Out of Africa

JOHANNESBURG _ It seemed like the road would go on forever. It didn't. It just went for 7350 kilometers, (4567 miles) through five countries – South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe - in over 24 days. More. A month if you count the time Eva and Doug spent in Cape Town and Joburg before and after the trek.

Sometimes that road did seem to go forever. Across the white sand deserts of Namibia, with Milton in the cab and the rest of us in the truck as he drove and we bounced and he drove and we bounced toward a horizon that we never quite seemed to reach. More or less the same in Botswana, until the road started to climb and twist and turn in the hills leading to lush and troubled Zimbabwe.

The days also seemed to last forever, packing our gear and heavy tents before dawn (even worse Before Coffee) so we would could make an impossibly long drive that day. But Milton seemed to know just when to stop (OK. Once, we heard a passenger shout ''I need to go. NOW'')

And the days would be broken up by one astonishing adventure, one amazing sight, and one exotic animal after another.

This would be capped by The Marvelous Milton. our large and unstopably jovial Zimbabwean guide, driver, cook, and good buddy. He'd whip up a gourmet lunch under the shade of a tree at the side of a desolate and windblown road in about two minutes and then outdo himself on the open fire of a campsite while making yet another great dinner. (Doug, who loves to BBQ, only got to help three times: peeling some butternuts, BBQing chicken and beef, and roasting bananas)

The trek was just a sampling of southern Africa. Every stop was too short, because each ''next attraction'' was just too far down the road toward that ever distant horizon. It was like going to a wine tasting _ try a little bit of everything and go back for the best ones later.

So far this blog feels like it has missed out on more than we have reported. Too much. Too fast and waaaay slow. (Glacial internet that is. When we could log on at all.)

Did we mention the pride of lions we saw lounging near the water hole? No? Didn't think so. How about flying the small plane over huge herd of elphants iover the Okavango Delta? No. Not that either? Did we say anything about the friendship that grew from the trials, tribulations and triumphs? The great dinner at Doug's long-time colleague Donna's house in Joburg? Thought so. Too much. Too fast. Too slow.

And if there was a lesson, it's one Doug's mother tried to drum into him and that was summed up in the sign on her kitchen wall. ''Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.'

Milton never threw away a scrap of food. What he couldn't keep them he would give away: To campsite workers, other guides, park workers, and if necessary passers by.

''Waste not, want not.'' It made us rich Westerners reflect on the waste of our own wasteful, wasteful lifestyle. Shame on us.

Near the end of the trek, we saw we could not eat the snacks and drink the soft drinks we had brought before the trek ended. So we made up a gift bag for Mr. Brown, who earns about 400 rand (70 US dollars a month) looking after a remote campsite we used in southern Zimbabwe. The bag contained crackers, cookies, candy, two bottles of Coke, and a brand new shirt that was too small for Doug. It also contained 2 dollars.

Mr. Brown was clearly delighted and moved. Delighted by the food, a treat for his family. Moved by the crisp new, checkered, button-down shirt. He took it out of the bag, held it up for inspection, and -smiling – declared ''I'm going to look like a president.''

It was the same the whole way. What we saw as being worthless, they saw as a treasure. Our unwanted food was ther feast.

So we'll be back. Next time with an extra bag of old socks, shirts, pants, and shoes that we might have thrown out at home. Do the same if you ever go.

Thank you Africa. Next stop Thailand.

D&E