[Overpaid Slacker]

LeRoux -
Was a Fulbright Scholar (economics) for a year, studying the Highlands Water Project, the effects on the PWV Region, and specifically the hydropower project being built in Lesotho. I lived primarily in Maseru, Lesotho, but travelled through quite a bit of RSA (except NW). While at Lesotho "home base" Bloemfontein was the closest city, but it was an odd, sometimes eerie place.

I played cricket for the Lesotho Nat'l Team (which means a whole lot less than it sounds like, as you certainly know) and got to travel to and through a lot of dorps in OVS. But I also got to bowl at the Wanderers and Newlands during some tournaments.

I spent 2 weeks down in Kalk Bay/Fish Hoek (with a friend who had been on the OVS Fishing Team...who knew that the OVS had a fishing team. Commuting to practice must've sucked) and travelling around CT area (gorgeous), travelled up through Eastern Cape to Durban (for golf). I went to Pretoria for softball and soccer tournaments and wound up staying a week or so (a friend's parents lived there and I got to know a number of the USMC guards at the embassy). Our softball fields were overlooked by de Klerk's place, up on the hill. I thought Pretoria was a bit dry, compared to other areas.

Coupla roadtrips to Swaziland and Botswana (cricket and soccer, respectively). So I got to see a good deal of RSA. Not everything I'd like to have seen, but I got to meet some interesting folks. Including Kepler Wessels, Allan Donald, Jonty Rhodes and Ian Botham. I also met a guy who implied he was Terre'Blanche... I doubt it, but he was AWB material in any event. I think he was shocked to speak to an American who had studied South African history (undergrad honors thesis).

There are few specific places I remember outside of Lesotho, but I loved Graaff Reinet (stayed at the Drostdy and ate at Caledonia, IIRC). There was a great Greek restaurant in Jo'burg called Delphini. I wasn't a fan of PE (don't remember why) but liked Durban (don't remember why, either).

I can't remember the name of the cafe in Matjiesfontein I loved, but it's on the list of places to return to when I make it back to RSA. It was especially great b/c I'd watched the sun rise over the Karoo a few hours earlier on the drive down to CT.

In a couple of years I'm going to see if there are adjunct/visiting faculty opportunities at UCT or Stellenbosch for a semester (or year)!

Looking at Google Maps right now, I'm surprised how many of the little towns along my routes I can recall (and pronounce in Afrikaans in my head). Now I've got to bust out the photos!

Alright, enough of hijacking this thread.

JP