On the long goodbye

As with all good things there comes a point in your lives when things change. For us it is that time when this part of the African adventure has to cease to be. Tonight we sat around the dining table and had our meal with a degree of contemplative quiet. Now quiet in this family is a relative term, so as you can imagine it simply meant that Joshua wasn't shouting just talking loudly.

Zanner had said she was going to be sad to leave to which Zach concurred. It made me think, and I told everyone that this wasn't the end of anything, we were simply going on the next adventure. That every ending is simply the beginning of the next. I just don't see that we are finished here or that we are heading for a period of quiet reflection that lasts until the boys are off doing their own thing.

We have all been very comfortable here, that is to say the place fits our spirit, we have easily adapted to the lack of creature comforts even if the lack of electricity or decent internet can be somewhat vexing it is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The boys have, we hope, gained something from all of this as it was always our wish that they would somehow find an alternative view to the commercial and egocentric attitudes we are surrounded by in the UK. But above all I hope that they have continued to stoke the fires of adventure and daring do that burns within both Zanner and I. In six months they have physically grown, as can be seen below, but they have also grown closer. Their ability to share endless hours of play and discussion has been wonderful to see, and at times their unrequited love for one another is a shield against the upset they sometimes feel. 

To mark the end of this particular journey we threw a small get together at the compound to celebrate what has been a wonderful six months. Zanner was very much under the weather, unfortunately one of many ills to have befallen her over the period. But she soldiered on and we produced a good old shin dig. As many couldn't be here as could come, this was HASH day after all, but some of our friends had already left the country to return home after their tour of duty. The kids all had a great time racing around the gardens with numerous bits of grub and sticks with which to beat up on one another.

All in all it went well and we have made connections that will no doubt continue to challenge us to keep traveling around the world. NEXT STOP....watch this space.

A few new close friends

King of his tribe, Zach is a natural leader.

"The purpose of this blog was not to bore any family or friends who found time to read it, in fact for those of you that have we hope you have enjoyed the journey with us, and of course a profound thank you for taking the time. But, the real purpose was to create something we could turn into a document to give to the boys, a kind of diary for the 21st Century. With that in mind we know that they will not read it today or tomorrow, but maybe in time it will be one of a collection of 'blogs' that chart our many adventures. In it we hope that you both read and understand how much we love you and that these adventures are the building blocks of what we hope will be lives full of excitement and daring do."

A&Z  (13/05/2012)