she has already. It was a sudden thing, literally all happened in a month and I am devastated still. Her family was/is my second family and I still can't believe they are not just down the road from me anymore. We had a farewell for her, and it was a great send off! Here's to many road trips to Jo'burg!



















Mkhuze - (mmm-koo-zee)

One of my very good friends from school, Megan, finished her degree in Dietetics last year, and as per law she is required to do one year of community service at a rural hospital somewhere. She was appointed to Bathesda in Mkhuze, which is somwhere up the North Coast but far more inland. She's been asking us (my best friend Carmen and I) to come and visit for ages, so we found a weekend that worked for all of us and made the 3 hour trip up. I was expecting a one-horse town with, well, nothing really. And on first impression it was exactly that! Meg had told us she had made friends and went to the local country club often for lots of socialising, I figured she was lying. But I could not have been more wrong - turns out Mkhuze is so popular, it has lots of Game Reserves and we met so many of the locals who are mainly game rangers and farmers. They were lots of fun and so hospitable, they took us on game drives and treated us to lunch. Meg also took us up to a new hotel called Tiger Lodge which is situated on the Jozini Dam (very popular Tiger fishing dam and breath-takingly beautiful) for sundowners. It was stunning! That night we did head to the local country club, and it was buzzing! Where all the people came from I could not tell you!

The hospital she works at is so clean and well kept, for some place in the middle of no where I was so impressed! She comes home at the end of the year and I think she'll actually be sad to leave! I even was... here are just a few pics.

My best friend, Carmen and I...
Rhino on on of the game drives.

Our "social" in the middle of no where.


Carmen and Megan at Tiger Lodge.



Jozini Dam, view form Tiger Lodge. So beautiful!