Sarah's Back! with the longest blog ever...

Wow, your stories are wonderful! Thanks Stephanie for dishing out the info on this site. Well, I miss and love all of you! Keep the updates coming.

I left Malawi on good terms. I finished the big Madonna and Child African style. When we presented it to the church, the members were confused as to why Mary and Jesus were not white. Nothing like getting one more cross-cultural experience under your belt before you leave.

Then I went to Cape Town. I totally pampered myself with a hair cut, movies, and McDonalds. If it wasnt for Shauna and Ron coming to my rescue, I would have eaten every meal for 4 days at the golden arches. Thank you Shauna! So Tom, I have lost our bet - I'm happy.

After CT, I went to the Drakkenbergh Park with my PCV friends from South Africa. We planned for a 3 day 2 night hike. On our third day, we realized that we were lost - really lost. We only had a half packet of crackers, 1/4 block of cheese, and one apple left for three people. The park sent out search helicopters and everything, yet did not find us bc we hiked into Lisutu (another country)! After three days, of being lost, we ended up walking out of the park, which put us on a missing persons report. I jumped on the plane the next day for home! Lesson Learned: Maybe playing frisbee with Lisutu boys after opening and finishing a bottle of whiskey, on day 2, isnt a good time to ask for directions.

I did get stuck in customs. They opened everything! They did not like the bao SEEDS, or the elephant ivory! I had no idea the hippo bone, which is also illegal, was ivory!! I got a two hour lesson on how to identify ivory, a ticket, and a threat of a $1000 fine! Welcome back to a place where waving an mK500 note will get you no-where, yet an innocent face and a slightly southern accent will get you out of a fine.

Okay so home is wonderful!! I love being so close to my family; they are such wonderful people!! It is also great to see all my friends. Re-adjustment is cake so far, expecially when I had a slight thought I might not be able to make it back home.