Stories of Life in Faraway Places

Notes from the road—places traveled, stories gathered, and moments that linger long after the suitcase is unpacked.

  • All
  • South Africa
  • Malaysia

Camps Bay, January 2026 — Camps Bay, Cape Town

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January 22, 2026 Framed by the vast Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the towering Seven Apostles mountain range on the other, we are now in an entirely different ecosystem – Camps Bay, Cape Town. No fires, floods, nor ticks. Theatre on the Bay is just a few doors away from our balcony at the…

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Franschhoek, January 2026 — Tears

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January 19, 2026 These days, I often find myself on the verge of tears. When Chris revealed our lunch, it took my breath away. Or while Bianca read the menu selections, and when Jason welcomed us back to the hotel after a walk. Unplanned, unexplained, unadulterated tears. In the beginning of our journey in South…

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Franschhoek, January 2026 — A New Beginning

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January 18, 2026 Thank you for your concern and good wishes. Our flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town was smooth and uneventful. While driving into Franschhoek, we could see areas that had been severely burnt. Acres of scorched earth and blackened trees surrounded us. The smell of smoke still hung in the air. Although we…

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Johannesburg, January 2026 — Drama on the Road

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January 17, 2026 We sat on the tarmac waiting for passengers to arrive from their lodges. Ours’ was closest to the airport, with only one road to traverse. It remained passable. The other reserves were further away, and the rain had suddenly returned with a vengeance. All the grass visible in the picture (below) was soon to be totally…

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Sabi Sand, January 2026 — Rivers

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January 12, 2026 We are having “significant” rainfall today. The experts predict well over 1 inch – which, when added to the accumulation from yesterday, and the projections for more rain tomorrow; it’s suddenly quite wet here. This morning, Bill and I were surprised to find large puddles on the floor of our unit – leaks in what before had seemed like an impenetrable bubble. Bath towels…

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Phinda Private Game Reserve, January 2026 — Return

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January 11, 2026 We’re now in the Phinda Private Game Reserve. Our travel company, called “&Beyond”, purchased the land to return it to its original owners, and to provide a home for the wild life that once roamed freely here. Phinda is actually a Zulu word that means “return”. Over the past 20-plus years of “rewilding”, &Beyond has successfully reintroduced the animals that exist here today. Somehow, I too am being prompted to…

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South Africa, January 2026 — Attention

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January 8, 2026 A two-inch southern-foam-nest-tree-frog (its’ official name) was sitting in a branch, and caught the attention of our tracker as we drove past it. We were actually looking for a family of cheetahs thought to be nearby. Bill and I were amazed that Sipo was able to see such a small creature from high atop a…

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South Africa, January 2026 — Rewilding

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January 6, 2026 Before returning to Africa, I had become familiar with the concept of “rewilding”. It refers to landscapes and the reintroduction of animals and other living things that were formerly driven-out or exterminated. But I wonder now what this important phenomenon for environmental conservation and the preservation of species in the natural world…

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Johannesburg, December 2025 — Landed

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December 31, 2025 Here we are – nine hours into the future. And it’s already the eve of a new year. This morning, after a 15 hour direct flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, my head is still spinning and I feel unmoored. Now, on the terrace of our room, I’m listening to the singing of…

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Langkawi, April 2025 — Holding What Matters

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April 23, 2025 Although unplanned, coming to Malaysia has been absolutely perfect. Bill and I haven’t been here for ten years. He worked in Malaysia for five years as a young adult, and you might remember that we used to visit here (and the rest of Asia) often in the early 2000s. Needless to say,…

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