Farewell Joe | Sibebe Camping Trip

Over the first weekend in June, our good friend Joe held his farewell party on the top of Sibebe. You’ll likely remember Joe from numerous other blog posts as he arrived just three days after we did and became an immediate friend and traveling buddy. Joe was here for 10 months on a Fulbright Scholarship through which he studied how religious organizations and orphanages are attempting to teach family values in the absence of parents lost to AIDS. Joe also studied a lot of other things in Swaziland…like dagga, beer, ultimate frisbee, and a silver Opel. So, with his wild and crazy ideas, it was very fitting that 23 of us schlepped up a mountain to camp for the night in his honor!

Everyone hiked up the mountain at different times throughout the day while Joe convinced a friend or two with heavy duty 4x4 vehicles to drive the cow trail up with the beer, food, grill, etc. Personally, I had Doug to carry all of my stuff! He was actually quite a trooper, because that morning he competed in the Imvelo mountain biking race in Miliwane - 35 kil0moters! Some of the 'later comers' (including us) met at Tao/Alison's house at 4:00pm and raced the sunset up the mountain. Tao and Alison literally live at the foot of Sibebe, so while it was a very direct route, it was also very STEEP! But, like I said, I wasn't carrying a thing. Poor Doug.

At the foot looking up

Trying to capture the steepness

Coming over the saddle and across the field to the campsite

Setting up camp (Erin - US/PAC Doctor and Tini - UK/Economist with the Ministry of Finance)

Doug (US/PAC Doctor and Sherpa)

As dusk was approaching, people were still arriving, so the camp set-up continued even though the sunshine did not. Tao (Swazi/Computronics) and Alison (US/Clinton Foundation)

It was only fitting that Michelle (US/PAC Doctor) was one of the last to arrive (she tends to be a little more on the late side)

The rest of the evening was enjoyed around the camp fire telling stories, eating, playing games, drinking...etc.

Newly engaged, Matt (US/PAC Doctor) and Farrell (US/ICAP)

Joe (on the phone with his roommate Duane who had to make his way up completely in the dark). Joe and Doug eventually went on a rescue mission to assist him.

The next morning, it was another beautiful day on Sibebe. Here's the view from our tent when we woke up

The sun rising across the meadow

And then we climbed back down! Doug took a different route back, but I climbed down with Tao and Alison to get our car that was parked at their place. Still steep! But beautiful valley views.