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South Africa (may be OT)



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 24th, 2009, 04:09 PM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
tim.....
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Posts: 1,591
Default South Africa (may be OT)

Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim


  #2  
Old March 24th, 2009, 04:39 PM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
Saint Jade of Cervix
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Posts: 5
Default South Africa (may be OT)

On Mar 24, 4:09*pm, "tim....." wrote:
Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). *I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim


but I only like you negative stuff........
  #3  
Old March 25th, 2009, 09:47 PM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
Runge14[_2_]
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Posts: 171
Default South Africa (may be OT)

may be lol

"tim....." a écrit dans le message de
...
Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim



  #4  
Old March 25th, 2009, 09:48 PM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
Runge14[_2_]
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Posts: 171
Default South Africa (may be OT)

michaelnewport is exhausted, he typed 7 words of his own.

"Saint Jade of Cervix" a écrit dans le message de
...
On Mar 24, 4:09 pm, "tim....." wrote:
Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim


but I only like you negative stuff........

  #5  
Old March 29th, 2009, 03:33 AM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
robbielynn
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Posts: 18
Default South Africa (may be OT)

On Mar 24, 11:09*am, "tim....." wrote:
Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). *I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim


Like to hear about it. i missed an opportunity to go there one time.
  #6  
Old March 29th, 2009, 11:24 PM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default South Africa (may be OT)


"robbielynn" wrote in message
...
On Mar 24, 11:09 am, "tim....." wrote:
Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.

This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.

So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.

(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).

tim


Like to hear about it. i missed an opportunity to go there one time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you're the only one, I shall write an abridged version

If I get enough interest whilst I post I may write the longer version

Hope this is OK.

tim


  #7  
Old March 30th, 2009, 02:29 AM posted to rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.africa
robbielynn
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 18
Default South Africa (may be OT)

On Mar 29, 6:24*pm, "tim....." wrote:
"robbielynn" wrote in message

...
On Mar 24, 11:09 am, "tim....." wrote:

Having just come back from a trip to SA I have a report to post.


This is an amazing place to visit, wonderful scenery, fantastic wildlife,
historical and cultural interest (and there's great beach sports as well,
but I don't do that). I promise you that (one subject excepted) this will
not be written in my usual negative style.


So if you want me to post it, register your interest in rta and I will do
so.


(If I knew how to I'd set follow ups to that group only, but sorry, I
don't).


tim


Like to hear about it. i missed an opportunity to go there one time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*--------------

As you're the only one, I shall write an abridged version

If I get enough interest whilst I post I may write the longer version

Hope this is OK.

tim


That's fine. lookin' forward to it and others will read it, no doubt.
  #8  
Old March 30th, 2009, 02:44 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default South Africa Report Pt 1


That's fine. lookin' forward to it and others will read it, no doubt.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I doubt it!

OK if you are reading please tell me. If I get no feedback I will stop
posting, it is not a good use of my time. To save you looking it up, there
are (was) about 14 Rand to the Pound 13 to the Euro and 10 to the Dollar.

Day 1 (Monday 2nd March): Fly into CT from LHR with BA. Immigration is a
breeze. The border guard is more concerned as to why I am only staying in
his wonderful country for three weeks, than whether I have the documentation
for my stay!

The weather is awful, cold, dull and miserable. My friend who meets me
tells me that they haven't had a day like this for months and all the locals
welcomed it! He gives me some complicated explanation about the weather
based upon whether the wind is coming off the Atlantic or the India Ocean!
As I am to be repeatedly told, I have (deliberately) arrived at the start of
"Winter" (you and I might call it the first day of Autumn!).

We head downtown and visit the Waterfront. This is a restored area of
tourist shops, restaurants and bars with some apartment blocks. It's
similar to that which has been done in many European towns (e.g
Liverpool/Dublin). It's quite pleasant, but hardly a "highlight" of the
country (even if the guide book says it is). I take a picture of today's
view of "Not Table Mountain"!

We visit the Robben Island ferry to find out about booking tickets. Both
the guide book and a sign in the lobby says that you often have to book days
in advance. We're told that there's availability for the last boats today
and all but one for tomorrow and that in this "season", it is normally like
that. I decide that I will not book and "take a chance", later in the week.
Go back to my friend's house (out on the cape) and catch up on my lost sleep
from my overnight flight whilst my friend goes to "work". In the evening,
we get take-away pizza. This isn't something that I would normally do, but
I'm attracted by something on the menu - my first ever banana pizza - yummy!

Day 2: Weather is good today. My friend has all of the next two days to
spend with me, except that he hasn't. He's an unreliable bugger (I already
knew this) and he's constantly changing his mind about needing to do this,
that or the other, leaving me (potentially) stuck for something to do.
Anyway, we spend the morning at Cape Point. This was 80 Rand for me to get
in (he had an "annual" pass), which struck me as being "relatively"
expensive for such a tiny park. This is an interesting "wilderness", but we
don't get to see any of the advertised animals, and I shall see lots more
wildernesses. At the tip of the park is a funicular up to the lighthouse.
At 40 Rand return my friend decided that he couldn't afford it - seemed good
value to me (much better than the entrance fee!) so we walk both ways.
There are good views from the top, but the lighthouse itself is a waste of
time. There's also a very small museum in the centre of the park to spend 5
minutes in.

At the entrance to the park is one of the ubiquitous Afrian markets. There
are a dozen stalls here selling local ethnic tat. The locals are very laid
back and don't seem to care if they make a sale or not, prices for most
things are keen and the stallholder always offers "to make a good price"!
So you negotiate and my friend said that you should look for 20-40% off the
first price, but as the prices are reasonable anyway, you don't need to try
too hard. I buy a monochrome decorated ostrich egg for 120, a carved stone
face for 80 and some small wooden carvings for 40. They don't hassle you if
you say no and walk away. Compared to N African markets, shopping here is a
real pleasure. (Finally, as an example of the reasonableness of the prices,
the coloured ostrich eggs, which I didn't actually like because they look
like they are just stuck on transfers, have an asking price here of 280. At
a shop in the waterfront they were priced at 580 and the latter's not
negotiable!)

My friend now announces that he has to go to work, fortunately he leaves me
with his car (which I am assured I am insured to drive!). After dropping
him at work, I go off on my own to see the penguins at Boulders. On the way
there are lots of cars stopped in the middle of the road. They have all
stopped to look at the Baboons. I join them, but I am one of the few who
parks up properly and gets out of the car. Whilst I am taking some pictures
the Adult Male wanders over to my car and decides that he wants to sit on
the bonnet. I discover why most stay in their car's and think I am in for a
wait until he gets fed up. Fortunately, he moves to the passenger side so I
can get in and after a couple of minutes of staring him out he realises
there is nothing in it for him by staying, so he gets off. At the next
lay-by there are some more so I stop again, I get out again but this time
the dominant male is cleverer and opens my passenger door and gets in the
back - Oh **** what do I do now! Fortunately, a passing coach driver saw
what happened and gets out to help me. I assure you, this is not a mistake
you make twice. From now on I lock my car door when I get out, no matter
how remote the area.

After that excitement(!) the penguins at Boulder are an anti-climax, but
still worthwhile. You can pay 30 Rand to go and swim with them or you can
watch them from the boardwalk for free. I haven't come prepared for
swimming so I take the free option. There are at least 200 penguins here.
They were originally placed there by man, but there is nothing stopping them
from moving on, so technically they are wild. Here is my first encounter
with the "car park muggers" - unemployed people who have given themselves
the job of directing you into/out of a space and "guarding" your car. As I
leave, the guy in front of me gives the mugger a note (minimum 10 Rand). I
conclude that this is far too much and just drive past. I ask my friend
later and he says that 2 Rand is more than enough to give them.
Surprisingly (to me), these "workers" are even tolerated at the car parks of
major attractions and they often wear orange/yellow jackets with made up job
titles on.

In the evening my friend has arranged for us to go out to a restaurant with
some Brits. This was the one subject about which I was going to be
negative. During my stay I am very disappointed by most of the restaurants
that I use. They are, at best, mediocre, serving food which is badly
prepared, over cooked and/or tasteless. The people that I am with don't see
the problem. These S Africans are easily pleased, IMHO (and I seak as
someone who is not usually a "foodie").

Having said that, today's restaurant is an exception. We are at "Cap to
Cuba" in Muizenburg (I think). I can recommend this restaurant (I only
going to say this once more), though it has to be said, it doesn't have the
"normal" SA choices on the menu.

Day 3: Once again, my friend announces that he "has to do something today".
He doesn't say what, but I later find out he went wind surfing (something
which he knew wouldn't interest me). We arrange that he should drop me in
the centre and pick me up in the evening and also that I should arrange a
hire car for the next 9 days as I can't rely on him. On the way into town
we pick up one of his friendly "black" (no, I'm not referring to his skin
colour) workers at 8:00. We get to the waterfront and first book a trip to
Robben Island (180R). I get the last trip at 15:00. After a coffee, my
friend and his worker (who has meanwhile been wandering around on his own
for 2 hours, in a place where he can't afford to do anything!) go off and I
look to get to Table Mountain (which I can see today). I am told that I can
either get a taxi all the way from here or get the bus to the main railway
station and a taxi from there (there being no onward bus). The former being
150 Rand, the latter 100.

Being the adventurous type (and also a mean bugger) I go for the latter
option. At the bus stop there is a person waiting and I ask what the deal
is. She says that I can get the bus, or the taxi-bus whichever comes
first - it's the taxi bus. It's a 12 seater with a couple of people in it,
she gets in the front and I get in the rear, which is a mistake! I assumed
that it was going to go on the main road to the station picking up/dropping
off on the way. But no. It drives around the locality for 5 minutes into
and out of likely pick up points until it is full to bursting, with me
squashed in the corner, before it rushes off on the highway to the station.
It's only another 5 minutes, but I'm glad to get off. Cost IIRC 3R 50
cents.

I find the taxi rank and get in the first cab, which costs 10 Rand/km. I
chat with the driver, he's from Zim and still has family there - poor
fellow. I notice that the other taxis all charge different prices, anywhere
from 8 to 15 Rand. I make a mental note to avoid the expensive ones. The
total fare is 60 something so I give him 70.

There's a short queue for the cable car and I'm at the front in 20 minutes,
cost 145 R. Having bought the ticket there is no queue for the car so you
go up straight away. At the top you get a view of CT, which TBH has no
interesting features and of the beaches along the bay which are a bit
pretty. But all in all, this is something that you have to do, just because
you have to be able to say that you did it, it isn't that exciting (unless
you've never been on a cable car before, which I forget rotated as you go
up - that's new for me!).

I get a taxi back which is the same price as coming. I go to the Info
office to enquire about car hire and find that they can book it for me.
It's 408 pd, 3700 for the 9 days - full insurance, unlimited milage. This
is about 25% more expensive that I could have booked before I arrived. I'm
annoyed that I'm having to pay this extra because my friend couldn't make
his mind up about whether he was going to be available or not, but it's not
a great deal of money in the scheme of things so I don't mention it! I
arrange to pick up the car downtown at 12:00 the next day.

Having suffered the taxi-bus, I get the normal bus back to the waterfront.
I'm the only white on it, but I don't find it the slightest bit threatening,
some of my friend's friends said that I should have! It is only about half
full and costs 3R. I'm getting the bus next time (not that there is one).

I'm early for my 3:00 boat so I waste time on the waterfront. I catch the
ferry to the island where you are escorted on a bus tour around the island.
On the way we have the bonus of seeing a whale in the bay. The tours on the
island are guided by previous inmates and I get an ex president of one of
the dissident parties with many political stories to tell. These people
live full time on the island. Most people agree that it is his interesting
stories that are the most interesting part of the trip rather than the
actual buildings on the island. After the bus, it's a quick tour around the
prison building before we have to rush back to the last return ferry at
18:00. No-one checks you back on the return ferry - you could remain on the
island all night, or more reasonably go out on an early boat and spend an
extra hour or two walking around the island on you own, returning on a later
ferry than the one officially booked. This is to be recommended so if you
have a choice, don't go on the last ferry as you won't have time to do it.

My friend meets me and we drive home via a couple more of his "must do"
detours. His helper is still with us and eventually we drop him off at
20:00. My friend pays him for 6 hours work as that's all he used him for,
at 10 R an hour so that's 60 Rand. I think he's been mean as he kept the
guy from doing other things for the 6 hours he was forced to amuse himself,
but he offers the guy more work for Sunday and he readily accepts, time's
are tough for "illegals" in SA.

Well that's three day's in CT (and 2 hours of my time). Tomorrow off on my
own!

tim










  #9  
Old March 30th, 2009, 10:31 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default South Africa Report Pt 1


"Alan S" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:44:29 +0100, "tim....."
wrote:


That's fine. lookin' forward to it and others will read it, no doubt.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Well that's three day's in CT (and 2 hours of my time). Tomorrow off on
my
own!

tim

Interesting; thanks.

Apart from baboons, did you ever have any worries about
personal security as you wandered the city?


Not in the Cape no (though my friend cautioned against me doing it, I was
far from the only affluent "westerner" wandering around).

There are "worse" places to come :-(

tim





  #10  
Old March 31st, 2009, 12:07 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
tim.....
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,591
Default South Africa Report Pt 1


"Alan S" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:31:38 +0100, "tim....."
wrote:

Apart from baboons, did you ever have any worries about
personal security as you wandered the city?


Not in the Cape no (though my friend cautioned against me doing it, I was
far from the only affluent "westerner" wandering around).

There are "worse" places to come :-(

tim




I was toying with the idea of going to the Soccer World Cup
if Australia qualifies. However I expect everything will be
grossly overpriced at that time, so I may go on an
independant tour later. In that case I'm a little concerned
about travel outside major cities; but I won't really see
the country properly stuck in cities. A conundrum.


Assuming you are renting a car, I saw no (security) problems with travelling
the country and no-one evey mentioned this as a risky thing to do.

The cities are a different matter (you'll have to wait for that story)

tim



 




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