Traveling to South Africa in 1984 was not Peggy's idea of an ideal business assignment, but she did grow to love the country.  The people, black, white and colored, are interesting, educated and charming.  She was sent there several times over the years as banks bought her company's software, and each time she found more reasons to appreciate the lovely microcosm at the southern tip of Africa.

Cape Point where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic oceans meet.

The climate near Johannesburg is nearly perfect year around.  It is a high veldt with beautiful hills and rivers.  There is a magnificent mountain area south of Jo'burg called the Drakensburg.  The Cape area has mountains, beautiful vineyards and dazzling seashores.  At the bottom tip, the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet in a visual line that delights the eye.  After each trip, Peggy would try to convey all the fascinating wonders to Phil to entice him travel with her.  South Africa was not a third world country, but an advanced country in political transition. 

Phillip's job had it's own travel requirements, so he resisted her pleas for many years. After her seventh or eighth assignment, he finally relented and agreed to go there for the Christmas and New Years holiday in December of 2000. They visited many of the wonderful places she told him about. Instead of Kruger National Park they visited a private game reserve

 called Sabi Sabi adjacent to Kruger. It is a very luxurious game park/resort with all of the same animals that Kruger has because there are no fences between Sabi Sabi and Kruger. The animals can roam between the two reserves. They also toured the Cape wine district and actually stayed the night at a winery called Groot Constancia that has wonderful, quaint Dutch Colonial cottages for guests. It also has one of the best restaurants in Capetown. As she predicted, he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

When Peggy was asked to return once again in the fall of 2002 for a period of one year, she told them she was tired of being away from home and asked that they get someone else to go.  Phillip, on the other hand. had other thoughts. Thinking it may be his chance to go again, he asked her to reconsider. He offered to retire and go with her. He saw it as a chance to see more of Africa.  She relented and they made plans to leave their home for a year, selling their car and arranging for friends to look after their house.