South Africa

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Kat writes:

We left at midnight for Bangkok airport in a flurry of excitement. Not only were we about to embark on a mammouth two flight journey to reach our final destination, South Africa (can't wait!) but we also heard that we now have a new little nephew! (Big congrats to JJ&L!)

After a 9 hrs to Dubai, 3 hour stop, then 7 hr onwards flight, we landed in Jo'Burg airport. Obviously we hadn't slept a wink on the flights - not when a personal entertainment system was on offer, (United Emirates Airline - still loving you). Stumbling out of baggage reclaim early afternoon, a little grubby and very sleepy, we were met with big smiles from Gail. (Old Friends of my dad's from his South Africa days - he used to work with Kevin, her husband). Gail scooped us up and took us back to her home in Pretoria 30 minutes away, where we stayed with her, Kevin, their two children, Dean and Caitlin and maid, Massey, for 4 nights. Excited to be in South Africa rather than hitting the hay, we all went out to a local shopping mall for a drink and picked up a pizza take out on our way back. But after 40 straight hours of awakeness i was starting to enjoy watching sport on tv and knew then i must be going mental. It was time for bed. So i retired to the guest quarters at the end of the garden. Lush!

Petting the wildlife

The following day, completely refreshed, Gail and Caitlin took us to a nearby Lion and Rhino Park. We saw lots of huge antelopes, white lions and wild dogs but really hit the jack pot in the lion pride enclosure as it was time for their weekly feed. None of this pre-butchered chucks of red meat being laid on like in our zoos back at home. Here they dumped a whole horse carcass (minus the head) in the enclosure!

Our day here was great and to top it off we even got the chance to go in to an enclosure with a couple of 1 year old lion cubs. They were only a few weeks off not being allowed to mix with the public any more - one was pretty boisterous and wrapped itself around Scotts leg giving him a nice little scratch! They were actually pretty big!

Soweto Township

Whilst in Pretoria we went on a tour of the Jo'Burg township with a local guide. Just us and him cruising about in his car in the notoriously hard township of Soweto where around 2 million people live. It was a very interesting day that included a visit to the Apartied museum and a traditional pharmacy - lots of bones, skin and flies everywhere! The guide went at great lengths to explain how if we have any illness whilst in South Africa we must visit one of these places. Then, he stepped next door to buy some vitamins from the 'normal' pharmacy! Apparently he just of the ground bone combo that the traditional pharmacy offered. Good one!

We went into Soweto, passed Nelson Mandela's old house and Whiny Mandela's current house and into the very poor end of the township. Walking down the street the houses were just wooden shacks. There is no electricity but the government has installed one tap per street for running water, one portaloo per street that gets emptied every week and some payphones in the community. The scale of this place just needs to be seen to be believed.

Time to go it alone

We had a great time with the family and they really looked after us. After traveling for so long it was lovely to be in a actual home again! They introduced us to the delights of biltong (dried red meat - which we now can't stop eating), Boerworst, gems squash, Savanna cider and of course the 'braai' (that's bbq to the rest of us.) But it was time for us to hit the road again.

Is there a mechanic on board?

Waiting at a downtown bus stop with all our stuff on display for two hours was an experience but so was the bus journey. We opted for Translux (the cheapest, so didn't even consider the Greyhound, Intercape coaches or the Backpacker BazBus). The journey seemed to be going well although their choice of 'white people killing black people' movies with just us being the white people on board was 'awkward'! After 3 hours, about 1hr from our destination, Nelspriut, the coach gave up the ghost! Hanging around by the side of the road in rural South Africa everyone was wondering how long our wait was going to be. Luckily for us a City to City bus came passed and as we were only traveling to the next city, they flagged it down and we squeezed on. Squeezed being the operative word. It was jam packed, so much so that whilst trying to find a space to cram our backpacks in the luggage hold, i was also dodging empty yogurt cartons, drink cans and nappy bags that were being dropped out the window from above on to the road! Nice one - just no more room for them then hey?!

We boarded the bus to many curious faces and although sitting apart we were pleased to be sitting generally as we managed to find the last two spare seats whilst waving goodbye to the rest of our Translux passengers still waiting. This coach was a laugh. With no air con on a baking hot day it smelt like scotts gym bag - all feet and sweat. No longer was there simply two rows of two seats but now in the same space, was two rows of two and four seats! It was a squeeze. Tiny seats with not so tiny bums on them, including mine! But the driver got on with it and everyone was pleased when Nelspruit loomed and we could tumble out.

Find our hostel and find a telephone. Need a car people. Need a car. Then Kruger National Park here we come!

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