After 36 hours of traveling, I have made it home. The flight out of Johannesburg was delayed by several hours, causing me to miss my connection in Atlanta. I actually saw the jetway pulling away from the airplane and missed it by 30 seconds.
I will be posting pictures hopefully within the next week or so.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Final Day
I am now at the airport in Port Elizabeth. We woke up at 11pm Wednesday, Salt Lake time (it was 7am Thursday for us) and I will arrive back into SLC at 1pm Friday (SLC time).
Yesterday we slowly got moving, one of the first days that Forbes wasn't up out of the gates, pacing the room planning the day's events and shaving. I told him if he keeps shaving like that he won't have any skin left. It's a subconscious habit that helps him think and is part of his routine. So of course Johann and I both teased him whenever possible. Or as they say here and the UK, "taking the piss out of him".
We went to a mall in the old town of PE though in a better part than the CBD. Brekky and coffee followed by an hour on our own shopping. I have been diligently searching for that one pair of shoes that I simply cannot live without but disappointingly, none of them made my wallet quiver in anticipation of making such a necessary purchase.
After arriving back at the hotel I went with Forbes to the market on the beach that he went to yesterday where I purchased a few more wooden animals. I started calling Forbes "Noah" because of the amount of animals he has purchased; the only thing missing is the ark.
Back to the hotel for kitty naps. Speaking of which the hotel has two cats that hang out in the lobby so they know if I'm missing to look for me there. One is white and the other a replica of the old Morris cat from tv.
Stretching and yawning, we walked down to the beach since I realized I had never touched (or seen) the Indian Ocean before. The water was cold though not totally unreasonable for swimming. A family in fact was all running in and out of the water playing around. As with most places outside the US all the males in the family wore speedos.
Me standing by the Indian Ocean.
We strolled along the beach to Barneys, a local seaside pub with awesome views. We sat on the patio with a beer in hand to watch the sunset, to be my last in South Africa for this trip. We meandered along the beach back to the hotel. The rest of the evening consisted of ordering pizza, draining the remainer of beer still in the fridge, a bit of the Tour de France on the tube, and bed.
The view from Barney's patio.
Forbes on the patio of Barneys.
This morning we got up before the alarm. I didn't sleep too well thinking about getting things together and what I have to do when I get home. The car was loaded, we checked out and got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast. I browsed the shops for a few more trinkets and met the other two at their gate. My backpack is getting very heavy now with one bottle of wine and one of olives that I've been carting around since Stellenbosch. And the paintings I bought in Cape Town are slightly cumbersome but will hopefully fit in the overhead compartment.
I just said goodbye to Forbes and Johann since they are continuing on to Durban where they will stay for four nights. Forbes then goes back home for one night, on to Germany the next day for a few weeks to be with his partner Jan, then back to London for a few nights and on to Marakesh with Jan. Finally he and his friend Ben whom I've met are going to Scardinia until a few days before their school term begins. Johann will fly back to Bloemfontein to be with his mother for a few weeks and then to Dubai, followed by Italy. One of the benefits of living in Europe is that you can be in one of many countries in an hour by plane. Right now there are so many discount European airlines competing for business, you can get a flight to most places for under $100. I even saw one promotion that said certain flights out of London we starting at £.50 which is about on dollar. You still have to pay airport taxes which are $40, give or take, but still a great deal. A benefit of living in the UK specifically is the pound is the strongest currency in the world right now so things are much cheaper for them, even in other parts of western Europe because they are all on the Euro currency.
There are many Americans waiting for the flight to Joberg. Up til now, I've only seen (or heard rather) a small number of Americans in the county which is a nice change. Most of the other tourists we come across have been either British or German. I suspect the rest of them will be on my flight to Atlanta.
This will probably be my last post for this trip unless something happens between now and when I arrive home. My plan is to update the blog when I get home with pictures that correspond to the events. All of the posts from this trip have been done by sending an email from my Blackberry device. It's very convenient, the only problem is once it's sent, it's sent so if I find a misspelling, the only way to fix it is to login to the website and do it. Since we've not been to any internet cafes, there hasn't been a chance. This has been the longest I've been without a laptop in probably 10 or 12 years.
Tah for now.
Yesterday we slowly got moving, one of the first days that Forbes wasn't up out of the gates, pacing the room planning the day's events and shaving. I told him if he keeps shaving like that he won't have any skin left. It's a subconscious habit that helps him think and is part of his routine. So of course Johann and I both teased him whenever possible. Or as they say here and the UK, "taking the piss out of him".
We went to a mall in the old town of PE though in a better part than the CBD. Brekky and coffee followed by an hour on our own shopping. I have been diligently searching for that one pair of shoes that I simply cannot live without but disappointingly, none of them made my wallet quiver in anticipation of making such a necessary purchase.
After arriving back at the hotel I went with Forbes to the market on the beach that he went to yesterday where I purchased a few more wooden animals. I started calling Forbes "Noah" because of the amount of animals he has purchased; the only thing missing is the ark.
Back to the hotel for kitty naps. Speaking of which the hotel has two cats that hang out in the lobby so they know if I'm missing to look for me there. One is white and the other a replica of the old Morris cat from tv.
Stretching and yawning, we walked down to the beach since I realized I had never touched (or seen) the Indian Ocean before. The water was cold though not totally unreasonable for swimming. A family in fact was all running in and out of the water playing around. As with most places outside the US all the males in the family wore speedos.
Me standing by the Indian Ocean.
We strolled along the beach to Barneys, a local seaside pub with awesome views. We sat on the patio with a beer in hand to watch the sunset, to be my last in South Africa for this trip. We meandered along the beach back to the hotel. The rest of the evening consisted of ordering pizza, draining the remainer of beer still in the fridge, a bit of the Tour de France on the tube, and bed.
The view from Barney's patio.
Forbes on the patio of Barneys.
This morning we got up before the alarm. I didn't sleep too well thinking about getting things together and what I have to do when I get home. The car was loaded, we checked out and got to the airport with plenty of time for breakfast. I browsed the shops for a few more trinkets and met the other two at their gate. My backpack is getting very heavy now with one bottle of wine and one of olives that I've been carting around since Stellenbosch. And the paintings I bought in Cape Town are slightly cumbersome but will hopefully fit in the overhead compartment.
I just said goodbye to Forbes and Johann since they are continuing on to Durban where they will stay for four nights. Forbes then goes back home for one night, on to Germany the next day for a few weeks to be with his partner Jan, then back to London for a few nights and on to Marakesh with Jan. Finally he and his friend Ben whom I've met are going to Scardinia until a few days before their school term begins. Johann will fly back to Bloemfontein to be with his mother for a few weeks and then to Dubai, followed by Italy. One of the benefits of living in Europe is that you can be in one of many countries in an hour by plane. Right now there are so many discount European airlines competing for business, you can get a flight to most places for under $100. I even saw one promotion that said certain flights out of London we starting at £.50 which is about on dollar. You still have to pay airport taxes which are $40, give or take, but still a great deal. A benefit of living in the UK specifically is the pound is the strongest currency in the world right now so things are much cheaper for them, even in other parts of western Europe because they are all on the Euro currency.
There are many Americans waiting for the flight to Joberg. Up til now, I've only seen (or heard rather) a small number of Americans in the county which is a nice change. Most of the other tourists we come across have been either British or German. I suspect the rest of them will be on my flight to Atlanta.
This will probably be my last post for this trip unless something happens between now and when I arrive home. My plan is to update the blog when I get home with pictures that correspond to the events. All of the posts from this trip have been done by sending an email from my Blackberry device. It's very convenient, the only problem is once it's sent, it's sent so if I find a misspelling, the only way to fix it is to login to the website and do it. Since we've not been to any internet cafes, there hasn't been a chance. This has been the longest I've been without a laptop in probably 10 or 12 years.
Tah for now.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Power of Alcohol
We made it to Port Elizabeth after a four hour drive. On the way we passed Tsitsikamma gorge, a striking ravine that is spanned by a very long bridge. The white mountain rocks poke out from the sheer cliffs every so often and everything else is covered in a green carpet of grass.
We made it to PE (as the locals call it) and began the process of searching for a place to stay for the last two nights. We have been very lucky in the past as we found great accomodation easily and usually for a great price. This being winter in South Africa doesn't attract a huge tourist base. I can't imagine being here in the summer time though since it gets unbearably hot and humid. With only one day's exception, we've had excellent weather. It can get cold once the sun sets though.
We began the process of looking for a hotel and started inquiring along the beachfront avenue. The first three places we tried we sold out because there is a big rugby match tomorrow. We found a few places that had space but most were dodgy. Finally we found a nice place on the oceanfront with a two bedroom place and an oceanview. It was the last room at this place. And it was not too expensive, about R1000 per night divided by three. (The Rand, when used to designated currency, is denoted as an "R" before the amount as $ is for dollar.)
Our hotel in Port Elizabeth.
The view of the ocean from our balcony.
Once settled we got back into the car and went to the old city center. Out of all the cities I've seen on this trip, PE is the most blightful yet. Perhaps with the overcast sky it made the mood even worse but all the buildings are decrepid, paint flaking away, people just hanging out on the corners. Even the catholic church in the middle of the area had alarms installed in case someone approached the front of the church or another area that had anything removable. Johann told us that the CBDs (central business districts) of all South African cities are awful places to be and the government has been trying to change that. The only city with a thriving CBD is Cape Town.
Part of our walking tour included Donkin Reserve, a park named for an important government figure in the 1800s. His young wife Elizabeth died from a fever and he renamed the city in her honor. In the guide book we've been using, it describes Donkin street and the row houses along one side. They were declared a National Treasure in the 80s. I was saddened to see what shape they were in. They haven't seen a coat of paint or a nail to fix a broken step probably since they were declared a monument. We found the house pictured in the guide book though it took some work to figure it out. The book isn't very old but the picture must be because it didn't look at all like the real house.
Donkin Street with the "historic" row houses.
Donkin Reserve.
On the way back to the car, we stopped off at a hotel near the park for a beer. The hotel had the appearance of a grand place in its time: beautiful marble floors, handcrafted woodwork, terraced atrium. But like everything else in the city, its heyday is long gone. With some TLC it could be restored to its original beauty if only the surrouding area could support it.
So we sat at the bar and had two beers and finally had conversation, though a bit strained at first. Next we went back to the hotel after stopping at a bottle shop on the way home. Forbes went to the craft market across the road and Johann went to meet another former student of his who lives now in PE. I stayed home and had another beer. After a bit Johann showed up with his friend Adrian who is 25 years old and working as a civil engineer here. He's a handsome lad and somewhat soft-spoken though that may have been partly because he was unsure of his English skills being Africaaner.
The four of us sat on the balcony watching the sun go down, drinking, and chatting. I think events from the previous night faded quickly as the beer and brandy (for the South Africans) flowed. None if us had eaten since breakfast in Knysna but we kept it going like champs. Finally at 9pm, we decided we needed to head to the casino just down the road so we walked there. I was the only one who had played blackjack before and the rest were excited to try it so we plopped down at the R25 table. There are no free drinks, even when you're playing. It was awful. So we had to buy them.
The blackjack table was slightly different than the ones I'm used to. A half-circle plastic disc is situated in front of each player presumably to catch the cards as they are dealt. There are five decks of cards in a machine that continuously shuffles them so after a round, the dealer places them back in the machine and they are reinserted into the five decks. This makes counting the cards impossible and gives the house better odds. Regardless, we were all doing well and winning though at first Forbes was only watching. He seemed to understand the basics so I gave him one R25 chip to have a go. He won right out of the shoot and even had three blackjacks. All with my guidance of course. I broke even after a tip to the dealer and Forbes, in true Scottish fashion, went to the table with nothing and left with R300.
It was time to call the evening to a close as it was nearing 11pm and we still hadn't eaten. Somehow I kept pace with Forbes and was in much better shape than he was. We left Johann and Adrian at the casino and started walking home. On the way, I saw a Speers burger joint, similar to Burger King, and knew if I didn't eat, tomorrow would be spent in bed. His Majesty had taken a diet pill and wasn't hungry so he waited outside while I got my order to go. And thank goodness he was there because the lamppost really needed to be held up and he was just the man to do it. I took him by his leash and led him home.
A passed out Forbes and a greasy burger after a night out, the ocean waves crashing outside the open patio doors, and some tv. Doesn't get any better. I stayed up for an hour pouring water down my throat and watching tv. Just as I was about to lie down, the other two banged on the door (even though I told them the key was at the front desk...retention isn't Johann's forte) so I let them in with pizzas from the Dros restaurant across the way. As they ripped into the yeast carcass, I bid goodnight and went to sleep. At 3am I heard footsteps and the door shut. Seems the boys went back to the casino and kept the party going. Adrian has to work tomorrow at 7am...it's going to be a long day for him.
We made it to PE (as the locals call it) and began the process of searching for a place to stay for the last two nights. We have been very lucky in the past as we found great accomodation easily and usually for a great price. This being winter in South Africa doesn't attract a huge tourist base. I can't imagine being here in the summer time though since it gets unbearably hot and humid. With only one day's exception, we've had excellent weather. It can get cold once the sun sets though.
We began the process of looking for a hotel and started inquiring along the beachfront avenue. The first three places we tried we sold out because there is a big rugby match tomorrow. We found a few places that had space but most were dodgy. Finally we found a nice place on the oceanfront with a two bedroom place and an oceanview. It was the last room at this place. And it was not too expensive, about R1000 per night divided by three. (The Rand, when used to designated currency, is denoted as an "R" before the amount as $ is for dollar.)
Our hotel in Port Elizabeth.
The view of the ocean from our balcony.
Once settled we got back into the car and went to the old city center. Out of all the cities I've seen on this trip, PE is the most blightful yet. Perhaps with the overcast sky it made the mood even worse but all the buildings are decrepid, paint flaking away, people just hanging out on the corners. Even the catholic church in the middle of the area had alarms installed in case someone approached the front of the church or another area that had anything removable. Johann told us that the CBDs (central business districts) of all South African cities are awful places to be and the government has been trying to change that. The only city with a thriving CBD is Cape Town.
Part of our walking tour included Donkin Reserve, a park named for an important government figure in the 1800s. His young wife Elizabeth died from a fever and he renamed the city in her honor. In the guide book we've been using, it describes Donkin street and the row houses along one side. They were declared a National Treasure in the 80s. I was saddened to see what shape they were in. They haven't seen a coat of paint or a nail to fix a broken step probably since they were declared a monument. We found the house pictured in the guide book though it took some work to figure it out. The book isn't very old but the picture must be because it didn't look at all like the real house.
Donkin Street with the "historic" row houses.
Donkin Reserve.
On the way back to the car, we stopped off at a hotel near the park for a beer. The hotel had the appearance of a grand place in its time: beautiful marble floors, handcrafted woodwork, terraced atrium. But like everything else in the city, its heyday is long gone. With some TLC it could be restored to its original beauty if only the surrouding area could support it.
So we sat at the bar and had two beers and finally had conversation, though a bit strained at first. Next we went back to the hotel after stopping at a bottle shop on the way home. Forbes went to the craft market across the road and Johann went to meet another former student of his who lives now in PE. I stayed home and had another beer. After a bit Johann showed up with his friend Adrian who is 25 years old and working as a civil engineer here. He's a handsome lad and somewhat soft-spoken though that may have been partly because he was unsure of his English skills being Africaaner.
The four of us sat on the balcony watching the sun go down, drinking, and chatting. I think events from the previous night faded quickly as the beer and brandy (for the South Africans) flowed. None if us had eaten since breakfast in Knysna but we kept it going like champs. Finally at 9pm, we decided we needed to head to the casino just down the road so we walked there. I was the only one who had played blackjack before and the rest were excited to try it so we plopped down at the R25 table. There are no free drinks, even when you're playing. It was awful. So we had to buy them.
The blackjack table was slightly different than the ones I'm used to. A half-circle plastic disc is situated in front of each player presumably to catch the cards as they are dealt. There are five decks of cards in a machine that continuously shuffles them so after a round, the dealer places them back in the machine and they are reinserted into the five decks. This makes counting the cards impossible and gives the house better odds. Regardless, we were all doing well and winning though at first Forbes was only watching. He seemed to understand the basics so I gave him one R25 chip to have a go. He won right out of the shoot and even had three blackjacks. All with my guidance of course. I broke even after a tip to the dealer and Forbes, in true Scottish fashion, went to the table with nothing and left with R300.
It was time to call the evening to a close as it was nearing 11pm and we still hadn't eaten. Somehow I kept pace with Forbes and was in much better shape than he was. We left Johann and Adrian at the casino and started walking home. On the way, I saw a Speers burger joint, similar to Burger King, and knew if I didn't eat, tomorrow would be spent in bed. His Majesty had taken a diet pill and wasn't hungry so he waited outside while I got my order to go. And thank goodness he was there because the lamppost really needed to be held up and he was just the man to do it. I took him by his leash and led him home.
A passed out Forbes and a greasy burger after a night out, the ocean waves crashing outside the open patio doors, and some tv. Doesn't get any better. I stayed up for an hour pouring water down my throat and watching tv. Just as I was about to lie down, the other two banged on the door (even though I told them the key was at the front desk...retention isn't Johann's forte) so I let them in with pizzas from the Dros restaurant across the way. As they ripped into the yeast carcass, I bid goodnight and went to sleep. At 3am I heard footsteps and the door shut. Seems the boys went back to the casino and kept the party going. Adrian has to work tomorrow at 7am...it's going to be a long day for him.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Heads To Head To Head
Morning began with a drive to The Heads. This is where the mountains part just enough to allow ships to pass through the harbor into the Indian Ocean. It provides a very still harbor which they call Featherbed because early explorers said it was like sleeping on a feather bed on their ships. We had breakfast at a cafe on the edge of the left side of the break and then a small hike to the end of it where it meets the ocean. The water was quite choppy from the ocean and The Heads really stopped the waves. In the 1800s three generations of father/son teams would pilot ships as they navigated the waters into the harbor. Eventually an easier exporting harbor was found close by and they closed it in early 1900 to commercial shipping. Now only yachts and smaller boats are allowed through.
The Heads as seen from our table at the cafe.
On our way to The Heads, we stopped on a side street to ask directions. The street was line with black guys either sitting on the curb or standing and they would hold up their hands as we drove by. Johann stopped and suddenly about 20 of them rushed the car. I wasn't sure of what they wanted and sort of knee-jerked by rolling up the window and locking the door. I'm sure I would have done that regardless of who it was; it's unsettling to be in a poverty-stricken country and have a group of men who appear homeless rush the car. Johann explained this was the street where they spend their day and construction owners know they can come to the street and pick up however many they want and pay them a low wage to do work nobody else will do. It was such a sad site. They were all willing to work and were competing with one another to get even a small job so they could eat. I've read about alcoholism being a significant problem in the country but none of these men had the tell-tale signs of alcoholics. They just wanted to work. I asked if there was a drug problem but it seems that blight hasn't hit the country with full force yet.
After The Heads, Forbes and I got on a harbor cruise boat that took us around the bay and gave us history of the area. It was a stunning day. Sunny with a slight ocean breeze and about 75 degrees. It could not have been any better.
The Heads as seen from the boat.
A house on the hill leading to the Heads.
We met up after the cruise and decided to split and do our own shopping along the main street for a few hours. We met up at our designated time and found Johann had spent his time in the pub. We got the car back to the apartment and Forbes and I went back to the pub where Johann had befriended a coloured man who was a teacher at the local school and quite intoxicated. We tried to leave him and go to our own table but he followed us and sat down next to me. At one point he took off his knitted beannie cap and put it on my head and said it was mine. Eventually I gave it back to him but the other two enjoyed the site while it lasted. The rest of the night I have to say was not at all pleasant as it involved problems with some behaviors that are not acceptable when traveling with others. I won't provide any detail but it involved me shouting at my travel mates. It's rare but justified in my mind. :-) The next few days will be interesting as there is now a distance between us (which may be needed anyway) but there are only two nights left. I have previously left out any mention of small squabbles that happen when friends travel together but this time it affected the evening's events and the blog is a way for me to record major events as they unfold and this was just another part of the journey.
We woke up this morning without much conversation and are now on our way to Port Elizabeth for the final stage of our trip.
The Heads as seen from our table at the cafe.
On our way to The Heads, we stopped on a side street to ask directions. The street was line with black guys either sitting on the curb or standing and they would hold up their hands as we drove by. Johann stopped and suddenly about 20 of them rushed the car. I wasn't sure of what they wanted and sort of knee-jerked by rolling up the window and locking the door. I'm sure I would have done that regardless of who it was; it's unsettling to be in a poverty-stricken country and have a group of men who appear homeless rush the car. Johann explained this was the street where they spend their day and construction owners know they can come to the street and pick up however many they want and pay them a low wage to do work nobody else will do. It was such a sad site. They were all willing to work and were competing with one another to get even a small job so they could eat. I've read about alcoholism being a significant problem in the country but none of these men had the tell-tale signs of alcoholics. They just wanted to work. I asked if there was a drug problem but it seems that blight hasn't hit the country with full force yet.
After The Heads, Forbes and I got on a harbor cruise boat that took us around the bay and gave us history of the area. It was a stunning day. Sunny with a slight ocean breeze and about 75 degrees. It could not have been any better.
The Heads as seen from the boat.
A house on the hill leading to the Heads.
We met up after the cruise and decided to split and do our own shopping along the main street for a few hours. We met up at our designated time and found Johann had spent his time in the pub. We got the car back to the apartment and Forbes and I went back to the pub where Johann had befriended a coloured man who was a teacher at the local school and quite intoxicated. We tried to leave him and go to our own table but he followed us and sat down next to me. At one point he took off his knitted beannie cap and put it on my head and said it was mine. Eventually I gave it back to him but the other two enjoyed the site while it lasted. The rest of the night I have to say was not at all pleasant as it involved problems with some behaviors that are not acceptable when traveling with others. I won't provide any detail but it involved me shouting at my travel mates. It's rare but justified in my mind. :-) The next few days will be interesting as there is now a distance between us (which may be needed anyway) but there are only two nights left. I have previously left out any mention of small squabbles that happen when friends travel together but this time it affected the evening's events and the blog is a way for me to record major events as they unfold and this was just another part of the journey.
We woke up this morning without much conversation and are now on our way to Port Elizabeth for the final stage of our trip.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Working For Peanuts
Yesterday morning Forbes and I woke up and got ready for our elephant walk around the lake. We tried for the walk yesterday but the baby elephant had droopy trunk (at least that's what we called it) and in elephant culture, if one is sick they all stay behind with it until it is well again. I surmised the trainer had droopy trunk and wanted a day off.
Our friendly bartender Elton took us on the path to the elephant area where we waited for a few minutes. We heard some rustling in the trees and three big animals appeared with our guide for the walk. He carried what looked like a walking stick but it had a large barb and another straight shunt at 90 degrees. This was used to coax the elephants when they didn't want to obey.
The elephants as they came out of the brush.
He started by telling us about the elephants, two were brother and sister and the baby was their cousin. The siblings' mother was killed recently by a farmer because she broke through his fence and was destroying his crops. It's a sad reality that humans are encroaching on their territory and yet we see them as intruders. From the farmer's perspective, if the animal destroys his crops, he has nothing to feed his family.
The lumbering giants seemed excited to meet new people and came up to us, sniffing with their trunks and putting them around us as if to say hello. They knew the route we were going to take and pointed themselves in that direction. The trainer told us two speak English and the other Afrikaans, which we weren't sure if he was serious or not until his commands were in both languages.
The elephants taking a water break.
We started the walk along the edge of the dam as the elephants would playfully nudge us and want to hold our hands with their trunks. We started around the far side of the water and I started getting a bit nervous because this is one spot where the hippos get in and out of the water. Hippos have killed more humans than all other animals in Africa because they are aggressive, especially if you are between them and water. I mentioned my concern and the guide said the hippos would leave us alone as long as we had the elephants with us. Not sure if that was comforting or not.
As close as we got to the hippos.
We started walking through mud and I didn't know what to expect so I wore clothes that I wanted to wear all day so I had to watch where I was stepping. We came to an area where some rhinos had spent some time, most likely a sleeping area for them. There was about a 12 radius of dung. Seems they stamp it around and roll in it to mark it as their territory. Eventually we were walking through so much animal dung of all varieties that it was easier to step in it than not. Rhinos, hippos, springboek, elephant. I realized I would just have to roll up my pants and wash my shoes when we got back.
The walk was enjoyable. We stopped about half way through and feed the gentle giants a bucket of fruit the guide had brought with him. We either held it in our hand and they would grab it with their trunks and pop it into their mouths, or we would open our mouths and they would mimic the gesture and we would toss it in the gaping abyss.
On the walk back Forbes was walking behind one of them and the guide told him to grab his tail which he did. Just then the same elephant passed gas with such force that Forbes hair tossled in the wind. Fortunately I was upwind so I didn't experience the bouquet, but Forbes was practically dry heaving. We were laughing so hard we almost fell over. And to hear Forbes tell the story, you'd think he almost met his maker. As we got closer, another one, or maybe the same one was gassy, passed gas again and this time I caught a slight whift. Even that was enough to make me almost gag. I can only imagine what Forbes got. He swore for the rest of the day that he could still smell it. I told him he needed to trim his nose hairs because it got caught in there.
As I mentioned, Elton was with us on our walk since lodge rules require two staff members be present. This was his first time but he was eager to learn it. I am inspired by him. He was working until 11pm the night before and back to work by 7am. He drives the staff vehicle back to town every day which is a half hour drive and back. So he got very little sleep but it is a normal day for him. He is also the camp medic. He has been cerified as an EMT and is working so hard so he can go back to school and get his degree in nursing. He never complained about the work and always had a wise crack for us. He showed us a picture of his wife and child and it was a beautiful family. I cannot imagine how tough he must have to work being what's referred to as a "coloured" guy in a society that still has white people controlling most of the wealth and retains a bias still leftover from Aparteid. Yet he never complained and always had a smile on his face.
We checked out of the lodge and headed to the Cango caves. It is a network of caves discovered in the 1800s. The first chamber after a wall into the mountain is a huge area with a ceiling that must have been at least one hundred feet high. A small stage had been built in the front and our guide told us the symphony used to play concerts until the vandalism became too much and they stopped doing them.
The first room of the cave. I was standing in the middle of the room.
We then drove to an ostich farm ourside Oudtshoorn where they offer rides on the big creatures. I declined the tour because I had a weird feeling about riding a bird. I just couldn't see any benefit to the animal by riding it. At least with the elephants it was a training process for them and they really seemed to enjoy the interaction. And the fee helped maintain them and the conservation program whereas the ostrich farm fee was just for the farmer. Sounds strange but it all works out in my head. Johann swears Forbes was the best rider in the group. They must have told him to hold on to it as if it were a 5 pound note.
On the road again to Knysna (pronounced NIZE-na), a cute costal town on the way to Port Elizabeth. We found a sort of apartment complex for tourists and being the low season, we got it for only 150 Rand per person per night. 7 Rand = $1. It's very cute and overlooks the harbor. We went to the waterfront and hit a few bars before dinner. We went to a place called Spurs which is a chain restaurant. Everything is deeped fried. I think even the diet coke is extra fattening just to maintain consistency. I got the chicken schnitzel and it came out with a layer of cheese on it followed by mushroom gravy. I ate maybe 1/3 of it before I was sweating salted butter. I took most of it as a doggie bag in case we wanted it tomorrow. Unlikely but I hate wasting food. The other two had a pig's worth of ribs each and I would have had my hand knawed to the bone should I have dared come close to their kill. It was worse than watching hyenas take down a water buffalo.
The scenery from the window of the car on the drive to Knysna.
The view from our apartment.
We took a cab back to the apartment and dropped Johann off at the local watering hole for his nightly hunt. He came home an hour later minus prey.
Lights out.
Our friendly bartender Elton took us on the path to the elephant area where we waited for a few minutes. We heard some rustling in the trees and three big animals appeared with our guide for the walk. He carried what looked like a walking stick but it had a large barb and another straight shunt at 90 degrees. This was used to coax the elephants when they didn't want to obey.
The elephants as they came out of the brush.
He started by telling us about the elephants, two were brother and sister and the baby was their cousin. The siblings' mother was killed recently by a farmer because she broke through his fence and was destroying his crops. It's a sad reality that humans are encroaching on their territory and yet we see them as intruders. From the farmer's perspective, if the animal destroys his crops, he has nothing to feed his family.
The lumbering giants seemed excited to meet new people and came up to us, sniffing with their trunks and putting them around us as if to say hello. They knew the route we were going to take and pointed themselves in that direction. The trainer told us two speak English and the other Afrikaans, which we weren't sure if he was serious or not until his commands were in both languages.
The elephants taking a water break.
We started the walk along the edge of the dam as the elephants would playfully nudge us and want to hold our hands with their trunks. We started around the far side of the water and I started getting a bit nervous because this is one spot where the hippos get in and out of the water. Hippos have killed more humans than all other animals in Africa because they are aggressive, especially if you are between them and water. I mentioned my concern and the guide said the hippos would leave us alone as long as we had the elephants with us. Not sure if that was comforting or not.
As close as we got to the hippos.
We started walking through mud and I didn't know what to expect so I wore clothes that I wanted to wear all day so I had to watch where I was stepping. We came to an area where some rhinos had spent some time, most likely a sleeping area for them. There was about a 12 radius of dung. Seems they stamp it around and roll in it to mark it as their territory. Eventually we were walking through so much animal dung of all varieties that it was easier to step in it than not. Rhinos, hippos, springboek, elephant. I realized I would just have to roll up my pants and wash my shoes when we got back.
The walk was enjoyable. We stopped about half way through and feed the gentle giants a bucket of fruit the guide had brought with him. We either held it in our hand and they would grab it with their trunks and pop it into their mouths, or we would open our mouths and they would mimic the gesture and we would toss it in the gaping abyss.
On the walk back Forbes was walking behind one of them and the guide told him to grab his tail which he did. Just then the same elephant passed gas with such force that Forbes hair tossled in the wind. Fortunately I was upwind so I didn't experience the bouquet, but Forbes was practically dry heaving. We were laughing so hard we almost fell over. And to hear Forbes tell the story, you'd think he almost met his maker. As we got closer, another one, or maybe the same one was gassy, passed gas again and this time I caught a slight whift. Even that was enough to make me almost gag. I can only imagine what Forbes got. He swore for the rest of the day that he could still smell it. I told him he needed to trim his nose hairs because it got caught in there.
As I mentioned, Elton was with us on our walk since lodge rules require two staff members be present. This was his first time but he was eager to learn it. I am inspired by him. He was working until 11pm the night before and back to work by 7am. He drives the staff vehicle back to town every day which is a half hour drive and back. So he got very little sleep but it is a normal day for him. He is also the camp medic. He has been cerified as an EMT and is working so hard so he can go back to school and get his degree in nursing. He never complained about the work and always had a wise crack for us. He showed us a picture of his wife and child and it was a beautiful family. I cannot imagine how tough he must have to work being what's referred to as a "coloured" guy in a society that still has white people controlling most of the wealth and retains a bias still leftover from Aparteid. Yet he never complained and always had a smile on his face.
We checked out of the lodge and headed to the Cango caves. It is a network of caves discovered in the 1800s. The first chamber after a wall into the mountain is a huge area with a ceiling that must have been at least one hundred feet high. A small stage had been built in the front and our guide told us the symphony used to play concerts until the vandalism became too much and they stopped doing them.
The first room of the cave. I was standing in the middle of the room.
We then drove to an ostich farm ourside Oudtshoorn where they offer rides on the big creatures. I declined the tour because I had a weird feeling about riding a bird. I just couldn't see any benefit to the animal by riding it. At least with the elephants it was a training process for them and they really seemed to enjoy the interaction. And the fee helped maintain them and the conservation program whereas the ostrich farm fee was just for the farmer. Sounds strange but it all works out in my head. Johann swears Forbes was the best rider in the group. They must have told him to hold on to it as if it were a 5 pound note.
On the road again to Knysna (pronounced NIZE-na), a cute costal town on the way to Port Elizabeth. We found a sort of apartment complex for tourists and being the low season, we got it for only 150 Rand per person per night. 7 Rand = $1. It's very cute and overlooks the harbor. We went to the waterfront and hit a few bars before dinner. We went to a place called Spurs which is a chain restaurant. Everything is deeped fried. I think even the diet coke is extra fattening just to maintain consistency. I got the chicken schnitzel and it came out with a layer of cheese on it followed by mushroom gravy. I ate maybe 1/3 of it before I was sweating salted butter. I took most of it as a doggie bag in case we wanted it tomorrow. Unlikely but I hate wasting food. The other two had a pig's worth of ribs each and I would have had my hand knawed to the bone should I have dared come close to their kill. It was worse than watching hyenas take down a water buffalo.
The scenery from the window of the car on the drive to Knysna.
The view from our apartment.
We took a cab back to the apartment and dropped Johann off at the local watering hole for his nightly hunt. He came home an hour later minus prey.
Lights out.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Sayings
We're sitting at a bar in Knysna and the wine list has some wonderful quotes:
"What contempible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
"The great evil of wine is that it first seizes the feet, it is a crafty wrestler."
"I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles."
"A hard drinker, being at a table, was offered grapes at dessert. 'Thank you', said he, pushing the dish away from him, 'but I am not in the habit of taking my wine in pills."
"What contempible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
"The great evil of wine is that it first seizes the feet, it is a crafty wrestler."
"I have enjoyed great health at a great age because everyday since I can remember I have consumed a bottle of wine except when I have not felt well. Then I have consumed two bottles."
"A hard drinker, being at a table, was offered grapes at dessert. 'Thank you', said he, pushing the dish away from him, 'but I am not in the habit of taking my wine in pills."
It's A Small World After All
No, I didn't run into someone I know, nor any six degrees of Kevin Bacon sort of thing. I'll explain in a moment.
We woke up to a very cold tent. There is a dual space heater/air con unit but it's very loud so we didn't use it during the night. Fortunately it quickly warms up the tent. The outdoor shower was "refreshing" if not reminicent of my days in South America about 15 years ago. Though the one here has hot water.
The outdoor shower.
After a nice breakfast in the lodge, we went to the Cango Wildlife Park where they tout the "Big Five" of Africa: lion, buffalo, leopard, elephant, and rhino. Our lovely tour guide took us to an area where she briefed us about the adventure upon which we were about to embark. We were standing in an enclosed area and she told us some story about gods and weird stuff and we should not anger the gods. Suddenly the speakers overhead did some sort of Big God noise and a light or two blinked to signal the gods could really get mad. The three of us looked at each other like "we paid for this"? So I started singing It's a Small World After All which one of us will do when we find something sort of mickey mouse-ish.
The entrance to the "wildlife park".
The place turned out to be more of a zoo than a wildlife park. At the croc pond, a rope and wood bridge spanned the water just on the other side of a barrier so if you fell in the water, you'd be safe. So the guide told the children they needed to go on the bridge for a fun treat. As soon as they started walking across, she flipped a switch and the bridge started shaking, making more noise than actual shaking. Johann and I laughed at the cheese factor and looked around for Forbes. He was almost pushing kids into the water so he could have his turn on the bridge. The man-boy smile on his face was precious.
The lions and tigers were enclosed in their pens and sleeping. We were able to view them from above as they slept. I felt bad for them having to be caged up. The rhinos and hippos were in smaller cages as well and fairly dreary. There was a snake area which allowed me to see the native snakes of the area. I didn't realize it but there is a cobra species native to South Africa.
A cheetah.
A white lion.
We left our zoo experience and went into the town of Oudtshoorn to see the small city. Everything is a bit run down and looks like it could have a good scrub. We walked up and down the main street and stopped into some shops. We split at some point and did our own thing until we planned to meet for lunch at 1pm. The main street area is quite bustling, especially since it is Saturday. As I was making my way to the pub to meet the other two, I noticed a shop closing. Then another. By the time I got to the pub, it was like a ghost town on main street. Where there were no parking spaces before, there were no cars. Where you would have to weave and dodge through the crowd before, you were hard pressed to find anyone. The shops close from 1 to 2 pm every day for much. It was bizarre.
After finally having a decent salad for lunch, we drove back to Buffelsdrift to prepare for our safari. We were picked up in a range rover safari vehicle that you board by an 8ft raised walkway. There are binoculars in the seats and blankets in case it gets too cold. The vehicle holds 9 passengers and all seats were full. Hendrik was our handsome guide for the afternoon and turned out to be a wonderful game spotter. He would scan the horizon with just his eyes and stop the vehicle to confirm what he saw with binoculars. He spotted a mountain zebra among a tree grove that nobody else could find until he pointed out the location.
The range rover we traveled in.
At first we didn't see much else besides springboek for the first while. We drove along a road and then proceeded up a hill to get a better viewpoint. From there we saw two rhinos walking down the road right where we had been so we went back down the hill back to the road and found them. We were able to follow them for about a mile before their tolerance of our presence wore off and they ran into the bush.
The rhinos as their tolerance of us was waning.
Next we turned down another road and came across a giraffe family: three adults and one baby. Hendrik told us the giraffes are used to seeing the vehicles so they just kept eating about 50 yards away as we drove by. Along the way we saw more springboek, onyx, kudu, and meerkats (so cute!). Johann's mother told us they had a meerkat as a pet when Johann was younger even though it's not legal.
On our way back to the compound, we were stopped by the two male giraffes "necking" which is when they swing their enormous necks in a wide circle in order to hit the other one and knock him down. They didn't see us for quite a while so we were able to watch them fight for several minutes. When they figured out we were there, they startled and ran a little ways down the road where they started up again. So we drove a little further and they stopped and ran up the road. It seemed they were more interested in necking than moving. Eventually they moved their playtime up the hill a little ways so we could pass them and get back to the lodge. We unloaded and headed to our tents. We were all pretty cold once the sun went down and we had the wind blowing on us.
The necking giraffes.
We freshened and headed back to the lodge to have a drink before dinner. The rugby game was on TV and the small crowd became quite rowdy. We eventually tired of the crowd and headed for the dining area downstairs. This time Johann had the ostrich he had been longing for since tasting Forbes' the previous night and Forbes had the venison. I stuck with the beef fillet. I had a piece of each of theirs but wouldn't order my own. It's more the thought that gets me because it tastes fine.
Dessert was a scope of ice cream for me and two sticky toffee puddings for the others. I think Forbes has been kissing something he shouldn't have because he's got a cold sore. At some remark from me, he plunged his spoon into my ice cream after I'd had one spoonful so I dumped the remainer of my ice cream onto his plate. You'd never know by watching us that we are all at least 35 years old (that would be me, the youngest).
We woke up to a very cold tent. There is a dual space heater/air con unit but it's very loud so we didn't use it during the night. Fortunately it quickly warms up the tent. The outdoor shower was "refreshing" if not reminicent of my days in South America about 15 years ago. Though the one here has hot water.
The outdoor shower.
After a nice breakfast in the lodge, we went to the Cango Wildlife Park where they tout the "Big Five" of Africa: lion, buffalo, leopard, elephant, and rhino. Our lovely tour guide took us to an area where she briefed us about the adventure upon which we were about to embark. We were standing in an enclosed area and she told us some story about gods and weird stuff and we should not anger the gods. Suddenly the speakers overhead did some sort of Big God noise and a light or two blinked to signal the gods could really get mad. The three of us looked at each other like "we paid for this"? So I started singing It's a Small World After All which one of us will do when we find something sort of mickey mouse-ish.
The entrance to the "wildlife park".
The place turned out to be more of a zoo than a wildlife park. At the croc pond, a rope and wood bridge spanned the water just on the other side of a barrier so if you fell in the water, you'd be safe. So the guide told the children they needed to go on the bridge for a fun treat. As soon as they started walking across, she flipped a switch and the bridge started shaking, making more noise than actual shaking. Johann and I laughed at the cheese factor and looked around for Forbes. He was almost pushing kids into the water so he could have his turn on the bridge. The man-boy smile on his face was precious.
The lions and tigers were enclosed in their pens and sleeping. We were able to view them from above as they slept. I felt bad for them having to be caged up. The rhinos and hippos were in smaller cages as well and fairly dreary. There was a snake area which allowed me to see the native snakes of the area. I didn't realize it but there is a cobra species native to South Africa.
A cheetah.
A white lion.
We left our zoo experience and went into the town of Oudtshoorn to see the small city. Everything is a bit run down and looks like it could have a good scrub. We walked up and down the main street and stopped into some shops. We split at some point and did our own thing until we planned to meet for lunch at 1pm. The main street area is quite bustling, especially since it is Saturday. As I was making my way to the pub to meet the other two, I noticed a shop closing. Then another. By the time I got to the pub, it was like a ghost town on main street. Where there were no parking spaces before, there were no cars. Where you would have to weave and dodge through the crowd before, you were hard pressed to find anyone. The shops close from 1 to 2 pm every day for much. It was bizarre.
After finally having a decent salad for lunch, we drove back to Buffelsdrift to prepare for our safari. We were picked up in a range rover safari vehicle that you board by an 8ft raised walkway. There are binoculars in the seats and blankets in case it gets too cold. The vehicle holds 9 passengers and all seats were full. Hendrik was our handsome guide for the afternoon and turned out to be a wonderful game spotter. He would scan the horizon with just his eyes and stop the vehicle to confirm what he saw with binoculars. He spotted a mountain zebra among a tree grove that nobody else could find until he pointed out the location.
The range rover we traveled in.
At first we didn't see much else besides springboek for the first while. We drove along a road and then proceeded up a hill to get a better viewpoint. From there we saw two rhinos walking down the road right where we had been so we went back down the hill back to the road and found them. We were able to follow them for about a mile before their tolerance of our presence wore off and they ran into the bush.
The rhinos as their tolerance of us was waning.
Next we turned down another road and came across a giraffe family: three adults and one baby. Hendrik told us the giraffes are used to seeing the vehicles so they just kept eating about 50 yards away as we drove by. Along the way we saw more springboek, onyx, kudu, and meerkats (so cute!). Johann's mother told us they had a meerkat as a pet when Johann was younger even though it's not legal.
On our way back to the compound, we were stopped by the two male giraffes "necking" which is when they swing their enormous necks in a wide circle in order to hit the other one and knock him down. They didn't see us for quite a while so we were able to watch them fight for several minutes. When they figured out we were there, they startled and ran a little ways down the road where they started up again. So we drove a little further and they stopped and ran up the road. It seemed they were more interested in necking than moving. Eventually they moved their playtime up the hill a little ways so we could pass them and get back to the lodge. We unloaded and headed to our tents. We were all pretty cold once the sun went down and we had the wind blowing on us.
The necking giraffes.
We freshened and headed back to the lodge to have a drink before dinner. The rugby game was on TV and the small crowd became quite rowdy. We eventually tired of the crowd and headed for the dining area downstairs. This time Johann had the ostrich he had been longing for since tasting Forbes' the previous night and Forbes had the venison. I stuck with the beef fillet. I had a piece of each of theirs but wouldn't order my own. It's more the thought that gets me because it tastes fine.
Dessert was a scope of ice cream for me and two sticky toffee puddings for the others. I think Forbes has been kissing something he shouldn't have because he's got a cold sore. At some remark from me, he plunged his spoon into my ice cream after I'd had one spoonful so I dumped the remainer of my ice cream onto his plate. You'd never know by watching us that we are all at least 35 years old (that would be me, the youngest).
Friday, July 20, 2007
Hungry, Hungry Hippo
I finished the last entry just as we pulled into the parking lot of Buffelsdrift. We checked-in, which included a complimentary glass of sherry. The compound is all enclosed in electric fence, this time to keep the hippos out as much as the thiefs. The main lodge is a two story beautiful wood and stone building situated on the banks of a man-made dam with a little wedding deck jutting out into the water about 25 feet that is used for seating and dining when weddings aren't happening. Fish can be seen from the decks swimming lazily around in the somewhat cloudy water. There are signs posted on the railings of the deck that say "no swimming, hippos are in the water".
Our glasses of sherry were waiting for us.
Says it all.
We got to our tent, a one bedroom freestanding structure on a small platform completely covered in canvas with a zippered entrance and windows. The bathroom has its own flap to go through and contains a full bathtub, sink, and toilet. Another flap from the bathroom reveals an outside shower with an oversized head and tiled floor, all shielded from view with a bamboo wall. The only thing missing is a tv. :-)
The tents on the edge of the lake.
We settled ourselves and made our way back to the lodge bar and quickly made friends with the coloured bartenders. Keep in mind the word coloured is still an accepted and embrassed word for Africaaners who are neither Dutch in origin nor tribal African. They are a combination of tribal, Malay, and white people. They have a lighter skin tone than tribal Africans and are darker than what would be considered an anglo in the US.
Our bartenders names are Morne and Elton. We end up chatting with them at the bar until dinner time. During our bar time, two families of hippos got in the dam on the other side. Both have babies with them and they make very loud moaning noises as they frolic in the water. They are quite a ways away, maybe 1/2 mile but with binoculars provided by the lodge you can watch them play around. They are very large, lumbering creatures. We also see some springboek (antelope) playing on the slopes. Tomorrow we have booked a morning in an elephant park and the afternoon as a game drive through the park.
Currently I am laying bed in the tent with Forbes snoring and farting in the bed next to me. I told Johann that for any faults it may have, South Africa has the US beat with its cell coverage. Even in the remote areas that I've been to, I've always had full bars for mobile service and high-speed internet browsing on my phone.
Tomorrow should be a fun day full of elephants, ostriches, cave exploration, and big game watching.
Inside our tent.
Our glasses of sherry were waiting for us.
Says it all.
We got to our tent, a one bedroom freestanding structure on a small platform completely covered in canvas with a zippered entrance and windows. The bathroom has its own flap to go through and contains a full bathtub, sink, and toilet. Another flap from the bathroom reveals an outside shower with an oversized head and tiled floor, all shielded from view with a bamboo wall. The only thing missing is a tv. :-)
The tents on the edge of the lake.
We settled ourselves and made our way back to the lodge bar and quickly made friends with the coloured bartenders. Keep in mind the word coloured is still an accepted and embrassed word for Africaaners who are neither Dutch in origin nor tribal African. They are a combination of tribal, Malay, and white people. They have a lighter skin tone than tribal Africans and are darker than what would be considered an anglo in the US.
Our bartenders names are Morne and Elton. We end up chatting with them at the bar until dinner time. During our bar time, two families of hippos got in the dam on the other side. Both have babies with them and they make very loud moaning noises as they frolic in the water. They are quite a ways away, maybe 1/2 mile but with binoculars provided by the lodge you can watch them play around. They are very large, lumbering creatures. We also see some springboek (antelope) playing on the slopes. Tomorrow we have booked a morning in an elephant park and the afternoon as a game drive through the park.
Currently I am laying bed in the tent with Forbes snoring and farting in the bed next to me. I told Johann that for any faults it may have, South Africa has the US beat with its cell coverage. Even in the remote areas that I've been to, I've always had full bars for mobile service and high-speed internet browsing on my phone.
Tomorrow should be a fun day full of elephants, ostriches, cave exploration, and big game watching.
Inside our tent.
Ostriches and Baboons
Last night we met up with Izak and Pieter again for dinner. I was keen on getting a pizza and staying in to watch tv but decided I needed to represent for the Americans. And it doesn't hurt when your dining companions are two lovely young Dutch lads. We went to the Fish Monger. The other four shared two huge seafood platters but I wasn't into things like calamari, fried squid, and mussels, so I ordered a seafood dish that was described as fish with a light sauce and dusted with cheese. I KNOW! Sounds delicious. It came out in this pan and I could not see anything but melted cheese. Ordinarily I would be ecstatic at the sight but there's not been a single healthy dish on any menu this whole trip and too much of a good thing is, well, fattening. Forbes' t-shirts are starting to look like belly shirts. So I explored my frontier of cheese to discover a lake of unpalatable cream sauce, and some mounds of I'm sure was fish but was cooked way too long and was like chewing squid. I ate the boiled potatoes and called it a night.
During dinner, Forbes decided it was required to tell his Sound of Music in New Zealand story. The Fish Monger is the most popular restaurant in town and we had to make reservations to get in so fair to say it was full. We were seated in the middle of the room and there was enough noise that you would have to strain to hear another table's conversation. However, Princess Charming was so proud of her story and decided that the punch line had to be shouted. "What is it Maria? What is it you cunt face?" Heads turned but Oblivious didn't notice. Repeated the punch line. I start shushing him. Once again to drive the point home. I'm throwing table wares at him. Once more in case the Africaans lads didn't catch it the first four times. For being the biggest Queen of Scotland, she's received very little formal training.
This morning we got packed and on the road to our safari to Oudtshoorn. We booked a tent lodge in a compound called Buffelsdrift. The drive has been intriguing. The landscape is mountainous with valleys for driving. The mountains are very rugged, jutting, and covered in green. Every once in a while a baboon family is seen playing just off the road and ostrich farms dot the land. One ostrich farm will plan to visit offers rides on them. I will decline because I don't like the idea of a bird having to haul around my ass just for a photo-op. I am also unconvinced of the game dives and exploitation of the majestic animals so tourists can make it sound like they were stalking the mighty lion to observe its habits when they are carted around by an SUV. Despite my almost-convictions, I will take the game tour anyway. What the hell, I'm here.
A blurry picture of the landscape as taken from the car at a fast speed.
During dinner, Forbes decided it was required to tell his Sound of Music in New Zealand story. The Fish Monger is the most popular restaurant in town and we had to make reservations to get in so fair to say it was full. We were seated in the middle of the room and there was enough noise that you would have to strain to hear another table's conversation. However, Princess Charming was so proud of her story and decided that the punch line had to be shouted. "What is it Maria? What is it you cunt face?" Heads turned but Oblivious didn't notice. Repeated the punch line. I start shushing him. Once again to drive the point home. I'm throwing table wares at him. Once more in case the Africaans lads didn't catch it the first four times. For being the biggest Queen of Scotland, she's received very little formal training.
This morning we got packed and on the road to our safari to Oudtshoorn. We booked a tent lodge in a compound called Buffelsdrift. The drive has been intriguing. The landscape is mountainous with valleys for driving. The mountains are very rugged, jutting, and covered in green. Every once in a while a baboon family is seen playing just off the road and ostrich farms dot the land. One ostrich farm will plan to visit offers rides on them. I will decline because I don't like the idea of a bird having to haul around my ass just for a photo-op. I am also unconvinced of the game dives and exploitation of the majestic animals so tourists can make it sound like they were stalking the mighty lion to observe its habits when they are carted around by an SUV. Despite my almost-convictions, I will take the game tour anyway. What the hell, I'm here.
A blurry picture of the landscape as taken from the car at a fast speed.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Cuz I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt
Morning came way too early yesterday. The Reverend was of course up before Johann and I, banging pots and pans around, turning on lights and the BBC on full volume. Packed, checked out, got on the road to Stellenbosch, known as the wine region. It was very misty, so much none of the mountains was visible and it seemed possible that we could have a rainy day. Since we've arrived in the country, the locals would say that today is a wonderful day for winter and that tomorrow is will rain, almost wagging their finger at us with their voice. But each day has turned out to be better than the next.
The drive was only about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town but the atmosphere is very different. Stellenbosch is a quiet community nestled in rolling countryside you would imagine when thinking of wine country. We found the tourist office and rented a two bedroom apartment for two nights. It's a cute place with a balcony off one room and an en-suite in the other with another bathroom off the full-sized kitchen.
Johann was a fitness teacher in a school in Bloemfontein years ago and one of his former students is now going to university here and Johann contacted him a while ago to meet up with us. While staying at his mother's house, he pulled out a Men's Fitness magazine and went to the middle spread and said that was Izak, the boy he used to coach.
Johann called him and told us he was going to join us and show us the city along with another friend. Izak and his friend Pieter showed up a few minutes later. Forbes and I had a hard time concentrating on anything for a little while. Both are 22 years old and the most adorable kids you'll ever meet. Very personable. And straight. Johann is not out to anyone in his life in the UK or South Africa except for Forbes. I am fairly certain everyone knows, especially his mother but nobody will discuss it with him. I think the only person who might be uncomfortable about his being gay is himself. Both Izak and Pieter both speak Africaans as a first language so they were eager to talk to Johann and catch up. They even hinted to Johann that they knew about him but the subject was quickly changed (by Johann).
The lads...Pieter, Johann, and Izak.
The lads took us for a stroll around town and we went through two museums, one that cronicles the history of the town, and the other an art gallery. Stellenbosch is one of the first Dutch settlements in the country.
From the museum: a sledgehammer used by the slaves and chains used to bind them.
Next they took us for a stroll through their university. Izak is studying law (yes, looks, personality, brains...he got it all) and Pieter for Industrial Psychology which is sort of what we would call a business analyst. The University of Stellenbosch is the only Africaans language university left in the country, not to mention the most prestigious. But the Africaans only bit has caused quite a stir because of the political ramifications of Africaans only studies. It is the madated language during Aparteid and associated with oppression by the whites.
We stopped off at a local pub, a fun university hangout and had a pint. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped at a bottle shop and got some wine and beer. The five of us had a glass or two of wine to chat and then Johann, Pieter, and Izak went to the patio to catch up more in Africaans. Forbes and I watched tv (or more like I watched tv while he fretted about not doing something and there's gotta be something we're missing because we're not doing it right now...he has a hard time relaxing) while they drank and chatted. Pieter left to go to a dance sort of thing with friends and the other four of us went back to the pub for dinner.
As soon as we started walking, I could tell Johann was hammered. And then he said "I'm really hammered". When we sat down he was slurring his words and he kept apologizing for being that drunk. The term we've been saying is we've "been at the dentist". In Bloemfontein Johann went to the dentist and we couldn't understand him for a couple of hours because of the shots.
He ordered three cokes, two red bulls, and a very large steak. Eventually he came back from the edge of drunkendom. This allowed Forbes and I to talk to Izak. Izak has been doing modeling for several years and has appeared in many magazines and even a soap opera here. Currently in addition to his modeling, he's the host of a cable show that's something like a variety show. He said he's getting more and more people stopping him on the streets for pictures. Hell, I would do it just for the picture of him not knowing who he is.
Finished with dinner, came home, and went to bed.
Today was another early day as Forbes and I had booked a wine tour. A quick breakfast at a streetside cafe and Annelee, our tour guide, was at the arranged meeting place at 9:30. We picked up two more couples, both British, one of which was on their honeymoon, and we were off.
Rustenberg was our first stop. This winery is an example of old money and has been in the family for generations. The buildings are old plaster walls and thatched roofs but the insides contain modern equipment. We sampled six wines, three white and three red. I wasn't bowled over by any of them.
Some grapes from last year still left from last year's harvest.
The next stop was Tokara, an example of new money. The owner is the CEO of a banking network in South Africa and decided he wanted a winery. Annelee said you don't go into the wine business to make money; rather, you make money and then make wine. Seems most wineries don't make money but that part of the business equation isn't of concern to the owners. I liked the wine better here and bought a bottle of their shiraz. The owner's wife (their last name is Ferrara) decided she needed a hobby too and opened an olive farm across the road so I sampled some. They were very delicious so I bought a bottle of kalamatas.
The view of the winery at Tokara.
Delheim was our lunch stop. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, the beautiful green-covered mountains all around us. Magical.
Last stop was Vergelegen and is pronounced like your life is dependent upon clearing the largest obstruction your throat has ever witnessed. I dehydrated just from saying it twice. The "g" in Africaans is a back-of-the-throat "h" sound but harsher than the german variety. The first time Annelee said it we were dripping with saliva. The winery was okay, we only sampled four wines. Our hostess at Vergelegen was a short, pudgy Africaans lady with a fair germanic disposition. Though we did get her to smile while trying to pronounce the name of the winery. Finally we headed home. We were dropped off at 5pm.
The tour group at our final stop of Vergelegen.
The tour was fun and it was nice seeing how the vines grow and how they care for them. However, I am certain the hoity-toitys who make up the descriptions of the wines sniff glue and have burned all their receptors so they make shit up as they go. No joke - a description of one of the wines was to look for white peppercorn and lead pencil. Another was cigar box. Really? At one point the stoic frau said one wine was 60 percent housed in smoked oak barrels and the rest in stainless tubs. Forbes said deadpan that he disagreed and sensed it was 61 percent oak barrel. Another guy on our tour immediately chimed in with a guess of 62 percent. I was embarrased for them. But I still laughed.
We got back and went to the tourist office. The lady helped us book the next leg of our journey which is the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. We will be staying two nights in tents on a game preserve and doing safaris during the day and night. She said there are hippos living in the water right next to the tents. Should be exciting. We leave tomorrow morning.
HERE KITTY KITTY!!!
The drive was only about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town but the atmosphere is very different. Stellenbosch is a quiet community nestled in rolling countryside you would imagine when thinking of wine country. We found the tourist office and rented a two bedroom apartment for two nights. It's a cute place with a balcony off one room and an en-suite in the other with another bathroom off the full-sized kitchen.
Johann was a fitness teacher in a school in Bloemfontein years ago and one of his former students is now going to university here and Johann contacted him a while ago to meet up with us. While staying at his mother's house, he pulled out a Men's Fitness magazine and went to the middle spread and said that was Izak, the boy he used to coach.
Johann called him and told us he was going to join us and show us the city along with another friend. Izak and his friend Pieter showed up a few minutes later. Forbes and I had a hard time concentrating on anything for a little while. Both are 22 years old and the most adorable kids you'll ever meet. Very personable. And straight. Johann is not out to anyone in his life in the UK or South Africa except for Forbes. I am fairly certain everyone knows, especially his mother but nobody will discuss it with him. I think the only person who might be uncomfortable about his being gay is himself. Both Izak and Pieter both speak Africaans as a first language so they were eager to talk to Johann and catch up. They even hinted to Johann that they knew about him but the subject was quickly changed (by Johann).
The lads...Pieter, Johann, and Izak.
The lads took us for a stroll around town and we went through two museums, one that cronicles the history of the town, and the other an art gallery. Stellenbosch is one of the first Dutch settlements in the country.
From the museum: a sledgehammer used by the slaves and chains used to bind them.
Next they took us for a stroll through their university. Izak is studying law (yes, looks, personality, brains...he got it all) and Pieter for Industrial Psychology which is sort of what we would call a business analyst. The University of Stellenbosch is the only Africaans language university left in the country, not to mention the most prestigious. But the Africaans only bit has caused quite a stir because of the political ramifications of Africaans only studies. It is the madated language during Aparteid and associated with oppression by the whites.
We stopped off at a local pub, a fun university hangout and had a pint. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped at a bottle shop and got some wine and beer. The five of us had a glass or two of wine to chat and then Johann, Pieter, and Izak went to the patio to catch up more in Africaans. Forbes and I watched tv (or more like I watched tv while he fretted about not doing something and there's gotta be something we're missing because we're not doing it right now...he has a hard time relaxing) while they drank and chatted. Pieter left to go to a dance sort of thing with friends and the other four of us went back to the pub for dinner.
As soon as we started walking, I could tell Johann was hammered. And then he said "I'm really hammered". When we sat down he was slurring his words and he kept apologizing for being that drunk. The term we've been saying is we've "been at the dentist". In Bloemfontein Johann went to the dentist and we couldn't understand him for a couple of hours because of the shots.
He ordered three cokes, two red bulls, and a very large steak. Eventually he came back from the edge of drunkendom. This allowed Forbes and I to talk to Izak. Izak has been doing modeling for several years and has appeared in many magazines and even a soap opera here. Currently in addition to his modeling, he's the host of a cable show that's something like a variety show. He said he's getting more and more people stopping him on the streets for pictures. Hell, I would do it just for the picture of him not knowing who he is.
Finished with dinner, came home, and went to bed.
Today was another early day as Forbes and I had booked a wine tour. A quick breakfast at a streetside cafe and Annelee, our tour guide, was at the arranged meeting place at 9:30. We picked up two more couples, both British, one of which was on their honeymoon, and we were off.
Rustenberg was our first stop. This winery is an example of old money and has been in the family for generations. The buildings are old plaster walls and thatched roofs but the insides contain modern equipment. We sampled six wines, three white and three red. I wasn't bowled over by any of them.
Some grapes from last year still left from last year's harvest.
The next stop was Tokara, an example of new money. The owner is the CEO of a banking network in South Africa and decided he wanted a winery. Annelee said you don't go into the wine business to make money; rather, you make money and then make wine. Seems most wineries don't make money but that part of the business equation isn't of concern to the owners. I liked the wine better here and bought a bottle of their shiraz. The owner's wife (their last name is Ferrara) decided she needed a hobby too and opened an olive farm across the road so I sampled some. They were very delicious so I bought a bottle of kalamatas.
The view of the winery at Tokara.
Delheim was our lunch stop. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, the beautiful green-covered mountains all around us. Magical.
Last stop was Vergelegen and is pronounced like your life is dependent upon clearing the largest obstruction your throat has ever witnessed. I dehydrated just from saying it twice. The "g" in Africaans is a back-of-the-throat "h" sound but harsher than the german variety. The first time Annelee said it we were dripping with saliva. The winery was okay, we only sampled four wines. Our hostess at Vergelegen was a short, pudgy Africaans lady with a fair germanic disposition. Though we did get her to smile while trying to pronounce the name of the winery. Finally we headed home. We were dropped off at 5pm.
The tour group at our final stop of Vergelegen.
The tour was fun and it was nice seeing how the vines grow and how they care for them. However, I am certain the hoity-toitys who make up the descriptions of the wines sniff glue and have burned all their receptors so they make shit up as they go. No joke - a description of one of the wines was to look for white peppercorn and lead pencil. Another was cigar box. Really? At one point the stoic frau said one wine was 60 percent housed in smoked oak barrels and the rest in stainless tubs. Forbes said deadpan that he disagreed and sensed it was 61 percent oak barrel. Another guy on our tour immediately chimed in with a guess of 62 percent. I was embarrased for them. But I still laughed.
We got back and went to the tourist office. The lady helped us book the next leg of our journey which is the Buffelsdrift Game Lodge. We will be staying two nights in tents on a game preserve and doing safaris during the day and night. She said there are hippos living in the water right next to the tents. Should be exciting. We leave tomorrow morning.
HERE KITTY KITTY!!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Very Sad, Very Recent Past
Johann dropped us off at the waterfront this morning to get our boat to Robben Island. We stopped by a waterfront cafe and had breakfast. It's always fun for me to explore new foods and different combinations. I ate a chicken salad sandwich with cheese and a fruit chuntey spread thickly on top of the cheese. It turned out to be very good.
Robben Island is visible from the mainland and is about a 25 minute boat ride from dock to dock. Robben is Dutch for seal, of which we saw several. Our group was hearded into a bus and we driven all over the island, stopping occasionally for pics. This part of the tour was fairly sterile, the guide simply pointing out the buildings and giving histories. At the end of his portion, the bus was stopped and he gave a 10 speech about hate, race, and loving each other. At first it seemed heartfelt but 10 minutes is a long time to hear the same thing over and over. By the end I felt like he was clubbing me over the head with his words, trying to force everyone on the bus to live in a perfect world. Everyone seemed to be shifting in their seats, feeling uncomfortable.
The entrance to Robben Island.
We got out of the bus and went into the actual prison area. Unfortunately the area where Nelson Mandela was kept is in the process of being refurbished so we weren't able to go there. They did however have a temporary exhibit setup to portray his cell. We met our tour guide for the inside part and he began by saying that he was a former prisoner and was imprisoned for 6 years. His stories and presentations truly came from his heart. He talked about the torture and harsh conditions they were forced to endure but stopped short of being graphic.
A cave where some prisoners had to live.
As the presentation went on, several different emotions went through my mind with the most striking being how recent these events occured, and a sadness to think that in modern times people could still think like this. Aparteid is the Africaans word for "apart". The Aparteid government, which was exclusively white, decided that any others were second class citizens and did not deserve basic human rights. Some races were even considered to be sub-human. All land was taken away from non-whites and given to white families. Johann told us that even 10 years ago there were public benches with signs that said "Whites Only". It was only in 1991 that Mandela was released from prison and 1994 when truly free elections were allowed and non-whites could hold office.
If you dared speak out against the government, you were considered a traitor and were jailed for as long as they wanted. You could be held without charges for however long they wanted. Our tour guide had joined the underground resistance and was sent to other countries like Zimbabwe to be trained in their armed unit. He was eventually captured and sentenced to 25 years at Robben Island, before he had even done any work for the resistance. Before sent to Robben Island, he was held in detention for five months where they tortured him every day to get information.
I was so struck with the guard. He did not have hatred in his voice and spoke in a stead, soothing voice though at one point he choked up a bit. He opened up the presentation for Q&A and someone asked if there were any guards that were sympathetic. His response was one that I hoped for: there were the expected terrible people abusing their power and doing awful things, but there were some putting their jobs and own freedom on the line to help the prisoners in any way, whether smuggling radios, newspapers, or simple information from the outside.
The prison guard from our tour.
I was not prepared for what he said next. One of the former guards is now a tour guide on the island tours and is his next door neighbor as most of the guides live on the island. When our guide arrived on the island to live, the guard and his wife knocked on their door with a chocolate cake in hand to welcome them. They now have barbeques together every weekend. I had to supress getting emotional hearing this. Obviously the guard wasn't a sadistic monster, but I honestly do not know if I would have the power of forgiveness this man has to be neighbors with someone who in whatever big or small reason, played a role in oppressing him just because of how he was born.
The tour guide did not preach or try to force a lesson in history though he succeeded in making many people examine their convictions and taught a powerful lesson in very basic humanity.
We were told that tomorrow Nelson Mandela and others including Pele will be on the island as FIFA is giving an honorary membership to the group of players from the island. They had games on Saturdays when they were given outdoor time. If their ball was kicked between the two fences surrounding the area, the guard dogs would rip them to shreads and they would have to wait for a new one. This award is being given in honor of Mandela's 89th birthday and the World Cup of soccer being held in South Africa in 2010. There is construction all over the place in preparation.
The guard station. I found their pride by flying the country's flag ironic.
We got back to shore after the tour and did some shopping until Johann picked us up. He didn't go because he'd been there several times and it was tough for him to see over and over. We went to the store, got some "nibbles" and beer, and went back to the house. Johann and I went to our rooms for a quick nap and left Forbes watching tv. I woke up 1/2 hour later, showered and made my way downstairs as we had planned on dinner at 8pm. Johann came out of his room followed by Forbes playing bumper cars with the walls. I suddenly realized that he'd been drinking the entire time and rapidly. He couldn't walk a straight line to save his life. I checked the fridge and counted 10 bottles of beer having been consumed. He claimed to not be hungry but we insisted he eat something. We drove to Hout's Bay and had a nice seaside meal. We poured his majesty back into the car and drove home to put him to bed.
Johann and I walked to the Manhattan Club. As we walked in, Whitey the bartender welcomed us (that's really his name) and said he knew we were coming because the Queen of Scotland was in earlier. So not only had he drank 10 beers in an hour and half, but he snuck out of the house while we slept and drank at the bar. Being sneaky, he hid some of the empties so we wouldn't figure out what he was up to.
Of course we weren't going to let him get away with that so we asked Whitey to give us as many empty bottles as he had so we could take them home. We went into his room hearing the snoring and started placing bottles all around him so we could get a picture. We had probably 30 bottles placed around and Johann was going for the gold by putting on next to his mouth but we both started snorting trying to not laugh. This roused him so we ran out of the room. When the fog cleared slightly, we heard "NOOO!!" coming from his room and then the door slamming shut. We knew we'd have another chance in about 5 minutes after he passed out again.
Sure enough we were able to set up more bottles though we weren't as bold in our placement as the first attempt. The flash woke him and again we got the "NOOO!!" and the slamming door. We were crying with laughter. The picture is available upon request.
Today was a day of tears, both from crying and laughing.
Some of the bottles used in the prank.
Robben Island is visible from the mainland and is about a 25 minute boat ride from dock to dock. Robben is Dutch for seal, of which we saw several. Our group was hearded into a bus and we driven all over the island, stopping occasionally for pics. This part of the tour was fairly sterile, the guide simply pointing out the buildings and giving histories. At the end of his portion, the bus was stopped and he gave a 10 speech about hate, race, and loving each other. At first it seemed heartfelt but 10 minutes is a long time to hear the same thing over and over. By the end I felt like he was clubbing me over the head with his words, trying to force everyone on the bus to live in a perfect world. Everyone seemed to be shifting in their seats, feeling uncomfortable.
The entrance to Robben Island.
We got out of the bus and went into the actual prison area. Unfortunately the area where Nelson Mandela was kept is in the process of being refurbished so we weren't able to go there. They did however have a temporary exhibit setup to portray his cell. We met our tour guide for the inside part and he began by saying that he was a former prisoner and was imprisoned for 6 years. His stories and presentations truly came from his heart. He talked about the torture and harsh conditions they were forced to endure but stopped short of being graphic.
A cave where some prisoners had to live.
As the presentation went on, several different emotions went through my mind with the most striking being how recent these events occured, and a sadness to think that in modern times people could still think like this. Aparteid is the Africaans word for "apart". The Aparteid government, which was exclusively white, decided that any others were second class citizens and did not deserve basic human rights. Some races were even considered to be sub-human. All land was taken away from non-whites and given to white families. Johann told us that even 10 years ago there were public benches with signs that said "Whites Only". It was only in 1991 that Mandela was released from prison and 1994 when truly free elections were allowed and non-whites could hold office.
If you dared speak out against the government, you were considered a traitor and were jailed for as long as they wanted. You could be held without charges for however long they wanted. Our tour guide had joined the underground resistance and was sent to other countries like Zimbabwe to be trained in their armed unit. He was eventually captured and sentenced to 25 years at Robben Island, before he had even done any work for the resistance. Before sent to Robben Island, he was held in detention for five months where they tortured him every day to get information.
I was so struck with the guard. He did not have hatred in his voice and spoke in a stead, soothing voice though at one point he choked up a bit. He opened up the presentation for Q&A and someone asked if there were any guards that were sympathetic. His response was one that I hoped for: there were the expected terrible people abusing their power and doing awful things, but there were some putting their jobs and own freedom on the line to help the prisoners in any way, whether smuggling radios, newspapers, or simple information from the outside.
The prison guard from our tour.
I was not prepared for what he said next. One of the former guards is now a tour guide on the island tours and is his next door neighbor as most of the guides live on the island. When our guide arrived on the island to live, the guard and his wife knocked on their door with a chocolate cake in hand to welcome them. They now have barbeques together every weekend. I had to supress getting emotional hearing this. Obviously the guard wasn't a sadistic monster, but I honestly do not know if I would have the power of forgiveness this man has to be neighbors with someone who in whatever big or small reason, played a role in oppressing him just because of how he was born.
The tour guide did not preach or try to force a lesson in history though he succeeded in making many people examine their convictions and taught a powerful lesson in very basic humanity.
We were told that tomorrow Nelson Mandela and others including Pele will be on the island as FIFA is giving an honorary membership to the group of players from the island. They had games on Saturdays when they were given outdoor time. If their ball was kicked between the two fences surrounding the area, the guard dogs would rip them to shreads and they would have to wait for a new one. This award is being given in honor of Mandela's 89th birthday and the World Cup of soccer being held in South Africa in 2010. There is construction all over the place in preparation.
The guard station. I found their pride by flying the country's flag ironic.
We got back to shore after the tour and did some shopping until Johann picked us up. He didn't go because he'd been there several times and it was tough for him to see over and over. We went to the store, got some "nibbles" and beer, and went back to the house. Johann and I went to our rooms for a quick nap and left Forbes watching tv. I woke up 1/2 hour later, showered and made my way downstairs as we had planned on dinner at 8pm. Johann came out of his room followed by Forbes playing bumper cars with the walls. I suddenly realized that he'd been drinking the entire time and rapidly. He couldn't walk a straight line to save his life. I checked the fridge and counted 10 bottles of beer having been consumed. He claimed to not be hungry but we insisted he eat something. We drove to Hout's Bay and had a nice seaside meal. We poured his majesty back into the car and drove home to put him to bed.
Johann and I walked to the Manhattan Club. As we walked in, Whitey the bartender welcomed us (that's really his name) and said he knew we were coming because the Queen of Scotland was in earlier. So not only had he drank 10 beers in an hour and half, but he snuck out of the house while we slept and drank at the bar. Being sneaky, he hid some of the empties so we wouldn't figure out what he was up to.
Of course we weren't going to let him get away with that so we asked Whitey to give us as many empty bottles as he had so we could take them home. We went into his room hearing the snoring and started placing bottles all around him so we could get a picture. We had probably 30 bottles placed around and Johann was going for the gold by putting on next to his mouth but we both started snorting trying to not laugh. This roused him so we ran out of the room. When the fog cleared slightly, we heard "NOOO!!" coming from his room and then the door slamming shut. We knew we'd have another chance in about 5 minutes after he passed out again.
Sure enough we were able to set up more bottles though we weren't as bold in our placement as the first attempt. The flash woke him and again we got the "NOOO!!" and the slamming door. We were crying with laughter. The picture is available upon request.
Today was a day of tears, both from crying and laughing.
Some of the bottles used in the prank.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
I'll Cut Ya Man
More on the subject of this post later.
We got to the Cape of Good Hope and took the funicular to the top of the mountain. It was 5pm which is closing time for the shops and facilities. We were lucky enough to catch the last carriage to the top of the mountain. The cliffs are spectacular. At the end of the walk there is a directional pole that indicates how far certain cities are from one another, including the South Pole, New York, and Delhi. While it's the furthest south point in Africa, Craig and I were even further south when we went to Tasmania.
Baboons on the drive to the Cape of Good Hope.
Me at the Cape of Good Hope.
On our drive back, we stopped for dinner in Camp's Bay, an adorable seaside city. We ate dinner on the rasied patio just across the street from the beach. I had a tuna steak for dinner which was actually quite tasty.
Post dinner was drinks at the bar Johann spent most of his time the night prior. We walked in and immediately Forbes asked what was happening, sensing this was a special night. After settling into our table, three very large black ladies with hair almost as large took to the small makeshift stage in the front. They sang a set of songs that included disco and 80s hits. They were really good. Good enough to promt us to ask them later the name of the song they were covering.
The last three songs they did were in their native Xhosa language, also known as the clicking language. There were a number of black patrons in the bar and all were not doing anything to call special attention to themselves. Once the ladies began singing in Xhosa (pronounced KO-sah but with a clicking noise as the beginning), it was as if someone put a quarter in the machine. All at once they all stood from all parts of the bar and began dancing their native dances and singing along. It was shockingly magical. The songs were beautiful and there was an instant light in the eyes of all those dancing.
We stayed out way too late of course. Forbes was doing his best old man badgering, reminding us of our big day tomorrow. We had planned on going to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for decades. After the crowd thinned and we were preparing to leave, Forbes decided to chat up a good looking guy. Since we had started to make our exit, Johann and I had one foot out the door and Forbes realized we wanted to go. He unwillingly left with us, though it was his option to stay. We've been hearing ever since that we stood in the way of his good time. We walked ourselves back to the hotel by midnight. It was time for bed.
This morning we got up, had the hotel breakfast again and set off to buy tickets for Robben Island. We were disappointed to learn today was sold out though we were able to purchase tickets for tomorrow which we did.
Johann picked us up as he didn't want to do the island tour having done it several times in the past. We checked out of the hotel and went to our next one which is listed as gay-friendly. Yesterday over the phone, I requested a three bedroom place. As we checked in and were led to our apartment, we discovered it was only two bedrooms. After a quick discussion with the staff, they took us to another house. It is a beautiful three bedroom row house with custom white oak cabinetry, granite countertops, and brushed nickle accents. The patio has a small pool and sundeck. The bedroom upstairs has a full dual-head shower and two patios. The two bedrooms downstairs are smaller and share a bathroom. Upon arrival I suggested that we flip a coin for the upstairs but both Johann and Forbes insisted that I take it as I had traveled the furthest distance. It was very generous of them.
Our apartment.
We lounged around a bit and settled in. Our next stop was the market square where all the typical African wares are sold. Aisle after aisle of artwork, beautiful bowls, handed beaded kitsch, and tanzanite jewelry.
I had made several purchases and was wandering around a few minutes prior to our arranged meeting time. I've heard so much about guarding your valuables and bags but I had not seen any evidence of crime. In fact, every entry to all houses have either a hard-fixed set of bars or a locking gate.
Each window, door, anything big enough for someone to enter is locked and secured, even when you are home. I had started to wonder if it was a bit exaggerated. So as I was walking on the outskirts of the market, a younger black man approached me and asked for some money. I had become accustomed to this and to simply say "sorry". After I offered my regrets, this young man lowered his voice and said "Give me your fucking money or I will cut you with my knife". Though I was fairly certain of what he said, for some reason I asked him to repeat himself. The only reason I can think of for doing that was my mind couldn't gather itself fast enough to provide myself with options.
"Give me your fucking money or I will cut you with my knife" came out of his mouth again, this time much angrier. It had given me enough time to collect myself. His hand was in his pocket as though he were holding his knife in it so I reacted faster than I think he thought I would. I grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him backward as hard as I could and quickly moved to the entrance of the market to find a police officer. He had lost his balance but not fallen down. My heart must have been beating a thousand times per second. Seeing I was looking for help and now in a crowd, he came toward me and said jovially, "Ahh was only joking mahn. Where are you from?" in his African accent. I held my arm out straight in his direction and shouted "Stay the FUCK away from me." This attracted enough stares that he backed off and left the scene. Whether or not he really did have a knife didn't matter; I'm sure this ploy worked on other tourists successfully.
Pure adrenaline. It was still 10 minutes before our meeting time but I had never wished so hard in my life that one of them was early. To my extreme relief, Johann was seated at the cafe having a coffee. I sat down and was shaking. Obviously distraught, Johann asked me what wrong so I explained what happened. Of course it didn't ruffle his feathers as much as I did mine and I could tell from his response that I wasn't the first person to have this happen. He said I did the right thing.
The market where I was mugged.
Unfortunately a chunk of my afternoon was ruined by what happened and I came to realize that one misstep and my life could have been altered significantly. With crime being such a problem in the country, so far I've only seen three of four police cars and no police at all walking on the streets.
After I settled down, we walked through the government complex. We saw the place where the president of the country lives and even there I did not see a single police, and only a 10 high fence with barb wire surrounding it. I asked Johann why there wasn't more security and he said people don't care much about the president and he was most likely drunk already. It is widely known that he's got an alcohol problem.
The presidential palace.
We got back to our house, freshened up and went back to the Manhattan Club, the place we went last night. There is a cafe attached to the club. The food was decent though I've yet to have an extraordinary meal here.
We must have been feeling very festive because we drank like they weren't making beer anymore. I kept pace with the Scot who before dinner attempted to go to the bathroom and nearly walked into a window. He then became so disorriented that he did a 360, saw us sitting at the table, and decided he didn't need to go THAT bad. He played bumper cars with the wall and tables on the way back. Johann and I were in absolute stitches, tears streaming down our faces. He was so gone that he didn't retaliate; instead just sat down again at the table and slumped his shoulders. The patrons next to us joined in our squealing enjoyment at the expense of our friend.
Once the food came, Forbes was adamant he did not order what was presented to him even though Johann, the waiter and I all were certain that's what he asked for. He realized he wasn't going to win this war so he gave up. It must have been good because he ate the whole plate, and half of my pasta.
We retired to the bar area and settled in. After ordering t-shirts from the manager (they are cool bar shirts), we wondered if we would get them. They are out of stock and will be shipped to us. Forbes badgered the poor guy over and over about getting his shirts.
Speaking of the bartender, his name is Job and he's from Zimbabwe I think. Most of the staff is black, including Job. Johann renamed him to Joe because it was simply too taxing to pronounce the "b". Joe didn't mind. Anyway, he's a beautiful man with a rocking body. We convinced another bartender to take off his shirt so we could size them. All three of us forgot what we were doing and just stared at him. We found out that Joe is working part time and going to law school. His whit is incredible and began calling Forbes the Queen of Scotland. Johann claims him to be straight according to the owner of the bar whom he chatted up. If that's the case, he hides it well and is very comfortable around the homos.
We reached maximum capacity and Forbes was head-bobbing at the bar, even after two red bulls. We have a big day tomorrow with the Robben Island tour so I wanted to go as well. The guys from our house rental office had to do some work and took our second set of keys. Fortunately we are within a 5 minute walk so Johann came back with us, let us in, and left, locking us in the house. After drinking some water and putting a load of laundry in, Forbes staggered to the kitchen saying he wished we weren't locked in because he wanted to go out again. He said this with droopy eyes whilst swaying. I convinced him it was best we stay in for the night.
We got to the Cape of Good Hope and took the funicular to the top of the mountain. It was 5pm which is closing time for the shops and facilities. We were lucky enough to catch the last carriage to the top of the mountain. The cliffs are spectacular. At the end of the walk there is a directional pole that indicates how far certain cities are from one another, including the South Pole, New York, and Delhi. While it's the furthest south point in Africa, Craig and I were even further south when we went to Tasmania.
Baboons on the drive to the Cape of Good Hope.
Me at the Cape of Good Hope.
On our drive back, we stopped for dinner in Camp's Bay, an adorable seaside city. We ate dinner on the rasied patio just across the street from the beach. I had a tuna steak for dinner which was actually quite tasty.
Post dinner was drinks at the bar Johann spent most of his time the night prior. We walked in and immediately Forbes asked what was happening, sensing this was a special night. After settling into our table, three very large black ladies with hair almost as large took to the small makeshift stage in the front. They sang a set of songs that included disco and 80s hits. They were really good. Good enough to promt us to ask them later the name of the song they were covering.
The last three songs they did were in their native Xhosa language, also known as the clicking language. There were a number of black patrons in the bar and all were not doing anything to call special attention to themselves. Once the ladies began singing in Xhosa (pronounced KO-sah but with a clicking noise as the beginning), it was as if someone put a quarter in the machine. All at once they all stood from all parts of the bar and began dancing their native dances and singing along. It was shockingly magical. The songs were beautiful and there was an instant light in the eyes of all those dancing.
We stayed out way too late of course. Forbes was doing his best old man badgering, reminding us of our big day tomorrow. We had planned on going to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for decades. After the crowd thinned and we were preparing to leave, Forbes decided to chat up a good looking guy. Since we had started to make our exit, Johann and I had one foot out the door and Forbes realized we wanted to go. He unwillingly left with us, though it was his option to stay. We've been hearing ever since that we stood in the way of his good time. We walked ourselves back to the hotel by midnight. It was time for bed.
This morning we got up, had the hotel breakfast again and set off to buy tickets for Robben Island. We were disappointed to learn today was sold out though we were able to purchase tickets for tomorrow which we did.
Johann picked us up as he didn't want to do the island tour having done it several times in the past. We checked out of the hotel and went to our next one which is listed as gay-friendly. Yesterday over the phone, I requested a three bedroom place. As we checked in and were led to our apartment, we discovered it was only two bedrooms. After a quick discussion with the staff, they took us to another house. It is a beautiful three bedroom row house with custom white oak cabinetry, granite countertops, and brushed nickle accents. The patio has a small pool and sundeck. The bedroom upstairs has a full dual-head shower and two patios. The two bedrooms downstairs are smaller and share a bathroom. Upon arrival I suggested that we flip a coin for the upstairs but both Johann and Forbes insisted that I take it as I had traveled the furthest distance. It was very generous of them.
Our apartment.
We lounged around a bit and settled in. Our next stop was the market square where all the typical African wares are sold. Aisle after aisle of artwork, beautiful bowls, handed beaded kitsch, and tanzanite jewelry.
I had made several purchases and was wandering around a few minutes prior to our arranged meeting time. I've heard so much about guarding your valuables and bags but I had not seen any evidence of crime. In fact, every entry to all houses have either a hard-fixed set of bars or a locking gate.
Each window, door, anything big enough for someone to enter is locked and secured, even when you are home. I had started to wonder if it was a bit exaggerated. So as I was walking on the outskirts of the market, a younger black man approached me and asked for some money. I had become accustomed to this and to simply say "sorry". After I offered my regrets, this young man lowered his voice and said "Give me your fucking money or I will cut you with my knife". Though I was fairly certain of what he said, for some reason I asked him to repeat himself. The only reason I can think of for doing that was my mind couldn't gather itself fast enough to provide myself with options.
"Give me your fucking money or I will cut you with my knife" came out of his mouth again, this time much angrier. It had given me enough time to collect myself. His hand was in his pocket as though he were holding his knife in it so I reacted faster than I think he thought I would. I grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him backward as hard as I could and quickly moved to the entrance of the market to find a police officer. He had lost his balance but not fallen down. My heart must have been beating a thousand times per second. Seeing I was looking for help and now in a crowd, he came toward me and said jovially, "Ahh was only joking mahn. Where are you from?" in his African accent. I held my arm out straight in his direction and shouted "Stay the FUCK away from me." This attracted enough stares that he backed off and left the scene. Whether or not he really did have a knife didn't matter; I'm sure this ploy worked on other tourists successfully.
Pure adrenaline. It was still 10 minutes before our meeting time but I had never wished so hard in my life that one of them was early. To my extreme relief, Johann was seated at the cafe having a coffee. I sat down and was shaking. Obviously distraught, Johann asked me what wrong so I explained what happened. Of course it didn't ruffle his feathers as much as I did mine and I could tell from his response that I wasn't the first person to have this happen. He said I did the right thing.
The market where I was mugged.
Unfortunately a chunk of my afternoon was ruined by what happened and I came to realize that one misstep and my life could have been altered significantly. With crime being such a problem in the country, so far I've only seen three of four police cars and no police at all walking on the streets.
After I settled down, we walked through the government complex. We saw the place where the president of the country lives and even there I did not see a single police, and only a 10 high fence with barb wire surrounding it. I asked Johann why there wasn't more security and he said people don't care much about the president and he was most likely drunk already. It is widely known that he's got an alcohol problem.
The presidential palace.
We got back to our house, freshened up and went back to the Manhattan Club, the place we went last night. There is a cafe attached to the club. The food was decent though I've yet to have an extraordinary meal here.
We must have been feeling very festive because we drank like they weren't making beer anymore. I kept pace with the Scot who before dinner attempted to go to the bathroom and nearly walked into a window. He then became so disorriented that he did a 360, saw us sitting at the table, and decided he didn't need to go THAT bad. He played bumper cars with the wall and tables on the way back. Johann and I were in absolute stitches, tears streaming down our faces. He was so gone that he didn't retaliate; instead just sat down again at the table and slumped his shoulders. The patrons next to us joined in our squealing enjoyment at the expense of our friend.
Once the food came, Forbes was adamant he did not order what was presented to him even though Johann, the waiter and I all were certain that's what he asked for. He realized he wasn't going to win this war so he gave up. It must have been good because he ate the whole plate, and half of my pasta.
We retired to the bar area and settled in. After ordering t-shirts from the manager (they are cool bar shirts), we wondered if we would get them. They are out of stock and will be shipped to us. Forbes badgered the poor guy over and over about getting his shirts.
Speaking of the bartender, his name is Job and he's from Zimbabwe I think. Most of the staff is black, including Job. Johann renamed him to Joe because it was simply too taxing to pronounce the "b". Joe didn't mind. Anyway, he's a beautiful man with a rocking body. We convinced another bartender to take off his shirt so we could size them. All three of us forgot what we were doing and just stared at him. We found out that Joe is working part time and going to law school. His whit is incredible and began calling Forbes the Queen of Scotland. Johann claims him to be straight according to the owner of the bar whom he chatted up. If that's the case, he hides it well and is very comfortable around the homos.
We reached maximum capacity and Forbes was head-bobbing at the bar, even after two red bulls. We have a big day tomorrow with the Robben Island tour so I wanted to go as well. The guys from our house rental office had to do some work and took our second set of keys. Fortunately we are within a 5 minute walk so Johann came back with us, let us in, and left, locking us in the house. After drinking some water and putting a load of laundry in, Forbes staggered to the kitchen saying he wished we weren't locked in because he wanted to go out again. He said this with droopy eyes whilst swaying. I convinced him it was best we stay in for the night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
