- Following an 11-hour flight from Paris, we arrived in Johannesburg at 10 a.m., went through customs, exchanged some money and set out for a 6-hour drive to Phalaborwa -- learning to drive on the left side of the road (in a manual no less) was an experience for us both!
- Along the way we passed a baboon eating garbage on the side of the road, numerous controlled burns, countless locals of all ages walking along the narrow shoulder, goats and cows sometimes IN the road, towering banana plants, tea plantations, orange groves, warthogs and termite mounds.
- Arrived at our friends' house just after dark and were treated to showers, a home-cooked meal and lovely conversation (catching up on 10 years!), followed by drinking wine while relaxing on the porch.
- After the 11-hour flight from Seattle, we arrived in Paris at 8 a.m. and took advantage of the 16-hour layover on our way to Africa by stretching our legs and seeing as much as we could.
- Rode the train into the city and visited the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral.
- Strolled the few blocks to Sainte-Chapelle and adored the breathtaking stained glass windows.
- Walked roughly a mile along the Seine to the Musee du Louvre -- we didn't have time to tour the gigantic museum, but we did have time to have fun and eat a snack in the courtyard!
- Hoofed it another 2.5 miles to the Eiffel Tower, napped in the grass by the 1,034-foot structure, then climbed the 1,710 steps to the second level where we were treated to a marvelous view of the city.
- Walked 1.5 miles to the Arc de Triomphe, home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WWI.
- Jet-lagged, worn out from covering miles of the city on foot, and running out of time before needing to return to the airport for our 11-hour flight to Johannesburg, we popped into a Lebanese restaurant off the Champs-Elysees for a dinner of tasty lamb shawarma.
