3 pictures from South Africa

Kay:

No matter how much travelling one does, how many flights taken or how many airport security checks endured, there is always that inevitable glitch and this time it was in Perth where Dennis was identified as a possible terrorist threat because he had a roll of Traveller’s Friend – otherwise known as duct tape – in his hand luggage.
But we were allowed on the flight to Johannesburg unlike a chap seated a few rows in front who was escorted off by policemen who boarded the plane after we had taxied to the end of the runway only to be ordered to return to the gate.

So when it takes 3 flights, 11 hours in transit and 34 hours all up to arrive at your destination, we were so lucky to be met at Port Elizabeth by Pippa Watson. Thank you, Mike for organising such lovely hosts as Pip and Terry whose introduction to South Africa even included boboti and milk tart for dinner.

With our body clocks suitably re-adjusted and TomTom on duty we headed off in Avis for our next host, Altus’s brother Herman van As living in an idyllic countryside location near Stillbaai. We had our own rustic thatched house and you could have joined us there as it slept 12. The spring water there would have to be the best we’ve ever tasted.
Being a garagista winemaker, Herman sent us away after a couple of days with an A4 sheet full of scribbled “must do’s” – especially must-do wine tastings around Franschoek and Stellenbosch. So hard to choose which vineyards to visit and so hard to not buy more than we could consume.

For once the exchange rate is in our favour, a major consideration when there are so many fine restaurants that have come recommended by people we’ve met along the way or by friends like Tony Fabs before we even left home.

We are now in Cape Town after driving the dramatic coastline from Stellenbosch and have been up Table Mountain and thralled at the vista from above. A most beautiful city.

And now from Dennis.

Given that we haven’t had any real cockups or serious adventures yet I thought a few carefully considered observational opinions might be possible.

Wine.
I haven’t done a huge amount of tasting – about 10 vineyards and the odd bottle but that’s enough to be an expert. The whites are a variable lot. Chardonnay can be very good, Sav Blanc is generally not exciting but the better ones are pretty good with my favourite being called “Life from Stone” because of the limestone it is grown on.

Reds are the real strength and some of the very good Cabernets are extremely good. Locals are keen on their Shiraz but I think they have better choices. As usual the owners of the smaller places are fun to talk to and several times I have been forced to go past the counter to taste barrel samples or this year’s tank samples. And there are some very rich people determined to lessen their fortune by building “statement” wineries that are fun to visit. One place charged about $1.50 a glass to taste but for that you got to sit in a very impressive room at a very impressive table with one’s very own attractive wine person/expert. I was happy to pay.

Politics.
I reckon the white guys dodged a lot of bullets when the regime change happened and they should say thank you to Mandela on a regular basis. The ANC guys have taken full advantage and appear to have a lot more than front trotters in the trough, which is a good thing in one way because they have a vested interest now in keeping the trough full and that means keeping the white guys making money. I am not sure if they care too much about the people at the bottom of the heap but maybe they are a bit better at that than the last lot.

Kay and I did a 2-hour walking tour of a township called Langa here in Cape Town which was a bit of an eye-opener and very interesting. It was just the two of us with a local guide and the place had “informal” housing i.e. shacks made of available rubbish; blocks of rooms where in one room there might be three beds which meant three families lived there, with one cold tap and a single bathroom for 6 rooms which probably equated to about 60 adults and children; to “middle class” housing which meant one family to one room with a bit of a kitchen and a toilet; to “upperclass” who had their own house and a bit of space outside. The guide showed us where the government was replacing the shacks with houses so something is happening. We went to a shabeen, local “bar” where I had a few mouthsful of the sorghum beer and paid for the whole bucket it came in – the other guys there were very happy about that. And of course we bought market stuff at probably higher prices than outside and like the wine tasting we were happy to do so.

So for a traveller driving through some stunning countryside it is the townships that are the most jarring sights, mostly because they seem so out of keeping with what looks like a relatively prosperous country. We’ve seen plenty of slum housing around the world but that is in poor countries where you know there is not the financial ability to make quick changes. Here in SA it just looks like there isn’t the political will to really make the massive change that it seems should be possible. This is, of course, the view of an ill-informed outsider.

Locals.
All we have met have been friendly and happy to see us. No one has guessed our nationality but when informed more than a few have said “I hate you” but with a smile and “only because of rugby” which leads to the usual well-informed rugby discussion. I have been tipping with gusto because the tipees are black and I feel they need it more than me, and also the exchange rate means it is not a lot.

Tomorrow it is an early start to the airport to fly to Botswana for a 2-week safari.

Must read the instruction book for the new camera.

Cheers
Dennis & Kay

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