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For those of you who are counting, you'll know that we have passed the 11 month mark on this journey. Eleven months of long bus rides, washboard roads, trickling showers, overflowing squat toilets, sagging beds, no place to cook, same two pairs of pants and three shirts, and . . . the wonderful luxury of "home".
We would be back in the States by now were it not for a handful of phenomenal hosts who opened their comfortable homes, provided endless local cultural insights, and willingly tasted our experimental meals. Without these comfy homes away from home, we would not have the energy or spirit to keep on the move.
So, for those of you at home who miss us, these are the folks to blame. And to them we dedicate our first eleven months of travel: Nadia (Maputo, Mozambique and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), Rushad (Blantyre, Malawi), Russell (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and Catherine (Khartoum, Sudan).
We are so grateful for their homes with fridges to fill with heaps of green leafy vegetables and kitchens to create our own concoctions. Homes with hot showers (OK, so Russell's shower sucks) and couches to lounge on. Homes with firm beds
and people who do our laundry. Homes with carefully selected décor (no, Rushad, the climbing wall does not count). Homes with excellent music collections and lovely spots for yoga. Homes with drawers where we can stash our socks for a few days and computers that we can use to sort pictures, keep our blog up to date (ha!) and write reports. Places where we can just feel at home and be ourselves.
Russell wins the Sarah-and-Jonathon-tolerance award hands down, clocking 39 nights with us over the course of three months! Rushad wins for superb itinerary planning support, and for his patience waiting for us to drag our out-of-shape asses up Mt. Mulanje. Nadia gets the award for best stocked kitchen and ties with Catherine for best array of fun shower stuff -- gels, shampoos, facial exfoliaters, foot scrubbers, and things that smell nice. Catherine wins for most elaborate Thanksgiving dinner and most creative exercise regimes -- Cindy Crawford kicked my ass!
-- Jonathon and Sarah
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Jessica Fisher
non-member comment
Contact from beyond...
SO incredibly good to hear news from you! I was just wondering when I should start bugging your mom for an estimated date of return. I'm so happy to see these images and to hear about these fabulous hosts! More details! More pictures! We miss you, but it keeps me content to know you're out there having the time of your lives. Big Bisous Jessica