FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Days 1-3)

Where else in the world do you get a new experience every kilometre you drive? To define ’experience’, look to South Africa! Rainbow emblazoned waterfalls.. culture.. history.. savannah plains.. world famous vineyards.. never-ending mountains.. animals of the wild.. fantastic hospitality.. fabulous beaches.. valleys and gorges.. glorious weather. South Africa has it all!

Day 1 – February 12th - 2ºC in Helsinki

After waking up at 4am on this cold winter morning, it was finally here – I was going to South Africa to visit and travel around with my old friend, Wia. Bree gave me a lift to the airport, leaving his place just after 5am. As we drove to the airport, I felt a bit sad that Bree wouldn’t be joining me on this amazing trip. We got to the airport and were greeted with a huge queue for the initial flight to Amsterdam. I managed to jump the queue by getting the Finnair desk to check me in all the way to Johannesburg.

Bree was great – clearly, we would both miss eachother. We said our goodbyes, then I went through security. Once I was airside, my phone rang; it was Bree, asking if I was in the Duty Free store? Amazed, I asked ‘how do you do that?’. He told me to leave the store and turn right. I did and there he was, standing on the walkway to the Sky Bar; he waved and I thought how sweet.

The flight left a bit late, but I spent most of the KLM flight dozing. Just over two hours later, I was in Amsterdam. There was an awful landing – it was windy and visibility was bad. Once I go into the terminal building, I headed for the ‘core’ of the terminals and started digging out Duty Free bargains including Sex & the City Series 5 on DVD, Biotherm products, deodorants and two litres of bacardi!

I headed for Gate F5, and boarded at 9.45am local time. Due to other delayed flights, the aircraft didn’t leave Amsterdam until 11.07am; I was onboard one of those old model Boeing 747’s – the interior looked well worn, but the seat I had were perfect for stretching and there was lot’s of storage space to my right which would make the nearly ten-hour flight much more bearable. The take-off was rather bumpy and TV screens informed passangers that it was 5,609 miles (9,024 kms) from Amsterdam to Johannesburg. An hour later, we were passing Geneva, Switzerland, swiftly heading towards the Alps; at one point, the captain notified passengers that the aircraft was flying over Mount Blanc.

At 1.30pm, lunch came which consisted of a Prawn and pesto pasta salad, chicken with spinach, cheesecake, bread and cheese. I downed the lunch with Ice Tea and white wine. Meanwhile, we just passed Tunis, having touched the African continent. A couple of hours later, the plane was cruising over the inhospitable Sahara Desert spanning many of the African States. Not long afterwards, air hostesses offered crisps or ice cream as snacks.

At 7.45pm, we were well past Nairobi in Kenya, and heading towards Harare in Zimbabwe. On the TV screen, you could see the island of Madagascar. At 9pm, it was food time again and this time it was a toasted cheese sandwich with caesar salad, tiramasu and nougat slice. Again, I drank white South African wine, Iced Tea and coffee.

Just after 10pm, the plane had landed. Immigration proceeded quite swifly – our flight seemed to be the only one landing at Johannesburg at this hour. I collected my luggage, proceeded through customs and found myself in the Arrivals Hall.

At first, I couldn’t see Wia nor her partner, Kalie. Suddenly, we both spotted eachother and hugged eachother tightly. It was a special moment, the first time I had seen Wia for nearly four years.

We headed to Pretoria in Kalie’s Volkswagen which I thought would be just perfect for our road trip. We got to the house just after 11pm and what can I say? The climate is pleasantly warm, not humid, and the house was HUGE! We exchanged gifts, then had ice-cold orange in the kitchen while Kalie filled me in on the Anglo-Boer troubles of the past; his daughter is my age.

While Wia got prepared for the trip, I had a shower. Afterwards, I sat on their balcony, wearing shorts and t-shirt. I updated my diary and thought to myself: this is the life! In bed by 1am.

Day 2 – February 13th – Pretoria to Ermelo

Was woken up at 8am, Wia’s smile beaming down at me. I grabbed a shower while the kettle was boiling; breakfast was a light affair of coffee and sunshine on the porch. Coffee in hand, I did a tour of Wia’s compact, but beautiful yard. I could feel the heat already beating down on me this early in the morning. In the yard, I saw chilli’s, cherry tomatoes and peppers bearing fruit as well as a lime tree. I thought to myself that coffee and sunshine is a great way to start any day!

I was offered some fruit, but I really wasn’t hungry; Wia had a stock of peaches, grapes and mangos. We headed out about 9am with a brief tour of Pretoria, taking in the University and the majestic Union Bulding, the headquarters of government. Designed by celebrated architect Sir Herbert Baker, his works also include the South African Institute for Medical Research in Braamfontein, St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town and South Africa House in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The gardens surrounding the Union Building were rich, densely green. In the distance, Wia pointed out the Voortrekker Monument, a holy ground for native Afrikaners. The monument was built between 1938 and 1949 to commemorate the achievements of the Boers who trekked north over the coastal mountains of the Cape into the heart of the African veld. In particular, it commemorates the Battle of Blood River during which, on 16th December 1838, 470 Boers defeated more than 12,000 Zulus. Supposedly, three trekkers were killed while more more than 3,000 Zulu’s perished.

Of particular significance from the Union Building is the impressive glass building of the National Reserve. After taking a number of photos, we carried on with our journey, popping into a nearby hospital to say goodbye to Wia’s mother before heading on our way. Having suffered a stroke and now aged 94, Wia’s mother was frail, a helpless heep in her bed. Deaf and blind, Wia and Kalie hugged her, saying goodbye to her. It was a very moving experience and Wia went on to explain how, in the past, her mother had always been very active.

On our way out of the hospital, we popped into the tuck shop for cold drinks. Kalie told people about the icy streets of Helsinki and people listened intently, somewhat amused.

We got back into the car and drove into the hills, passing the huge expanse of UNISA (University of South Africa) buildings and various squatters camp before arriving at Randberg Lion Park about 10.30am.

We took the Lion Park Drive where we had some amazing close encounters with lions, prides and cubs. There were a couple of giraffes and hyenas too. It was certainly a day for photos; there was a cub that strode along the dirt track towards us, approacing his mother who sat less than a metre from our car. He threw his cheek against hers in a cute display of affection.

When we finished the drive, we went to the ‘touch a cub’ area where you could pet lion and hyena cubs. Aww! We took a quick look in the store, where I bought a map of South Africa which I would use to plot our journey. We headed back to Pretoria for sandwiches and chocolate cake with milk! Yum!

After loading the car and the trailer, we were on our way to Ermelo, some 250 kilometres away. We left the city on the N4 and passed very english-sounding places such as Kendal and Balmoral. There were some depressing, underprivileged shanty towns dotting the highway, some cornfields and what resembled a majestic Buddhist temple, followed by a bright blue and white painted Hotel & Casino followed by a coal works. What a contrast of places!

As we neared Ermelo, there were peanut bushes dotting the landscape. We arrived just after 4pm and started the process of sorting out what to take to Kruger National Park for the next three days and what not. It was hot! For me it was, anyway!

After sorting out my stuff, we waited for Patsi and Jo, two of Wia’s friends who would join us on our three day trip to Kruger National Park; they arrived just after 5pm and were a very interesting couple. Patsi greeted me by saying ‘you’re very huggable!’ – she was born in Surrey, UK, and moved to South Africa as a young child; she was the daughter of a military man and the family ended up in South Africa. Jo, on the other hand, was born in Nuremburg, Germany, and moved to South Africa when he was 26 and never returned.

We went for dinner at the thatched, round clubhouse made from grass of the savannah. We ate boerekos, a lamb stew with rice, salad and coleslaw. Yummy! I even tried Red Heart Rum with Coke since Barcardi wasn’t available, and that was nice also! It started to darken, the air began to cool and I relaxed. Jo asked me about my travels to China – walking on the Great Wall of China was a dream of his, he said.

Having fed and watered ourselves, we made our way back to our accommodation. It was only 8pm when we left. We settled the bill for the accommodation and the food in advance which cost just €46 for the five of us in two chalets.

I took a quick dip in the pool, joined shortly afterwards by Patsi. The water made me flinch; it was funny to think that, less than 24 hours earlier, I was still on a plane. As I floated on my back in the water, I watched a dry lightning storm flicker overhead.

After ten minutes, I began to shiver so I got out, towelled off, said goodnight to Patsi and headed off! Wia, Kalie and I drank coffee and ate pancakes! We discussed the plan for the next day – we had a long way to go. A 385km drive along no major highways. We’ll set off at 4am and we’ll share one car between the five of us, Kalie announced. That was the plan and I was in bed before 10pm!

Day 3 – February 14th – Ermelo to Phalaborwa

After what can only be described as a bloody early start at 4am, we loaded the car, grabbed quicked showers, downed some coffee and were on our way. In the end, we decided to use two cars.

We zoomed down Route 36 towards Machadodorp and, just after 5am, you could see the first hint of daylight on the horizon; dawn was breaking and the dew was converting to mist among the plains. As the sun broke the horizon, the scene was amazing. We passed the towns of Breyton and Carolina, and then I took a brief nap.

The next time I opened my eyes, I saw the low hanging sun, intermingling planes, African Bark trees whizzing by and a river meandering through the scene. Just beautiful!

Everywhere you drove, there was always a black person walking around who seemed devoid of purpose. We passed a slender black woman who was carrying a weaved basket on her head – it was at this point that being in Africa finally dawned on me, just as the day had dawned.

We passed a number of sugar cane plantations before heading into the Waterval-Boven (High Velt). After a steady climb into the hills, where we passed a railway line and impressive viaduct, we drove downwards into Waterval-Onder (Low Velt).

Later, in the distance, we could see steam-like emissions marking the sky and, as we got closer, we saw the huge, fuming paper mill in Ngodwana; the air was no longer crisp and fresh as it gave way to the putrid smell of cooked pulp.

About 20kms before we reached the town of Nelspruit, we stopped at a roadside Wimpy for a hearty breakfast. We continued towards the town and stopped at the Spar to stretch our legs and to do a bit of shopping – I bought a copy of the Daily Express Newspaper. As we left Nelspruit, I was amazed at how quickly people could enter and leave the towns. We headed north on Route 539 towards Sabie and that’s when things started to get really interesting.

Just after Sabie, we stopped at the Mac Mac Waterfall; a quick ten minute clamber down an easy-to-navigate pebble route bought you to a wrought-iron encapsulated deck. Two channels of water cascaded down to the pool below, complete with a glistening rainbow in the spray. We moved on; Kalie wanted to take me to a place called God’s Window near Graskop.

I thought the name, God’s Window, was a little bit over the top personally, but I didn’t want to let on in case it caused offence. What did I know, after all?

After a steep climb in the car, we pulled into a car park where there were loads of art and craft stalls. A cute little black baby waddled by, smiling at passing customers.

We started the fifteen minute walk to the observation deck; the scene itself is hard to describe, but it did remind me of the scene in Disney’s The Lion King when Simba, as a cub, was presented to the world for the first time; the view was such an expanse that you felt you could see to the other side of Africa.

Patsi, Jo and I aimed for the even higher observation desk, but in the end Patsi gave up and it was just Jo and I at what is called God’s Higher Window; you could see every dirt trail from here and I dared not estimate how high we were.

We headed back down to God’s Window where the others waited for us. After a brief look around the craft stalls, we were on our way to yet another amazing site known as Lisbon Falls, part of the Blyde River Canyon; it was a very charming area, reminding me of scenes from John Wayne movies where cowboys had to navigate around waterfalls and hills. This area seemed to have it all nature-wise, although the area did seem pretty devoid of one thing Africa is famous for – animals! All in good time, I’m sure!

We ate juicy peaches before heading back to the car and onto our next destination, Pilgrim’s Rest. Gold was discovered here in 1873 and, for ten years, the area buzzed with gold diggers. When the gold finally fizzled out in 1972, the town was sold to the government as a ready-made historical village and is now a national monument.

The village of Pilgrim’s Rest wasn’t overly impressive in itself, but was steeped in history. Patsi and I took a brief walk through the small village and noticed the red post box bearing King Edward’s VII’s insignia. A sign of colonialism if there ever was one!

When we got back to the car park, the others had pancakes laced with cinnamon and sugar waiting for us! Yummy!

From Pilgrim’s Rest onward, it was pure solid driving for two hours until we arrived at Phalaborwa, just outside the Kruger National Park. We stopped for petrol and, the second I opened the car door, the humidity hit me. After registering our arrival at the park, we set off into the safari park, bound for Letaba, 51kms away.

It was about three hours until the gates closed and we used every minute scanning every nook and cranny of bush, often venturing deeper via the side roads. During that first drive, I discovered how dense the forest really was. It took time to get used to scanning the bush as we sped across the waist-high savannah grass.

During the drive, most of which was on loose asphalt, we encountered impala, zebra, baboons and giraffe. When we got to the rest camp, I was instantly impressed. Every building had a thatched savannah grass roof and there was a life-size replica of an Africa Elephant near the reception.

We settled into our tents which were velcro-vented and looked very similar to the war field hospital tents you see in war films on TV. Albeit basic, the place had character and, this far north, the weather was much more humid. Before long, a fan in the tent saw to that. We went for dinner in the restaurant and it was clear that everyone was tired. An early night was in order and, after a quick shower and shave in the cricket-strewn communal showers (that was freaky), I tucked in.

ABOUT KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

Kruger National Park attracts more than 900,000 visitors each year and deserves it’s reputation at one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world.

Sabie Game Reserve (as Kruger was originally called) was established by the president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR / South African Republic), Paul Kruger, in 1898.

The park is about the size of Wales, some two million hectares and stretches almost 350km along the Mozambique border to the east.

The authorities claim that the park has the greatest variety of animals of any park in Africa with lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and black rhinos (known as the big five) as well as cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and many species of antelope and smaller animals.

Altogether, the park is home to 147 species of mammals, 507 bird species, 114 reptile species, 49 species of fish and 34 species of amphibians. There are also 336 species of trees.