Just Arrived In Johannesburg

I arrived last night at 9 PM South Africa time, which is 12 PM Los Angeles time and 3 PM NYC time. After 23 hours of flight, a stopover in beautiful Detroit and Amsterdam, and failing at a Sudoku puzzle because I got cocky, Thabo (director, pronounced TAW-boo) and Mel (producer-short for Melanie) picked me up from airport hassle-free. I couldn't believe that my bag had made it, and was one of the first to spill onto the baggage claim--a perfect start to a 2-month adventure. Today I'm relaxing and trying to adjust to the time change. I woke up at 11:30 AM to sunlight streaming onto the mosquito-netted bed (although there are no mosquitos right now because it's winter, much like the LA "winter.") It is a nice escape, however, from LA, where temperatures were reaching a scorching 105 degrees in the valley and a UV Index of 11. Here in the house it is warm enough for jeans and a T-shirt, but outside you definitely need a sweatshirt. The sky is clear and the air has a nice bite to it--pictures to follow. In a few minutes I'll be going to the market with Thabo's aunt Sue. I'm going to try to find some Vietnamese ingredients to make some lemongrass beef over cool noodles. Yum. I'm very much looking forward to my stay here--everyone is so hospitable, it's hard not to smile.