By Staff
So long, Venice! I was talking about that experience with a friend at church Sunday and she asked why we didn't take a water taxi that evening.
First off, we didn't know there were such vehicles; second, it was late by the time we finally arrived at the city limits so we didn't see any.
We did take a water taxi when we left – it was much easier on the feet.
Then it was on to Florence and Rome and much happier experiences.
After Rome we flew over to Athens and arrived just as the junta had deposed the king.
Negotiating customs was difficult. The immigration officer was perplexed that my last name was different on my passport than Naomi's was on hers.
He finally threw up his hands and told us to move along.
Sightseeing was great in Athens. Fortunately I had two years of Greek in college, so I could lamely read maps and street signs.
Digesting some of the pastry was a challenge,though.
Well, let me move this travel log along and get us down to Africa.
After the delays, frustrations, and detours we'd encountered, it was good to see Naomi's parents.
And while Rhodesia was then in turmoil (this was the beginning of the end for Ian Smith's regime), we were in the company of two very experienced travelers who knew that part of Africa like the back of their hands.
Traveling in the bush was a new experience for me.
First there were roadblocks -military blocks, washed-out roads and animal congestion.
Automatic rifles pointed at us, tires blew out in the middle of nowhere and slow-moving elephants blocked the road.
What excitement. Following the rear ends of a lumbering herd of pachyderms is not a pleasant sight, especially right after they had eaten.
Of course, other wild things ran across the road and jumped out at us, too – a myriad of antelopes, buffalo, lions, leopards, monkeys, giraffes and even a hippo or two.
This was home to Naomi.
We visited schools she had attended; saw places where she had lived; met long-time friends; and enjoyed a culture that was strange and different from the one I'd grown up in.
While there were many interesting and exciting experiences, one of the fondest memories I have was the traditional African wedding reception my parents-in-law gave us.
We ate boiled goat and sadza (a cornmeal dish), had an English wedding fruitcake, enjoyed singing and dancing by African women and children and received many gifts – including a live rabbit, chicken, rooster, vegetables and fruit.
What a day! And what a relief from Venice!
There's one more tale of that trip I want to tell on my front porch, so come on by next week.