We had this wonderful e mail from Christine Sessa a little old lady from, not Pasadena, but Australia. While she was staying with us here at Chanters Lodge, Livingstone she did a lot of adventurous activities (check the microlight picture over Victoria Falls) and this is what she wrote when she got back home:

“Hi, Richard – back home (finally) and trying to catch up with the 400+ emails!! That was so nice of you to write – it is I who should be thanking YOU!! I’ve shown one of the micro light photos to everyone I meet here in my small town and they all have the same reaction: NO WAY I would have done that! and some today told me of friends who sold them to farmers who used them for cattle roundups BUT some of them fell to the ground ending in death (of the farmers, not the cattle). I play the elephant DVD and show those photos as well and the memories cause me tears and joy. I think of you and your girls so often and can’t tell you how much I appreciated all your kindnesses and how you helped with transport.

Yes, I did indeed enjoy the rest of SA, especially Addo Elephant Park and the Garden Route and, of course, Capetown. I’ve realized that one cannot mention a need to a SA’er (or a Zambia’er), because they will go out of their way to fulfill it – they are the most helpful people I’ve known, even more so than Aussies, who are pretty special people, too. I have such lovely memories of Africans and their sweet smiles and friendliness and their giggles to my response to being called “grannie” – “did you call me GRANNIE??”

Something you probably won’t expect to hear from me is that I was a passenger on the MSC cruise ship the Melody that was nearly boarded by pirates!! just a few hours after we had sailed from Seychelles. Quite an adventure, though I slept through most of it. They fully intended to board, but when their grappling hook failed and passengers threw deck chairs down on them and crew used the hoses, they decided, I guess, it was too risky….but still used their kalashnikovs (spelling?) – holes in some of the lounge windows and life boats and hull. Then, I was interviewed by and appeared on Italian RAI-TV asking if I had been afraid. Lots of my friends and family on Capri saw me on the news program (all in Italian). I spent 6 weeks there and then returned home to cooler weather. I still haven’t been able to get all the mail and paperwork seen to + it’s Aussie tax time.

That’s all for now – please give your girls my fondest best wishes. I wish it were all ahead of me, but I do have the most fabulous memories, thanks to you all. Hugs – Christine”

Now how nice is that?