My Mother’s Report on Family Trip to S. Africa
Wed., Dec. 5: Departed Tampa 9:10 a.m.. on United #1572, on time and arrived at Dulles 11:19 a.m. It was blowing snow lightly at first, then heavier and heavier. We had a five-hour layover in order to insure we would be able to catch our flight on South African Airways #208 at 5:20 p.m. We took a trolley to our gate then had to board another trolley that drove us for ten minutes to the other side. The plane was very new, clean, could handle about 600 people and it was nearly full. It was 30° and ice was forming on the plane so the machinery came out to de-ice which took 20 minutes. Apparently, it was decided that wasn’t enough so they did it again causing a total of a two-hour delay before taking off and two hours late on arrival. Good food but was slow to serving us as we were on Aisle 65. So many young people and babies on board because the whole month of December is a holiday and schools are out through January – their summer. Naturally one baby was crying almost the entire trip.
Thurs., Dec. 6: We arrived at Johannesburg airport. I had requested a wheelchair for Mother when I purchased the tickets so they met us, showed us exactly where to go, got our bags, took us through Customs and delivered us into the waiting arms of Carole and Ron who were quite concerned because we were almost the last ones through. Our bags apparently were loaded first but took off last. That night we stayed at a bed and breakfast near the airport. The lady had six or seven rooms on the block which she rented and then she would fix any kind of breakfast you wanted. The rooms that Mother, Jamie and I stayed in were beautifully decorated in antique.
Fri., Dec. 7: Jamie was the first one up and started taking pictures of the beautiful pool and garden area. The lady threw out food for the birds so Jamie saw many unusual birds. Africa has 2,000 bird species. Breakfast was huge. The coffee was served in a glass container with a plunger that you pushed down to strain out the coffee grounds. Jamie gently was trying to push but it seemed stuck and then cracked the glass sending coffee and glass on the table, floor and particularly in Jamie’s plate so she got another serving of food. The mess was quickly cleaned up.
The expensive homes have large yards that are beautifully fenced with decorated walls, lights, ornaments and curled barb wire on top to discourage uninvited guests. The landscaping is gorgeous with soft-looking grass and many beautiful flowers and lots of fruit trees. Johannesburg, like all large cities, is very crowded with fast-moving traffic which is very stressful but Ron maneuvered us safety through all the aggressive and crazy drivers. The further north we traveled towards their home in Louis Trichardt, it thinned out and we enjoyed the beautiful country.
We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn which is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the earth. It lies 23° 26′ 22″ south of the Equator and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun to its maximum extent. The other circles are Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Artic Circle and Antaric Circle. There were several interesting sites along the way where we stopped and took pictures.
Jamie has enough camera memory for over 1,000 pictures. That evening we had Debonos Pizza. In the homes, every door and window has iron bars with separate keys for each lock. No screens – you just open the windows and let the fresh air in along with any bug or bat that wants in. Jamie photographed a dung beetle on the kitchen floor and then scooped it up with a paper towel and gently dropped it out the window onto the ground outside. They say mosquitoes aren’t a problem in that area but I saw a couple in the house and had several welts on my legs. December is the rainy season and Ron says bugs have been much worst than he remembers. Carole and Ron have an enormous, beautiful house - all tile floors; stone, brick and wood outside and inside. That evening Carole fried chicken with mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, gravy, corn on cob and, of course, cornbread – yum, yum!
Sat., Dec. 8: After a good breakfast, we went to the mall, which is about the size of the small mall area on Dale Mabry where SteinMart is located. When you park, there are “car watchers” who watch your car while you are shopping and then you tip them when you return. That evening Carole fixed her famous lasagna and I fixed a big salad.
Sun., Dec. 9: Ron preached at a small church at Makhado; there were about 100 there and the small building was packed. Surrounding the current building is a foundation that will triple the size. Stacks of bricks are in the yard. As they have money, they buy the materials and work on building the walls.
Ron preached in small phrases of English and the translator, who is the regular preacher, repeated in their language. Ron preaches at different congregations each Sunday using the same format. They sing in their language and have beautiful, strong, energetic voices. The children’s class is taught up front by a lady and dismissed before the men come in. People kept arriving through about midway service. They were very friendly. They dress very nicely but Carole says they seem to wear the same outfit every Sunday so they might only have one nice outfit. They only meet Sunday morning – no midweek service.
Ron and Carole have classes in their homes or go to other homes who want special classes. A few unusual ways of their service are that the head of the Lord’s Supper breaks the bread in small pieces so that each person only has to pick up a piece and not everyone trying to break off pieces themselves. The wine cups are stacked once they have taken their drink. This helps because the dark shadow on the tray makes it hard to tell if the cup is full or empty. Then at the end of the service, they announce the amount of the contribution. Sunday night we ate at Mike’s which is a chain in South Africa – very nice, clean, good food presented artistically.
Mon., Dec. 10: We started our two-hour drive toward the Pafurigate in northern Kruger Park which is a five million acre reserve – one of the largest in the world. A Nyala, which looks like Kudu, was spotted once. We had a picnic in one of the drive-off spots. Driving by the river, we spotted a lone hippo playing with water coming out of his mouth like dual fountains. We drove past an elephant without seeing him because we were looking at a bird nest. We viewed giraffes, zebras and lots of impalas, tortoise, and a dung beetle rolling dung.
It was amazing the way Ron maneuvered the truck so we could get good camera shots. You are not allowed out of your vehicle except at special designated areas so he would work the truck in circles to get just the right angle. After we checked into our lodge, Jamie and I went on a night drive with a tour group and saw a Jackson chameleon, pearl-spotted owl, two water buffalo and a hare. Our small, petite female guide had a cracked windshield but did not explain what caused it. She carried a rifle bag but we’re not sure if there was a rifle in it or, if there was, if she knew how to use it. Bugs were flying in our hair and on our clothes. I tried to ignore them and count it as part of the journey.
That night all five of us slept in one rondavel – which is a traditional African-style house. It is usually round in shape and is traditionally made with materials that can be locally obtained in raw form. The rondavel's walls are often constructed from stones. The mortar may consist of sand, soil, or some combinations of these mixed with dung. The modern floor is concrete. The roof braces of a rondavel are made out of tree limbs, which have been harvested and cut to length. The roof itself is made out of thatch that is sewn to the wooden braces with rope made out of grass. The process of completing the thatch can take one weekend or up to a year with a skilled artisan, as it must be sewn in one section at a time, starting from the bottom working towards the top. As each section is sewn, it may be weathered and aged in so as to form a complete weatherproof seal. Carole and Ron had a climb upstairs by using a ladder and the ceiling was slanted making it hard to maneuver when you are 6’4”.
Tues., Dec. 11: In the morning, we ate the breakfast Carole had packed and watched a hornbill male bring food to his female. Hornbills generally form monogamous pairs. The female lays up to six white eggs in existing holes or crevices, either in trees or rocks. Before incubation, the females —sometimes assisted by the male—begin to close the entrance to the nest cavity with a wall made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, the entrance is just large enough for it to enter the nest, and after she has done so, the remaining opening is also all but sealed shut. There is only one narrow opening, big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out, and then both parents feed the chicks.
This time of year is the end of spring and the start of summer. There were a lot of baby animals that we saw. We saw a saddle-billed stork, a chameleon crossing the road and more of the same animals as before. That night we stayed at the Olifants Camp. Each cabin had a door sign warning of terrorism, burglars and other traumatic possible events.
Wed., Dec. 12: While we ate breakfast, we watched the monkeys go through the garbage bags of rooms that were being cleaned. They quickly leave when the cleaners start after them. On our drive we saw rhinos close up – real close up – two lions, possibly young females, who were lying down and wouldn’t get up even when Jamie did her excellent impersonation of the lions announcing their presence. They lifted their heads and ears but didn’t seem interested – as she probably had an American accent.
At one location other visitors told us there was a leopard that had been in a tree but jumped down and was lying in the grass. Jamie got a picture of spots behind some brush but even though we waited for some time, it never moved enough to see any ears or tail. We saw a wildebeest, quite a few more hippos and other animals that we saw earlier. At one point, we were stopped along the road with about four other cars watching a herd of elephants feeding. We could only see a few because of the trees.
Then all of a sudden like a signal was given, the herd crossed from one side to the other side, going in front and behind all of the vehicles on the road. There were tiny babies up to huge papas – numbering over 100. The main herd was crossing near a small white vehicle that occupants had to have been terrified; we were not surrounded by as many and it really got our adrenalin going. That night we stayed at Kukuza.
We thought from the map that the restaurant would be close enough to walk so the five of us headed out walking and walking. Once we got there and placed our order, Ron and Carole went back to get the truck. They figured it would take them 20 or 30 minutes to walk back and drive the truck and it takes these servers that long to prepare a meal. Drinks are usually served without ice but they will bring it if you request, which we did. Our server agreed and said he would “organize” the ice.
The restaurant was a converted old train station started in the 1800’s and had not been in use since 1972. Every night until then, had been overcast, but that night was clear and the sky was spectacular! There were more stars than the sand of the seashore and the Milky Way was outstanding! The Milky Way is the galaxy which is the home of our Solar System together with at least 400 billion other stars and their planets, and thousands of clusters. As a galaxy, the Milky Way is actually a giant, as its mass is probably between 750 billion and one trillion solar masses, and its diameter is about 100,000 light years. Jamie gave Mother and me a lesson in astrology which was very interesting.
Thurs., Dec. 13: Jamie and I got up at 3 a.m. to go on a 4 a.m. sunrise drive with a tour guide. We walked from our rondaval to the truck which was about four blocks. There were strange sounds in the darkness around us and our steps quickened until we got to the appointed meeting place. We were the first ones there and felt very thankful when others arrived. We didn’t see any new animals but did see some aggressively, playful monkeys trying to push each other off a bridge. Beneath were hippos splashing in the water.
We drove for three hours on back roads and didn’t see much. The sunrise was pretty but not exceptional. During the last few minutes of the drive, a young male lion was casually strolling down the paved highway, not caring that five vehicles were following him. Impalas were darting back and forth across the highway in front of him seemingly confused about which direction they should go but they were not in any danger at that point because the lion was ignoring them also. Once we got back we had breakfast at the lodge. We ate under a thatched pointed rondavel roof with about 50 bats hanging from the center peak. Then we drove to the gate leading from Kruger Park and bought more gifts at a private hut outside the gate. It was a five-hour drive back to Johannesburg and the same bed and breakfast where we stayed the night we first arrived in South Africa.
Fri., Dec. 14: It was another wonderful breakfast and then drove to the airport where Jamie and I boarded a flight to Cape Town. Upon arrival, we were met by our tour guide, Grahm Bester, who said we could call him “lollipop” as he ate at least three a day. He was born and raised in Namibia which is on the west coast just north of South Africa. He checked us in at our hotel - Protea Cape Castle – and then took us on a half-day tour of the city. There is a constant SE wind which is extremely strong at times causing the trees to have a permanent bend in that direction like the trees in Aruba but not as drastic.
He said the most beautiful housing area in the city was the Malayan quarters where no two houses together can be painted the same. They were brilliant greens, yellows, purples, etc., very gaudy. Cape Town was developed by the Dutch as a midway point in their spice trade. In the middle of town are the “Company Gardens” where they grew all their vegetables but now it is all manner of flowers, trees, shrubs, etc. It was a nice place to relax. You can buy food and enjoy the peace. We had tea and “pancakes” (what we call crepes) with cream and syrup. Their syrup is so strong and sweet that it needs to be diluted with whipped cream. The ride was very scenic with winding roads and crazy drivers, again. People think the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet at Cape Town, and billboards make that statement but our guide says it is only the Atlantic Ocean with the Indian Ocean further north on the east coast.
I personally don’t understand how you can decide where one large body of water meets another – where is the line drawn? They have different phrases for “fine” which they call “sorted – like “I’m sorted”, “everything’s sorted”. Instead of “watch your head”; it is “mind your head”. Instead of “rent”, it is “let”. Instead of “strange”, it is “dodgey”. We asked our guide for restaurants in the area that had the Cape Town flavor. He said he could recommend his favorite two – McDonalds and KFC. He left us at the V & A Waterfront to shop and then to go to dinner at Quay (pronounced “key”) Four for a fish dinner. After dinner, we took a taxi back to the hotel. It is too dangerous to walk after dark. We overheard other tourists talking about being robbed while they were going to the clubs and night life.
Sat., Dec. 15: Breakfast was served at the hotel and then our guide took us to Table Top Mountain which is 3,000’ up by revolving cable car. A lot of the time the mountain is covered by cloud which comes one-fourth way down the mountain and they call it the “tablecloth”. There were gorgeous views from on top; lots of lizard, birds, flowers and shrubs. We then went to the Cheetah conservation and Jamie went inside & said it was like a dog. Some are trying to get cheetah out of the cat classification. Its claws do not retract and the skeletal structure is more like a dog.
We had lunch at a quaint, local restaurant of boboita which is yellow and white rice with spicy meat sauce, coconut, finely chopped tomatoes and peppers. Dessert was a delicious soft cheesecake with crème, ice cream and berries. Temperature was 103 but dry and breezy – still hot is hot. Then we went to the Butterfly Gardens where they keep the air very humid for the butterflies. Our guide had a very hard time with the humidity and could only stay inside for ten minutes. To Jamie and me it felt like Florida. They also had parrots, blue-tongue lizard, iguana and marmosets.
Dinner was at the Spur in a very large 3-story mall. The beef enchilada was very good but the meat was chewy and like tough chicken.
There are a lot of “townships” which we refer to as shantytowns – homes made from whatever materials they can find but they have electricity and most have antennas.
Sun., Dec 16: We were picked up for a two-hour journey to Gansbaai from our hotel at 8 a.m. by one of the crew of the white shark diving company (Stephen Frank, Sharkzone (21 552 1824 (W), 82 894 4979 (mobile), 76 277 2005, e-mail Stephen@sharkzone.co.za, Eileen, sharkdive@iafrica.com, 21 532 0470 or 083 412 3733).
We were picked up first but we had to stop at various hotels for other guests for a total of 18 or 20 on the boat. Formalities and safety briefing was completed upon our arrival at the harbor before the 24’ catamaran departed. We went out three miles from land, threw out anchor and immediately saw a 14’ shark but no one was in the cage. Jamie and others put on their wet suits; five go in a cage at a time. There were six or seven sharks.
Guide says they are mainly curious and not wanting to eat. The duration of the tour out at sea is approx. 5 hours. Snacks and drinks were served onboard the boat and a then a sandwich upon our return to shore. After the dive, they took us to Saxon Guest House which had a beautiful view of the ocean and sunset – our only capture of a sunset in two weeks. We walked to dinner about five blocks away as we were told it was very safe in that area – still all the homes had fences and gates with curled barbed wire and the restaurant kept it’s doors locked and unlocked them for each guest.
Mon., Dec 17: Our second day of white shark diving was much different than the first. The sea was rougher and five people got sick, spending most of the trip hanging over the rails – feeding the sharks. Only three sharks showed up so Jamie didn’t go in the cage so that other people who had not been could have their chance. Jamie got some exciting shots the day before so we just enjoyed the boat ride and watched the kids’ eyes as the few sharks that there were came circling the boat. Afterwards we went back to Cape Castle in Cape Town. We were too tired to go out and eat so we ate at the hotel. They really need lessons in cooking but it filled our tummies.
Tues., Dec 18: We were scheduled to view the penguins on the beach but were “touristed out” and ready to do nothing. This trip we have seen 73 species including birds, mammals and reptiles. The six most impressive were lions, elephants, rhinos, hippos, leopard and sharks. Our guide took us to the airport and we departed Cape Town 1340 (1:40 p.m.) on South African Airways #336 to Johannesburg.
In Johannesburg we were to connect with #207 at Gate 11, which was a long trek with our gear. Jamie went to look for more souvenirs and I stayed with the luggage. Another traveler noted that the flight had changed to Gate 3 which was a good distance from Gate 11 – more than would be expected - so I waited for Jamie and we hurried to Gate 3. Many passengers had the same problem; when on the plane they announced they were waiting for several passengers. We finally departed at 6:15 p.m., watched a couple of movies, had several meals and slept.
Wed., Dec 19: We arrived at Dulles at 6:00 a.m.; had to collect our bags; go through Customs and recheck our bags; then board United #1571 at 8:30 a.m. Vern picked us up in Tampa at 10:50 a.m. As wonderful and exciting as the trip was, it was good to be home.
As nice as December was in South Africa, I think the best month would be mid-November, which is their spring, and the time that Carole suggested. We missed a lot of the flowers of spring that Carole said were really beautiful and the weather would be a little cooler.
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