South Africa

C sent me a few of her photos from her current stay in South Africa.

 




And these brought to the fore of my memories my trip to South Africa .....

Thank you - what a wonderful photo. That should really be framed.

Gosh! You are reminding me of my fabulous trip to South Africa. It was in about 1990 I think. I was there for just over 3 weeks. What a trip.

I started in Cape Town and drove to many fascinating areas (including Paarl and Stellenbosch as I was drinking then - actually it wasn't in excess at that time but then I was in a relationship ironically with an Italian man whose father made exceptionally good wine, from the grape. I was also eating eating eating).

 

I went to Hermanus Bay and I was so very fortunate to sit with my feet in the water where whales were swimming around. And then we drove around some of the towns and areas at the beginnings of the Garden route.

It was also along this journey that I discovered polished semi precious stones for the first time. They were so cheap I bought bags and bags. I had them in a glass vase but Joe took those too. I was always and still am disappointed I didn't get to keep them, along with some of the things we bought in China and Hong Kong and Bali. He took all of those things. Just material possessions but I suppose meaningful representations of trips and memories. As well of course as memories of time with him. That was a long relationship and not to be written about right here and now. So many tangents!!!!

 

 

There were a number of towns and scenes we passed through and visited.

 

The Cape of Good Hope of course was amazing. The meeting point of the two oceans. It was a clashing of waves and a bashing of winds coming together with such force. I remember it as wind noisy and boisterous.

 

I had only arrived the night before and was fast asleep when the hotel room phone went off. It was a colleague of mine from the UK phoning urgently to say that we had to get to Hermanus Bay, he'd been on the night shift and watching the news about the whales at Hermanus and didn't want me to miss them. We went off that very morning.

I did this .....

 

 

 

I hope you get to see them.

I lived in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire at the time we went on this trip. One evening driving around Cape Town we came across Aylesbury ice cream. I think it was on the way to an a very trendy area - it may have even been the port area? Oh I just looked it up - V&A Waterfront. Is it a well known place for restaurants and shops? I can't quite remember. I do remember that we were stopped by the police and asked for ID. I remember acting as if that was all OK and that I was street-wise (in a way I was having travelled extensively and already lived quite a "high" life) but inside I was alarmed and nervous. I've lived those two people all my life. Pretending as if I'm all knowing, cool and calm, taking it all in my experienced stride. But inside very sensitive to these situations I've found myself in all over the place.

 

I thought Paarl and Stellenbosh were alluring and not just for the wine. I enjoyed going from wine estate to wine estate - tasting. We bought wine as well. You know I can remember feeling embarrassed as we weren't big wine drinkers and I thought they'd really only be interested in people buying lots from them. Or in coach trippers because they'd end up with good sales. Not a couple trundling around on our own - uneducated in anything really and not big spenders. That's a theme of my lack of self worth in many, many situations.

We did a touristy visit to KWV wine emporium Paarl. A fascinating history of the cooperative of the wine estates.

But I was charmed by the estates and the white buildings. It seemed funny being amidst these places that had previously only been TV or film experiences. It's often been quite surreal a feeling when I end up being in the reality of something I'd only ever seen with the limits of the screen size. I remember that odd feeling the first time I was in the States.

Then we took a train (not the Blue Train) from Cape Town to Jo'burg. My want an interesting journey. We took a first class sleeper which back then was tuppence ha'penny. I was really amused at one station we pulled into. All the cute little children were lined up by the First class carriages - begging. They got given food and money in abundance. The noise levels were incredible - laughter and joy. As the train pulled out the little children turned into bigger children who starting spitting and throwing things. The noise of the angry First Class passengers was equally amusing. They were furious and some I overheard were raging about the cheek of it. I smiled as I listened to them ranting about being duped.

Resourceful and angry local people.

Ah yes the TransKaroo - the scenery was pretty stable until approaching Johannesburg. Leaving Cape Town started out quite changeable but then same same same - I guess the timing of the departure was scheduled so that the sleeping happened when the journey was most boring.

 

 

I did walk through the train and found Third Class. It sounds ever so grandiose but I don't mean it that way. Whilst I appreciated the cheapness of First class for me on my earnings which weren't so incredible by the way compared with the average in the UK at the time but comfortable enough, in South Africa, my money really gave me a high quality of life. But I felt guilty. Sitting in Third Class was where it was all happening. At the time I was there some people started singing and the whole carriage started to join in. White and black.

I did though return to the luxury of my private first class sleeper cabin.

Arriving in Jo'burg was a real change of atmosphere. i wasn't expecting to but I felt the undertones of danger. Having hired a car from the station and not knowing the area at all I realise it was rather stoopid of us at the time. We drove to our hotel and on the way heard gun shots. It seemed that at this time it was fairly normal. IN the paper the next morning we read of a shooting in Mayfair and some people had been killed. That was exactly where we were driving through. I think at the time we were there it was still very troublesome. I know there are still troubles but I truly hope it has improved.

The next day Joe and I decided to go for a walk around Jo'burg. The hotel concierge was most alarmed that we were going to stroll off. Only after a few 100 yards we realised why. It felt hostile.

Being in the travel industry albeit business travel I was very privileged and managed to negotiate a private Safari with this chap called Wally. It was Kruger. We were there for 4 days I think.

I decided to have my hair permed - as if it's not curly enough. At that time in my life I was all make up and hair dryers, straightening my hair every morning by pulling it under the intense heat of full power!! It took ages and a lot of sweating. So I decided that to go to the national park I'd have to be able to leave my hair curly. What a disaster. And then I had to face the hut accommodation and spiders! AAAAaRGH!

 

He really did treat us. Early starts to silently observe the dawn at a watering hole. M that was amazing watching the animals come in turn. First the lions, then the jackals, then the baboons, and so on in pecking order. I remembering sitting there thinking the show was all over when suddenly I noticed giraffe appear in the bush around the watering hole. They stood thre still for ages looking and gradually they moved towards the water along with the zebra and wildebeest - they seemed to all herd together. Finally the impala - by that time they were so passe but when we first drove in the reserve I was oohinh at aaahing at them springing about all over the place.

There was one day we were parked up and I enquired about this little fluffy cotton like balls in the bushes were beside. He explained that they were spider nests. Spiders that were minute in size. But as there were so many in each little puff ball nest that accumulatively they could sting and kill. Singularly it wouldn't even notice. At that time in my life I was terrified of spiders. Ironic really as were sitting watching a pride of lions at very close distance. I was afraid I'd be compelled to stick my arm out to try and touch them. A little like I feel compelled to jump off tall buildings. But then I was more terrified of these spider nests.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe was a very good looking fella. It would be nice to have a phot of him and many other of the wonderful men I have known but it just wasn't compatible.

 

We saw a elephant herd, rhinoceros, a lion pride, crocs, water buffalo - incredible birds of all varieties.

Claire I just loved that visit to Kruger. As I'm writing all sorts of memories are coming back to me.

We decided to go off in our hire car and went to Pretoria rather than stay in Jo'burg. Wow! What a beautiful city. The jacaranda were in full bloom and the entire city seemed to be mauve. The atmosphere was entirely different.

 

From there we spontaneously decided to drive to Sun City. When I think back on that drive now we were crazy. We went off completely unprepared in a little hire car. I think it was a 3 hour drive to Bophuthtswana. We barely saw a person apart from the odd person walking along carrying wares on their head. No petrol stations, no places to stop for food or water. Nothing. That's how I remember it anyway.

 

We had a couple of days in the gambling-fest and to be honest I found Sun City all so fake and pointless after the glory of the wildlife. It's a good job really that I never really had a big win because very time I've been gambling in any shape of form I feel the buzz. It was the same in Las Vegas. A couple of wins on arrival and I thought that was the way it was going to be ad then nothing. It then became tedious and boring. Phew. Mind you i do love the whole atmosphere and adrenalin rush of the horses and a race meet.

I remember they were preparing for the big Miss World competition to be held there at some point - so that was how long ago it was Joe and I were there - 1992. It was pretty quiet people-wise unlike Las Vegas. And it was still very much under construction.

 

 

I was sad about the wild life though - squashed out of the plains really by people into this tiny corner that rarely received enough rainfall to fill the rivers and lakes. I was praying every day for rain as it was particularly dry.

On the crazy drive back from Sun city to Jo'burg we were travelling into the night. And there was the most incredible light and colour display of lightening. Apparently it was common we later discovered but didn't mean rain. I was a spectacle of a light show and my memories don't do the experience justice.

 

And then we tipped over the top of a large hill down towards Jo'burg. what a glorious sight that was. Jo'burg twinkled like a glittering diamond. All the city lights surrounded by complete darkness all around. It was it's own beauty and spectacle for a city. But with the knowledge that it was also a city ravaged with angst and hatred. Today I pray for that to be lifted ad love to be strengthening. I suspect that will take a lot of time. If only people could find the trust in God and then the trust in people would not be tainted.

The next day we were leaving South Africa and the rain came down. Enormous drops of rain plopped on the car windscreen - washed the car of its dusty trip across what could well have been dangerous territory. I hope that the wildlife parks would also receive rain and that the animals, birds and creatures would be dancing in it. I really cried for them and their stifled lives. Elephants no longer roaming the entirety of Africa.

 

This doesn't quite capture what I recall. We were further away and saw the entire city from on high.

 

Oh and I did enjoy the tour of the diamond mines at Kimberly. Set up really as a masive museum. With a tour into the mines. I had an eye out for a diamond but I guess so had every tourist before me and no doubt since.

And not long after that we flew home.

So your visits to South Africa and your photos bring all of these memories flooding back.

wow isn't it great to have memories like these and have them all stirred again and actually run through them.

Obviously this may make boring reading since you are there yourself and experiencing these tings for real and in your own way.

Lucky you. I would hope some day to return and visit you and my gorgeous friend Kim.

How lucky I am to have seen so many glorious corners of our magical world. I do miss the ability to travel at will. It was if for a period in my life I had wings. Pity addiction was clouding the views.

Bliss
XX