Back to Southern California - Days 57 - 59

We've spent the last few days in the US in the trusted State Beach Campsite, San Celmente to be precise. Now until this point, we hadn't realised how lucky we have been - apparently these campsites are fully booked 7 months in advance, so today for the first time we have been entered into the lottery for all those who have arrived without a reservation.We got lucky the 1st day. It was here that we met the Thornton family who were our neighbours. John, Kandy and their kids, Jenn and John Jr took pity on these poor foreigners that were huddling around their cheap, 3 log campfire with no camping chairs. The Thornton's offered us their surplus chairs as a means of breaking the ice. John, a carpenter by trade, took pity on our little campfire and dumped a few logs on our flames and we all got to chatting about our travels to date and their affinity for South Africans. It turns out that they were good friends of Greg Alberteyn and Elmer Symons, the latter sadly passed away in the DAKAR Rally 2 years ago.

We lost the lottery the next day, but the Thornton's kindly offered to let us stay on their site for the night and treated us to an American BBQ. Steak, Salmon, corn, salad and caprese starters with fresh basil from John's home grown garden. A couple hundred kilos of surplus building material made for an awesome campfire after dinner and the stories that go with it. My Favourite being John's nostalgic recollection of his first date with Kandy almost 30 years ago. Ironically it took place at the same said campground that we were all at. The date did not go according to plan. John, convinced that he was out of Kandy's league, approached the "let's bag the younger sister theory" He arranged a double date with a mate and Kandy's sister - the girls left the boys high and literally dry, in John's own amusing words, at the end of the night there was no beer, no chicks and no camp fire. All that said and done, he seemed to have done enough, 25 years later they remain married with 2 cool well adjusted kids, who both seem to appreciate what their parents have done for them.

To the Thorton's: - thank you sincerely for your generosity, company, restoring our faith in family values and above all allowing Kim and I to see past the "loud, obnoxious stereo-type Yanks" we got to know in London. If Kim and I have half the respect you already enjoy from your children when we are your age, we'll be in a great place. Looking forward to putting you up in Cape Town one day.....sooner rather than later.