Settled at last in Ballito
 

Hi folks! It is a long time since I have posted. My daugher and I moved to South Africa after just being tourists. We started our adventure back at Jaci's tree lodge,new in Madikwe. Absolutely fabulous! The wild dogs had denned right outside the lodge so we saw he 13 puppies daily and a dog kill of a kudu. A bit cold but the hospitaliity was awsome as usual.Also participated in a lion capture with the ecologist. The lion was going to the king of Swaziland.

Life in South Africa certainly can be daunting. Alot of things just like the States, but the bureacracy slow. After 3 months here and 3 months preparation in the States, I am finally getting my work permit, got my medical license and will be starting a job for the equivalent of $20,000/year at a regional hospital in Zululand serving 600,000 patients. Supposedly I will be Chief of pediatrics for 100 bed ward currently with a 25% mortality rate. And this is me, the pediatrician who specialized in diseases of the rich and never lost a patient except to cancer. Kids die of diarrhea and pneumonia!

I am currently in a nice rental in Ballito, about 45 minutes North of Durban on the Dolphin Coast, about an hour from Phinda and Hluwhule. At my salary I won't be able to afford it! I bit the bullet and am building a house here. And Rocco, I actually got a bank account after 2 days of being nice then screaming. Now I have to change it when I am a resident as it only accepts dollars.

My daughter hated the schools here, lasted 2 days after being in a convent type place.(But not) They did not appreciate my last discourse to the headmaster that it was inhuman to make them wear a uniform 24 hours a day including weekends, even reglation PJs! They couldn't ever listen to music, shop or watch TV. My daughter told me that all the AFrican boarders brought vodka to wile away the hours! Better to have MTV. So she is back to boarding in Massachusetts and breaking my bank account.

Any Fodorites that live near here I'd love to meet up with you and visitors to the area please email! This is a lovely place.

[email protected]

Cool!! Thanks for posting!! Good luck with your new life! :)

Kudos to you, kimwhits! I wish you the best of luck with your new life in South Africa. Just think of all the good your medical experience is going to do for the people. Again, best wishes!

Welcome in the land of milk and honey, kimwhits. I sincerely hope you will enjoy it - I know so. And thank you for making a difference in people's lives, we need all the help we can get.

Kim
How wonderful to hear of you following your dream. I so so so hope it works out well for you.
What's the house like that you're having built and is it also in Ballito?
Best wishes
Kavey

Kim, may I add my good wishes to those already here. I think what you're doing is wonderful. The rewards of working in SA are so great.

All the best!
Celia

Yes Kavey, the house is also in Ballito. The trick here is not having your house too "Tuscan." It is too big, 4 bedrooms en suite (perhaps a bed and breakfast later?), pool and covered patio, huge kitchen, living dining area and yard to boot. On a not too steep hillside. Any Fodorites in the Durban area?

Kim

Kimwhits-
Yeah! Please post as soon as the house is finished. I think suddenly quite a few of us may be dropping by that way. :D
I'll try to cut my stay down to 2 weeks. Anyone else feel invited? Should we stagger our visits, or all go at once? :D

What a wonderful thing you are doing. It just boggles my mind, to go from what you had to what you now have. Do you think it would be harder to do it the other way?

I had dreams of becoming a nurse and moving to Tanzania. Alas, it was just such a struggle, and quite impossible 15 years ago, that I gave up the dream. Good luck to you but you just brought good luck to so many there. Liz

If Ballito is anywhere near our route for next May maybe we can meet for coffee and you can talk my ears off about your new life!

: o )

Hi Kimwhits
Sorry I never got back to you earlier but I guess I got distracted by other situations that have developed since then.. Glad to see that most things have worked out for you. Ballito is an absolutely beautiful place.One of my favorites. Lucky you! And lucky hospital where you are working. Hope you can make a difference.

Sorry that things did not work out with your daughter. Was there not a different (more flexible) school where things could have worked out? It is pity that the awful experience that your daughter encountered put her off staying in SA.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks so much more everyone's reply. Ballito is near enough to Durban and to anyone going to Phinda. I would love to hae coffee with you Kavey. And yes my daughter gave up too early but I think she feared a similar experience anywhere she went. There was a more liberal day school near here but the academics were not great.
I told the headmistress of the boarding school that all the boarders looked like they needed antidepressants.

And I hope I can stick it out at the hospital. Hopefully they well put me in charge of the AIDS program which the province is starting up to start sufferers on medications finally.

Again thanks to everyone!!

Hi Kim
Simply put - you have picked paradise to live in. I'm going to be in Durban on business on 8 Sept, and will be making a trip to Ballito to visit my friend there! To get my e-mail address so we can make arrangements please call on Ballito Pharmacy and speak to Mark (one of the owners). Tell him traci sent you, I'm going to let him know that you will be stopping by - and then he can give you my e-mail address and telephone/cell number as well. I'm looking forward to meeting you.
traci

Kim
We're intending to stop in Durban for two nights so I'm sure we'll be able to set up a meeting.
Do drop me an email and we can talk about it...
I'm so sorry it didn't work out for your daughter. Maybe after a couple of holidays spent in the area she might feel more confident about trying another school in the area?
Or was she really keen to get back to her old school and friends anyway?
I am sure it will work out for the best...
Kavey

Well folks, Tracy and I have found each other. No intrigues at the pharmacy. Kavey, my email is [email protected]. Cell is 0722635908. No obscene calls please!! When will you be in town? Are you going to Phinda, will you smuggle me on a camp bed?

Kim

Kim
Noted and no obscenities, I promise! :D
Given that we're aiming at an average daily spend of less than £140 UK a day between us (around 1500 Rand I think) to cover car hire, petrol, accommodation, food, entrance fees, game drives and tours where we choose to take them and an internal flight too between PE and Durban, I am pretty sure Phinda isn't on our list!
I'm currently looking into backpackers, inexpensive B&Bs and the goverment run reserve accommodations within the parks. I could smuggle you into some of those but I'm thinking you might not wanna come!!!
He heee
:D

PS It's not until May next year...
:D