Things You Should Know When You Come to Visit

Our dear friends Kendra and Micah are coming to visit in about 5 weeks--35* days to be exact, the boys and I just made a chart to keep track of the count-down. :)

[* I started this post three weeks ago. Kendra and Micah leave on Sunday and arrive here in less than two weeks!!!!]

I have a mental list of things to tell them about their trek to Stellenbosch across South Africa from the East coast where they'll be visiting friends first, but then I thought, why not share these things with everyone? Then everyone can be prepared for their future visits! Ha! ;)

Driving Related Thoughts

• When driving in South Africa, do not speed. Let me repeat: DO NOT SPEED!!! While the chances of getting pulled over by a cop might as well be zero, you will rack up speeding tickets in a heartbeat. There are hidden cameras everywhere, and let me tell you from experience: DO NOT SPEED!!! 
• Always yield to the right when going though a circle. Circles, in my mind, are beyond stupid--at least the tiny ones in Stellenbosch. In the big ones it makes sense to yield to the right, but just remember, yield to the right.
• Honking can be a "Hi how are you" thing. Someone might just be honking to say you're looking great today, or they might be honking to say they hate your guts like in the US. And they call honking "hooting."
• When passing when there's only one lane in each direction, the car in front of you should go into the shoulder. After passing, blink your hazards once or twice to say thank you. The other car might even flash its brights to say you're welcome. 
• When being passed: stay attentive to know when you need to get over, but also watch out for people standing in the shoulder or a slow-moving tractor driving in the shoulder.
• People walk across all roads including the highway. Be aware.
• I think in general, be prepared for all kinds of ridiculousness when driving, because you really never know what's going to come next.
• When parking, keep a R5 coin, or several Rands worth of change ready. There are usually parking attendants waiting to watch your car and guide you in and out of parking spots. You pay them with change when you leave. In the same way, an attendant may try to help you with your groceries and expect a tip. 

Other Random Thoughts

• Don't buy food from the dudes at the stop signs or on the side of the road. Rumor has it that the food is stolen to begin with and is covered in crazy pesticides to keep it from spoiling. Pull over if you see a farm stall, they'll have awesome fruit!
• The US Dollar is strong: $1 is roughly R8.20. Have fun shopping!
• There are poor people everywhere here, so as a general rule I try to keep some change in my pocket. R1 is worth about $0.12, so it's not much, but if you have some small coins including one or two Rands your pocket, it's nice to be able to hand that out and not get the "you're such a horrible human being" look. Sometimes I get asked for change twice a day, sometimes only twice a month.
• When eating at a restaurant, 10% is the expected tipping amount.
• Keep your purses latched and wallets closed. Just don't make stupid decisions, this is Africa, man. ;)
• Almost all processed meats have MSG in them. Just a heads-up.
• Biltong is like beef jerky.
• Ostrich, kuku, wildebeest, and other boks are all perfectly acceptable to eat. And they're delicious.

We're praying for safe travels... Can't wait to see you guys!!! xoxo