Juicy Johannesburg
As the plane touched down in Johannesburg, I was mesmerised by a bright yellow moon hovering just above the horizon in the pitch black sky. This magical moment set the tone for the adventure that was about to unfold in this captivating country. In Joburg, we were lucky enough to be hosted by family friends in a beautiful house filled with creamy colours, striking African art work, and 2 lovely maids in crisp blue and white dresses. Tree lined streets were dotted with imposing mansions highly secured with wrought iron gates. It was clear that the wealth divide in Joburg was stark. Just 15 minutes drive from our suburb (where Mandela also lived) lay the famous township of Soweto with it's highly populated shanty towns - rows of cramped tin shed houses, no electricity, and a central water source. Evidently, locals place high value on cars so it was common to see a severely run down house with a BMW or Mercedes parked out front. The centre of Johannesburg was fairly industrial - highways, tall buildings, a massive LED coca cola sign, and mining waste sites right on the fringe of the CBD. In the evening, we re-created a dinner party scene from 'Out of Africa' with a group of guests sharing delicious food, stories and wine. We drank champagne around the fire under the stars and discussed various topics from the Gaza conflict through to the laid back bogan nature of Australians and everything in between. Twenty years post apartheid, I learned that the Black Economic Empowerment scheme has encouraged more black people to own and manage enterprises. Sounds good in theory, however this is occurring to the detriment of white family owned businesses and farms. Furthermore, it seems that only people with connections to the government are advancing - colloquially known as “tenderpreneurs” - businessmen skilled at getting government contracts or tenders. Local newspapers further enhanced my view of South Africa as a nation somewhat struggling to rise from the end of apartheid with ongoing racial divide but a palpable hope for a better future. Despite ongoing government corruption, a stubborn unemployment rate of about 25% and millions of poor blacks, there was definitely a tangible optimism simmering throughout this gritty land.
Superb Safari
3 girls, a tiny red 25-yr old Toyota (affectionately known as the pink prawn), a great spotify playlist and a 4 hour drive... Safari here we come! Ticking things off the bucket list is always fulfilling, but seeing wild African animals in a jeep was really quite incredible!! I was overwhelmed by the number and vast range of creatures I observed during our game drives: running warthogs (Pumba!!), pretty Impalas (nick named McDonalds due to the massive M shape on their bottoms), graceful Kudu (antelope with curly antlers), a massive Crocodile lazing across our path (our guide later told us we were probably too close for comfort in manoeuvring the jeep past him), 2 playful Hippos in the water (they can stay under for about 5 mins max), running Jackals, and a range of lovely birds. The safari park sat under the shadow of the Entabeni mountain ranges with sheer vertical cliff faces of deep red and rust coloured rock with patches of green vegetation. The mountains were a stunning backdrop for animal spotting. It was so peaceful being in touch with nature at it's best - we felt like we were in heaven!! Our luxurious tent was decked with wooden floor boards and olive green material walls, a beautiful front porch looking onto a vast expanse of trees and diverse vegetation leading to the foot of the overarching mountains. Oh and let's not forget the outdoor shower!! Simply perfect! Each morning we set off at 6:30am, rugged up in beanies, gloves and scarves. On the first morning, as the massive golden-pink sun rose across the African horizon I suddenly became very emotional, tears pouring down my eyes. I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty before me, the reality of where I was, being in such great company and acutely aware of how lucky I was to be experiencing the magic of Africa. After tracking the sound of Elephants we eventually found them milling amongst the vegetation, munching on bark and crushing any trees in their path. We spent most of the morning with these beautiful big creatures, watching them cross the road just metres in front of us, playfully engaging with each other, camouflaging (and cleaning) themselves with red mud, eating, and drinking. Later that day, a 3m long Rock Python took us by surprise, sending a shiver down my spine when realising it was not in fact a large water hose. Just metres away from the jeep, we were all captivated by her glistening skin, a mass of sequins shimmering in the morning sun. With the binoculars I was transfixed by her dauntingly big black eyes. She stealthily consertinaed her body and we became more and more anxious before she finally lifted her head and curled back on herself to slink away into a hole. Incredible! We watched a pack of White Rhinoceroses mowing the lawns as the ate their way across the field. It's quite devastating that Rhinos are in fact fast becoming extinct in South Africa due to a massive increase in poaching. A total of 1004 were lost last year - a result of impoverished communities attempting to make quick cash, with Rhino horn said to have a street value of $65000 per kilogram. Our final day delivered yet another highlight sighting as we followed 2 beautiful Cheetah brothers through a stretch of trees - shy, graceful, attentive and elegant. For a final treat, they strolled right in front of our jeep just metres away - their perfect, slender bodies mesmerising all of us. This was followed by a highly anticipated sighting of a beautiful young Lioness basking in the afternoon sun, chin resting on paws, head crooked, not a care in the world. Sadly this Lioness, about 4 or 5 years old was on her own after being shafted by the older Lionesses who were more successful hunters and therefore more appealing to the males. Life's not fair hey? As the sun set that evening, the mountains were silhouetted against a stunning pink-orange sky. Beer in hand, we watched Giraffes idling along the grass plains in front of us while a handful of Kudu chased each other to our left, and we could hear a Lion roaring in the distance. Life really doesn't get any better than this! The night drive back to the lodge turned into a safari sing along - featuring songs from the Lion King, Wicked, Lorde and Alanis Morriset. This turned into an after dinner singing concert and the night culminated with a wonderful Grease medley group performance for our guide and the animals :)
Charismatic Capetown
Combine one cup of mountain with two cups of seaside, 1/2 cup of funky 70s architecture spattered with white colonial glamour mixed with the avant-garde, 1/3 cup hipster bars cafes and coffee joints, a tablespoon of contemporary art galleries, and a sprinkling of trendiness to taste ... and voila, you get charismatic Capetown. What a perfect slice of the world! We couldn't get enough of this place and ended up staying longer than planned. We hiked the jaw-dropping Table Mountain which looms 1km high smack bang in the middle of the city. At the top, we indulged in stunning views of crisp blue ocean and the sprawling Atlantic seaboard residential suburbs. There's a profound splendour in a coastal city which features a uniquely flat mountain that dominates every vista of the cape. Across town, we sussed out the grungy region of Woodstock and devoured a hearty organic salad from a hipster cafe called The Kitchen, decked out with antique crockery and culinary bits and bobs. Here we also found the bustling artisan market at the Old Biscuit Mill - one of the best Saturday markets I’ve come across, with an endless supply of wonderful food stalls and delicious home-made lemonade (the perfect hangover cure!). On our first night, we were lucky enough to be invited to a house party. The text message invite requested 'sparkling white' and we nervously anticipated the local Capetown scene. Three young Australian women at an exclusive rooftop party in the posher part of Capetown = best night ever!! By 930pm we were starving, so some of our new entrepreneurial friends called one of the hippest restaurants in town - Kloof Street House and a table was cleared for us! Within moments of arriving, we were sipping from the largest cocktail I've ever seen and sharing a selection of mouth watering meals like ostrich, tender lamb, osso bucco and beef fillet... A night to remember! Some other new Capetonian friends were going to a 70s party the next night so Hils and I jumped on board and hired costumes for the event. We clearly did not read the invite properly, and were therefore oblivious to the 'glamour' American Hustle theme of the evening which became apparent on arrival. Long legged models in sexy dresses and fur coats accompanied by men in stylish suits walked up the red carpet while I freaked out in my Austin Powers long sleeved bright white dress with kaleidoscopic multicoloured patterns down the front!!! Eventually my horror dissipated and I danced the night away! We spent one afternoon wining and dining with another new friend at a lovely Tapas place built on the breakwater at Kalk Bay. Through the open window I delighted in seeing a whale and a group of seals playing just metres from us! One coffee-joint-hopping morning, we found ourselves at a place called Truth, which ironically facilitated a very honest discussion about life and some of our innermost thoughts, fears and aspirations. With the spirit of comradery in the air, we merrily rode bicycles to Clifton Beach, set down from the modernist villas lining the coastal edge. Pondering the morning’s divulgences, we enjoyed a lovely little picnic at this beautiful beach with pristine white sand. We spent one afternoon at Stellenbosch and Mulderbosch Wine Farm 'tasting' aka 'drinking' some of South Africa's delicious (and super cheap!!) wines. My final days in South Africa were spent being seduced by the natural beauty of the Garden Route. The coast is dotted with great beaches including the lovely Myoli Beach - the perfect spot to rejuvenate our bodies with a morning beach run and yoga. On the road, we passed bright yellow patches of canola flowers next to rich green pastures, picturesque lakes, rolling hillsides and later the looming mountain ranges. With a vast range of vegetation, wildlife, colours and topography, the scenery along this road trip across the southern coast was breath-taking.
South Africa - you've stolen my heart !!
