I'm only half sure of what day it is -- but I am 100% sure of where I am. Zimbabwe, at long last! Fradreck Mujuru and his son Kudzi picked me up tonight from the airport and took me to Fradreck's place about 15km from the airport. I'm snugly ensconsed in a little room here, with bed/blankets/pillow/mosquito net -- none of which I was sure would be available. An insistent rain is pattering on the to roof, and faint sounds of mbira drift in, too. I feel pretty good despite the 24+ hour journey -- fueled mainly be adrenaline and Coca-Cola/Coke Zero (which they kept serving on the plane) -- and the main casualties seem to be my absurdly swollen feet. I only slept a couple of hours on the plane, but it has worked well so that I can fall asleep now.
A couple of highlights for now:
*Seeing an enormous thunder and lightning storm on the horizon (over Sudan?) from 35,000 feet.
*Seeing many small fires -- but whether cookfires or fires from the lightning, I don't know.
*Entering Zimbabwe (surprisingly easy) under the framed sour puss of Robert Mugabe (who they refer to simply as "The Old Man", whose picture was hung prominently at several locations at the airport.
So glad to hear you arrived safely, if tired and foot-swollen. I'm looking forward to reading updates on your exciting adventure! Nothing much to report here in Seattle, other than it's finally winter -- apparently it won't even reach freezing temp today! Oh, and I now have the date for my Seattle Town Hall -- April 23. Mark your calendar!
xxoo Katie
Glad to see, read your first Zimbabwe account! And extra glad that you got there safely. In your absence the Seahawks won the Superbowl, and the city has been reveling in the big win, in its mild mannered fashion. It's all very strange. The big parade was yesterday and it was quite calm/tame. In Chicago this would be occasion for flipping over and setting fire to cars.
Anyway, I look forward to reading more accounts of your Zimbabwean adventures!
Also glad you got there, and that it's going well. News here (today) is that Arie got and is taking the job with Gates Foundation!