South Africa 2012
Monday 27th February
We have arrived in
We were met at the arrivals gate by Oliver and were soon on our way to
the hotel. The early morning traffic was the same as any other city in the world
and I doubt we went faster than 20 MPH all the way.
Our hotel is called the More Cape Boutique Hotel and is very pretty and
comfortable. We are met by a very friendly young lady (I think I am going to
like it here!!). Our rooms are not ready but to fair it is only 07.30. We are
offered breakfast which is excellent. By time we had finished our rooms are
ready and we agree to have a shower and a change of clothes.
The plan is then to head off to the cable car for the ascent up to the
Sue has sweaty palms already at the thought of going in the cable car
and I am assuring her that it has never broken down half-way up or down. She
doesn’t look convinced! Keep your eyes closed Sue.
Eager beaver Brian is tapping on our door and keen to go. Up up and away!!!
Monday 27th February (part 2)
On our travels we have passed quite a few of the infamous townships.
They do look pretty horrific and to our eyes don’t look fit for human
habitation. The Government here appear to be building
alternative accommodation but progress is slow. I cannot help wondering if the
people in these townships are happy and actually enjoy living in a tight knit
community where everybody appears equal. I can remember in the
I realised that some of you may not realise who Brian is. We are travelling with our very good
friends, still are as I write!, from
each other! Aye up lad,
dost though want to go early doors? I might say ow bist boy, dost want a bevy before meal? Anyway I expect you
get my drift.
Back to today’s activities, we did set off for the cable car after
Brian had convinced us it was a twenty minute walk to the cable car and that it
would be cold on top of the mountain. So armed with our woollies etc we set
off. Thirty minutes later of walking uphill in a temperature of 30C it soon
becomes plainly obvious you could not have driven there in 20 minutes!
Fortunately we were able to hail a passing cab who could only laugh at our,
sorry Brian’s, judgement. Sue is now becoming
extremely nervous and asking such questions as to the tensile strength of the
steel cable! I try to reassure Sue that all will be well but feel that maybe I
am trying to convince myself. Excellent website for al the facts
www.tablemountain.net
We are lucky and there is no queue which may be just as well as it gives
Sue less time to think about the 5 minute ascent. Before long we all, 64
people, bundle into the cable car and position Sue in the centre where there is
less chance of her seeing anything. There is a sudden jerk and the car slowly
moves forwards and upwards. Sue holds on to me for dear life and it is not long
before the journey is complete and everybody scrambles excitedly off the car
and onto terra firma. What with the heat and excitement it is decided a drink
is needed so we scurry off to the nearby cafe for a beer. We sit admiring the
most fantastic views enjoying a cold beer. You may wonder why we are having a
cold beer in Brian’s predicted Ice-age. Well it is no cooler up here and
the skies are clear and the sun is cracking flags (
Sue was very brave and is now looking forward to the journey home! Not.
No problem again with queue and we board the car without a wait. We thought it
would be a good idea to go to
Tonight we are going to a local restaurant after early doors. I bet
Brian has the Tiramisu!!
Excellent meal and yes Louisa he did have the tiramisu!! In top three.
We are now all applying after sun before retiring. One last observation,
our bathroom is like something out of “Ripples””!
One more, the people here are some of the most friendly we have met
anywhere in the world.
Night night.
Tuesday 28th February
Today we make an early start after a lovely breakfast. The forecast says
we are in for some light rain, 10% chance. I would rather say we have a 90%
chance of sunshine! We are collected at 08.15 by our guide and driver for the
day Danny. He is a cheerful black fellow and we set of to pick up some more
guests making ten in all.
Our tour today will first of all take us through some suburbs of
Our transport to the seals is a large catamaran and it is great to be
out on the water. We soon arrive at the seal colony and cameras are clicking
away at the several hundred seals basking on rocks or playing to the crowd in
the sea. We think of happy holidays on the Iles of Scilly
and our trips to the Eastern Isles to see the seals.
We soon head off back to port and there to welcome us is a quartet of
what you could loosely call musicians but they are great fun in their
We find Brian and Jill and have a look at their shopping which of course
includes presents for their grandchildren Luke and Isla Mae. Back on the bus
and we continue our journey through Simons Town and
We are now half way on our journey to the Cape of Good Hope and Danny
Boy gives us a running commentary of the history of
We soon enter the Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve and are surprised how
big the area is. We see ostrich in the reserve but no zebra. Before we go to
the Cape Point we go to the
Cape of Good Hope
where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. These are notorious shipping
waters and there are many shipwrecks in the area. This is an awesomely dramatic
spot with massive sea cliffs and huge sea views.
We are to lunch in a restaurant on Cape Point which also has stunning
views. The girls have crayfish, Brian has a burger and I have king prawns in
garlic and ginger. The superb repast is washed down with a South African red
and white wine. Position normal. Whilst we are sat in
the restaurant the weather takes a turn for the worse and we are having some of
the 10%. The sun has gone and we are having some
On our way out of the reserve we stop to see a family of baboons on the
roadside and Danny has pulled over so we can take some photographs. The baboons
are a big problem here because they have realised
that houses represent food and frequently gain access to the houses. The
creatures were shot in the past but there is a programme
of conservation now, after all they were here first! We pass a bakery that
employs baboon wardens to deter the baboons from entering for their weekly
groceries.
Our last call is to the famous Kirstenbosch
botanical gardens. The gardens are a World Heritage site and they were created
in 1895. Even in the light drizzle the gardens are magnificent and sit on the
eastern slopes of
So it is back to our hotel after bidding our farewells to the rest of
the group. Tonight we are going to the V and A Waterfront where there are
dozens of restaurants and bars. It is a £6 taxi fare to our destination
and we choose our restaurant after a little customary shopping.
We all enjoy the meal and for the second time we are told, after
enquiring, that waiters here do not get a wage. There is so much labour available that a job is valuable even if you do not
get paid. Time passes all too quickly and it is time for bed. Tomorrow the hire
car is delivered to us and we head of to Stellenbosch in the centre of the Winelands. Yippee!!
Wednesday 29th February
Today would have been my Mum’s 21st birthday! Mum was a leap year
baby and today would have been her 84th birthday so Happy Birthday Mum and hope you are
having a great party.
The day starts with a clear blue sky and a good forecast. Is it too good
to be true? Well yes it is. The rental car company arrive
with our BMW at 09.00 and it is plainly obvious that we would not get two
suitcases in let alone four. There is a short discussion between Brian and
the lady who has
delivered the car and I now think she understands the problem! Eventually after
several telephone calls and suitcases going in and out of the hotel like yo-yos
a large Kia car arrives. The initial news from Brian is not good as our poor
porter attempts to load the bags unsuccessfully. I make a suggestion that we
remove the load cover from the car and after this is done the cases are loaded. We agree that this is our only option and we
then explain to the rental rep that the tank is empty. I don’t think she
believed me but on looking she agreed. So all five of us now go the petrol station
to refill the tank. At last we say farewell and start our journey to
Stellenbosch. I am exhausted already!
We have only been driving ten minutes before we meet a traffic jam.
There are police vehicles with blue flashing lights and Brian does convince me
that he left the towels in the room. Eventually the problem shows itself as a
broken down bus blocking one lane. Hurrah, now we are on our way and soon on
the motorway to Stellenbosch. We did think that we would be there by this time
but the sun is shining and we are all well and happy.
Not sure if it is a good idea but Brian is navigating, no Sat Nav but Brian would only argue with it anyway so perhaps it
is just as well. We pass several of the townships that I have mentioned before,
some worse than others.
It only takes us about 45 minutes and two wrong turns before we arrive
at our hotel. Once again the most friendly and helpful of staff who check us in
and take care of the luggage. The hotel is well positioned in the centre of
town. We arrange for a local guide to take us to a vineyard for lunch and then
on to one more for a tasting. The vineyard we go for lunch is called Dornier
and it is in a location that is breathtaking. The vines are surrounded by
mountains and the sky is clear and blue. It is one of the most spectacular
vistas to accompany lunch. The food is all freshly cooked and we choose salmon
and trout fishcakes and ravioli with butternut squash and smoked aubergine. It would have been rude not to have some of
their wine wouldn’t it? It is becoming more like a Spanish lunch and we
leave thirty minutes later albeit happier than we intended. A short journey to
another vineyard that is also beautiful. We try the wines and the people who
are serving are wonderful and everything is becoming a little hazy. It is
decided to make a polite exit and return to the town.
The shops are still open, oh dear, and the girls are making slow
progress up
We have a meal arranged for
20.30 in the hotel restaurant which is an award winning restaurant. Probably
the best plan is to return to hotel for forty winks and a shower.
We move on tomorrow, hangover permitting.
Thursday 1st March
Today we awake to the sunshine coming through the window and remember to
say “White Rabbits” for good luck!
Last night’s meal was the usual riotous affair and we were all
exhausted from laughter. Our waiter for the evening was an absolute star.
Following an interrogation by Brian we discover that he has to make two train
journeys to get to work and another two to go home. The man has a lovely South African
name which I cannot recall!! He tells us he is a musician and a poet and he has
the biggest smile in
Later this morning we have to perform another trick
from the magic circle and get the luggage back into the car. After breakfast we
are driving to Franschhoek for a short visit and then
onwards to the coastal town of
The drive to Franschhoek takes us through some
fantastic mountainous scenery and we arrive after about forty-five minutes and
one wrong turning!! The town appears to be on one street that consists of
little shops, cafes and restaurants. The girls get into shopping mode and we
all head off to the shops. There was a close call in a shop called The Diamond
Works but Sue was undecided about a pair of black and white diamond earrings
and no purchase was made.
We now start travelling in the direction of our overnight stop. There
are two places on route that the guide book advises we stop. The first port of
call is
Our next stop will be
Betty’s Bay and Brian tells us there is a botanical garden here called
Harry Potter’s garden. It is easy to find and we decide to have lunch
here. It is actually called Harold Porter’s Botanical garden!! After
lunch we walk around this magnificent garden in an idyllic setting. This
beautiful, secluded garden is set between mountain and sea, in the heart of the
We decide it is time to set off to our hotel where we will spend the
night in Hermanus. The journey takes about an hour
but it is no chore as the views are again absolutely spectacular. We find the
hotel easily and after I managed to drive over some poles around the edge of
the garden we enter the security gate. The hotel is called The Abalone and it
certainly has the WOW factor!! There is a photo of our superior sea view room
on this website http://www.abalonelodge.co.za/accommodation
Another very friendly South African called
Friday 2nd March
The restaurant last night exceeded our expectations for quality and
cost. The food and wine was beautiful. We had prawns and a local fish called
Cob.
We sit on our room balcony listening to the sea and looking at the stars
in the Southern sky. It would be nice if we could stay awake but the eyelids
are closing!
We awaken to the sunrise and the sound of breaking surf; this really is
a little bit of heaven.
Before breakfast we take a walk along the cliff top for an hour.
Yesterday evening some nine whales were seen. It is not the time of year for
whale watching and
sunbirds. Once again the
views are stunning and I am told that grandson Luke would say “Awesome
dude”! Spot on Luke.
Breakfast is taken on the terrace outside in the sun. It is already very
warm and the forecast for here in Hermanus is 30C. A
lovely breakfast (full English!) is eaten and we are ready to depart.
It has been decided that we will go into Hermanus
so the girls can have an hour in the shops. The town is full of little boutique
and craft shops. An hour soon passes and Sue manages to purchase some items of
clothing which I must say all look very nice indeed.
The rest of the day will be mostly driving so we fill up and another
nice surprise is the cost of fuel, approx 95 pence for a litre
of unleaded. What is there not to like about this place! Only one mistake and its when we see a sign for
We drive for about five hours with a short stop before we arrive in
We have a drink alongside the Bay looking at the sea and rocks. We are
now ready and head off towards the hotel for the night. The scenery changes
dramatically as we are now driving up through the mountains and there trees and
everything looks green and fresh. Incredible views once again on every bend.
Despite the directions we have been given we manage to arrive at the
hotel. The car dash shows it is 37C outside!! We all think that Brian has done
enough to earn his “Pathfinders” badge!
We check in and order a long cold beer. This is a very pretty small
hotel and the accommodation is lodges set around a lovely garden and swimming
pool.
We have booked a restaurant within walking distance and tonight we are
all going to have ostrich.
Not so much driving tomorrow so hopefully a more leisurely day!!
Saturday 3rd March
The restaurant last night was
called the Pajua and we were told it was only 10
minutes from hotel. I know these South Africans are good athletes but I do not
think that Bolt could have got there ten minutes! We returned to the hotel and
ordered a taxi. All had ostrich and all were very pleased with the meal and of
course the wine. The ostrich meat was very tender and there was nothing to
dislike about it.
Our first port of call today will be the Kango
caves. It is only a twenty minute drive Brian assures me. En route we pass an
ostrich farm/sanctuary but decide to give it a miss. I am not too sure that I
can explain to them that we ate one of their relations last night! We arrive at
the caves just in time to catch the ten o’clock tour. The tour will take
one hour and the cool air will be welcomed.
Many of the most significant discoveries in the Caves were made by its
first full-time guide, Johnnie van Wassenaar. –
who served for 43 years: from 1891 until his
retirement in 1934. He opened many side chambers and introduced thousands of
people to Cango 1, which remains the only part of the
Caves which the public may visit. Importantly, though, it is clear that the
Caves were known to man long before Europeans first landed at the Cape: recent
finds – of some tool left behind in ancient hearths in the Cave mouth
– prove that humans have lived and sheltered here for at least 80 000
years.
There some huge chambers in the caves and the stalagmites and
stalactites make for some beautiful rock sculptures. We have a good guide and
the one tour is over all too soon.
We leave the cool of the caves and come out into severing sunshine and a
temperature of 40C.
The cab of the car soon cools down with air-con blowing full blast and
we are on our way once more. We now have about two hours drive to Knysna. Needless to say the mountain scenery is
breathtaking as we wind our way down toward the coast. We take a small
diversion (on purpose honest!) at a place called Wilderness. Here there is the
most fantastic beach. It must be about ten miles long, golden sand and breaking
waves crashing onto the beach. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, it is a
Saturday and apart from two people strolling we are the only four people on the
beach. Sue takes a paddle and says the sea is lovely and warm. This must be the
most beautiful beach we have ever seen.
Now looking for a place to have a snack and drink and shortly after
returning to main road we stumble upon a delightful little cafe that boasts it
is organic and is concerned about saving the planet. They are very nice people
and our waiter is a dead ringer for Rob Parker, a friend of ours in Totnes.
Ten more minutes and we arrive in Knysa but it
takes us thirty minutes to find the hotel!! We are blaming the directions we
are given, or perhaps it is because we have all got too used to using SatNav!
By a process of elimination we
do find our hotel and this is definitely a WOW factor place. We have a luxury
suite with veranda and personal butler. The “room” is like a large
apartment and there is nothing that is not here. Fantastic
views from our veranda. Our butler tells us that there is only one thing
to be aware of – baboons!! Unless we are on the veranda we need to keep
the doors locked. They will open the doors, enter the room, and steal any food
and leave! It’s true.
Our good friend Steve Pillinger said to us
before we left that he played golf here once and it is everything as you
described Steve!
I hope those lottery numbers come up soon, I could handle this life
style! You might like to have a look yourself http://www.pezula.com/
Sue has just read out from the information book that there is a choice
of five different pillows!! There is a fireplace in the bedroom and if it turns
in chilly our butler will come and light the log fire. I’m only a poor
lad from Twerton.
The meal is booked for this evening and we are staying in the hotel to
eat.
Looks like Bath RFC are going to win easy with a bonus point for four
tries so a great day had by all!!
Sunday 4th March
We started our evening yesterday with a drink in the bar where the
barman tells us that only a few weeks ago the great Nelson Mandela stayed in
this very hotel. Brian had told the barman to tell me that Nelson stayed in his
room, and I nearly fell for it!!! We are told that Nelson is a hero and he
changed this country for the good of the black man. He also tells us that two years ago because of a custom for his local people
he had to spend three months in the forest and three weeks without drinking any
water. During this time he is circumcised and only has an antiseptic plant leaf
to heal his wounds. This means he has moved from a child to a man. There was me
thinking he had a limp!
Our meals last night were superb and we are beginning to run out of
superlatives. All the staff are extremely friendly and
pay every attention to detail. We cannot believe how reasonable the meals and
the wine are in a Hotel of this standard. After a nightcap back in the bar we
decide to retire.
Morning brings the sunshine and breakfast will be outside. This is the
most remarkable way to start a Sunday as we look at the most sublime view
whilst eating a full breakfast and fabulous fruit.
Brian and Jill are telling us that they were awakened from their sleeps
by a rattling on the patio doors. Brian put on his shorts to see a very large
baboon trying to open the doors! Not
a good alarm call
but we did all have a lot to drink! Brian assures me it is a true story and we
believe him. We did witness yesterday a troop of about twenty baboons making their
way across the golf course about four hundred metres
from our room.
The weather has taken a turn for the worse and clouds
have appeared and a light drizzle is falling. We ask for our car to be brought
round to the hotel entrance, well of course it is valet parking! We are going
to
It is a small concern where they rescue elephants, for instance one of
the elephants was kept by a private owner for twelve years. The owner decided
he could no longer afford to keep the elephant in food. Two others spent two
months in the airport because they were being exported to
The drizzle continues and we decide to return to the hotel and take
advantage of the Spa facilities. Following visits to the steam room, sauna and
swimming pool we are ready for a trip to the bar for early doors. We are to
have our meal in the hotel again tonight.
Monday 5th March
I will try and set the scene for you. You are now probably aware by now
that if anything is going to happen it will happen to Brian!
Jill and Brian were returning from the Spa to their room. This entails a
short walk outside along a path lined by various bushes. It was dark albeit the
path is illuminated by soft ground lighting. The conversation was of baboons
and Brian was checking the bushes for hidden baboons. On reaching their room
and opening the door the suite was in darkness. Suddenly
right in front of his face appeared a set of white shining teeth. He and
Jill both screamed and Brian nearly had a brown haemorrhage!
Jill was clinging to the ceiling and their hearts were leaping out of their
chests. It transpired not to be a baboon but the black housemaid who was just
about to leave after completing the turn-down in their suite. A stiff drink was
required by the pair of them!
Yesterday’s evening meal did not disappoint and all I can recall
is that the four of us were rendered helpless with laughter and tears were
rolling down our cheeks. I think the hotel staff thought we were the victims of
care in the community.
This morning we awake to what
the Irish call a soft morning. It is overcast with a slight drizzle but it is
still warm enough to wear shorts. Breakfast inside today.
The sun does break through by 10.15.
We are to catch the hotel shuttle so we can go and have a look at the
private beach. The name of the beach is Noetzie
beach. It takes fifteen minutes to arrive after passing through three security
checkpoints. Overlooking this beach is
We are introduced to the castle housekeeper who looks after the two
buildings and she tells us that she is very proud to have this position. She
shows us where Nelson slept and where he worked etc. She gives us a complete
tour and plenty of anecdotes. She tells us that just before the great man
arrived the management told her to expect an important guest and to give
everything a special clean. Then the management told her to go and shower and
put on a new uniform for this special guest. She waited to welcome the unknown
guest and the car drove down. She could just see the side of his head and his
shoulder and she thought Oh My God it is Mr Mandela.
He came into the castle and she was introduced to him and he put his hand on
her shoulder. She was so in awe she tells us she could not walk!! She was a
lovely lovely lady and it is quite emotional
listening to her memories of Mr. Mandela’s visit. The property itself is
absolutely wonderful with outside, heated infinity pool, three double en suite
bedrooms, dining room for ten, kitchen, lounge and fully fitted gym. The
smaller castle used for honeymoons is just as luxurious and we think of getting
married again. Jill thinks it would be nice for when Louisa gets married
– so come on darling before they spend all the inheritance! We have a cup
of coffee and the shuttle has been waiting for us whilst we have been
privileged to have a tour of these buildings. Brian did ask at reception how
much it cost to stay in the castle and he was told about £8000 a night
should cover it. How long is your honeymoon likely to be Louisa?
We return to the hotel quietly and stunned by what we have seen. We
collect our car and it is only a short drive down into the town of
are being made. It is
time for lunch and we take it in a restaurant overlooking the quay. We
experience excellent service and meals once again.
We are going to return to the hotel early because we are going to sample
the Spa treatments. Sue is going to have a facial and they are going to try and
make her more beautiful. They have set themselves quite a task. I am going to
have a neck, shoulder and back massage, Brian is having a Swedish massage and
Jill is having an aromatherapy massage. It is a first class experience and we
all feel like a million dollars.
The skies are now all cloudless again and the forecast is back to
normal, sunny and hot. Tomorrow we have a fairly long drive of about two
hundred and fifty kilometres to Shamwari
Game Reserve where we will stay for two nights. We are hopeful our luck will
continue and we will see the Big Five.
Tuesday 6th March
The day starts with sunshine and we are on our way by 09.30. The journey
to Shamwari Game reserve takes three and a half hours
and passes without incident. Once again the
We receive a warm welcome on our arrival at the game reserve and shown
to our rooms. We are in the Longlee Manor which is
reminiscent of a colonial house.
http://www.shamwari.com/propertycontent.asp?pageID=107
It is a beautiful house and our rooms are once again large suites. We
have two televisions, one in the bedroom and one in our lounge! The bathroom is
huge and the shower could take six people, I will see who I can find tonight to
prove it! Our rooms have magnificent views over the game reserve.
We have arrived in time for a three course lunch with wine and our first
safari leaves at 16.00. The lunch is absolutely beautiful and I have smoked
ostrich to start and venison to follow. We take it easy on the wine as there
are no toilets in the reserve! At 15.30 we are introduced to our ranger who is
a young black female called Xavi. She is a slip of a
girl and does not look strong enough to drive the eight seater
land-rover. We are invited to have coffee and cakes before we leave. In no time
at all we are off and enter the reserve all excited and with great expectations
of seeing some animals.
We soon see springbok, impala, zebra and giraffes. It is really
wonderful to see wild animals in the wild. There are countless species of colourful birds as well. It is not very long before we chance
upon a rhino with a youngster. We later see a group of five rhinos in a
clearing
and they take little
notice of us. At a waterhole we see the eyes of a two hippos above the water
but they are not keen to show themselves. We wait a while but Xavi says we will probably be luckier in the morning. After
two hours we stop at the highest point in the reserve and disembark the
vehicle. Xavi produces bottles of red and white with
cans of beers. There are some nibbles to accompany the alcohol and we look at a
panoramic view and sunset. Awesome Grandma.
Light is fading now and we are heading back through the reserve with the
aid of land-rover headlights. Just when we thought we had seen everything today
there is a big male lion in the head lights. He is a magnificent creature and
everybody is so excited. He does not seem too concerned but I am not going out
to smooth him. We leave him in peace after taking some photographs and head
back to the Manor House for a barbeque.
Tomorrow our morning safari starts at 06.00 and we are ever hopeful we
will see a hippo, elephant, cheetah and leopard. Two out the four would be
brilliant so we will keep our fingers crossed.
Wednesday 7th March
The alarm wakes us at 05.15 and already I am beginning to wish that the
wine had not been as free flowing as it was last night. At the time it was a
very acceptable South African Merlot that accompanied the BBQ. We were sat with
a very pleasant Austrian couple and a good time was had by all. Now, where did
I put the paracetamol?
It is very humbling to witness the sun rise over the game reserve and we
can see warthog and Impala at the water hole. It is a spectacularly beautiful
day with a cloudless sky and no wind.
We meet Xavi and are on our way at 06.00 in
our
After about an hour we approach a bend in the road and there right in
front of us are two female lions padding towards us. Xavi
turns off the engine and asks us to make no sudden movements –
don’t need telling twice! Within a few seconds they are followed by a
young male lion. The three of them are within a few metres
of the vehicle as they slowly stroll past us. Then the dominant male lion
appears and is only two metres from the vehicle. He
is absolutely magnificent and doesn’t look as though he has a care in the
world. He also pads slowly past us and the four of them disappear into the
thicket. We cannot believe our luck and it was another emotional moment. Are we
lucky or what?
Our luck is to continue as we progress down the track to a water hole. Zavi stops by the “hippo” waterhole and one
does put his head above the water level. Zavi
explains that they spend nearly all their time under water because their skin
was very delicate. Then two
female black rhinos come
into full view. We have only seen white rhinos up to now. Zavi
says we are very privileged and lucky as the black Rhino is an endangered
species and are rarely seen as they spend most of the time in deep thicket.
There are only 3000 left in the world whereas there are 16000 white Rhino. The
black Rhino is a very aggressive animal and it is not unknown for them to
charge vehicles. Fortunately these two seem more intent on feeding than
charging at us! They are super specimens and we watch them for five minutes or
so.
I cannot name everything we have seen but we did see a Scrub Hare,
Mongoose, black Wildebeest, Kudu, Waterbuck as well as the Rhino, Hippo,
Warthog, Giraffe, Springbok and Impala. A bonus was that the Warthog, Giraffe,
Rhino, Springbok and Impala all had youngsters with them ranging from a three
day old giraffe to a few weeks old Rhino.
Some of the birds we have seen were Buzzards, Grey Heron, African
Hoopoe, Secretary bird, Sunbird and Starling. The Starling here is a
magnificent multi coloured bird whose colours reflect in the sun.
Before we return for breakfast we are going to visit the Born Free
Foundation Centre. The centre provides a sanctuary for lions and leopards
rescued from appalling captive conditions. These big cats cannot be returned to
the wild and will be looked after for the rest of their lives. They have
spacious bush enclosures that can be viewed from platforms. The vegetation has
been left natural as it would be in the wild.
We are given an explanation of the work carried out here and a short
video presentation. A short walk takes us to the enclosures and we are lucky
enough to see two of the three leopards here. These three leopards were rescued
in 2001 after being found in the Sudanese bush by soldiers. Some of the stories
are very sad but at least there is hope for some of the mistreated big cats in
the world.
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/campaigns/big-cats/in-action/african-big-cat-rescue/
We have been up now for nearly five hours and ready for breakfast!
Breakfast is taken as soon as we return to the manor. It has to be the full
South African! The sun is still shining from a clear blue sky and sun beds by
the pool are going to be our next port of call. It is hot now and sunscreens
need to be applied. Not too sure who is making the most noise within fifteen
minutes, the warthogs or us snoring!
The tables for lunch have been laid up in front of the Manor House
overlooking the reserve. A three course lunch is too much of a challenge so we
all decide to skip the first course. On the menu is Homemade Beef Pie and Brian
is already salivating. It sounds a perfect match also for my Merlot and we wait
with anticipation. The meals appear and the pies look great served with fries.
Brian dives in and exclaims that there is no beef! I tackle mine and have to
agree I have seen more pork at a Jewish wedding than beef in this pie. We
wonder if we have read the menu correctly because, albeit very nice, there is
no beef in this pie. A
suggestion is that they could
not spell Vegetarian Pie so opted to call it Beef Pie or the word
“surprise” was missing after the word Beef! It would definitely be
a life threatening moment to serve this as Beef Pie to a sixteen stone
A little later whilst we were on the sun beds the head waiter made himself known to us and asked if we were the two gentlemen
who had the No-Beef Pie. He apologised profusely and
said there had been a mistake in the kitchen which rendered the pies beefless.
We all had a good laugh about it and said there was no harm done.
We have decided to give this afternoon’s safari a miss as we feel
that two has been enough and we are enjoying our down time in the sun. Probably
all we could see that we have not already seen would be an elephant and the
chances of a leopard or cheetah are a million to one. We saw elephants earlier
in our holiday so we are more than happy with our safari experiences.
I am sat on our balcony overlooking the reserve as the sun goes down,
this will always remain in my memory – I hope!!
Tonight we are going to have “early doors” before our
evening meal. It has been a long, spectacular and leisurely day and it is not
over yet! Tomorrow we are travelling again. We have a one hour drive to
Thursday 8th March
Our meal last night was marvellous. It was
“Michelin Star” with different wines for each course. Our choices
ranged from prawns and beef fillet (may have been the beef that should have
been in the pie!) to chicken and it was a memorable last supper at Shamwari!
This morning brings another clear sunny day and we are all packed ready
to leave. The usual elusion was performed and our entire luggage was back in
the car. One of the hotel staff said now it looked like a real
Surprisingly the airport is a small one on a par with
worried? Our flight is
announced as having a thirty minute delay and there is little in departures to
pass the time.
The flight passes without incident and is full of passengers of all
races. The catering ground staff are on strike and our
in-flight meal consists of a packet of crisps, small cereal bar, small bottle
of water and an apology. Probably the best aeroplane
meal we have ever had!!
We land at
Sue has managed to acquire an ironing board and is busy ironing our best
bib and tucker for the Rovos train journey
http://www.rovos.com/trains/on-board We have luxury
suites booked and it should be some experience. There appears to be internet
access on the train so should be able to continue with the blog.
Friday 9th March
The Holiday Inn provides a means to an end and is nothing exceptional or
memorable except Brian could not get in his safe and the toilet seat was
disconnected from the toilet. Must remember to bring some kit on the next
holiday!! We have a wander around an adjoining shopping arcade which looks new
and follows the pattern of most shopping malls in the world. Shoes purchased by
Jill and it will soon be time for our transfer to the Rovos
train station. It is only twenty minutes away and our driver Amos is keen to
show us some better architecture than we have seen so far. He says that
We are made welcome at the station with champagne and canapés.
The station lounge is a beautiful room. Before long a
magnificent steam engine pulls up outside. I have brought some
photographs of my Dad taken in the fifties when he was a newly qualified train
driver. The photographs show him on a steam engine in his uniform. I ask our
driver if he would like to see the photos and he invites me onto the footplate.
He tells me he has always worked on South African railways and is a steam
fanatic. We talk about Dr. Beeching and his axing of
branch lines in the
interesting character and I
would have loved to hear my my father have a
conversation with him.
We board the train and are shown to our suite by our train manager. It
is really beautiful and harkens back to the Victorian era. Our bedroom is en
suite with a good sized shower. The bedroom is dark wood panelled
and is very comfortable. There is no internet connection and explains the late
arrival of this daily blog. True to form Brian has already called the
maintenance man as the bathroom door has come off in his hand!
The train pulls out the station and we are all like excited little
children! We are keen to explore the train and make our way to the observation
car at the back. It is very comfortably furnished and within seconds we are
being asked what we would like to drink! If we must!
It is already apparent that there is an endless supply of complimentary
alcohol, could be dangerous!
Dinner at 19.30 and tonight it is crab, lamb shank, cheese course, palmiers (I didn’t know what they were either!) and
coffee. An exquisite meal with a well informed sommelier on hand to assist us
on wine choice.
We enjoy the company of an Australian couple who have travelled most of
the world. It is all too soon for bed and we retire to our room. We are now
moving out of the urban views and starting to cross the South African plains
and watch an awesome lightning display as we travel south.
Saturday 10th March
We awake to a sunny morning and big big skies.
The train has been moving through the night and will arrive in
We disembark at
The Big Hole has a surface of 17 hectares (42 acres) and is 463 metres (1,519 ft) wide. It was excavated to a depth of 240 metres (790 ft), but then partially in filled with debris
reducing its depth to about 215 metres (705 ft).
Since then it has accumulated about 40 metres (130
ft) of water, leaving 175 metres (574 ft) of the hole
visible. Once above-ground operations became too dangerous and unproductive,
the kimberlite pipe of the Kimberley Mine was also
mined underground by Cecil Rhodes’ De Beers Company to a depth of 1,097 metres (3,599 ft).
In 1872, one year after
digging started, the population of the camp of diggers grew to around 50,000.
As digging progressed, many men met their deaths in mining accidents. The
unsanitary conditions, scarcity of water and fresh vegetables as well as the
intense heat in the summer, also took their toll. On the 13 March 1888 the
leaders of the various mines decided to amalgamate the separate diggings into
one big mine and one big company known as De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited,
with life governors such as Cecil John Rhodes, Alfred Beit
and John Rhodes. This massive company further worked on the Big Hole until it came to the
depth of 215 metres, with a surface area of about 17
hectares and perimeter of 1.6 kilometres. By 14
August 1914, when over 22 million tons of earth had been excavated, yielding
2,722 kilograms (14,504,566 carats) of diamonds, work on the mine eased after
it was considered the largest hand-dug excavation on earth. I hope you enjoyed
the history lesson and paid attention as there will be questions later!!!
Something we certainly did not know is that the majority of diamonds
found in the world are sent to Shannon in
The tour of the mine was excellent but now the men could be seen
sweating and frantically trying to hide their plastic cards as we approached
the diamond jewellery shops. Sue knew exactly what
she was looking for and had been quizzing Frank as to which were the best
diamonds and how one could tell. The perfect pair of earrings was found and all I
can say is that the girl deserves them. The plastic nearly melted in the
machine but the transaction was completed we headed back to our minibus.
At the railway station we were welcomed with more champagne! It is
lunchtime again and another four courses. Once again a
different wine with each course and a delightful port with the cheese course.
The afternoon was spent looking at the back of my eyelids!!
I have explained that I am only a poor boy from Twerton
and have to admit the life of luxury did take its toll. I needed to take a
“time out” and have a rest from all this rich food and alcohol. I
decided to take a rain cheque on dinner and retired
early. I did not feel ill but felt I might have been if I had eaten another
four courses and more alcohol. My decision was justified as in the morning I
was back on good form and ready for a good day.
Sunday 11th March
Another beautiful day and we speed through the African veldt. The train
will stop at 08.00 hours for those folk who want to walk or jog 5 kilometres into the small town of
Matjiesfontein. I said I felt good
but not that good! It is a strange little town in the middle of nowhere and has
a Marie Celeste feel about it. Jill thinks it is where they filmed Stepford Wife’s!!
Matjiesfontein was founded as a refreshment
stop in 1884 by the legendary James Douglas Logan. It has become well known for
its splendid historical buildings and in testament the entire Village was
restored in 1970 and declared a
Sorry but more history!
David Rawdon was the owner of Matjiesfontein and was an avid collector. He established a
museum which houses an eclectic collection of Victoriana. It includes some of
the beautiful dresses that once belonged to Emma Logan. The museum gives a
fascinating picture of days gone by with its primitive domestic machinery,
penny farthing bicycles and royal memorabilia.
The cellars of the museum are packed with the lifetime acquisitions of a
man who had a taste for the beautiful, the old and the amusing things our
forefathers were making. It is a fascinating mixture of bygones and real
treasure. The apothecary’s shop is complete with Victorian gothic
furniture and apothecary jars with their original contents. Standing in the
same room is an extensive collection of cameras, magic lanterns and
photographic paraphernalia that is rubbing shoulders with a macabre looking
dentist surgery in one corner and in the other corner is a cut-throat barbers
shop!
The town also possesses the recently established Marie Rawdon transport museum. Here is housed a remarkable
collection of vintage American and English cars along with Victorian trains.
The curious part of all this is that there is not a local being to be
seen in these museums, nobody to take the money or ensure nothing is stolen!
One other claim to fame for the town is that the first International
game of cricket to be played in
The sun is now very hot again and we return to the train for lunch. Just
before lunch the train goes through a 13 kilometre
tunnel. Once through this tunnel the scenery changes from flat, scorched veldt
to mountains and vineries. It is an extraordinary way to have lunch, speeding
towards
The rest of the afternoon is spent packing and having a little sleep!
Monday 12th March
Our last day and this morning
we are going to
Nelson Mandela is
While Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists have assumed centre
stage in this tale, few people realise that the
island's history as a place of incarceration began 350 years ago with Autshumato, a member of the Khoekhoe,
an indigenous group of people - now vanished. The first Dutch settler to arrive
in the
After a half-hour ferry ride, visitors are guided through the maximum
security prison, often by a former political prisoner. A 45-minute bus ride
around the island details its history as a mental hospital, military base and
leper colony. We also explore
The fauna and flora of
Back on terra firma and we taxi back to the hotel to pack for our onward
journey to Heathrow. The holiday is drawing to a close now and we reflect on
what has been a wonderful experience shared with the very best of friends.