chrisleongeorge's latest blog entries

Janet meets Moby Dick

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:39:05 EST

At last the rain has cleared and we spent a couple of days kayaking down a gentlish river in the Wilderness National Park. This was to prepare us for the sea kayaking we were about to do in search of Moby Dick in Hermanus Bay, the best place to see whales in South Africa, and in a kayak pretty close up (but without harpoons)

Of all the things I have done, kayaking messed my back up more than anything, but it was not this that caused the sea kayaking to be consigned to the same place as the bungee jumping. The problem as we observed it from the Hermanus cliffs was threefold and became known as the 3 R’s. Rough sea, Rocks, and Bloody whales. There was a 10 foot channel from the waterfront to the bay, and the whole of the Atlantic Ocean seemed to want to get through it. I swear that even an Olympic champion would have had difficulty and South Africa knows about Olympic medals (they only got one less medal than Togo in Bejing).

So we contented ourselves with the Pensioners viewing platform, and we have to say that we have never seen so many whales performing as though they were at a Water Park.

This leads us on to our admitted ineptitude with the camera.

It was simply impossible to anticipate where these whales were going to break the surface and we became the laughing stock of the pensioners of Hermanus, as we filmed minutes of open sea, and then switched off just as a 30 footer shot vertically up from the sea. It didn’t matter who had the camera this phenomenon kept occurring.

It reminded us of the old Cecil. B. DeMille story as he filmed a train crash over a huge viaduct. So expensive was the obviously single take, he positioned separate cameramen.

After the crash Camera 1 reported shutter problems, and a failure to record, Camera 2 had duff film, and camera 3 was overexposed. Camera 4 reported in with the words “Ready when you are Mr DeMille”

Janet was that cameraman, as testified by the dozens of photographs we have of re-entry splashes.

It was still a magical experience but the final leg of our journey took us to Stellenbosch to try out the wine tasting. After one night we decided to save this experience for when we have visitors since wine tasting is best enjoyed in the company of fellow bacchanals rather than coke light swiggers.

The journey into Cape Town was of course accompanied by cheering crowds lining the street and bunting strung across the major highways (just like Ewan and Charley) and we thank the people of Cape Town for their underwhelming response to our epic journey.

However Cape Town is still my favourite city….they have MacDonalds…and the weather is perfect.

Down The Wild Coast

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:14:01 EST

Our drive down the Wild Coast of South Africa was pretty miserable weather wise although we did see a number of rugged coastlines. Trouble is rugged coastlines tend to be rather unattractive when the wind is about 80mph and blowing stair rods into your face.

The radio announced that these were the worst weather conditions suffered in the Eastern Cape for about a hundred years, and our journey was interrupted on many occasions by washed away roads or roads had been closed by falling rocks.

Further there is probably nothing more depressing that camping on an exposed promontory with no shelter, and nowhere to go out of the rain except huddle in our small living space really not designed for long term camping.

We had to as the South Africans say “make a plan”, and I have to confess Janets idea to henceforth stay in Backpackers Lodges was inspirational. These are really guest houses where the worlds youth gather during their traditional “year off” so at least there is a bit of life and a thriving bar.

They can still cater for the van so we have the best of all worlds.

In fact as we proceeded through the rain to Storms River we stayed next door to the site of the worlds highest bungee jump (268 metres). All the kids came to stay as a base for their jump, and it was really interesting to see them the night before as a prisoner about to be executed, and the night after with so much adrenaline pumping that alcohol had no effect. A Dutch couple almost persuaded Janet to go for it but when she found out you had to be weighed and your weight written on your hand in indelible ink (so that the bungee rope could be adjusted accordingly) the refusal was polite but firm.

We viewed the DVD’s of these girls plunge into the Bloukrans chasm and quite frankly our respect for them grew immeasurably especially as one of them was petrified beyond belief, and simply cried uncontrollably as she was “hopped to the platform.”

In the short breaks between storms we have done a lot of beach and cliff top walking, and our whale count has reached almost the level of expert, including one that had beached at Buffalo Bay near Knysna, and since it was about 8 metres long no one had been able to refloat it. It just lay on the beach and provided food for billions of seagulls and funnily enough sea snails. It was really strange to see a 25foot monster being eaten by one centimetre mollusks.We hear the weather is going to substantially improve over the next few days with temperatures hitting 32-34 degrees. We’ll believe it when we see it!!!.

.

The Battlefields of KwaZuluNatal

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:47:13 EST

The next phase of our
journey through South Africa was to visit some of the many battlefields
which have taken place here during the Boer War, the Anglo Zulu war and
the Afrikaans v Zulu war. To be fair and non racist we visited sites
where each lot had won their most famous battle, one that was a draw,
and one that was utterly futile.

The first was the
first battle of the second Boer War, the battle of Talana near Dundee.
Both sides claimed they won it and it is probably best known for having
the most irrelevant museum on its site. You can learn how to make beads
or hew coal but we couldn’t find out how the battle was won or lost.

The next was the
Battle of Blood River where an Afrikaans force of 500 beat around 5000
Zulus and the day of the battle is still a public holiday (now called
the Day of Reconciliation) Its memorial is as good as the Battle of
Talana was bad with 60 full sized ox wagons, made out of bronze, all
circled up cowboy style. The battle site carefully pegged out so you
can see where the Zulu’s crept up on them, and where the marshy ground
held up their attack.

From there we visited
the scene of the most humiliating British defeat against practically
the whole Zulu nation at Isandwalana. Although it was 20,000 against
1,000. it was as though Steve MacLaren was in charge, wrong tactics,
poor substitutions, and with Calamity James in goal.

So we got a good
hiding but the battlefield is strewn with hundreds of white stone
cairns all marking graves of the fallen soldiers. Only a few managed to
escape and they fled to the safety of a local mission station called
Rorkes Drift. This again would have been a Steve MacLaren decision.

This was our next
visit as it is only 12k from Isandlawana. Many of you will remember
that Rorkes Drift was the place where Michael Caine won a Victoria
Cross for gallantry and Ivor Emmanuel kept 4000 Zulu’s at bay simply by
singing “Men of Harlech”, a feat that modern Welsh Male voice choirs
are capable of achieving against any race of people that claim to be
mildly musical. .

Anyway it was a very
sobering visit as the mission station, the barricades and the hospital
are all accurately re-created. 11 Victoria Crosses were won at the
battle where 120 British

Held off 4000 Zulus
until they simply packed up and went home. Only 17 British soldiers
were killed including about half a dozen who thought they had escaped
from Isandlawana.

The battle of
pointless futility was the Battle of Spion Kop,(Boer War) where a
bloody conflict was fought for several days before both sides decided
the position was of no strategic significance and vacated their
positions.

We had based
ourselves in Dundee, a coal scarred city if ever there was one, for
these visits and it was here that our interest in the African sense of
humour was re-kindled.

Throughout our trip
we have been recording examples of unfortunate names or clever
marketing or just Jasper Carrott style of where a word means totally
different things in a different language.

A few examples (but we could write a book)

In Uganda we have seen “The Naff Bakery”

In Addis Abbaba we have seen the Dire Supermarket, and the “Awash Bank”

In Kenya next door to each other in Issiolo, stands the Exodus Funeral parlour and the “Wing and a Prayer “building company.

In.Ethiopia we have
seen The New Semen Hotel, AND The Old Semen Hotel. No-one is sure which
is the better…they say it’s a bit of a toss up

In Dundee they sell
“Nazi” toilet paper, so called because it is rough and tough and
doesn’t take s*** from anyone. We really wish we had had the wit to
buy a few rolls.

My personal favourite
however has to be the sign on the back of a driving school car in
Malawi. As well as the big red L sign it said

“Have patience, soon I will be driving like you” I think the irony of this was lost on the driving population of Lilongwe.

Its only a short hop
from Dundee into the Drakensberg Mountains, and anyone who thinks it is
automatically hot 20 degrees south of the Equator should come here with
a couple of brass monkeys.

Although cold at
night the daytime temperatue when the sun shines is very pleasant and
the scenery magnificent, but also we decided to have a rest from
roughing it and stayed in wonderful rustic accommodation amidst lovely
walks and waterfalls. In the Drakensberg there is a famous school which
selects its students on the basis of their musical talent. Their choir
performs regularly for the public, and they have sung for the crowned
heads of Europe as they say. Tours to the school were arranged from our
hotel but I steadfastly refused to shell out 300 Rands for the tickets
and transport even though begged without shame. They say women are
sometimes a little devious and Janet thwarted in her aim selected the
next site for our tour of the Drakensburg. I was absolutely astounded
to find that the camp site was literally next door to the Drakensberg
Boys Choir school. I remarked that the odds against this must be in the
millions but Janet stayed unusually silent.

So we obviously went
to the concert and it was stunning. The music was brilliant but for me
the social and racial integration that was occurring through the medium
of music was inspirational

When we had seen
every site and climbed every peak,and sung every song the Drakensberg
had to offer then it was back to the coast, to a sleepy chill out
place called Scottburgh that had been recommended to us by a couple of
70 year olds in the Drakensberg.

Our timing has never
been great on this trip, and we have missed sometimes by only a few
days many wonderful events like the migration of the Wildebeest, the
sardine frenzy, the parade of the Holy Grail in Ethiopia, but
Scottburgh lived up to its reputation for one night. Then we found out
the the South African surfing championships were to be held next day
with our camp site at the centre. It simply heaved with Beach Boys
music and blond adonis’s. The guys were really nice though and showed
us how to spot whales and dolphins…there is a trick to it.

Next civilization will be East London.

Add new message | Top Tamin

8th October 2008

Nearly There

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:35:38 EST

STUCK IN THE KRUGER

For over 17 months apart from occasional bouts of loose motion syndrome, we have avoided all that Africa could throw at us. Malaria, Sleeping sickness, Beri Beri, and Legionnaires Disease, but tis sad to report that my wife has come down with a serious case of Game Park Fever. The symptoms are a constant and unreasonable desire to view animals for 24 hours per day, to drive on countless and pointless expeditions into the bush…”just in case”….

In truth the Kruger is probably the most fertile park in Africa in terms of game so hardly a day goes by without our seeing a proliferation of lion, elephant, hippo, and buffalo.

However the downside is that you are always watching game along with about ten other vehicles, since all roads are tarred and its really a bit like Headley with lions.

So you really don’t need to scan the horizon or examine elephant dung for its freshness, you just have to look for traffic jams.

Two cars mean an elephant…three a buffalo, four a rhino and five or more a lion, and when people spot anything there is a fight to get into the best position, which usually results in cars stopping anywhere, and really not giving two hoots about blocking the roads completely.

We have driven the length and breadth of the Kruger Park now, and can speak authoritatively on the different geologies, vegetation and eco systems, and which animals they are most likely to support.

I thought Janet was making a recovery when 4 days ago we ventured out to see the miracles of the Drakensberg Mountains, but after 3 days we seemed to be missing our daily fix of game drives so back we have come.

Our sojourn out of the Kruger was very interesting however as we stayed for 2 nights in the Nelspruit Backpackers Guest House. Our book said it and its staff were incredibly laid back, and it sure was with everyone completely out of it most of the time on a combination of lager and dagga. From there we went to get Janets eyes fixed by a proper doctor, and we have to say they were excellent, and since we have experienced medics in

Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania Zambia and Malawi this can be said with some authority.

A quick visit to a real supermarket followed and I came out to find Janet chatting to a ery nice man who seemed very interested in our trip. Apparently his daughter is doing something similar in a year or so and he invited us to his Guest House for the night so we could give him some info. We got his waypoints and 3 days later found his Trout Farm some 90k away from where his waypoints indicated. Apart from this his and his wife’s hospitality was superb, and their Guest House wonderful .They turned out to be two of the nicest people we have met on our travels

With a fair wind we will leave the Kruger for good tomorrow, and journey through Swaziland, where we will be staying at….you’ve guessed it the Millwane Wildlife Park

As Henry 11 was reputed to have said

“Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest (woman). Maybe Thomas A Becket had Game Park Fever as well..

chrisleongeorge's latest blog entries

Janet meets Moby Dick

Down The Wild Coast

The Battlefields of KwaZuluNatal

More Game Stories

Nearly There