Johannesburg by day

Back in the civilised city of Johannesburg we were looking to catch up on washing (to be honest I wasn't looking too hard in that direction), sort some emails, pay some bills and generally see how the World was surviving without our daily input.

Johannesburg by day...as you sure as hell wouldn't go out at night! I would like to say that this is just another big city like any other in the World....but unfortunately that isn't so. Clearly, after driving in from the airport it quickly becomes evident that they are pursuing the same line of development as Len Brown, with regard to traffic management. Diabolical would be praising it too much. Cars, roads, over-bridges, under-bridges, ignored traffic lights and no bicycles, although I did see one cyclist on the dual carriage way and he must have had a good insurer, I doubt he will see the week out.

Our visit to Soweto was a saddening event. A picture here of a shanty with a new outside toilet will house at least two adults and 2 children but possibly twice that many. It looks less than 4 m X 4m, no inside water, no power, no carpet and not weather proof. It will be a long time, many decades, before these people have 3 bedrooms and two cars in the garage.

Unemployment runs at 60% in Soweto and 50% of the population are under 16. It is little wonder that these people are somewhat irritated by and angry with the government. I'm sure Nelson Mendala promised and intended better than this. The present Prime Mininster is putting the finishing touches to his 200 million rand house. With general elections only months away he may be looking to have something comfortable to live out his days. Ten rand is about one NZ dollar.

Yesterday we took a walking tour of the city centre. Quite proud of ourselves that we caught a train into town....seemed quite safe really but there were dozens of people in high vis with Security written across their back. We walked for  couple of hours with a young Indian girl who was 4th generation South African and very proud to be. But the warnings were clear, as they were from everyone, be careful at all times. We looked at high rise buildings, empty and abandoned, locked up so people could not get in. Some had squatters and others were office buildings and tenanted where rents are so high that they cram 2 families into one room, use a communal toilet on the floor and get water from the same place. 

We went right through town, saw some reasonably swish parts but also areas where dozens of people are sleeping rough. I "accidentally" nudged into one of the locals on a narrow street and turned to apologise. He turned back to shake my hand and explain that you don't need to apologise on the street. While we are doing the fingers/wrists handshake is left hand is groping my pockets. I quickly withdrew my hand to clasp a small camera in my pocket and grabbed my money belt as I felt his fingers rake downward in an effort to break the strap. Our wee Indian lady spoke to him tersely and they butted knuckles in some sort of gesture...I thought it was a friendly gesture and did likewise with the unsuccessful pick pocket. We both parted with our dignity intact and after a quick inventory intact I confirmed that it would be another sucker today if he were get his intended rewards.  Very unnerving though.

Above: a fruit seller market, an empty apartment house and a shop with animal parts for making traditional medicine.

Today we visited the Apartheid Museum which again was somewhat sobering. The people, all the people, except the whites have suffered. And suffered seriously at some amazingly arrogant and callous treatment. While Aparthied is now abolished many of the black and coloured people are still suffering and will for a long time into the future. The museum was well set out and had dozens of live action footage on TVs, press photos and names of those who died for and during the struggle. I got a feeling that the price was high and so far not everyone has reaped any reward. I was not totally shocked by what was on display and I guess I have John Minto to thank for that. It seemed fitting I should get a photo of myself with Nelson Mandela...such a big man with such a big heart. He is on display in Mandela Square, not far from our hotel in Sandton.

Enclave Safari

Our little plane was a four seater very similar to the plane I learned to fly 30 years ago and although I sat in the copilot seat I didn't wish to inform Mark that I could take over if he wanted a break. Upside down in the sand below we would surely be tucker for the lion.

Safari at the Enclave is different to our first 6 days. Here, we start in a dugout canoe, freeboard is about 2 inches and is ok as long

as we don't encounter a hippo on our path. We did last night and our guide turned us around and we abandoned that safari and went for a tour in another part of the delta. We have been 3 times across the delta through reeds and a bit of hippo poo, across a river to a small island where we land the makoro (dugout) and then walk....a walking safari. The first two were of little event. An elephant at 400 metres, 3 giraffe at 800 metres and numerous impala don't really get the blood pumping now....spoilt we know. 

Yesterday we were away as usual just on sunrise, into the makoro, through the reeds, watch out for hippo, quickly across the river and onto dry land again...takes about 10 minutes....the water only 40cms deep except for the river which is 3-4 metres deep and flowing quite well. With resident hippo and crocodile....always exciting.

Once on land we are off walking......for about 3 hours, cool to start but by 9.00am we are stripped down to shirts. We see plenty of small game including little fellows like this ugly warthog.

This morning a herd of impala were snorting...a sort of sneezing noise and the baboon were sounding an alarm. Reps, our local tracker/guide pointed to big pussy cat prints an excitedly said "....lion..six..". We increased our speed, jogging at times...Diana thinking we were heading away from the pride and was shocked to see a lioness about 60 metres in front of us. A quick discussion ensued regarding health and safety and hazard identification and off we went again. We saw two lionesses, Reps saw the others including two males and our wee hearts were beating as fast as a cicada chirps.   It seemed strange to be tracking such a large cat on foot in their domain with nary a tree within 100 metres. I think that if the lion had turned Usain Bolts 100 metre record would have been broken! We are 8 hours later and still buzzing about that. Tomorrow is our last morning safari.......not sure we will better this morning.

Into Africa .. ..

Our flight from Johannesburg went without incident and we arrived in Maun, on the south eastern edge of the inland delta in central Botswana, mid afternoon, overnighted there and were picked up at 9.00am by our guide and a cook to take us into Moremi Game Reserve for the next 6 nights. Botswana is the same size as Texas with only 2 million people and 300,000 elephant among other game. We drove 4 hours from Maun, northeasterly, with Diana and I sitting in open air at the back of our Toyota Landcruiser safari vehicle. 

We were a little anxious setting up camp in the amongst trees in the open where we seemed to be on the menu for any hungry predator...lion, leopard, hyena...etc or if we happened to be in the way of an elephant...then we would just get stomped on! Our guide, Joseph, top man, had no rifle but assured us that he was reasonably sure that we would be unharmed. How reasonable that was we were being left to find out. Once we had pitched tents, got the fire going and had a cuppa we headed out on our first safari drive. Within minutes we were seeing impala, zebra, wart hogs, and all manner of antelope. The country seems to be all sand and pretty much flat. Quite a lot of trees and tonnes of grass....but the elephant eats 250kgs of that per day. 

"The first night in a tent under the African skies was amazing. First there was the unmistaken crashing and breaking of branches as the elephant dined, quite a constant bellowing of hippo in the river, male lions roaring to each other from different directions and then the birds calling as the sun started to rise. Rob is a very sound sleeper and without his 'aids' I was not sure how much he was hearing. At 6am a little bird whistled and whistled higher and higher until he could go no higher - pretty much like an alarm ring tone of a mobile phone! It made me laugh and then a voice from the other stretcher "It's like sleeping in a zoo"!!!!"

 

We stayed at 3rd Bridge Camp for three days, getting up at 6.30am for a 5-6 hour drive before heading back to camp for lunch, a quick nap (for one of us), then out again at 3.30pm for another 3 hours looking for game. We never ventured from our Toyota but we could drive very close to animals without them seeming to care at all of our presence. We saw numerous species.....I think Diana gave up counting after 20. It was great to always return to see the smiling face of our cook Tjitjo who could cook up amazing meals over the camp fire. Beef is extremely cheap in Botswana - $25 for a whole eye fillet over 30cms long! 

 

 We couldn't get much stretching of the legs. On the first day we jokingly suggested that we go for a walk and Joseph worriedly said NO! We had to assure him that there was no way we were going anywhere without him more than an arms length away. After 3 days we broke camp, packed up and headed 4 hours northeast to Khwai River camp.....more of the same except the animals seemed to be braver and this was matched by our increasing timidness. Trying to get to sleep while you can clearly hear lions roaring or hyena sniffing, sniffing....through the canvas! From marks in the sand in the morning it would appear that at some stage the nose of the hyena was about 6 inches from my nose separated by a microscopically thin piece of canvas that was struggling to keep a gnat out! But we slept on...tuckered out after a lot of driving and looking for animals. Our guide Joseph worked tirelessly trying to find every animal he could with the prize being lion and possibly a leopard and if extremely fortunate...a cheetah. We were lucky but not extremely fortunate. 

 After 6 days with our guide and cook it was sad to wave goodbye from our little 4 seater aeroplane as we flew south to "The Enclave" on the edge of the Okavango Delta. Here we have waiters, cooks, house maids, guides and whatever else we wish for. Unbelievably they have an open bar where you can help yourself freely to all brands of beer, wine and spirits. If only I had the same staying power as I did 40 years ago! and in saying that it reminds me that 38 years ago today Diana and I were married on a chilly Canterbury day in a small church at Fernside......time flies when you're enjoying yourself!..........and each other.

8th June......

    It was an early start this morning for the next phase of our journey. The traffic in Johannesburg has been pretty horrendous on some of the drives we've had so we allowed plenty of time to get to the airport. There was hardly any cars today so we had a long wait!         

 Our flight to Maun in the North of Botswana went without a hitch despite a 15 minute stopover in the capitol which had to include immigration and picking up our bags!! I suppose the fact there is only one arrival and departure around that time helped. We were met at the airport by our Safari personnel. We have one night in a quiet lodging by the river that is slowly increasing in size every day due to the tropical rains of Angola.....a long way North. They are worried their will not be as much this year. The town of Maun is small and a very spread out affair. No walking here the lady said so that stymied any thought of stretching the legs a bit. The taxi came and despite an interesting complete cut across a corner in the dark got us the 7 km for 50Pula (about $5)  to a Sports Bar for a pizza, 2 beers and dessert for $26. Now we are well rested, awaking to all sorts of interesting sounds......lots of birds and a donkey. We are waiting in anticipation for our Guide to arrive and take us on a 6 day camping safari. A few more photos then I am sure.                  

In the beginning

It seems like over a week since we left Blenheim...and it should be except for the fact while sitting on the runway at Woodbourne full of anticipation and excitement the captain informs us that half of the avionics in her, yes her, aircraft are kaput. I had two spare AA batteries and a Swiss Army knife but according to her they were useless. So back home we went and Buddy, surprised as a cat with two tails...he thought that the suitcase packing was indicating a long stint of self confinement, was very pleased to see us. Unfortunately we had to break his wee heart two days in a row and finally left for Perth without further incident last Wednesday. We flew in one of Air NZ's new Dreamliners. I'm not a fan. The seats were as hard as a railway station bench seat and the recline was a very unnoticeable 2cms. Dreamliner? Bad dreams if you managed sleep I reckon. In Perth our hire car had been upgraded and discounted so we had a V6 Commodore for the price of an i20....couldn't complain about that. Our mission was to drive to Margaret River about 3 hours south for a look about, then back to Perth to catch up with some expat kiwi friends. MR was a good getaway and we spent a day cycling around the environs, checked some wine out and as expected Sav Blanc was a totally different flavour from those that we are accustomed to. On the way down we drove through the Karloop area that had been burnt over last year where an entire town was evacuated apart from those that stuck it out and ended up toast...bit sobering. Unfortunately one geocache that we had expected to find was burnt to a cinder and no longer traceable.

Back in Perth we stayed a night with a lady who explained how her husband was a 'fifo'....fly in for 2 weeks and out for a week. Not  a very nice lifestyle I thought but a lot of people do that in WA. We had a Sunday roast with a guy who I played rugby with in Rangiora a few years ago...that was a good catch up as we hadn't seen them for longer than I wish to remember.

At 11.00pm we lifted off for Johannesburg and had 4 seats between the two of us so we both had a reasonable sleep and hit the South African soil running...well not so much running as a fast walk perhaps. Slept a wee while then went walking and looking for a geocache or two in the afternoon. Bit scary with so many men just sitting idle in parks and on curbs...just doing nothing. There appears to be an over abundance of labour without too many jobs to do. At the petrol station there are 3 attendants to each bowser so your cars practically gets reborn while it gets fuelled up. I have seriously considered taking up smoking here simply due to the savings that can be made. A pack of 20 is around $3 and almost justifies the habit.

  Today, Tuesday, we are off to Soweto on a bus tour and then will prepare for our flight to Maun in Botswana early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. We were picked up at 2.00pm and headed off through heavy traffic to get to Soweto. A very depressing sort of south west township, making up the name of Soweto. While there is 25% unemployment in Joburg it is 65% in Soweto...and there is no unemployment benefit. There is assistance for families so making babies is productive in more meanings of the word. But...it is still very primitive. Hard to believe as President Zuma is putting the final touches to his 220 million dollar mansion. We saw Nelson Mandela's home as a child, and for him and Winnie when he first came out of jail....a very humble abode. Our driver and guide was a really pleasant young black man who explained that he lived with his wife and 13 year old daughter and 7 year old son in a shanty, 3m X 2.5m.......about the same area as our motorhome. It was one room with no electricity or running water. Quite a sobering afternoon really.

New Blog

This is a practice of our new blog.

  This is us collecting our 1000th cache when visiting Rabbit Island.  

Tues 22nd March

A beautiful day at last. We meandered our way up the Coast as far as a Park Over on a farm at Kirita Bay. It was a first airing for the fishing rods from a great rock shelf. Lots of little snapper made for some fun but not one big enough for tea. BBQ steak was pretty good though.