South Africa
Good, finally here a post about my New Years holiday to South Africa which was marvellous by the way. I don't want to brag, but I've seen quite a lot from the world so far, but SA is certainly in my top 3 of most beautiful places I've been to. But not only was the country superb, also the people and the atmosphere were just great. It's hard to describe a feeling, but it felt so good and amazing those 10 days I was there. Planning to buy there a house some day. :)
Well, the flight was via Windhoek (Namibia) to Cape Town (south west SA) and then to a nature park in east SA (a mere 2500km drive) and back to Cape Town. I actually spend 4 days in the car driving from Cape Town to the park and back and only 1 day in the park... Go figure! But it was for sure worth it. I've seen lions, elephants, rhinos, hyenas, giraffes, buffels, a crocodile, a hippo and many many more animals. Although I haven't been to the Kruger (which is supposedly even better), I think I got quite a good image of parks and animals in SA. I have to say though that concrete roads were not in my ideal image of nature parks... :)
Cape Town is one of the most amazing and beautiful places I have ever been and seen. It is really alive and kicking. The stay was in a boutique hotel Le Vendome, which was already marvellous and a white aircondicioned car completed the equipment. Cape Town around New Year is wonderful with superb weather (although a bit windy), lots of things to do, music at every corner and sadly a lot of musea closed... Last year I spend New Year's Eve in Rome, now in Cape Town and I have to say that Cape Town was so much more nice. Eating till 23.45 at a panncake restaurant at the Waterfront, watching the fireworks at 24.00, dancing on "Gimme Hope Joanna" (never thought I would do that) and being stuck in a garage for 1.5 hour to get out with the car. You have to relax and let it go.
Besides Cape Town and the natire park, also visited the winelands around Cape Town (so beautiful and superb driving routes), Cape of the Good Hope (Dutch!!!), Robben Island ("apartheid" is probably the only Dutch word the whole world knows) and the pengiun colony near Cape Town.
There is so much to tell and explain, but you have to have been there to see, understand and experience. I want to go back...!!! One small story I do want to tell you. While driving to the nature park, we already came across 7 mobile radar speed detectors, hoping/thinking to have passed them all, we drove off a hill close to Durban with an average speed of 178 where 120 was allowed. And of course there was just another policeman doing his job and pulling us over. With 58km too fast, he couldn't give us a ticket as he was only allowed to issue those till 50km. Our fee had to be set by the DA, but since it was already after 17.00 that man had gone home. Therefore a night jail for the driver was obligatory!!! After long talking and discussing the policeman proposed an "on the spot-fee" of 500 Rand and he would let us go. I already thought that is was going to end like this, but I didn't propose as he could be a good cop and arrest me for bribery (ok the chances of finding a good cop in SA are less than 0,0000000001%, but still...). He put the 500 Rand in his pocket and let us go. In fact he was really a nice guy and we also had a laugh together, too bad I forgot to take a picture of him and us. Guess he doubled his month's salary that day. :)
Pictures are below, but only a selection, to post all would be too much and this should stay a blog and not a photoblog! :)
Well, the flight was via Windhoek (Namibia) to Cape Town (south west SA) and then to a nature park in east SA (a mere 2500km drive) and back to Cape Town. I actually spend 4 days in the car driving from Cape Town to the park and back and only 1 day in the park... Go figure! But it was for sure worth it. I've seen lions, elephants, rhinos, hyenas, giraffes, buffels, a crocodile, a hippo and many many more animals. Although I haven't been to the Kruger (which is supposedly even better), I think I got quite a good image of parks and animals in SA. I have to say though that concrete roads were not in my ideal image of nature parks... :)
Cape Town is one of the most amazing and beautiful places I have ever been and seen. It is really alive and kicking. The stay was in a boutique hotel Le Vendome, which was already marvellous and a white aircondicioned car completed the equipment. Cape Town around New Year is wonderful with superb weather (although a bit windy), lots of things to do, music at every corner and sadly a lot of musea closed... Last year I spend New Year's Eve in Rome, now in Cape Town and I have to say that Cape Town was so much more nice. Eating till 23.45 at a panncake restaurant at the Waterfront, watching the fireworks at 24.00, dancing on "Gimme Hope Joanna" (never thought I would do that) and being stuck in a garage for 1.5 hour to get out with the car. You have to relax and let it go.
Besides Cape Town and the natire park, also visited the winelands around Cape Town (so beautiful and superb driving routes), Cape of the Good Hope (Dutch!!!), Robben Island ("apartheid" is probably the only Dutch word the whole world knows) and the pengiun colony near Cape Town.
There is so much to tell and explain, but you have to have been there to see, understand and experience. I want to go back...!!! One small story I do want to tell you. While driving to the nature park, we already came across 7 mobile radar speed detectors, hoping/thinking to have passed them all, we drove off a hill close to Durban with an average speed of 178 where 120 was allowed. And of course there was just another policeman doing his job and pulling us over. With 58km too fast, he couldn't give us a ticket as he was only allowed to issue those till 50km. Our fee had to be set by the DA, but since it was already after 17.00 that man had gone home. Therefore a night jail for the driver was obligatory!!! After long talking and discussing the policeman proposed an "on the spot-fee" of 500 Rand and he would let us go. I already thought that is was going to end like this, but I didn't propose as he could be a good cop and arrest me for bribery (ok the chances of finding a good cop in SA are less than 0,0000000001%, but still...). He put the 500 Rand in his pocket and let us go. In fact he was really a nice guy and we also had a laugh together, too bad I forgot to take a picture of him and us. Guess he doubled his month's salary that day. :)
Pictures are below, but only a selection, to post all would be too much and this should stay a blog and not a photoblog! :)
1 comment:
It's really great to hear you had a good time down here in the Mother City :-) I spent the New Year's Eve before last at the Waterfront myself and the atmosphere was electric. They had some good bands in the small amphitheatre while we were there and it was a lot of fun!
I see you've been to Robben Island as well :-) I was there last November for the first time (even though I've lived here for 16 years now) and it was quite an experience.
As a matter of interest, remember when you took the picture of Table Mountain from Robben Island? On the left side of the view you were facing is the mainland with the beaches of Bloubergstrand. That's actually the general area where I live... Bit of useless information I'm sharing :-)
Post a Comment