Out of Africa!

Wow! There's so much to take in, digest, ruminate about and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to write down so much of what we've done in the past five months since we're just reeling and revelling in all that we've seen, done and participated in during our wonderful time with the Africa Mercy in Lome', Togo.  Wish I was more articulate - but it seems that every thought begins and ends with - Wow!  Hmm...

So, this past week has been a real roller coaster of emotions and experiences.  Since our last blog post we've had several good bye dinners.  Last Monday we said good bye to many good friends flying out that night. We then headed off to a Chinese restaurant to say farewell to the folks I got very close to during our crazy three weeks that we put together an approximation of the musical Godspell.  Since Peter and I wanted to say some good byes we came later so that meant I drove a Land Rover from the port to the restaurant.  Yikes!  What an adventure!  Rumor had it that the port of Benin - several Km to the east had decided to close for awhile.  Many reasons were touted but no matter the cause it meant that hundreds of semi trucks headed to our port for business.  Talk about gridlock!  I've never been so glad to be in a Land Rover since in order to get from point A to point B one had to have nerves of steel and a low threshold for jumping curbs and off roading thru the medians of Lome'.  So, we got where we were going but the adventure started as soon as we put the key in the ignition. 

This curb jumping junket was repeated on Wednesday night when we had another good bye dinner with our hospital sanity keepers Dr. Finona and radiology tech extraordinaire Brigid whom I've written about before.  Peter and I thanked them profusely for being the recipients of multiple rants about just about everything, our coffee break partners and purveyors of some of the best baked goods we've ever tasted.  God bless both of them as they make their way to London tomorrow night.  We can't wait to see both of you again. I'm glad our dinner turned out well since I was loathe to brave the truck impacted gauntlet of the beach road once again and was a less than jolly chauffeur but fortunately once the road opened up I think I recovered my decent mood.  I was mostly concerned about the roads being impassable the next night when we needed to get to the airport and since I'm a pretty nervous traveller it doesn't take much to get me worried about all things related to travel.  Yeah - I'm not a real trusting soul.  Yet another thing that the Lord has sent me to Africa to work on.  I get it....

This dinner was a nice closure after the emotional send off of all our day workers from the ship.  Since it was so crowded we did not get to eat lunch with them or attend the fancy ceremony that was held but we were happy to at least get to say good bye after everything was concluded on the dock. It is hard to say enough about the wonderful, hard working, patient, good hearted day workers that really made our mission possible.  We treasure our friendships with them and will never, ever forget them.  They are the face and heart of Togo to us.  Here's one of the pictures posted after the good bye ceremony.

Backtracking to Tuesday night we opted to walk over to our fav spot - the Seaman's center with our oldest and dearest of friends we first met in Texas- Simon, Tina and Jen as well as Annika and her new hubby Idrissa.  A final night under the stars enjoying the ocean breeze with our customary bier mit french fries was a little bitter sweet as we've treasured our new found friends so very much and trust the Lord will bring us together again in the not too distant future. 

Thursday was a whirlwind of packing, setting out box after box of give aways, packing, sign out slips, packing and a surprise abandon ship drill! Each time we'd look at our watches it was hard to believe that along with all the usual hour by hour things we were doing that in a few more minutes and hours we'd be leaving the ship, our friends and all that had come to be routine these past five months. 

And then at 6:30 a cadre of folks scooped up all our bags and our cabin was...empty!  I turned out the lights for the last time, locked the door that no longer had our name tag on the empty brass plate and headed to the gangway for the last time for our final "kiss and cry".  After oh so many times before saying good bye to all that had left before us - now it was our turn.  Such a lovely tradition of everyone meeting at the bottom of the gangway.  So many hugs, so many "when will we see you again?"  So many, "thank you for your help, your contribution, your service, your sacrifice."  Wow!  This is really, really a wonderful send off.  And then the gauntlet of people lining up, waving good bye.  Sort of like the munchkins lining up along the yellow brick road but way, way better since - well, it wasn't a weird Frank Baum dream but real, live send off Africa Mercy style.  Yup - another Wow! 

And then - thank you Lord!  My big fear was for naught.  The beach road was clear as a bell - no traffic, no trucks jammed all over the place!  Thank you Lord for answering my prayers and thank you to the wonderful Miriam - probably the best ship's driver I've ever ridden with.  So - we had a lovely ride to the airport and then the incomparable Miriam even helped drag our many bags into the terminal.  Everyone should have a Kiwi friend like Miriam!  Many thanks to you, our favorite pharmacist ever! 

So - we made it thru the airport check in without a hitch, had friends to chat with in the waiting area since we had not only the three nurses leaving the ship with us but also two families and others going off for vacation before rejoining the ship on the next chapter in Guinea.  We even all sat together on the uneventful plane ride to Brussels.  I can't say enough about how lovely Brussels Air is, too!  They actually fed us a full meal in coach at 11pm at night!  What American carrier would do that in this day and age?  I know - none of them!   They even fed us a petit dejeuner so that we didn't have to forage in the airport for those of us with short connections between flights.  Then, lo and behold - on our 45 minute flight to Paris they literally threw sandwiches at us just after take off so that we were quite happy collecting all five of our bags that were the last off the carousel at Charles de Gaulle.  Fortunately, Peter slept most of the time any of our planes were in the air or taxis were moving in Paris.  I, on the other hand didn't sleep until we made it to the apartment Friday morning.  So, thanks to my Mother in law we had a clean beds, a full refrigerator and blissful silence in her Paris apartment and I finally got some shut eye. 

So- lucky us.  We've got three days in Paris to unwind and re-enter Western society after five months in Africa without having to worry about the day to day. Three days before we have to deal with our regular lives in California, house, cars, bills and broken computer that we left in January.  Yesterday we had a simply idyllic day in Paris and I was able to check off one of my bucket list items that Peter didn't even know I'd yearned to do for nearly 30 years!  We spent a gorgeous day in Versailles and I finally got to see all 32 of the spectacular fountains in action!  Wow! 

By way of explanation - the summer after my first year of med school I came to Europe and after working at the Army hospital in Nurnberg I travelled around for a month on my own.  I spent several days in Paris and ventured out to Versailles on a bus trip.  Although I'd long known about this spectacular, royal retreat it was the gardens and especially the fountains I wanted to see.  I was so very, very disappointed that on the day I was there they did not play the fountains and for the rest of my life I've wanted to see them in action.  Up until this visit we've never been in Paris during a time when we could get there when they were would be on.  So, when Peter not only had the idea to go, and we found out the fountains would be played with music for over two hours that afternoon - I was simply thrilled!  We took a train that left from very near the apartment.

Since the fountains didn't start for awhile we were able to spend some time in the gardens walking around.  Here's the front entrance to Versailles Palace.  Since both Peter and I have been inside this before we didn't go in and saw both the Grande and Petite Trianon residences on the far side of the Gardens.   

But first, we sat by the Grande Canal to have lunch while watching the boats, duck and swans.  Really idyllic. 

Here's Peter in the Hallway of the Grande Trianon.  I prefer staying outside looking at all the gardens, especially at this time of the year so Peter appreciated the few times I would go inside and wander thru the halls.  He and our older son are the history buffs and would, if given the liberty read every placard under every painting and display in every museum.  Even now, Peter is off at a museum near the apartment while I'm writing this since I'm just not high brow enough to appreciate all the art that Paris has to offer. I'm sure it's my fault but I attribute it to the difference between us as I'm the product of public education and Peter, of the upper crust has his prep school and ivy league education in the finer things in life.  C'est la vie....

So - I'm writing this and I'm into fountains, so please indulge me or hit delete - your choice and I'll never know the difference.  

The rest of these pictures are the best that my eye and my little Sony digital camera could provide by way of the gorgeous and simply spectacular fountains of the grand Versailles gardens just outside of Paris.  They are in action on Saturday afternoons.  In the summertime - actually starting next week - they even play in the evening so I'm sure the light show in addition to the music makes them even more worth the trip.  So, if possible, don't wait the thirty years that I did to see them in action if you can.  Here is a smattering of what we enjoyed yesterday....

Fountain of Apollo's Chariot in the foreground just as all the fountains in the park started playing at 3pm.  This was the only time that it was crowded as there were 32 fountains for everyone to see in the next two hours and it took that long to see them all! 

Here I am, ecstatic to be in front of the glorious Latona Fountain and Parterre which is one of the largest fountains just down the mall from the main palace, which you can see in the background.  Yes, that is a sweater I am wearing because it was actually chilly in Paris while we were here!  It was so unusual to be outside and not sweating after five months of trying hard to stay hydrated! 

Here is Peter in front of the grove of the Three Fountains which is a spectacular terrace of what looked to us like at least four of more fountains - Peter says the French don't count well, sounds like a German thing to me but I think they were just mesmerized by the beauty of it all and got confused. 

Here is another view of the terraced fountains

This is the Colonnade Grove that on the map just looked like one statue and since I didn't want to waste time on non-fountains was reluctant to peek into this grove.  Peter insisted as he had a plan and of course we had to stick to it - I ate crow as this turned out to have gorgeous fountains in every arch around the statue. 

This spectacular fountain was surrounded by an arbor walkway that you can see in the back.  Quite thought provoking to see this man in the lava rock - called "The Encelade Grove" 

This picture doesn't look like this is a fountain - just a grotto of sorts but there is water rushing down the inside walls behind the statues - gorgeous!  It is called The Grove of Apollo's Bath.

Of course, there were many other fountains - some coordinated with music.  The type that the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas have done their best to recreate but this is really the original and amazingly much of the piping for all these waterworks has been unchanged since the 17th century! Just so awe inspiring! 

It was so very nice to get out and have a nice long walk in the crisp, cool weather.  Peter is back from the museum so I should finish this up so we can both go out for a bit.  Tomorrow we return to San Diego to start catching up with all that has fallen by the wayside in our absence.  We thank the Good Lord for having his watchful eye on us and keeping us safe through out our journey.  Thanks so much for all your kind, loving comments regarding our blog posts and the mission of Mercy Ships.  We hope you will keep Mercy Ships and all the patients and their care givers in your prayers as we will since the mission continues.  All our love from Paris....Ann and Peter.