Return of the rain

The rain has returned. Outside my window it falls and falls. Gentle, soaking rain. The new green grass (so recently returned) soaks it in. Plants seem to regenerate right there in front of me.

Rain means so many different things to different people. It has taken these few months since my return to love rain again. In Korea, particularly in Daegu, it rains all the time, especially in summer. Rain becomes an annoying, ordinary part of every day. It is something you complain about but also an inevitability around which you organise your life. I took to carrying an umbrella in my handbag or my daypack at all times. Constant, pouring rain becomes the norm.

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Friday in Franschhoek

Franschhoek is one of the tourist hotspots of the Western Cape. It is a beautiful little town in the winelands surrounded by soaring, majestic mountains, with a much celebrated French heritage. It has also, over the years, been developed as a tourist destination, so that the streets are now lined with exquisite eateries, art galleries and antique shops. It is quite expensive but remains stunningly beautiful.

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Somerset West Welcome

6:30am. The bus stop in Swellendam. It’s far too early after a broken night’s travel-sleep but it’s light and the day is fresh. Two little brown birds greet us, hop-hopping along the edge of the N2. Passengers get off and walk around. I stay in my warm, comfortable seat and enjoy the morning world through my window. The clouds are lying low and solid-grey today. It seems I’ve left the early summer in the Eastern Cape. Below the grey ceiling, the fields are lush and green between tall trees. Here, there is no brittle-dry grass and dusty soil thirsty for the first summer rains. In many ways it’s like a different country, a different world. The veld back home is parched. There has been too little rain for too many seasons. Farm dams are dry patches of cracked soil where cattle and sheep stand balefully, hoping for a drop of water or some fresh greens one day soon. As we drive on, I wonder if it has rained since I left.

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