Rudi was an Older Traveller who lived in Joburg and in recent years mostly posted on the Africa branch. But he was a regular on this branch when I first started coming here about ten years ago so some of you may have known him. We made several trips to Africa and he was so generous in providing information and contacts in the planning process. Then he went one step further and took us into his home and his life and his family. Steve and I miss him so much already.
I thought I'd post this here (its already on the Africa branch where he has so many fans) because some of you may know him. He was a tough old bird. Already in his seventies at the time, Rudi and his wife spent months travelling throughout North America a few years ago (using a car and tentj) and quite a few of the BC-based OTers met him and Brenda, either in Victoria or in Vancouver at that time. When we visited them just last year I was astonished to discover that he and Brenda still went to their beloved Kruger every few weeks to CAMP IN A TENT in the park - tough people.
Rudi was an intrepid traveler of the best sort. Just this past summer he showed me the extensive travel itineraries he had researched and was ready to implement ...but his health was defeating him. It was something to see, the desire burning in his eyes to backpack though Asia. At that time he was still thinking he might make it happen.
But just a ten days before he died he sent me an email that kind of told me where it was at for him...he was commenting on trip reports I'd been posting about Portugal, saying that it was now at the top of his list ...for the next life.
I like to think of him there ...roaming through LIsbon, birding in the countryside. May we meet again.
