Settling Accounts

Early the next morning I made haste to get ready for a day of errands. First up, I took Aslan to Drive Africa, where they spent an hour checking him out and determining what extra money I would have to pay and how much exactly they would buy him back for. It was a painless experience, and I enjoyed talking with the people at the office. In the end, I was charged for two new tires (because they had worn down), a major maintenance checkup that I had left for them to do, and a charge for them to clean it up and remove all the bits of Africa that still remained inside. The final price was pretty good, and the end calculations came out to about 30 dollars a day to have the car for two and a half months. Not bad, I should think.

Having found out that the All Nations people would all be in a meeting for a couple more ours, I headed towards Cape Point to do some last minute sightseeing and kill some time. The drive was wonderful, and the sights were breathtaking. I didn't make it all the way to the point itself because of its monetary and temporal expense. Snapping photos of the dramatic coastline was fun, but I had more to photograph, so I stopped at a penguin colony, where African penguins reside, making their strange sounds and continuing their unlikely existence.




Soon it was time to get to Africa House. In the parking lot, I emptied the jerry can of gas that I had never used into the tank and returned it. Passing by Floyd as he rushed to another meeting, I said my goodbyes and thank you's, wondering when I would return. Over the next four hours, I retrieved my luggage and laptop from Africa House and spent time catching up with all my friends there. Before long, though, it was time to separate, which was difficult but necessary. Driving home on my last commute, I reflected on the time I spent with All Nations, with all its frustrations, elations, and challenges. I realized that my viewpoint had changed in many respects, but more on that later.

At the hostel Toukam and I met back up after he had spent the afternoon with his coworkers, and we began the task of assessing the financial damage that the previous two and a half months. Despite our having Microsoft Excel, a calculator, plenty of documentation, and two Columbian minds at our disposal, success proved illusive. Finally, after an inexcusably long time all the numbers balanced out, and I was at peace, if also feeling poor. Having done that deed, we had a couple hours left before dinner, so we filled up the time uploaded each other's photos, putting our African CD's on our laptops, and packing a little. Finally the time came for dinner.

My generous parents had read a review of a restaurant in Cape Town called Roundhouse in Town and Country and decided to "take" Toukam and I out to dinner there. Not wanting to pass such an offer up, we made reservations back in Mossel Bay and did indeed spend the last night of the Old School Adventure in style. The restaurant, which lies on the slope of Table Mountain overlooking the sea, is small, scenic, and refined. Opting for the four course meal, Toukam and I had a great time reminiscing about the adventures we had had and pondering about what adventures are in store for us in the future. The food itself was spectacular- I had foie gras, bouillabaisse, aged sirloin, and blood orange shortcake, all of which were superb, although the foie gras definitely took the cake.



The next day was the day of departure, at least for me. Toukam had bought his ticket for the next day. Waking early, I began the day with lots of blogging and packing, trying to get prepared before noon. By the end, we were scrambling- going to internet cafes, picking up souvenirs, grabbing sleeping aids, and eating some lunch at a Cuban cafe. Having stuffed all my duffels and procured all that I needed for the 30+ hours of travel ahead, I said my goodbyes to Toukam, who has been the best roommate, travel companion, and navigator that I could have asked for. I regret that he won't be at Columbia next year, but I know he'll be doing great things at Northwestern.

Hoping to get to the airport early, I left with plenty of time to get to Drive Africa, where the transaction would be finalized and someone would take me to the airport. However, there had been some big accidents on the highways in addition to the apparently usual Friday lunchtime traffic. These snags resulted in a 15 minute trip taking 40, and I was slightly flustered by the time I got to the office. However, there was still plenty of time before my plane would leave, so I got to say my goodbyes to the Drive Africa people, who have proven to be fantastic and helpful. At the airport, things went quickly and smoothly and I was soon on my way to JoBurg, NYC, and beyond. It was the end of a period of my life that had been filled with adventure, soul searching, awe-inspiring sights, motivating people, and life changing challenges. It is officially over, and I have to get used to this new and sobering fact in my life, though I have much to look forward to in the weeks and months to come.