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For Now, A Sigh Of Relief
Thankfully the dramas of Wednesday didn’t play out for a second time. Whilst the danger cannot be said to be passed as there is still a risk of new fires, there is something of a lessening of jeopardy and there are no longer fires near to Lindsay’s village. They are still without power and probably will be for some time, relying on a generator, and the evacuation packs remain at the ready, but there’s been a sigh of relief throughout the family this morning as the level of local danger has receded. Alongside this relief, we are reading that at least one arsonist has been arrested for starting one of…
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Los Angeles
Thursday January 9th. Last night was close to being one of my worst ever nights. Some of you may recall that my daughter Lindsay lives in the mountains above LA, which as you will all know is being ravaged by the unprecedented and raging wildfires. My sons and I have been in touch with Lindsay via WhatsApp throughout the night. Lindsay and Stacey have been without power, and relying on their back up generator, for nearly 24 hours now. Their pack of important documents and essential personal items, as prescribed by state authorities, is assembled and sits on the kitchen table with the keys to their car, ready to make…
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Don’t Look Back In Nyanga
A couple of weeks back when we were first experiencing Zimbabwe in the town of Victoria Falls, I made the comment that the cash crisis was driving the country towards a cashless society and that Visa is accepted everywhere. I so regret saying that now – it turns out to be a completely misguided statement based on a tourist driven micro economy in one single town, and not in the slightest bit true of Zimbabwe as a whole. In fact it’s probably the biggest load of bo***cks I’ve ever written. We’re finding this out the hard way. The near six hour drive from Great Zimbabwe to Nyanga first takes in…