Sun-Stepping

Standing at the airport visa desk trying to gain access.Because I'm a mass procrastinator and delayed in applying for 1 prior to my travels.A $90 fee was demanded.My wallet felt violated.My dearest friend Mimi embraced me past the gates.I'd made it past the border lines to witness my friend get married.

Bujumbura,capital of Burundi.Feels more like a small town surrounded by big cities.Land-locked it feels like a cooling place to trek against the historically heated lands of the countries that surround.The streets are buzzing,feet stomping,mouths chirping.A mixture of flesh.Charcoal black,navy blue,tanned,pale,an array of browns.Facial features are distinct though,2 sides of a tribal fence.

I'm told by the end of the drive home I'll be feeling 'sea sick'.We weave through herds of cars and people,market stalls,street vendors,beggars and bikes with goats as cargo.Potholes,a lavish decoration on the roads.The city's history reflects clearly on its outer skin.French and Belgium styled patisseries mingle between rickety wooden stalls.Holding layers of food,woven baskets,local brews and second-hand clothing.

There is another lane on this road.A wheat lane,where farmers spread thier harvest out to dry.Concrete meets nature.Shirt and ties,gumboots and straw hats.Modernisation and naturalization journey on the same beaten path.We drink local brew and nibble on fried plaintain.10 paces away from a family of hippos,parents watching thier calf.I was introduced to the 'house boy' with whom I developed a charades language in which we communicated.He gave me an english/kirundi language book before my departure.Solidifying my return.

Bujumbura has no traffic lights,I realized on the day of the wedding.Worldwide,traffic lights are a necessity for civilised control.Here,traditional control reigned as youth gave way to elders.The sunset sky extended colours of burnt orange and purple around the newlyweds.

As South Africans,we struggle between western culture and influence and traditional practice.For the 1st time,I saw a sense of balance between the 2 in Bujumbura.The dance of Kings and Queens was drummed and chanted at the 'white wedding' reception.Traffic control without lights.Wild animals next to pruned gardens.In this I saw a coherent fusion of past and future.A mixed nation of the same people.Before my departure,I promised my new father I would return and accept whatever proposal he deemed fit.I had fallen inlove with a country.A $90 visa was not payment enough.