Crisis Averted

            I went to Luanda on the visitor’s visa that I received from the Angolan embassy in Washington, D.C. I knew that during my two-month trial period in Luanda I would need to renew my visa halfway through my trip; however, I was under the impression that it would just take a quick trip to the government office. The days prior to my visa expiration date, Adam took my passport and documents with him to renew it. No big deal. Adam called me to check in and update me on the status of my passport. He started the conversation off by telling me that he had some good news and some bad news and then proceeded to ask me which I wanted to hear first. Of course I wanted him to drop the bomb of bad news on me first in hopes that the good news would make me forget all about the bad news. As my heart began thumping through my chest, he explained to me that during the original visa process in Washington, D.C., I had received a special kind of visa that didn’t allow me to renew my visa in Angola. Instead, I had to leave the country. IMMEDIATELY. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. I couldn’t believe that after everything I had been through to get to Luanda that I was going to have to pack my bags and head back to the States.

As the horrible thoughts of packing my belongings and the images of having to once again kiss my fiancé goodbye at the airport took over, Adam chimed in with the good news. He told me that I needed to still pack my bags because no matter what, I had to leave the country. But instead of packing for home, I needed to pack my bags for a weekend getaway to Johannesburg, South Africa. I was in complete shock. Adam must have repeated the news atleast two or three more times before it actually sank in. My knight in shining armor pulled through once again. I wasn’t going home; instead, he was taking me on little vacay to soak up the atmosphere of Jo’burg. Confused as to how this fixed the problem, Adam explained to me that my visa would renew once we reentered Angola. Adam had booked our flights and found a hotel room in the heart of the city. I tried to contain my excitement long enough to get our bags packed. Jo’burg, here we come!

The following day, Adam and I boarded the plane and set out on our unexpected three-day getaway. It was early evening by the time we landed and checked into our amazing hotel. Note to self: let Adam choose and book the hotels from here on out. With no time to really plan for the trip, we decided we would travel “Adam Style” meaning we had no set plans and would make our own itinerary as we went along. We thought that a nice steak dinner at the Meat Co. restaurant close by was the perfect way to start off our vacation. The steaks in South Africa were just as delicious and tender as the steaks in Angola. Once again, no steak knife. We washed down the tasty meat with a bottle of red wine. The wine is South Africa is absolutely AMAZING, and I don’t even think that sentence does it justice. The different climates and vineyard locations give the wine so much flavor that it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

The Elephant Sanctuary nearby made its way onto our Saturday itinerary. Although it was a bit of a drive, we enjoyed our scenery as it allowed us to see the natural beauty outside of the busy city. We were introduced to beautiful mountains, blue lakes, and natural grasslands. We hadn’t even made it to the sanctuary and the drive alone made the trip worth it.

We arrived at the sanctuary right before one of the morning groups was about to begin. Perfect! I was more excited about this little adventure than a kid on Christmas Eve. We met our tour guide Simba. He taught us a lot of fun facts about elephants. For example, did you know that there are over 100,000 muscles in the elephant’s trunk? How is that even possible? He also taught us about the Elephant Sanctuary which was designed to help rehab elephants with the intention of getting them back out into the wild. After our educational “class” was over, it was time to play! Lunchtime was when we had our first interaction with the elephants. We held out handfuls of food as the elephants sucked the food up with their trunks and dropped the pellets off in their mouths. It was quite a treat, for both the elephants and us.

After lunch we moved a little further into the trees and greenery before being greeted by two more elephants. It was now time to get to know our new friends up close and personal. As we learned about each part of the elephant, we were given the opportunity to use our sense of touch to further our knowledge. As we felt the elephants’ feet, tails, ears, and trunks, all boundaries apparently went out the window because Timba, the male elephant, decided to plant a big, wet, snotty kiss on my cheek. Gross!

Next we moved on to the final interaction of the day: a bareback elephant ride! As my turn quickly approached, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t believe that I was about to get on the back of a 6,000lb animal. Did I leave what sanity I had left in Luanda? Was I crazy? As I was riding the elephant, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how such a large animal walked so gracefully around. I could feel the animal’s muscles and bones move with each large step. It was incredible.

As our amazing play date with the elephants concluded, Adam and I realized for the first time that we were starving. We had been so busy taking in our surroundings and interacting with our new friends that we both failed to hear the loud rumbles coming from our stomachs. We decided to grab some food at a little pizzeria in Melrose Square.

Adam and I spent our third and final day in Johannesburg walking around Melrose Square and checking out the coffee shops, bookstore, and little boutiques. We enjoyed a nice lunch outside. The cool breeze on our faces was a wonderful change from the hot weather we had been experiencing in Luanda.

Our three-day trip to Johannesburg was a completely unexpected and amazing trip, just like the past few months of my life. Adam turned what could have been a heartbreaking moment into a trip of a lifetime. We returned to Luanda, and my visa was renewed. Crisis averted!