FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Last Words)

To my dearest Wia and Kalie!

At the point of finalising this text, October 2005 has arrived in the UK; more than seven months after the trip itself, the memories are as vivid as ever. Working on this presentation has been a holiday in itself, an opportunity to relive the holiday through text and photos. I’m sure the detail in the text will do the same for you.

How can I even start to thank you for this wonderful experience?? It seemed that with every passing kilometre (we drove 4,725kms, you know!), there was a new experience. Whether it was another mountain, wild animal, gushing waterfall, caves, vineyards, valleys, gorges or even just a bout of giggling, it was non-stop for 16 wonderful days!

Since I left you in South Africa, Wia, you’ve hit hard times. However, true to form, you always bounce back and your ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself down is testament to the strong woman you really are. Without strength, neither of us would have made it this far and, without friendship, we wouldn’t be in touch now!

When I think of you, I think of South Africa. Because of you, I left South Africa feeling I had really seen it although you keep reminding me I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg! There’s only one thing for it – another adventure one day soon!!

My love and heartfelt thanks to you both,

FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Days 15-16)

Day 15 – February 26th – Cape Town

Today would be my last full day in South Africa. This amazing trip has gone soooo quickly. Where did the time go? I woke up at 6am, again at 7am and then finally got out of bed at 8am. The sun beckoned from behind the lowered curtains and I forced myself to wake because, baby, I had plans!

The morning was spent sunbathing, with breakfast consisting of a ham and cheese sandwich with coffee and a cereal bar on the roof garden. A parade was due to start from Somerset at 12 noon so I headed out towards Alderney Street via the Strand and then turn right towards Wale to where the road naturally curves. At that corner stands the Houses of Parliament and St. George’s Cathedral. I decided I would wait for the parade to pass this point, but in the meantime, I wandered off short distances and saw a statue of Queen Victoria standing in the impressive grounds of the Houses of Parliament.

Nearby, I noticed a statue of Jan Smuts on the corner of Alderney and Wale. Born in 1870 in South Africa, a young Jan Smut travelled to the UK to be educated at Christ’s College in Cambridge. Upon his return to South Africa, he became State Attorney of Johannesburg and a member of Paul Kruger’s government.

As an opponent of extreme nationalism, Smuts argued that South Africa’s future lie in cooperation with Britain. In 1917, David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Great Britain, invited Smuts to join the Imperial War Cabinet in London where he soon obtained a high reputation and was an influential figure in devising Allied War Strategy.

When the Armistice was signed on 11th November, 1918, leaders from 32 states agreed to attend a Peace Conference in Paris on 12th January, 1919; Smuts worked closely with Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, in advocating a League of Nations and returned to South Africa after signing the Treaty of Versaille in 1919.

We soon became Prime Minister, but lost power in 1924. He returned as Deputy Prime Minister (1933-39) and became Prime Minister again in 1939 until 1948. He worked closely with Winston Churchill during World War II and was the only man to sign the Peace Treaties at the end of both World Wars. He died in 1950.

The parade was obviously delayed, but when it arrived at 12.30, it bought along gay boys and girls dressed to impress. Amid the carnival atmosphere, the small procession of some ten to twelve vehicles were decorated in all the colours of the rainbow and those on board adorned feathers and scarves and all things camp. After the parade passed, I proceeded along Spin and Corporation Streets and onto Darling Street where the unmissable colonial-styled Town Hall stood.


In front of the Town Hall stands, to my surprise, a very imposing statue of Edward VII – you couldn’t help, but think how these statues must have antagonised the locals in those days. And after everything that had gone on in South Africa, I was surprised that the statues were still there.

Nearby was the Castle of Good Hope, but I didn’t have time for serious sightseeing. I doubled back on myself back onto Darling Street and, on Alderney once again, I walked along part of Government Avenue and took the recommended detour through Company’s Gardens.

On this warm Saturday afternoon, the gardens were full of people relaxing on the grass. I passed a statue of Cecil Rhodes, founder of the De Beers Company which, in 1891, owned 90% of the world’s diamonds. A sickly son of an English parson, he was elected prime minister of the Cape Colony.

Rhodes was a favourite of Queen Victoria. He believed in the concept of empire and dreamed of ‘painting the map red’ and building a railway from the Cape to Cairo which would run through British territory all the way.

Rhodes was successful in establishing British control in Botswana and the area that was to become Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe).

Rhodes was forced to resign as Prime Minister after it emerged that he personally encouraged an expedition into the Witwatersrand, the site of a fabulous reef of gold near Johannesburg, with the intention of causing an uprising among the foreigners.

After his death in 1906, Rhodes’ reputation was largely protected by his will which devoted most of his fortune to the Rhode’s Scholarship which still sends winners from the Commonwealth and other countries to study at Oxford University.

From the Cecil Rhodes statue, I headed towards the Delville Wood Memorial commemorating those South Africans who died during World War I. At the end of Company’s Gardens, I took Grey’s Pass onto Organe Street then walked down Long Street.

Long Street was a mish-mash of architecture. On one hand, there was a spattering of Victorian/colonial buildings. On the other hand, the buildings were very art-deco in style, very similar to those in Miami; the pastel-coloured buildings continued until I reached Rose Street which was nothing special, but up-and-coming since it was boarded up with a number of developments in progress.

When I reached the Strand, I turned left and took Loader back onto Waterkant. My toes were burning as if blisters were forming so it was a good thing that my apartment was nearby. I took a break, downing an Ice Cold Diet Coke on the roof garden. It was just after 2pm and I was thoroughly exhausted already!

It was an intensely hot, sunny day. I stopped through Jarvis Street where a Pride Street Party was being held. I wasn’t overly impressed as it wasn't really my thing so I headed down to – and along – Somerset then took Ebenezer which takes you all the way to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront.

Calls for greater public access and wider use of Cape Town’s historic harbour started in the early 1970’s. In 1988, the landowner established a wholly-owned subsidiary, the Victoria & Albert Waterfront Ltd, to redevelop the historic docklands. What you now see is the result of more than three decades of planning and development.

Luxurious residences, countless eateries and shops for everything you can think of is how I would sum up the V&A waterfront. It was BUSY! I walked and walked, happily taking another 100 photos or so! I bought some fridge magnets before hunger set in. There was only one thing for it, something I had tried to resist for too long: KFC! After some KFC, I treated myself to some frozen yoghurt at Marcelo’s which was another first for me after the cream soda!

I wandered around the busy malls, not looking for anything in particular. The atmosphere was littered with laughter and live music from the public Amphitheatre. It was already 5pm and I hadn’t bought Bree a present yet. I went into many shops and, in the end, I spent an hour in this South African Arts & Crafts Store.

I finally settled, to the relief of the store’s assistant, on a South African style rug. It would look nice on our bed, I thought. It was tasteful and decorative. Very Bree, I thought. I was pleased that I finally found something! I have noticed, as I get older, that I am much more discerning and demand, as a consumer. It was time to head back to Waterkant, I think!

The minute I left the Waterfront, I got lost. I headed back via the City which took more than an hour. I got home about 7pm and, by this time, my feet were on fire! I ran a bath and laid in the bubbly water for what seemed like ages before giving my feet a good scrub!

After a deep shave, I started to feel human again. On the roof terrace, I sipped a bacardi and coke. It was my last night in South Africa and I was alone, but I felt more content from the things I had seen and done than lonely. I had missed Bree, however, so I gave him a call. It was lovely to hear his voice, something that wouldn’t have been possible just four years ago prior to the implantation of my bionic ear.

Part of me contemplated staying in for the night. I had stayed out quite late last night and I would be happy to just stay in, finished off the bacardi and watch TV. Instead, I popped out about 10.30pm and went to a nearby bar. Like last night, the music was really good, although I didn’t get talking to anyone. I was back at the apartment and in bed by 1.30am.

Day 16 – February 27th - Cape Town to Johannesburg to Paris to Helsinki

I woke up at 8am, the sun attempting to infiltrate the room as per usual. I made some ham and cheese rolls and coffee and enjoyed the views from 137 Waterkant's roof garden for the last time. I knew it was -15°C in Helsinki these days and the thought made me shudder! Of course, I looked forward to returning to Bree, to Finland, even to work! God, I must be sick!

I look forward to planning my education, knowing that I had passed my last Marketing Exam! Yay! But, for now, I could forget about real life. I sent Kalie and Wia a text message, inviting them for coffee before we left; they were already on their way!

I grabbed a shower, finished packing and tidied up the apartment. Kalie and Wia arrived at 9.30am. We drank some coffee before I checked out and we headed off for one last drive! We spent the morning touring the Table Mountain / Camps Bay area, taking in some wonderful beaches.

We couldn’t get as far as Cape Horn because I had an internal flight to catch to Johannesburg. We got to Cape Town airport in good time and I treated Kalie and Wia to a thankyou lunch at Spur’s Restaurant.

I tucked into the huge Spur’s Streak House Ribs followed by Cream Soda. Kalie and Wia stayed in the restaurant while I attempted to check in since the check-in desk had not yet open when we had first arrived.

The was no problems with Kulula, the budget airline I was taking to Johannesburg; my case, containing two bottles of bacardi, weighed more than 25 kilos! After returning to the restaurant and settling the bill, we said our goodbyes and I made my way to the departure lounge.

I felt that as quickly as I had arrived in South Africa and been reunited with Wia, I was leaving her again. In the departure lounge, I felt numb. The fun had come to an abrupt stop and the job of getting home had now started.

My flight left on time at 3.30pm and Cape Town drifted away as did the mountains, the sea, and the dry Cape Flats. How I enjoyed Cape Town, the fairest place I had seen in South Africa.

The plane touched down in Cape Town at 5.30pm and my onward flight to Paris was at 9.00pm; the time went very quickly. I set about reclaiming the VAT on my purchases, making some phone calls, checking-in for my Air France flight and yet some more tax free shopping; I bought two litres of Vodka for €17 and a gorgeous hardback book on South Africa!

The flight to Paris left on time and, after a four hour wait there in the early hours of the morning, my flight to Helsinki departed. I slept most of the journey home and, when I landed, one thing was for sure: it was bleedin’ cold!

FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Days 12-14)

Day 12 – February 23rd – Port Elizabeth to George

I woke up at 6.50am, the sun shining through the thin curtains in my room. I grabbed a shower, packed my stuff, then went down for breakfast. As I tucked in, I was starting to feel very full from these hearty starts to each day.

The young girl arrived at 8am just as we were leaving. I think she’s got a bit attached to me. She’s a lovely girl, just 20 years old, and still finding her feet in the world. She said she’s going to be in London one day and I promised that I would pop over from Helsinki for a night out!

As we set off, the young girl, her father and the owners of Hallack Manor waved us off. How nice! Or maybe they just wanted to make sure we actually left!

We drove to the north of the city and visited Wia’s in-laws briefly before hooking onto the N2 to drive along what is known as the Garden Route. Heading towards Humansdorp, we passed Jeffrey’s Bay, commonly referred to as J-Bay. Surfing is the main reason why people go to J-Bay; it boasts of having the best waves in the world.

Before entering the heart of the Garden Route, we took a detour along the Blaauwkrantz Pass. We passed meandering routes, deep dropping gorges amid dense vegetation and pretty bridges.

At the end of the pass, we got back onto the N2 and passed some lovely inlets along what Wia explained were some of the most fertile plains. We eventually reached Plettenburg Bay before arriving in Knysna (pronounce nie-snah). Plettenberg Bay is famous for its rare combination of mountains, white sand and crystal blue water.

Knysna is perched on the edge of a serene lagoon covering 13 square kilometres, surrounded by forests and is said to be the jewel of the Garden Route. The area started as a timber port and ship-building centre, thanks to the lagoon and the rich indigenous forests in the local area.

We stopped by the railway station in town and took a brief walk. Neither hungry nor in the mood to shop, we got back into the car. It was 2pm and, as we continued driving, we listened to the government’s Annual Budget on the radio. Later, we were stuck in a series of road works and, as Wia slept in the back, we listened to the radio; the Treasury Minister said that much progress had been made in South Africa and that progress would continue blah, blah, blah!

The traffic started to move at speed again and we came across some beautiful scenes. We saw a lovely beach near a town called Wilderness and turned off, in search of the ‘Map of Africa’. No, not a map of Africa, but an uncanny natural occurrence resembling a map of Africa itself. After 15 minutes of driving up steeply inclined hills, we were in for a double treat; the ‘Map of Africa’ on one side of the road and, across the road, an awesome view of the coastline.

Back in the car once again, we rejoined the N2 and came to a series of panoramic observation points; one point took in a railway bridge just before Victoria Bay which looked awesome as it protruded from the mouth of a river.

Not long after, we arrived in the town of George and located York Street then Belvedere. We would be staying in a Cape-Dutch style gable overnight and, on our arrival, our husband-and-wife hosts were wonderful; Martha was half-English and half-Finnish while Joe was Greek; they had met while Martha was a nurse in South Africa. I never did find out why Joe was in South Africa at the time.

They had a boxer dog named Parker and, with their lovely house, they had a great setup. Martha showed off Parker’s agility skills and I was impressed by this hyperactive 6 month old boxer's abilities.

It was nearly 5pm and, after a few phone calls, we were off to nearby Mossel Bay to see some boermusik folk; Wia and I took a breather after a while and drove into the town centre. We sat in an outdoor bar and had a drink as night-time arrived on the scene. Mossel Bay, another jewel of the Garden Route, has some historic buildings and, according to my LonelyPlanet guide, boasts of having the only north-facing beach in the country. I suppose that must be good for something, but I haven’t the faintest idea what! We got back to George after 11pm and I went straight to bed!

THE GARDEN ROUTE EXPLAINED by LONELYPLANET

The much-hyped Garden Route encompasses a verdant and highly attractive stretch of coastline from Still Bay in the west to just beyond Plettenberg Bay in the east. Its main attractions are beaches, the forests with some excellent walks and a wide range of activities from diving and sailing to bungee jumping and quadbiking.

The narrow coastal plain is mostly bordered by extensive lagoons that run behind a barrier of sand dunes and superb white beaches. Inland, the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Ranges, which are between 1000 and 1700 metres high and crossed by some spectacular road passes, split the coast from the semidesert Karoo.

The Garden Route has some of the most significant tracts of indigenous forest in the country including giant yellowwood trees and many wildflowers. The forests are still havested commercially and there are also large eucalypt and pine plantations.

Day 13 – February 24th – George, Cango & Dinner!

I woke up at 7am after a very restless night; I had developed some kind of allergic reaction during the night either to Parker, the boxer, or to dust. My throat was dry, my eyes were itchy and weeping and I had a god-awful snotty nose. Not a pretty sight! Wia offered me an antihistamine which helped to calm things down a bit while the coffee that Kalie made soothed my throat. Otherwise, I was fine.

After a lovely breakfast al-fresco of mieliepap (a cornflour-based porridge) with honey, yoghurt, toast and jam and bacon and eggs, I offered to translate an email into Finnish for Martha who wanted to send it to relatives in Finland.

We left about 9.30am back towards Mossel Bay; Wia had to take photos of the concertinas belonging to old boy, Alan Greene, who lived on the sea. In the meantime, I went to an internet café, checked my email and searched for some accommodation options in Cape Town; I managed to get a self-catering flat in the centre of Waterkant, for R390 / €50. I was pleased.

I sent Kalie a text message that I was finished at the internet café. Wia responded, asking me to meet them back at Alan’s place. I made my way there and, half an hour later, we set off along the R328 towards Oudtshoorn where I would visit the Cango Caves while they would hunt down more boer music folk.

The trip took much longer than we expected. When we got to Oudtshoorn, two things strike you about the place: the presence of numerous ostrich farms and ostrich feathers being sold in virtually every store in the high street and the immaculate Victorian architecture. We drove past Oudtshoorn and continued on our way to Cango via the mountainous and picturesque route.

I napped a while, probably due to a sleep deficit from last night's allergy episode. We arrived at Cango, after passing a number of tobacco plantations, in time for the one-hour 2pm tour. It was grand, majestic and, at times, I was lost for words. Named after the Khoisan word for ‘a wet place’, the Cango Caves are heavily commercialised yet impressive.

The caves reminded me of a scene at the end of the first Lord of the Rings movie, Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf, the towering white-haired wizard, was battling against evil in a cave very much like the one I now stood in.

The tour guide, who was black and spoke E`nglish in such a way that each word was separately discernable, was a perfect host for his multi-national audience. As we proceeded along the tour, we gave some history and made some witty jokes. He was good. At the end, in Chamber 6, the guide sang a tribal song and demonstrated the hollowness of some of the cave structures by drumming on translucent, drum-like parts of the formation.

The tour ended at 3.15pm and I met up with Kalie & Wia. We headed off straightaway, first taking the route to Oudtshoorn, then taking in the beautiful Swartberg Pass with it’s meandering routes and beautiful valleys.

We got back about 4.30pm and we had an hour to get ready for the evening. I put on my bright orange shirt, trousers for the first time on this trip and some smart shoes. We had arranged to meet Glenda, one of Wia’s friends. When we got there, it emerged that she lives in a well-secured cul-de-sac. When she emerged from the house, she was small, frail and gentle looking. In time, I would add cute and funny to the list of words I would add to describe this outrageous character!

It was Glenda’s birthday and, with a glass of wine already in hand, I handed her a present which remained unopened; it was one of those Iittalla candle bases.

One thing is for sure: Glenda isn’t shy! Her husband had passed away a few years back and her son lives in Toronto. Anyway, she told her other guests that Wia and I both worse implants. I reacted with: “Wia might have implants, but there’s nothing wrong with my boobs!” The room erupted in laughter and I think that will always be our joke!

We left the house about 7.30pm, bound for an Italian restaurant in town. I ate a Caesar Salad, Chicken Breast with new potatoes and hot mud cake with ice cream. Wia and I shared a bottle of Nederberg semi-sweet Rosé! Yummy!

We were the last patrons to leave at 10.30pm. When we dropped off Glenda, she hugged me warmly as we said goodbye. She was sooo nice!

We got back to the guesthouse and, as I was packing, I could feel the hayfever or whatever it was coming on again! I took an antihistamine and got into bed about 11.30pm

Day 14 – February 25th – George to Cape Town

We were on the road already by 6am, bound for Cape Town, 444kms away! As soon as we hit the N2, I was asleep once again, waking up at 8.30am when we stopped at a service area for a rest.

We ate breakfast on the move, turning off onto Route 319 to take in Cape Agulhas, the Southernmost Point of Africa. We arrived there just before 10am amid a group of crazed Italians who roped me into taking what felt like hundreds of photos. We then had our pictures taken.

From here, you could hear the crashing of the waves against the rugged shore. Imagine: south of here lies the Antarctic. Somewhere, anyway!

We continued back along the way came, but turned off at Bredasdorp onto Route 316. From there, we headed to a small town called Napier; Kalie wanted to track down an author, but did know his address or telephone number. After 30 minutes, admitting defeat, we continued along the route.

Ten kilometres down the road came the familiar sound of a flat tyre. Aw, crap, I thought! We pulled over, detached the trailer, jacked up the car and I got to work. Fifteen minutes later, we were back on the road again.

We stopped in nearby Caledon for an hour to replace the tyre. At 2pm, we set of again along the N2. At this point, we were just 100kms from Cape Town. I napped, but was woken up when we could see the majestic grandeur of the Cape Flats; you see all the suburbs of Cape Town from this vantage point.

We quickly entered the City Limits and came to the end of the N2 at Buitengracht Street. We turned right at the Strand, then into Leather Street where I had to check in for my accommodation.

My accommodation was at 137 Waterkant so I collected my luggage from the boot of the car and they left me there. Checking in at the Village & Life offices had been so quick and easy and when I got into my apartment, I let out a whoop of delight. The place was so great that I took a load of photos.

After settling in, I headed out again at 4pm, ordering a taxi from reception to take me to the base of Table Mountain. I wanted to go to the top, by cable car, since the weather conditions were so good!

I got to the base of Table Mountain, bought my ticket and stood in line, hoping they didn’t cancel the Cable Car for any reason. I was here now and ready to go up Table Mountain! Yay!

By 5pm, I was at the TOP OF TABLE MOUNTAIN. And it was amazing, awesome, fantastic, towering, majestic! You could see Robben Island very clearly which is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

I took loads of photos before calling Bree and my parents. I was on top of the world, I really was. I was up there for more than an hour despite the chill of the strong winds.

When I took the Cable Car back down, there was no space left in my digital camera! Hardly surprising, really! I left the station and grabbed a taxi; there was no radio centre sending out taxi orders, the price display didn’t work and, after we had been driving for ten minutes, he said he would charge me R60. I had no objection.

I got back about 7pm and headed to the nearest BP garage to muster up some food for dinner. I bought some bread, ham, cheese, crisps and coca-cola. When I got back to the apartment, I made rolls which I downed with a bacardi and coke on the roof garden! Lovely!

I copied the days photos onto the laptop and look at them; the photos from Wilderness and Table Mountain were so beautiful. I updated my diary then set about organising some night life in town by looking at the local tourist guides I had picked up from reception.

I checked out a couple of nearby bars and restaurants and got chatting to this guy Andy, from Greenwich in London, UK. This was his sixth visit to SA and he was giving me his side of the story!

Later on, in another bar, a guy named Wesley from East London, South Africa, got talking to me. He was 26 and I joked with him about London. Where’s West London, or North London for that matter in South Africa? Surely, if there’s an East, there should be a North, South and West somehwere? He didn’t have the answer, but we laughed about the senselessness of it all!

Wesley had recently move to Cape Town and, in five months, hadn’t made any friends. He seemed sociable enough, though, so I couldn’t tell what the problem was. Anyway, I had a few drinks, had a bit of a boogie in the crowded bar, but realised it was too busy to dance; somehow, I got an elbow in my face twice!

I got home about 2am and, sitting on the toilet, thought how nice it was to party for a change after all the serious site-seeng! As for falling asleep, I was so tired that I didn’t even have to try!

ABOUT CAPE TOWN

In 1580, Sir Frances Drake described the Cape of Good Hope as ‘the most stately thing, and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the world’. The world is a more familiar place these days, but his estimation of what is now Cape Town remains true.

Whicever way you look at it, Cape Town occupies one of the world’s most stunning locations. Few other cities can boast a 1073m-tall mountain slap-bang in their centre. The plateau of Table Mountain and it’s attendant peaks of Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head are the city’s most enduring image.

More than matching the visual drama of its location has been the cities tumultuous history over the past 350 years. As capital of the West Cape province and parliamentary capital of the republic, Cape Town works as a city in a way that so few on the African continent do. Sadly, though, the scars of the republic’s terrible history still run deep.

In 1998, the complete skeleton of a 3 ½ million year old Australopithecus afrianus was found in a cave near Sterkfontein which should provide new information about human evolution.

In the 15th Century, the Muslim expansion across North Africa and the Balkans had thrown Christian Europe’s trade routes into chaos, prompting the Portuguese and Spanish to search for a sea route to India and the spice islands of South-East Asia. At the end of 1487, Bartholomeu Dias and his expedition rounded a cape, which Dias named Cabo da Boa Esperanca (Cape of Good Hope). Ten years later, Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape and finally reached India in 1498.

In 1652, the Dutch settled in Cape Town. In 1660, in an awfully symbolic gesture, the leader of the initial Dutch East India Company, Jan van Riebeeck, planted a bitter almond hedge to separate the Khoisan tribes and the Europeans. It extended around the the western foot of Table Mountain down to Table Bay – sections of the bush can still be seen in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

In another move that would have consequences for centuries ahead, Van Riebeeck then proceeded to import slaves from Madagascar, India, Ceylon, Malaya and Indonesia to deal with the colony’s chronic labour shortage.

The population of whites did not reach 1,000 until 1745. There was a shortage of women in the colony, so the Europeans exploited the female slaves for both labour and sex; the offspring of these unions formed the basis of sections of today’s coloured population.

Dutch power was fading by the end of the 18th Century, and in response to the Napoleonic Wars, the British decided to secure the Cape. In 1806, 25km north of Cape Town, the British defeated the Dutch and the colony was ceded to the Crown on 13th August 1814.

The slave trade was abolished in 1808, and all slaves were emancipated by 1833. The British introduced new laws that laid a basis for an exploitative labour system little different from slavery. Thousands of dispossessed blacks sought work in the colony, but it was made a crime to be in the colony without a pass, and without work. It was also a crime to leave your job.

The discovery of gold in the centre of South Africa in the 1870’s and 80’s led to rapid changes. Cape Town was set to benefit from the mineral wealth that would lay the foundations for an industrial society.

In 1869, the Suez Canal opened and Cape Town’s role as ‘Tavern of the Seas’ began to wane. Today, the massive supertankers that are too big to use to Suez are also too big to enter Table Bay, so they are serviced by helicopter.

Cape Town avoided any direct role in the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War, but it did play a key role in landing and supplying the 500,000 imperial and colonial troops who fought on the British side.

Bubonic plague in 1901 gave the government an excuse to introduce racial segregation. After the war, however, the British made some efforts towards reconciliation, and moves towards the union of the separate South African provinces were instituted. The issue of which city should become the capital was resolved by a compromise of making Cape Town the seat of legislature, Pretoria the administrative capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital.

In 1948, the National Party stood for election on its policy of apartheid and narrowly won. In a series of bitter court and constitutional battles, the right of the coloureds to vote in the Cape was removed and the insane apparatus of apartheid was erected.

In 1960, the African National Congree (ANC) and the Pan African Congress (PAC) organised marches against the hated Pass Laws which required blacks and coloured to carry passbooks authorising them to be in a particular area.

In the Cape Flats, police killed five protestors. In response to the crisis, a warrant for the arrest of Nelson Mandela and other ANC leaders was issued. In mid-1963, Mandela was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island in the middle of Table Bay.

The government tried for decades to eradicate squatter towns which were focal points of black resistance to the apartheid regime. In its last attempt between May and June 1986, an estimated 70,000 people were driven from their homes and hundreds were killed.

During the 1990’s, drugs became a problem in the Cape area. In 1995, People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD) was formed, but the movement quickly turned sour in 1996 with the horrific (and televised) death of gangster Rashaad Staggie. A lynch mob burned and then repeatedly shot the dying gangster and PAGAD was labelled as a group of violent vigilantes by both white and black politicians. The battles between PAGAD and the gangsters continue; a series of bombings of Cape Town police stations in 1999 and a bomb at the Waterfront have been blamed on them.

Suspicion and mistrust between the black and coloured communities remains one of the more heartbreaking legacies of apartheid. In an effort to work towards what former Archbishop Demond Tutu called the Rainbow Nation, the local media launched a ‘One City, Many Cultures’ program in 1999. It has proven popular.

The process of integration, mutual acceptance and understanding is being further helped along by the restructuring of Cape Town’s local government to create six councils, each covering a broad range of communities, rich and poor, black, white and coloured.

FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Days 8-11)

Day 8 – February 19th – Kloof

I woke up at a more sociable hour of 8am with a full programme for the day in the local area. About 10.30, Wia and Kalie went to the supermarket to buy some food for a barbecue that we were going to attend later in the afternoon with some of the boermusic folk.

Jo was at work (he’s a gardener) so, in the meantime, Patsi and I would visit the Kloof Gorge and the Pot & Kettle Coffee Shop, famous for its views. As we set off, Patsi showed me Filton School for the Deaf where she works as a part-time volunteer. We stopped for a newspaper and then continued on our journey to the Pot & Kettle Coffee Shop.

We ordered tea and carrot cake which turned out to be one of the most generous and tasty portions I have ever tasted while we chatted candidly about life, deafness and our families etc. I really enjoyed her company. Time flew so we made tracks to the Kloof Conservation Area which had a gorge.

As we drove through a patch of woodland, we emerged at a clearing with a very steep drop below. On the other side of the gorge, gorgeous mansions with landscaped gardens could be seen. Eagles soared overhead and I quickly took some photos before we headed back to Mojeni Park, the secure complex where Patsi and Jo’s home is located.

We waited for Jo to return from work and, in the meantime, I settled down with a drink and a copy of the local paper. The headline on the front page screamed: “NO ONE DIES OF AIDS”. Shocked, I read on; it gave a good insight into the non-acknowledgement of AIDS in South Africa. Amazingly ignorant statement, I thought to myself.

Just after 1pm, Patsi, Jo and I met Kalie & Wia at the Boermusik Brai. The home of one of the Kalie’s associates was lovely, set in a well landscaped garden with a bridge suspended over a man-made lake stocked with Japanese Carp. Our host's wife, Linda, was the perfect hostess as we listened intently to the 3-piece boermusik group consisting of concertina, guitar and banjo. For a moment, I thought George Formby might pop in for a visit!

Later, a barbecue was in full swing. Patsi’s friend of fifty years from school came along and I got talking to Jack, a 19 year-old friend of our host's son. Jack had a lot to say about South Africa and here’s a summary: “I have never been abroad and never intend to since SA’s just great”, “There will be a civil war – the whites will put the blacks in their place”, “AIDS is a black thing!”, “Football is for blacks”. He also told about the government’s Affirmative Action policy which governs the equal rights of black people. He went on to say that South Africa has atomic power and that he, personally, would gladly fight in a civil war. It amazed me that, at the of just 19 and living in the 21st Century, this boy was shockingly racist and believed that SA was the motherland of the white people. The boy was just full of anger.

Our conversation was conveniently cut short with another load of live boermusik. I got chatting to our host's wife. She explained that Shark, their son, wanted to study in New Zealand and since the future looked bleak for Linda in SA, they were considering moving to New Zealand altogether. The neighbours, she explained, are British and they were moving back to the UK in April. “They’ve had enough,” she said. Oh, dear! Lots of discontent people around here, isn’t there?

The event rounded up about 5pm and we headed back to Patsi and Jo’s place. The rest of the evening was spent preparing for our drive to Port Elizabeth, some 750kms away. I cleaned my sandals, gave Patsi an Iittalla candle as a thank you for her hospitality, and we had sandwiches and coca cola as an evening snack.

I had a shower and read the paper in bed before turning in at 10pm. Well, we had to get up at 3.30am, you know! Oh, bugger!

Day 9 – February 20th – Kloof to Port Elizabeth

Kalie gave my bed a kick which woke me with a start; I had slept really badly during the night. I had a quick wash, brushed my teeth, loaded the car and we were on our way by 3.45am. In completely darkness along the deserted roads, I napped. Two hours later, I woke up and we had already reached Port Edward – I got out the map and realised that we had gone too far; we should have joined the N2 just after Port Shepstone.

From Port Edward, we travelled along Route 61 and were about to embark on what would be the most isolated, desolate and underprivileged part of South Africa I would have the opportunity to see. About 6am, we drove along one stretch of road where two children no more than 7 or 8 years of age were playing by the roadside; they wore no shoes and were not supervised along the highway. Not long after, we passed a small building very close to the roadside which constituted a local bar. And it was full of rowdy black men. At 6am in the morning!

Along the meandering journey, we took in the black-only towns of Bizana and Ludeke. At Bizana, the car came to a stop; I noticed a stray horse grazing by the roadside as Kalie explained that we were running low on petrol. Kalie asked a local police officer how far it was to the nearest town, explaining that we needed petrol. The policeman quickly ran off to a nearby chap and they discussed the matter in one of the many African languages. The police officer returned, saying that it would be safe to buy petrol from a gentleman nearby who was selling petrol in plastic one litre bottles! Oh, my god!, I thought. They're selling petrol while unlicensed in plastic bottles on the roadside? Oh, please! It turned out, however, that the guy saved our skin. It was many miles to the next town and when we arrived there, the scene scared me to bits. We were the ONLY white people in town. The town was mobbed and the petrol station turned out to be especially busy.

As we travelled further, we meandered higher into the mountains and, between naps, it ranged between being either foggy or misty or rainy. I had fun trying to pronounce the town of ‘Lusikisiki’! You try it – it’s not easy! The town was dusty, crowded with people and it seemed that every town had its own Kentucky Fried Chicken! Not long after Lusikisiki, we arrived in the remote town of Port St. Johns. This idyllic little town sits at the mouth of the Imzimvubu River, and is as close as you will come to rural South Africa – the town is predominantly black. The town is named after the São João, a ship that wrecked here in June 1552. Only eight of the original 440 crew made it to Mozamique Island 1600kms away.

Anyways, I counted that I napped five times during this particular day. Just before joining Route N2 at Umtata, Wia took over the driving from Kalie. In my tiredness, I really didn’t pay much attention to the journey. Kalie slept in the back while Wia drove in silence. I listened to music on my MP3 player and read the newspaper.

We glided passed towns with names like East London, King William’s Town and Grahamstown and there really wasn’t anything impressive to see. As we got closer to Port Elizabeth, I got more anxious – the thought of spending 3 nights in the same place sounded like luxury what with the constant moving on. Soon, we pulled into a petrol station and waited to be escorted to Hallack Manor, the place where we would be staying.

About twenty minutes later, our escort arrived just outside town and we trailed him. The sky was so blue – you could tell that it was going to be a lovely evening. We entered the city via the highway and waves crashed onto the shore on our left. We soon pulled into the driveway of Hallack Manor and it was lovely. We were greeted by the owner, who offered us coffee and company in the rustic living room complete with white leather sofas. From the back of the living room, you could get to the garden and swimming pool. Drinking the coffee took Kalie forever as he launched into yet another boermusik discussion.

We finally got into our rooms about 7pm and I was well impressed. Our rooms were lovely. Kalie and Wia had a back room with a view of the pool while I had the view looking onto the front lawns and what remained of Hallack Road. The rest of the evening was spent taking a nice long shower, eating biscuits with Bacardi and Coke and watching Sex & The City on DVD. I was fast asleep by 11pm.

Day 10 – February 21st – Port Elizabeth

I woke up at 8.30am in my lovely room! I grabbed a shower and met Kalie and Wia downstairs for a full English breakfast and cereal. A young bushy-haired girl who works at Hallack Manor introduced herself. A fun and very competent concertina player, she had organised our accommodation for us.

She joined us, as we finished our breakfast, and told me that she was planning to go to London in October for work experience. She is 20 years old and was great company. She looks very much like one of my cousins.

After breakfast, we drove around town and visited the Port Elizabeth Boardwalk and Casino. The Boardwalk was very disney-like in appearance and I wasn’t overly impressed by it’s outlets. However, after stopping in a café for coffee, we went to the Casino. I spent R40 on poker games and enjoyed the experience.

After that, I was dropped off at Greenacres Shopping Mall while Kalie and Wia visited Wia’s in-laws. The mall was of considerable size, but there was no major difference in prices to persuade me to part with my money. I found an internet café, sent some email, then went for a pizza in an Italian restaurant. While my lunch was cooking, I wrote some postcards back home.

Kalie and Wia collected me at 5.30pm and we returned once again to Hallack Manor. I went for a walk with the young girl who worked at Hallack Manor and the owners' daughter. We walked for about 45 minutes and, when I returned, I grabbed a shower.

In the meantime, Kalie’s boermusik pals were downstairs. We had dinner about 7.30pm, a traditional South African meal consisting of roast beef, rice, roast potatoes, peas, mash, pumpkin and mashed green beans with onions.

Over coffee in Wia and Kalie's room, we agreed to visit the Addo Elephant Park. By 8.30pm, I was in my own room, updating this diary and watched TV for a while before turning in at 11pm.

Day 11 – February 22nd – Addo

After waking at 7.30am, I grabbed a shower and met up with the young girl who worked at Hallack Manor, the owner and his wife on the veranda for a coffee. We chatted about nothing special – they were pleasant company, especially the young girl, who was on the second day of her new life to a slimmer self.

About 8.30am, Kalie and Wia joined us. We ate breakfast and, compared to yesterday, the main difference was that the eggs were scrambled and not fried. Yummy!

We left about 10am along the N2 to Motherwell; my father, incidentally, was born in Motherwell, but the one in Scotland! We then took the 335 towards Addo where we would visit the Addo National Elephant Park. Apparently, twin elephants had been born there last Autumn.

We arrived there just before 11am and the next four hours were spent driving along the game trails – we saw giant tortoises, huge dung beetles wading across the road followed by ostrich, kudu, zebra, warthogs, elephant, buffalo, eland and a lone jackal. There was talk of lions on one of the routes, but we missed them.












On our visit, we were fortunate enough to see five elephants really close up. On our way back to Port Elizabeth, I actually fell asleep and was woken up by a text message from my friend, Bruce, from Australia. His father is Zimbabwean and he was checking up on me to see how my trip in SA was going. Bloody fantastic, I replied!

We drove back to Hallack Manor and the young girl came to my room about 5.30pm; I had promised to show her some photos of Finland on my laptop. She was in awe of all the snow, a rare sight in South Africa!

At 6pm, we headed downstairs for a dinner of lasagne, carrots, sweet potato and spinach followed by ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Mmm!

After dinner, I had a coffee in Wia & Kalie’s room before taking a swim in the pool. Wonderful! After a brief swim, I sat by the poolside, updating my diary. Wia came and joined me and we chatted about the trip so far. She said it’s not over yet, there’s still lots to see! After reading my John Grisham novel for a while, I hit the sack about 11pm.

FLASHBACK #62: Wild In South Africa (Days 4-7)

Day 4 – February 15th – Letaba to Satara.

I was woken up at 5am with two jobs: get myself in order and load the cooler box. By 5.45am, Patsi and Jo had met us at our place; I was brushing my teeth when they arrived and Jo made a ridiculous comment about how brushing your teeth was bad for you. "Instead," he said, "you should just gargle with mouthwash". How ridiculous, I thought, but it was too early for me to engage in conversation.

We left shortly afterwards, ready for action, passing the life-size replica of an African Elephant on our way out of the camp. Hopefully, we would see some elephants today.

The sun had just risen and we had our eyes peeled for game on the move. Nothing happened in the beginning. In fact, it was at least two hours until we saw a giraffe in the nearby bush followed by some impala. Later on, we saw an imposing Baobab Tree, apparently one of just seven remaining in the Lowveld. The game started to reveal itself – we saw wildbeest and zebra before heading to Olifants, a rest stop, for late morning coffee on it’s amazing observation point.

We moved on, stopping again quite soon at an elevated stop called Nwamanzi where it was safe to get out of the car. Using binoculars, we scanned the landscape below; there were hippo’s bobbling up and down in the water. As we left Nwamanzi, nothing could have prepared us for what came next. People were gathering on a nearby bridge so we parked up and joined them and saw…
Seeing the hulking elephants wade across the river was, without doubt, the highlight of the day. Just after 11am, we had arrived at Sutara Rest Camp. This is where we would stay the night and was even better than Letaba; it was much better planned, very spacious, and the chalet even had air conditioning! Heaven!

We made a nice lunch of ham, cheese and salami on bread while Kalie barbecued steak and boerwurst (Boer sausage). After lunch, everyone headed off for a nap until 4pm. In the meantime, I sent email using my laptop in conjunction with my mobile phone; I was having connection problems and repeatedly had to call Helpdesk in Helsinki. Eventually, I managed to get things sorted out and it was amazing that I was sending photos, by email, to cold Finland and Britain in the northern hemisphere.

When the others awoke from their nap, we went for an afternoon game drive. Looking at the map, we did the S100-S41-H6 loop and came across a lone giraffe far away in the distance – it looked beautiful from afar and, as we approached it, it casually wandered away. We also saw some baboons who sat very close to the car, grooming one another the way baboons do.

We got back to the rest camp about 6.30pm and we used leftovers from lunch for sandwiches with fruit. About 8pm, after the others had gone to bed, Wia and I were outside working with our laptops. I sent some more pictures by email while she was editing photos. I poured myself a Bacardi and we had our first proper private chat since my arrival. For the first time, we really caught up and I told her all about Bree. Exhausted, we were both in bed by 10pm!

Day 5 – February 16th – Satara to Skukuza

Once again, another early start; up at 4.30am, and out of the park an hour later. Our first encounter were lazy baboons dotting the road as the sun rose. Later, a wildebeest appeared on our left (see photos above). Within two hours of leaving the park, we came across hyena, giraffe, impala, buffalo and a gudu with spiralling horns. A lone white rhino was standing at the end of the road and, as we approached, it hurried away into the bush (see photos below).

About 7.30am, we took Route S86 known as the Nwaswitsontso Loop. Here, we saw two Rhinos as light rain began to fall. When we got back onto the main road, HI-3, a young elephant bull was standing in the middle on the road; we had blocked his way and you could tell that he was thinking, wondering what to do next.

Just after 8am, we stopped for a breakfast of ham and salami sandwiches, coffee and yoghurt at Tshokwane, a nice rest area 41km from Lower Sabie. We set off again just after 9am just as it was getting sunny again and the day's heat was starting to gather over the park once more.

We turned off to check out Orpen Dam, whose waters were dotted with large water lettuces; a sign nearbly declared these to be originally from South America and went on to explain that South Africa declares these to be ‘alien weeds’.

With binoculars, the others could see crocodiles in the water below. I must have been blind, I thought, as I couldn’t seem to train my eye onto anything. Perhaps it was all these early mornings! Wia went on to explain that game watching takes times to perfect.

After yet another brief drive, we stopped again at a place called Nkumbe (348m). A small family were gathered in the shade, binoculars aimed at the huge mass of land below. A South African lady kindly offered her binoculars, guiding them with her own hands to the point where an ostrich stood in the bush; it was out there all alone!

We continued once more, confronted with a long period of nothingness. I made a bit of an error with the map; we had done the Mondozi Loop from the South and not the North. Oops! The result was doing the 12km stretch on the main road twice!

We stopped briefly at Lower Sabie rest stop for ice cream and, as we left, came across a small man-made lake which was currently home to hippos, storks and a crocodile on a rock, it’s mouth ajar. The rest of the afternoon proved to be quite uneventful as the game turned in for their afternoon naps; it demonstrated how big a part luck has to play in spotting game.

We arrived at Skukuza about 2pm and went out for another game drive about 4pm; this game drive bought warthogs, monkeys, elephants and a lone lioness into our view. We got back to the park at 6.25pm and headed for the common area by the restaurant.

There was a nice long river with a wooden barrier from where you could take in the view. Wia took me to the nearby restaurant where the shelter for outdoor eating had bats living in it. Wow! What a site!

From there, we drove to our hut and started preparing a ‘brai’, a barbecue of chicken and bread. Patsi, Wia and I discussed our hearing problems while Jo and Kalie chatted in the darkness outside. Before turning in for the night, I spoke to Mum on the phone; she was pleased to hear from me. I turned in about 10pm.

Day 6 – February 17th – Skukuza to Durban

What a day! We left Skukuza Rest Camp at 5.30am and headed south of Route HI-1, then H-3. We did the Mabjula Loop, stopping briefly at a high observation point where the car revved against the gradient. Once at the top, we were treated to a dawn-lit vista where leaves rustled in the nearby bush – we never did find out the cause.

Before we got to the Malelane rest stop, we had seen giraffe, rhinos, impala and a zebra who was not looking himself; well, he looked stripy, yeah, but he had a wound on his side and his tail had been removed, perhaps during a fight with a fearsome predator of the wild.

When we arrived at Malelane, where we would leave Kruger Park, we visited the Berg & Dal Dam and watched the many impala drinking from the river.

We finally ended up leaving Kruger Park about 10.30am, and started speeding towards Carolina on Route 38 then taking Route 36 to Ermelo; the trip was uneventful, although the scenery was lovely.

We passed mango and banana plantations and, as we headed higher, we could see bush fires making their way through the dry land below. About 20km before we reached Ermelo and during my second nap since we left Kruger, the car suddenly stopped.

I woke up and asked what was up. Apparently, we had a flat tyre and Kalie had already called the road services. What the hell, I thought, why didn’t you wake me? There was no way I was going to wait for roadside help in what could be Zulu-land for all I knew. I changed the tyre and Wia happily took photos of the whole incident. Within 20 minutes, we were on our way to Ermelo and, once we were there, we got a new tyre and got the wheels rebalanced which took a lot of time.

While we waited, Kalie was selling some boermusik CDs to some local folk and, then, I realised that today was going to be a looooong day; we had more than 500kms to go and it was already 3pm.

We gave lunch a miss and headed along the picturesque Route 11. It WAS picturesque, but you kind of felt that you had been here before because the landscape was quite similar to what you had seen earlier. After a while, we came to a very interesting place, Majuba. Here, in 1881, the British were defeated in the first Anglo-Boer war; peace negotiations later took place at O’Neill’s Cottage in Majuba’s foothills.

It was now passing 4pm and you could tell the sun was starting its descent. We headed onwards and I looked back on Majuba Hill and wondered how this could have been a war scene.

Further south, at Newcastle, Kalie explained how he once owned a bakery in the town. Later, he also owned a car showroom.

Some good music came on the radio – Maija Who and Stay With Me, an old song by Shakespeare’s Sister. It was comforting to suddenly hear such familiar music so far from home. Music really does cross borders well.

By 5pm, we reached the turnoff for places such as Dundee and Glencoe – how Scottish sounding! Later, we passed places like Fort Mistake, then Biggarsberg and Ladysmith; this town was named after the wife of Cape governor, Sir Harry Smith, and the town achieved fame during the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War, when it was besieged by Boer forces for 118 days.

We drove through the town and the centre was littered with garden shed lots that served as market stalls. At this hour, all the stalls were boarded up and the place had a kind of empty, inactive feel to it.

At 6pm, we joined Route N3 via the Bergville Toll Plaza. Distance to Durban: 160kms. We stopped at an Ultra City Service Area and dined at the Whistle Stop restaurant – I downed a double cheeseburger and chips with my first ever cream soda! Yummy!

We got back on the road and arrived, finally, in Kloof 20kms from Durban. We found Patsi and Jo’s place about 9pm; it was a lovely, cosy place. We told them all about our flat-tyre incident in Ermelo and relaxed on the patio with a cup of coffee. After that, we unloaded the car and everyone was in bed by 11.30pm.

Day 7 – February 18th – Kloof & Durban

I woke up at 8am, feeling groggy! Quite clearly, I had slept in too much compared to the last few days! It was quite overcast outside and it would stay like that for the whole day. After a bacon sandwich, some weetabix and mango, we headed out about 10.30am.

We got the car cleaned then drove from Kloof to Durban to visit Ushaka Marine World. As we drove through Durban, I noticed that the city’s people were mainly native blacks and of Indian origin; crowds of people mingled among the many colonial buildings and the traffic came to a brief standstill.

Eventually, we arrived at Ushaka. We toured the ‘Wreck’ area where tropical fish and sharks lived in harmony. After that, we grabbed some Kentucky Fried Chicken and took it to the beach which was followed by a quick dip in the Indian Ocean. The waves were quite high, the current strong, but the water was warm. Well, it was the Indian Ocean, you know!












Afterwards, we headed back into Marine World and watched the dolphin show. It was a pretty good show and it was nice to hear the young children ooo-ing and aah-ing!

We left Ushaka about 3pm and headed back to Kloof. As we left the city, we stopped at the Durban Pavilion, a shopping mall modelled around a Victorian pavilion. It was HUGE! I had a quick look in some computer stores and checked out a couple of DVD and CD stores.

As we left the Pavilion, Kalie told me that Durban has the highest concentration of AIDS/HIV in the whole of South Africa. I was quite shocked, but I told myself: hey, this is Africa!

We got back to Patsi and Jo’s about 6pm and, after saying grace (don't laugh, it's true!), tucked into a filling dinner of Lamb Shank with rice and broccoli cheese. Yummy!

After dinner, I settled down with my laptop, a cup of coffee and some Millionaire’s Shortbread and started the process of deleting the crappy photos taken so far on the trip. So far, I had taken more than 700 photos and, by 10pm, I had filed these in date order, deleted 300 crappy ones and copied them onto Wia’s laptop.

Once again, we were together, still catching up after a hectic seven days together; we showed eachother photo-presentations from the past, sharing memories from the last four years since our last meeting. Wia is a whiz at digitally manipulating photos. Using Patsi’s home internet connection, I sent some email home, finally getting into bed at 12.30am!