4:20 PM
Nelmitravel - Nelieta Mishchenko
Dear Family and Friends,
It feels like ages since I have last updated the blog! I suppose time flies when you are having fun...and did I have fun when I went to South Africa in June! About that a little later.
May was a hectic month for us here at Tinktinkie. My trip was not planned and I had to make all the arrangements in a very short space of time. I was worried about Andrey being alone at the hostel, so we decided to ask Alex and Natalia if Babushka Nelly (that is Natalia's Mom) could stay here while I was gone. Alex and Natalia love it here and decided to bring the whole family along. They stayed for almost 3 weeks!
I took the train from Cordoba to Buenos Aires. I was really impressed with the train service. The only thing that didn't impress me was the 17 hours to get there! How I've missed Buenos Aires! The crazyness, the people, and the vibe in the city. I took part in the 25 May celebrations this year. This is a very important day in Argentina because they celebrate their independence from Spain. This year was even bigger, because they celebrated 200 years. I joined the festivities in Plaza de Mayo and it was crazy! I also managed to meet Hendrik and Laura for coffee in a wonderful coffee shop in San Telmo.
The day of my departure was a nightmare, to say the least. Everything was such a rush because I needed to get my Yellow Fever injection before I could fly. It is a new entry requirement by South Africa. But disaster struck when I lost my cellphone! I am not sure if it got stolen at the bus terminal or maybe I left it in the taxi. Andrey believes it got stolen because it was switched off . I was still in shock and when I eventually got calm on the aeroplane I realized that I have lost my jacket too. I couldn't believe it! I lost my jacket in my frantic search for my cellphone! On that note I left for South Africa!
My time in South Africa was absolutely amazing! I couldn't believe how much OR Thambo Aiport has changed. It is a world class airport and it looked so modern! I was very impressed. Monica was waiting for me and we took a drive through Hillbrow and again to my amazement it was clean, buildings were painted and it looked very nice. I couldn't believe my eyes. What impressed me the most was the atmosphere of unity in South Africa. Flags were everywhere and everybody was participating in this great event.
It was wonderful to see my family in Gauteng again. I couldn't get to my family in the Cape, but there is always a next time. I got spoilt rotten to say the least. I had such an amazing time with everyone and I have realized how much I miss the people. Distance changes people and I was very emotional most of the time. I missed everyone so much and appreciated each moment..
I managed to see old school friends, some which I haven't seen in 22 years. It was wonderful to talk about the past, the future and what we still want to do. The most special gift was to see my girls, Nadine and Mariska. Words cannot describe how it felt to be able to see them again after 1 1/2 years. I will treasure the memories and my time in South Africa for ever and I would also like to thank each and everyone who made this holiday possible and unbelievable. Thank you!
I am also very, very proud of how South Africa has presented the World Cup Soccer! They have done an amazing job!!!
I came back just in time to celebrate my 40th birthday! For months I was scared and depressed to turn 40. See now people start to label you as middle aged, old and over the hill. But I realized that the best 40 years is still to come so I am not scared anymore! Thank you again to all my family and friends who celebrated with me in South Africa and also a big thank you to Andrey who made my return and day here just as special.
The schools are closing in July and we are expecting some people here later in the month. We will keep you posted!
Saludos
Andrey & Nelieta
