Russ was discharged last Monday with strict orders not to do anything. That is not an easy task, especially for someone like Russ. There is only so much television that one can watch, even give the full range of satellite channels. Fortunately, or not so, Russ had some adjustments to the medications which made him feel sleepy or lightheaded.
Our friends Annette and Eicker welcomed us into their home for the week of rest. My time was split between running errands, internet updates, and hanging out with Russ. Between two Namibian public holidays, there were lots of phone calls to make, bills to pay, and things to settle. Oh, and the car needed a wheel bearing! But everything worked out incredibly smoothly.
Although we already had a cardiologist appointment on May 16, I woke up Friday morning feeling I should call another doctor's office to see if there was a chance we could get in. We had been told previously that this doctor was booked until May; he is a popular choice as the US Embassy's top pick (although I am sure he also serves a wide range of nationalities). The receptionist squeezed us in for Tuesday afternoon and the catharization (called an angiogram here) for Thursday!
We had been feeling for a while like we needed closure in Botswana, and so decided to take our time driving to Gaborone. We took two days to drive 1000 kilometers (a mere fraction of the 15000 kilometer trip). Initially, we were going to take three days, but the road in Botswana was so good, it was like driving a freeway (occasionally needing to slow down for donkeys or goats; the cows wisely stayed off the tarmac). It was also a beautiful stretch of green hills and fields strewn with bright yellow wildflowers, making it feel more like spring than fall. Having gotten twelve hours of sleep the night before, we both felt great and the time went by quickly.
We were welcomed by Zane and Helen, and are staying at Rosemary and Rafa's place until we fly on Monday night for Johannesburg. We will completely unpack the car at last, emptying out all sorts of junk and treasures from the past few months. Then we turn it over to Zane, who is busy packing up for his move to Zambia. I'll close the bank account, pack our bags and hand out whatever is left (we will leave two more boxes of stuff here) tomorrow. Helen thoughtfully invited our friends over for dinner tonight so we will have one last hurrah!
It is so so good to be back here, even for just forty-eight hours, and like Namibia it will be sad to go tomorrow, but we are incredibly thankful for the earlier appointment which brings us one step closer to flying back to the US.
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