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Published: November 12th 2008
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Weavers Nest
Weaver building a nest in the Backpackers Ritz garden I'm in Africa - I still can't really believe it!
The flight was ok - long and boring and I only managed a few hours sleep, but at keast it was fairly uneventful. Got bitten by something on the plane, which has made my arm very sore and itchy. It's a red mark with white swelling about 1.5 inches long by 1 inch wide. I can't even get off the plane without the wildlife feasting on me!
My first view of Africa was when we broke the clouds over Jo'berg - lots of pinky brown houses sprawled over the green countryside. They were digging beside the runway (building a new one?) and some construction men waved as we passed - welcome to Africa!
Passage through immigration was itchy but uneventful. Got my first passport stamp, which states that I can stay as long as I don't become "undesirable"!!
My bag popped out fairly quickly and not trailing underwear. I'm a bit phobic about this, having seen several very large pairs of pants circulating on a carousell in Norway from a split bag. An equally large woman was fishing them off one by one. When I got into
the arrivals hall, I located a phone card and phone and called the Backpackers Ritz to arrange my pick up. I waited and met 2 people who are coming on the first part of the tour with me. Unfortunately there was not enough space in the car, so Laurence (a gap year student) and I volunteered to wait.
When we finally got picked up, there was a 45 minute drive to the Ritz. There are lots of rocks and rubbish on the side of the roads and people selling oranges or corn from underneath umbrellas. Poverty is obviously not far from the surface, but the houses around the Ritz are all large and fenced in with guards or electric fences.
After I made my bed and got changed, I put my camera in the safe and went for a walk. We were told that the local area was safe, so I walked about 500m, feeling very brave, to a shopping mall called Hyde Park. I travel 6000 miles and end up right where I started!!! I bought some lunch and dinner from Woolworths, which I think is Marks and Spencer over here, as all the packaging was the
same.
I also went to a chemist, who said my bite was a spider bite and it was so big and hot! I got some anti-histamines and some cream. Eeeep!!!
I ate my lunch at the viewpoint at the Ritz overlooking Jo'burg. It was lovely and warm, but not too sunny. Laurence pointed out some little lizards basking in the sun and I watched the birds, when he went off to the Mall. I saw a Hededa Ibis - large, grey with a red beak. Makes a racket - kaaaaaw! I saw lots of little yellow birds and a bigger back/brown birds which I haven't identified yet.
I took some photos of the view and hotel and saw a round, weaved nest hanging off a branch. It was about 5" round and made of grass. I knew it was a weaver's nest and was taking some photos when the yellow bird came with bits in its beak to add. So I know they are Southern Masked Weavers. I also saw two "go-away" birds which are louries. They are dove grey with long tails and head crests. Very delicate looking, but the mobbed the poor weaver, bouncing on the branch which the nest was on. It was quite a long whippy branch, so in a breeze it might be quite a ride for Mrs Weaver and family.
After I was so tired that I went to bed for a couple of hours before the meeting for the tour at six. We met Sonja and Frik, our guides until Livingstone and they explained the next six days. We leave tomorrow at 6.30am.
Frik explained that we would learn some Afrikaans culture - words and cooking and sampling the home brew (50-90% proof - eep). We have penalties if we get things wrong e.g. calling the truck a bus, and we have to pay in shots of this stuff. I'm on my best behaviour.
The gardens are lovely on several levels with some huge succulents and flowering bushes and a sort of palm tree. The bushes rustle when you walk past as the lizards scuttle away - although I did see a smallish rat at one point. The view from my dorm is amazing - and now it's dark the lights are twinkling away. The cicadas are warbelling away, and its lovely and warm.
Tomorrow we drive to a campsite outside the Kruger and go on a night game drive in the Thorybush reserve!!
Will write when I can,
lots of love
Sally
xxx
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Leslie Longstaff
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Your first day in S Africa
Great to hear from you, Sally; you've seen and identified some lovely birds, and managed to photograph some of them, I hope. Enjoy your time there, and write when you can. lots of love, Mum and Dad