Out of Africa

First of all, I can't believe that I have created a Blog - thanks to the help of that son of mine, I am becoming a bit more of a computer geek, I guess! Anyhow, below you will find a description of what Bruce and I did and saw in South Africa - the trip was amazing. So if you are interested, read on, but read from the bottom up if you want it to make sense!

Heathrow to Ottawa

It was wild at Heathrow where we arrived around 6:30 a.m. After many attempts, Bruce and I finally found how to get to the Hilton at Heathrow so that we could get a couple of hours sleep before out flight to Ottawa at 3:00 p.m. We had not slept on the Joburg to Heathrow flight. Bruce managed to get some sleep but I was to wound up to do so. We got into Ottawa at 6:30 p.m. and were picked up by Doug Arnold. We were glad to get home around 8:00 p.m. but certainly enjoyed out trip!!

Pretoria to Soweto then to Joburg

Today we visited Soweto with our guide Kenny (from Soweto) on the bus. We visited the museum which described the apartheid issue and it was quite moving. We also visited the house in which Nelson Mandela lived from the age of 28 until he was taken prisoner. The house is in terrible need of repair. Stuart had told us that we would have wonderful shopping in Soweto at the ‘warehouse’. We were a bit disappointed in the ‘warehouse’ as it did not really have everything we thought it would have. We spent over 2 hours there and then off to the airport to wait for our flight to Heathrow. We got to Heathrow on November 24^th at 6:30 a.m.

Soweto is the most populous black urban residential area in the country, with Census 2001 putting its population at 896,995. Thanks to its proximity to Johannesburg, the economic hub of the country, it is also the most metropolitan township in the country – setting trends in politics, fashion, music, dance and language. But the township was, from its genesis, a product of segregationist planning. It was back in 1904 that Klipspruit, the oldest of a cluster of townships that constitute present day Soweto, was established. The township was created to house mainly black laborers, who worked in mines and other industries in the city, away from the city centre. The inner city was later to be reserved for white occupation as the policy of segregation took root. But it was not until l963 that the acronym, Soweto, was adopted as the official name for the South Western Townships, following a four-year public competition on an appropriate name for the sprawling township. The perennial problems of Soweto have, since its inception, included poor housing, overcrowding, high unemployment and poor infrastructure. This has seen settlements of shacks made of corrugated iron sheets becoming part of the Soweto landscape. Apartheid planning did not provide much in terms of infrastructure, and it is only in recent years that the democratic government has spearheaded moves to plant trees, develop parks, and install electricity and running water to some parts o the township.

Soweto has also been a hotbed of many political campaigns that took place in the country, the most memorable of which was the 1976 student uprising. Other politically charged campaigns to have germinated in Soweto include the squatter movement of the 1940s and the defiance campaigns of the mid-to-late 1980s.

The area has also spawned many political, sporting and social luminaries, including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu – two Nobel peace prize laureates, who once lived in the now famous Vilakazi Street in Orlando West. Other prominent figures to have come from Soweto include boxing legend, Baby Jake Matlala, singing diva Yvonne Chaka Chaka and soccer maestro, Jomo Sono. Others include mathematician Prof. Thamsanqa Kambule, medical doctor Nthasto Motlana and prominent journalist Aggrey Klaaste. The township has also produced the highest number of professional soccer teams in the country. Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows all emerged from the township, and remain among the biggest soccer teams in the Premier Soccer League. Homelessness has been a perennial feature of Soweto since its inception. With its uniform four-roomed matchbox houses, hostels and without trees, Soweto looks drab and grey. The hostels were built on the outskirts of various townships to house migrant workers who have historically lived on the fringes of Soweto communities. With its high unemployment rate, the area has also spawned many gangsters and been a seedbed of criminal activity. Since the 1930s, various gangsters, mostly territorial formations of young, barely literate males, out of school and out of work, have come and gone. The gangs come and go, fashions come and go, but the ubiquitous township continues to grow. The extensions built in the 1980s to house the emerging middle class, mostly civil servants, have added some colour to the township.

Diamond Mine – Pretoria

Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. Although largely a government-based city, it is also a place of culture, with theatres, museums and monuments. We traveled outside of Pretoria to visit the Cullinan Diamond Mine where the Cullinan diamond was found on January 27, 1905 by the manager of the mines, Mr. Frederick Wells, an old employee of the Kimberley mines. While making his rounds of inspection, Mr. Wells’ eye caught a gleam in some debris and, investigating, he perceived that it was undoubtedly a large diamond; placing his find in the pocket of his sack coat he took it to the company’s office and its importance was quickly realized. The stone was weighed and found to register exactly 3253 ¾ carats. Immediately the news was transmitted by telegraph and cable to all parts of the world that the world’s greatest diamond had been discovered. The stone was christened ‘The Cullinan Diamond’ after Mr. T. N. Cullinan, the chairman of the Premier (Transvaal) Diamond Company. At the insistence of Premier Botha, the Transvaal Assembly presented the great diamond to King Edward VII in recognition of his granting a constitution to the Transvaal Colony. The diamond measured four by two and one-half by one to two inches. The stone had four cleavage planes, which led experts to surmise that other pieces of the same stone are still in the mines. To someone who was not familiar with diamonds, the great diamond nearly resembled a piece of ice.

Bought a few items in the hotel. Left hotel at 9:00 a.m. and walked to the Union buildings, the seat of Government where we had a group photo taken on the steps. Very hot day again! Off to the Cullinan diamond mine where the largest diamond was found in 1905. It was sent to England where the diamonds are now in the crown jewels. Had a very nice lunch at the Whispering Oak Garden Café, and left there at 2:00 p.m. I felt a bit faint during the tour because of the heat. We were at the mine on a very historic day as the mine was changing ownership that day and would no longer be run by De Beers. We were invited to the store to buy some diamonds but the prices were out of this world. We were off again to Pretoria to continue our tour. Our first stop was at the Voortrekker Memorial which tells the story of the Boer’s struggle to establish an independent state. From there we drove to the Kruger House which is the house that Paul Kruger lived in during his presidency of the Transvaal. Beautiful pieces of antique furniture were in that house. From there we drove around Church Square then made our way through heavy traffic to our dinner engagement at the Carnivore Restaurant – quite an experience with large spears being brought to the tables on which was every meat imaginable from chicken, to kudu, to wildebeest, to crocodile. Wow! We then had our secret pal gift exchange and left around 9:30 pm., back to the hotel – it was a shame in a way not to enjoy the beautiful hotel all day!!!

Mpumalanga – Pretoria

Another very hot day today with rain in the morning. Happy Birthday to me! I was serenaded with a Happy Birthday song on the bus! Very nice! Henriette went out of her way to give me a big hug and Stuart kissed me on the cheek. We left the hotel at 8:00 a.m. There was a huge thunderstorm last night which we all heard. Because it was my birthday, Bruce and I got the front seats on the bus today! We headed south and slightly west toward Pretoria. We climbed up the East Drakensberg Mountains which provides rugged scenery, endless forests, cool streams and impressive waterfalls. It looks like BC scenery except that the pine trees are all planted, so there are nice neat rows. We also saw the devastating effects of last year’s forest fires. Our first stop was at Wonder View about 100 M up the road from God’s Window – the same view, but we avoided the steep walk. Next stop about 30 minutes down the road was Bourke’s Luck Potholes which were formed by the joining of two fast flowing rivers. We had a bit of a walk down to the viewpoint but were well rewarded with the fabulous view. Next stop was Blyde River Canyon which was a gorgeous panoramic view of this very large canyon, reported to be the third largest in the world. From there we drove through more rugged terrain to our lunch stop at Dullstroom. What a great lunch at Harrie’s Pancakes – crepes, really, we enjoyed a combination of sweet and savory crepes – wonderful! Then we were off to Pretoria where we checked into the beautiful Sheraton Pretoria – WOW! Huge Christmas tree in the lobby! At 7:00 p.m. we went down to dinner and Bruce bought a few bottles of wine so that everyone would be able to toast my birthday.

Throughout the Mpumalanga hills and mountains exist hundreds of examples of San art. These rock art sites have provided a visual window through which we have been able to gain a better understanding of the lives and culture of these hunter-gatherers who inhabited the area centuries before the arrival of the Nguni people from the north. Then came the first of the Nguni people who arrived with herds of cattle, and mined red ochre in the hills south of Malelane. Around 1400 AD the second Nguni migration arrived from the north, to settle in this region with their vast herds of cattle. The creation of the Swazi nation as we know it today commenced at the time of King Ngwane. The movements of tribal chiefs through the region had a profound effect on the formation and bonding of nations. Most notable was the influence of Zulu king Shaka, whose empire stretched from the Swaziland border to the Tugela River in the south. Shoshangane, who escaped from Zululand and settled in the Gaza Province of Mozambique, was the founder of the Shangane people, while Mzilikazi, after being forced to flee Zululand to escape the wrath of Shaka, traveled through the region on his way north to establish an empire near Bulawayo in southern Zimbabwe. To the highveld, in the Steelpoort Valley, the Ndebele people settled with their herds. Historians have traced their arrival to the late 17^th century. Thereafter, their history has been woven around an almost constant state of conflict, and it is to the credit of their leaders, even to the present day, that this small but proud group have maintained their language and individual culture. After Zulu chief Mzilikazi wreaked havoc on the Ndebele when he passed through their territory, the Boer settlers came from the west to claim the land and set up a government at Ohrigstad. The arrival of white settlers led by Andries Potgieter, between 1836 and 1845 heralded a new era in the history of the region. A Boer party, under the command of Hans van Rensburg, was massacred by Shoshangane’s warriors during 1836. Later, a Portuguese settler named Joao Albasini settled near Pretoriuskop, where he established a trading station on the Albasini route, to Delagoa Bay on the Mozambique coast. Conflict between Boer, British and the Ndebele followed, and for many years a state of low intensity war existed, until the Ndebele leaders, Mabhoko and Nyabela, led the clan in a determined effort to drive the settlers back to the Vaal River. They failed

Kruger Day 2

Our wake-up call came at 4:45 a.m. today! We were all hoping to see some big cats

today. It is 38 C!! We saw more elephants, impala, kudu, dwarf mongoose, giraffes, steenbok antelope, warthog, white rhino, black rhino, marabou storks, chikma baboons, verbet monkeys, marshall eagle. Stopped at the Kruger store and got something for Isabelle and Daniel. We stopped for lunch and some of us were ready to return to the hotel because of the heat. However, we were outnumbered which, as it turned out, was a good thing as in the afternoon, we saw a leopard and some lions which had just finished mating! It was pretty amazing! Back at the hotel to cool off and another great dinner!

Kruger

On the bus at 7:30 a.m. to get through the Swaziland boarder, back into South Africa. The boarder crossing was uneventful and went very quickly. The soil in Swaziland is very red, just like PEI. We saw large number of ‘palm bananas’ – bananas grown on what looks like palm trees. Today we traveled to the world-renowned Kruger National Park with nearly 2 million hectares of life forms which fuses with historical and archaeological sights – this is real Africa. The world-renowned Kruger National Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa. For over 200 years it has been home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. The park is unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Man’s interaction with the Lowveld environment over many centuries – from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites like Masorini and Thulamela – is very evident in the Park. These treasures represent the cultures, personas and events that played a role in the history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park’s natural assets. We arrived at Kruger National Park at 9:30 a.m. and traveled north through the park spotting several species of park residents, including many impala (tons of impala), elephants, blue wildebeest, secretary bird, baboons, and a dung beetle. We left the park at noon at the Paul Kruger gate and drove the short distance to our hotel, the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate, where we stay two nights. Nice hotel with open concept. Bruce had to kill two extremely large beetles in our room. There are verbet monkeys everywhere! After getting our luggage, and changing, we caught a quick lunch then headed out in 3 open vehicles to tour the park. It was 38 C at Kruger – very hot. We saw more impala, elephants, giraffe, kudus and two hyenas who were nursing their young (very close to the road). We were back at the hotel in time for some to have a quick swim and then a wonderful supper then early to bed as we have to be going by 5:30 a.m. tomorrow!!!

Swaziland

We left the hotel at 8:00 a.m., on our way to Swaziland. We had a brief church service on the bus. We crossed the boarder into Swaziland at Galil at 8:30 a.m. where we had our passports stamped. King Mushwati the 3^rd is the king of Swaziland. Along the way, we saw a lot of sugar cane, which produces much of the income for the country and the ruling king. We stopped for a short break at a gas station where a lot of children came out to the bus. Some of our fellow travelers gave them Canada balloons, pencils and pens and they were so excited. At the gas station, we had to pay 2 rand for toilet paper! It was cloudy today, but warm. As we were driving along, quite often there were cows all over the highway so we had to slow down often. There was also garbage everywhere! We stopped at a candle factory where there were also crafts and I got 2 wooden elephants. Had one of the best muffins I have ever had from the little diner there. We also stopped at another craft market where we bought a giraffe for 160 rand and a wooden bowl for 100 rand. The giraffe was quickly christened ‘Geraldine’ by yours truly – hope we don’t have trouble getting her home! We also stopped at the Swazi Glass Factory, located on the outskirts of Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland which has a population of approx. 80 thousand. Swaziland gained its independence from England in 1968, and had its own constitution until 1972 then it came under the rule of King Sabhuza until his death in 1986 at which time his son took over. We had lunch at their diner (ham and cheese sandwich). Today was a traveling day and we got to Orion Pigg’s Peak Hotel on good time. Bruce and some others had a swim and I spent 100 rand (($13.00) at the casino there and won 200 rand! We had Room 416 and it was very nice – we only stayed here one night. We had a very nice dinner. To bed early as we have an early start tomorrow on our way to Kruger.

Swaziland derives its name from a later King, Mswati I. However, Ngwane is an alternative name for Swaziland and Dlamini remains the surname of the royal family, while the name Nkosi means King. The historical evolution of the autonomy of the Swaziland Nation was dictated by British rule of southern Africa in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In 1881, the British Government signed a convention recognizing Swazi independence. However, controversial land and mineral rights concessions were made under the authority of the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 1890 in terms of which the administration of Swaziland was also placed under that of the then South African Republic (Transvaal). At the commencement of the Anglo Boer war, Britain placed Swaziland under its direct jurisdiction as a Protectorate and repeated representations especially relating to land issues by the King and his Councillors which affected the political process, were rebuffed. Nevertheless, the Swaziland independence constitution was promulgated by Britain in November 1963 in terms of which a legislative Council and an Executive Council were established. This development was opposed by the Swazi National Council as it was not in accord with wishes and aspirations of the Swazi Nation. Despite such opposition, elections took place and the first Legislative Council of Swaziland was constituted on September 9, 1964. Changes to the original constitution proposed by the Legislative Council were accepted by Britain and a new Constitution providing for a House of Assembly and Senate, was drawn up. Elections under this Constitution were held in 1967.

The Swazi people descent from the southern Bantu who migrated from central Africa in the 15^th and 16^th centuries together with the Xhosas and the Zulus, which belong to the Nguni subgroup. The swazi ancestors, the Nkosi Dlamini, broke away from the mainstream of Nguni migrants led by Chief Ngwane, and settled in the region of the Pongolo river absorbing the Nguni and Sotho clans in the area. By 1750, they had settled in the Hluti region in the south of the Kingdom, under King Ngwane III of the Nkosi Dlamini clan.

Zululand – Hluhluwe Game Reserve

We awoke to bright blue sky and warm sun but within an hour or so it had clouded over but remained warm. We had breakfast with Carol, Sherry and her husband Bruce – lots of breakfast choices, especially the wonderful local pineapple. Bruce went for a swim this morning, as did a few of our fellow travelers. The trees at the hotel were covered with small nests made by the yellow weaver birds that use palms from the palm trees to weave their nests. Our relaxed morning saw many walking around the beautiful hotel grounds. At 10 a.m. we headed out to Dumazula, the Zulu cultural centre. Dumazulua shows customs and traditions from Zulu culture. It features woven round huts of the Zulu arranged in a circle around the cattle kraal. We saw lots of pineapple plantations on the way. We were treated to demonstrations on traditional Zulu crafts, costumes, culture and language. To say ‘my name is’ in Zulu, is ‘eekalamee’. The zulu tribe performed a very energetic dance to the drums played by individuals from the village. We had a great lunch at the village restaurant. The ice cream, especially, was really really good. It got quite cold and rainy so I had to buy a polar top to wear. We went on to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve (pronounced Shooshlouis) for our first game drive. The Hluhluwe Game Reserve, with one of the most biologically diverse habitats on the planet, has good year round animal viewing. Within its bounds there are 1250 species of plants and trees. It is one of Africa’s oldest game reserves and is said to have been King Shaka’s favourite hunting ground. The conservation efforts here have saved the white rhino from extinction. White rhinos from this park are now sent to other African parks. Twenty per cent of Africa’s black rhinos live in this park and work is now going into building up the numbers of black rhinos as well. Hluhluwe is 6% of the size of Kruger Park. Even so, one can drive for days around the park. We had a 3 hour drive in 10 passenger Landrovers around the reserve to see if we could spot any animals. We saw water buffalo, white rhinos, zebras, a wart hog, several different birds and graceful giraffes that walked right in front of our vehicles. In spite of the polar and the capes provided, it was pretty cold and wet. Back to the hotel to change and warm up followed by a wonderful meal where we were treated to another singing and zulu dance group performance. We found out from Kay that her grandson, Craig Beller, who attends Yale, was drafted by the New York Rangers – must keep our eyes and ears open in the future.

Durban - Zululand – Lake St. Lucia

We had to start taking our malaria pills today. We have a new driver in Preggie for the remainder of our trip on a comfortable coach. Under cloudy skies we headed north and east to St. Lucia. One of the sights along the way was a giant casino. We drove through beautiful rolling hills which grow sugarcane, the primary product of Durban. Stuart reminded us that prior to sugarcane, the biggest export was ivory. We learned about the challenges surrounding elephants and the need for conservation and also for control due to the heavy cost of maintenance. Our first real stop was at the St. Lucia Estuary where we loaded onto a boat with a group of Germans and had a great lunch while we cruised through the estuary finding hippos, crocs and several types of birds. We stopped at an open market where the selection was overwhelming! We stayed 2 nights at the Ghost Mountain Inn in Mkuze, Kwazulu Natal. The first night, I found a huge bug in the room which Bruce had to murder. This was not the best hotel and it could do with a lot of cleaning. The visit to Lake St. Lucia was interesting but Bruce and I both agreed that we could have done without it as it was a bit long and a bit boring after awhile. We called Daniel tonight and were amazed at how inexpensive the call was (9.47 rand, which is just over one dollar Canadian!).

Durban is one of the most African-feeling of the cities of South Africa. It is home to the largest number of Indians outside of India. Gandhi practiced law here and Winston Churchill visited as a young man. It is the third largest city in South Africa and Africa’s busiest port. It has about 12 KM of beach front with renowned surfing. Durban is known for its warm and humid weather. The area around Durban contains some of the battle sites of the Boer War (1899-1902). It was the longest, bloodiest and most costly war fought by Britain in 100 years. The Boers were Afrikaner descendants of Dutch immigrants and they were defeated as they fought for independence from Britain.

St. Lucia was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1999. At the time, Unesco said: ‘The interplay of the park’s environmental heterogeneity with major floods and coastal storms, and a transitional geographic location between sub-tropical and tropical Africa, has resulted in exceptional species diversity and ongoing speciation. The mosaic of landforms and habitat types creates superlative scenic vistas. The site contains critical habitat for a range of species from Africa’s marine, wetland and savannah environments.’ St. Lucia Lake is part of the St. Lucia estuary system, the largest estuarine system in Africa. The mouth of the estuary is located about 150 miles north of Durban along the east coast of South Africa. A narrow, seven-mile long channel connects the main body of St. Lucia with the western Indian Ocean. With a maximum width of 13 miles and a length of about 40 miles, Lake St. Lucia covers an area of between 115 and 135 square miles. The depth of the lake ranges between three and eight feet. In some years, the water’s salinity has risen to three times the level of sea water in northern parts of the lake, causing mass die-offs of aquatic plants and animals. The watershed of St. Lucia covers several hundred square miles. Besides water from the Indian Ocean that enters the mouth of the estuary, water from the Mkhuze, Nyalazi, and Hluhluwe rivers flows into the lake. In the south, the Umfolozi Swamps border the lake as does part of the Mkuze Swamps in the north. A large peninsula to the east separates the lake from the Indian Ocean. Here, over the last 25,000 years, wind and other natural forces created the world’s highest forested sand dunes that rise 600 feet.

Tsitskikamma – Port Elizabeth

The Tsitsikamma National Park is an 80 KM long coastal strip between Nature’s Valley and the mouth of the Storms River. In the park, the visitor finds an almost untouched natural landscape. Tsitsikamma is the Khoi-San word for a ‘place of many waters’. The beautiful indigenous forest is home to birds, antelope and other wildlife, as well as the giant Outeniqua Yellowwood – one of the true monarchs of the world’s forests. Whales and dolphins are regular visitors to the coast. Adventure seekers will revel in the assortment of activities. On the other hand, you can simply relax and unwind in a completely serene wonderland of forest, mountain and see.

Port Elizabeth is known for its sunshine and safe sandy beaches. Located on the South Eastern coast of Africa, this major seaport and tourist destination is set along the beautiful shores of Algoa Bay, and is fondly referred to as the Friendly Eco-City. The city is the second largest city in terms of area and the fifth largest in terms of population in South Africa (1.1 million). The city is also an important centre for the South African motor industry. On the bus early for a LONG drive day. It was rainy and windy. We headed east along the Garden Route towards Plettenberg Bay, a recreation spot for the rich and famous. We had a brief stop at the Bloukrans River Gorge which is a 400M span over a gorge. At the top the span rises 216 M above the Gorge below. Because of the rain we decided not to take the nature walk in the Tsitsikamma National Park to see the giant Yellow wood tree but instead spent about an hour exploring the Storms River Mouth. We enjoyed time at the shop, and some welcome warm coffee. We then went onto Port Elizabeth through miles of farm and ranch land. We said goodbye to our driver, Saban, who felt he was losing part of his ‘family’ saying goodbye to us as we off on a short flight to Durban, a large city with approximately 3 million people. We stayed at the Southern Sun hotel and were greeted with drinks, which was nice as we were all very tired and thirsty. We stayed one night at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel – nice hotel (Room 325)

Knysna – Featherbed Reserve

A nice sunny warm day to start, but turned very breezy by afternoon. Our hotel rooms opened onto the Knysna Bay Marina. Bruce took some of our laundry to the ‘laundromat’ where the owners wash, dry and fold your laundry and return it to your hotel – not too expensive, either! I bought two tablecloths being sold by the locals, right across the street from the hotel – they all had at least 20 or more of them piled on their heads! We took the ferry to the Featherbed Reserve which is located on an island and is privately owned and used for the sole purpose of conservation. Our guide on the ferry, Martin, was very entertaining. Then we piled onto a vehicle with two trailers and climbed to the very highest point on the island. It was a beautiful location. We had a delicious buffet meal there before leaving and returning to Knysna, getting onto our coach and going to see the elephants at the Knysna Elephant Park. There was a new baby elephant born on January 1^st. We fed the elephants – one of them did not like oranges, another would allow you to put food directly in his mouth, while another would collect from several different people before eating what he had been given. They all knew to go behind a ‘feeding’ spot when they heard any vehicles approaching.

The Featherbed Reserve is only accessible by ferry and is situated near the Knysna Lagoon. Featherbed Nature Reserve is a coastal reserve that is surrounded by lush vegetation and superb views of Knysna. Local attractions, within close proximity include the Knysna Heads and the Beachcomber caves. The reserve is located in one of South Africa’s scenic wonders, the Garden Route. The reserve is ideally situated to present visitors with the best possible views of the area and to display the diverse flora species. The Knysna coastal region comprises of many marine species and visitors to the area will can view these creatures up close and personal. In 1922, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe was constructed at the recommendation of the Railways and Harbours Board, between George and Knysna, a distance of approximately 67 KM, at an estimated cost of 596,820 pounds. The building of the line was started simultaneously from George and Knysna in 1924. Although railway service from George to Knysna was available for passenger traffic since May 1928, it was formally opened on October 17^th. When it was built, it was regarded as the most expensive piece of clickety clack in the world. Due to flooding which occurred earlier this year, we were unable to use the train as originally planned.

Cango Caves – Ostrich Farm

The Cango Caves are a place of great natural beauty. The temperature in the Cango Caves is a warm and humid 18 degrees C. Ample lighting makes uneven pathways and stairs easy to negotiate, and provides opportunities for memorable photographs. The Cango Caves lie in the Swartberg Mountain Range in a limestone belt measuring 0.5 km in width and almost 16 km in length. The limestone layer was formed by the deposit of ‘oolites’ which are loosely-bound calcium carbonate crystals. Due to the age of the limestone (750 million years) no fossils have been found. This part of the continent was once below the ocean. As the continent rose and upliftment occurred, the Little Karoo finally found itself above the water level. The caves only started to form some 20 million years ago, however, when the water level dropped to such an extent that the ground water could start to seep into the limestone. As the water seeped into the ground, it absorbed carbon dioxide from the decaying plant and animal matter in the soil and this made it fairly acidic. As it seeped into the limestone, cavities were created that filled with water. Rivers also formed on the surface and cut deeply enough into the limestone to allow them to reach the level of the water pockets. This caused the water to flow out about 4 million years ago. The cave was then, for the first time, exposed to air and the speleothems or cave formations could begin forming.

Bruce was not feeling very well today. We drove through countryside with ostrich, springbok farms. We traveled to the Cango Caves where Bruce had to leave after a short while. What we did see of the caves was spectacular. We then went on to the Cango Wildlife Ranch where we enjoyed seeing a wide variety of animals, many of which are endangered species due to black market sale of wild meat and the use of body parts for medicinal purposes. We saw crocodiles, pigmy hippos, storks, Bengal baby tigers, cheetah, meerkat. Our next stop was at an Ostrich farm where we had a great lunch of ostrich steak, salad, corn fritters and wine. We learned more about ostrich breeding and that ostriches are not particularly smart. Each eye weighs 60 gm while their brain weighs 40 gm. We got to hold very heavy ostrich eggs (equivalent to 24 hen’s eggs). We were then off across the Outeniqua Mountain pass (very scenic) through George and on to Knysna (silent K) where we spent two nights at a beautiful hotel.

It was a very hot day, up to 34 C. We were told to drink lots and lots of water. I loved the ostrich steak! Bruce started feeling better by the end of the day. We stayed two nights at the Knysna Quays Hotel on the harbour – beautiful hotel!

Swellendam – Mossel Bay

We had an early start today (7:00 a.m.), leaving Cape Town. Departing from Cape Town, we travel Sir Lawries Pass with its magnificent views over False Bay and the apple orchards of Elgin & Grabouw to Swellendam. It is the third oldest settlement in South Africa. Lying at the foot of the beautiful Langeberg mountains, this place is not only famous for its youngberries, but as well for its architecture and its history. Swellendam was founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1745. The town and its district were named after the governor of the Cape and his wife, Hendrik Swellengrebel and Helena Ten Damme. In time, a village was established opposite the Drotsdy, across the Koornlands River, where artisans, including numerous mainwrights and traders settled. To travelers and explorers, the services of these village folk were indispensable, as Swellendam was the last outpost of civilization on the eastern frontier. By the middle of the 19^th century, the eastern districts had been colonized by British settlers and Swellendam was a thriving metropolis. The town served as a useful refreshment station on the long slow journey up the coast.

We traveled along the coat by Gordon Bay, past Cape Hangklip to Hermanus where we stopped for whale watching, and coffee. We saw quite a few Southern Right Whales in the bay. We continued east to Riviersonderend and on to the Aloe factory where we enjoyed a lovely lunch and information about aloe products. After lunch, we had a short drive to Mossel Bay, our first glimpse of the Indian Ocean. We enjoyed the sights at the Bartholomew Diaz Museum at Mossel Bay, which depicts the history of the voyages of discovery. It boasts a replica of the vessel used in the 1488 voyage of discovery. It is incredibly small – seeing it brings home the extraordinary skill and courage of the explorers. We then continued north through Robinson Pass into the little Karoo and to our hotel in Oudstorn. We enjoyed a great supper of Ostrich, lamb and a few other delicacies. We stayed one night at the Oudtshoorn Hotel and Resort in Oudtshoorn

Robben Island

We were allowed to sleep in today – very nice and needed rest! Joan and Kay and I went shopping at the Waterfront from 9:00 a.m. to 12ish. Bought some dish towels and magnetic book marks, a few books, and a small giraffe. In the afternoon, we took the ferry to Robben Island where Nelson Mandella was held prisoner for 18 years.

Here we met Kgotso (which means peace). He was a political prisoner at Robben Island from 1984 to 1991. He had originally been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his political activity with the Pan African Congress (PAC). He shared his experiences of being a prisoner, the conditions, and the associations of Mandella’s time and what it is like now to live next door (on the island) to his former jailer. There were 60 men to a room (about 20 ft wide and 60 ft long). Mandela was in that prison from 1964 to 1982. His prison number was 466/64. When Kgotso talked about apartheid, he described the situation of having to always carry a book with you or you would get jail time. Often mothers were taken away from their children in the street if not carrying their book. When asked how his life was different now that apartheid was abolished, he replied that ‘now I can sit on an empty bench in the park with no fear. Before I could not sit on an empty bench if it was marked White Only or if I did, I had to make sure no one was watching’. We were also taken on a bus tour of the island and our guide, Yasien, a professional story teller, used humor and stories giving us the history of the island, which was used for prisoners, as well as to segregate individuals with Leprosy (1846). We learned that work at the quarry was responsible for eye damage in the prisoners both from exposure to the reflected sun and the dust. Mandela suffers from poor sight because of this. He told us about cannons that were built to protect Cape Town from enemies during WWII. The only problem is that they were not completed until 1947. He asked us not to relay to President Bush that the island has ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

After our visit we ferried back to Cape Town and onto the bus to head out for dinner at a home hosted meal (Patricia and Jack Shaerer). Their niece, Erin, and son, John, along with Jack and Axel van Heerden, entertained us with a number of jazz selections. The meal was very enjoyable, as was the evening. We were back to the hotel by 10:30 p.m. to get ready for an early morning (5:30 a.m.) start the next day.

Since the Dutch settled at the Cape, in the mid 1600’s, Robben Island, 12 kilometers from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment where rulers sent those they regarded as political troublemakers, social outcasts and the unwanted of society. During the Second World War, it was a training and defense station. It has also been a hospital for leprosy patients and for the mentally ill. During the apartheid years, Robben Island became internationally known for its institutional brutality. The duty of those who ran the Island and its prison was to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush their morale. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs. Those imprisoned on the Island succeeded on a psychological and political level in turning a prison ‘hell-hole’ into a symbol of freedom and personal liberation. Despite opposition from the prison authorities, prisoners organized sporting events, political debates and educational programs. Robben Island came to symbolize not only for South Africa and the African continent, but also for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity. It was on this island that Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 18 years. This island is now a museum and conservation area and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. Former inmates lead tours around their old cells – a moving experience or both them and thousands of visitors from around the world.

Cape Winelands

The Stellenbosch wine route has 106 cellars. The Stellenbosch Village Museum is a group of four carefully restored and furnished buildings representing the major stylistic periods of the previous three centuries. Here one can move through these time periods in a matter of minutes, experiencing fascinating architecture, and getting a glimpse of life in the early development of the Cape. Today was a nice bright sunny day. Up early as we had to be on the bus by 8:00 a.m. We drove up to Stellenbosch via Franchhoek to see the Huguenot Monument. The Huguenot Memorial and Museum commemorates the 250^th anniversary of the arrival of the Huguenots. Franschhoek was founded by French Protestants (Huguenots) fleeing from persecution in France. Since the climate here was very similar to the area from which they came, they settled down specializing in vineyards and wine-making. Had a quick stop at the Drakenstein Prison from which Nelson Mandela was released after his imprisonment. The Huguenot memorial was quite something to see with a large very old cemetery beside it and the museum dedicated to the Huguenots. We had time to walk into Franchhoek, a delightful small village where we visited a really old church where they were getting ready for a wedding later that day. They had prepared ‘confetti’ made out of rose petals – which is what they use rather than rice or normal confetti as it is more environmentally friendly – what a good idea! We then headed off to Stellenbosch where we visited the Dorp Museum (4 different houses that survived the many fires there and represented the homes of different eras and social class). Then we had lunch at a local restaurant – the Volkskombuis Restaurant which served three course lunches. The food was wonderful. After lunch we headed for the Seidelberg Wine Estates where we had a tour of the estate and wine tasting. Then we finally got to go to Table Mountain as we could not earlier because of the weather. We went up the tram which was pretty neat and the walk around was breathtaking. We were free for the evening and had dinner at a local restaurant called San Marco in the harbour with Joan, Kay, Jeannette and Gerald Blanchard. We had a very good dinner.

Cape Town/Kirstenbosch Gardens/Cape Peninsula

Our wake up call was at 6:30 a.m. (which was late as for most of the remainder of the trip, it was at 6:00 a.m.!) We had a great breakfast at the hotel, and were on the bus at 8:00 a.m. heading for the Rhodes Memorial.

Cecil Rhodes was born in 1853 and came to South Africa at the age of 17. He quickly made a fortune in diamonds. In 1890, he became prime minister and died in 1902. The Rhodes scholarships are part of his legacy. The view of the Cape Flats was magnificent, despite the rain. We headed to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens where we saw a variety of Protea (the national flower of South Africa) and a variety of plants and trees. Kirstenbosch is one of eight National Botanical Gardens in South Africa. It was founded in 1913 and was the first botanical garden in the world intended to preserve indigenous plants. It has a magnificent setting against Table Mountain and is one of the most impressive garden spots in Africa. From there we drove along the coast of False Bay to Simon’s town, spotting some humpback whales along the way. At Simon’s town, we visited the Boulders Penguin Colony where we saw hundreds of Penguins as they sunned themselves on the sandy beach amongst the rocks. The Colony began with one pair of penguins in 1983. Now there are thousands of African penguins there attracted by the good fishing. It is possible to swim amongst them but they do have a vicious bite! We had a great lunch at the Black Marlin Restaurant where we had Swordfish. Drove on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve where we saw the huge waves crashing on the rocks. It was a very rainy experience. Between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas the cold Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian Ocean collide. The two intermingling currents help to create the micro-climate of Cape Town. When we left the park we witnessed a family of baboons on the road. Back to the hotel for a clean up and on to the Africa Café where we tried a large variety of African dishes. Bruce and I sat with Joan Michalchuk and Kay Oldman and got to know them a bit better.

Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town early the morning of November 8th (extremely tired from not sleep) and were met by our tour guide for the remainder of the tour, Stuart McMillan. Our coach driver is Saban – a nice guy and a great driver. We visited the Company Gardens where there was a monument to Cecil Rhodes and an array of flowers. We then drove around the Boor crop area which has many very colorful homes. We had lunch and shopping time at the Harbour Market, then checked in to our hotel, the Portswood, where we slept for 2 hours before going to dinner at the hotel in the evening. None of the hotels had fans in the bathroom which we found odd and also the handle to flush the toilets are on the right. I had a hard time with people driving on the left side of the road and kept thinking we were going to have a major accident with oncoming traffic. We stayed 4 nights at the Portwood Hotel, at Portswood Square – very nice hotel!

About Cape Town: Our trip to South Africa was much shorter than that of Diaz of Portugal. He sailed off searching for the riches of the east and in February 1498, he unwittingly rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Ten years later, Vasca da Gama sailed from Portugal around the Cape to India.

But the Portuguese were by no means the first to set foot in South Africa. Prehistoric people left their mark here some 600,000 years ago. European settlement began in 1652. Today, South Africa is a cultural melting pot with its diverse and vibrant character being derived from the Khoikhoi and other African tribes from the North, the Zulu, as well as Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers. Cape Town’s name originated from the term ‘Cape of Good Hope’ from which point Bartholomew Diaz and other seafarers looked forward to the sight of Table Mountain, like an inn that promised hospitality and prosperity. It is visible 40 miles out to sea. Cape Town has the 3^rd largest population of the cities of South Africa and is one of the world’s mot beautiful cities. Like Vancouver, it is looking forward to 2010 when it will host the FIFA World Cup of soccer. Bustling and beautiful, cosmopolitan Cape Town is surrounded by pristine coastlines and a magnificent countryside offering a unique floral kingdom. It is exposed to strong south-easterly winds. The splendor of Table Mountain is one of the most photographed sites in South Africa – 1000 meters high, it dominates the city. In the summer, low-lying cloud hangs over the mountain. Legend attributes the cloud to a pope-smoking contest between the devil and the pirate, Jan van Hunks. The cloud is said to remind the devil of his defeat.

Ottawa to Heathrow to Cape Town - a 2 Day Affair

We left Richmond around 4:00 p.m. and were driven to the airport by our neighbour, Doug Arnold.

We boarded the plane at 6:45 p.m. and were off to Heathrow, arriving at 6:45 a.m. on November 7^th (Wednesday). We did not sleep on the plane so were pretty warn out. We sat around Heathrow and waited for the rest of the group which arrived around noon. We then headed off to tour London with Gavin Webb as the tour guide. We had a bus tour and a typical roast beef dinner at Ye Olde Cock Tavern. Most of the group went on the London Eye (Millennium Eye) to see London from up high but Bruce and I chose to stay by the waterfront and saw some ‘statue people’ which were amazing. At 4:00 p.m. we checked in at Heathrow Terminal 1 for our 12 hour flight to Cape Town.