An Ex-Pat's Experience In Africa
Created | Updated Jan 7, 2004
Jo'burg was an interesting contrast to LA. The weather was similar, although the months were reversed. Transvaal sheet lightning shows surpassed fork lighting xtravaganzas in Colorado. Gyros in Hillbrow a different taste sensation to the fish tacos in Baja. Excursions northward through Pretoria with a right turn toward the Kruger and a circular journey around Pilgrims Rest with Blyde River Canyon to the North and Nelspruit to the South in order to see a plethora of pristine waterfalls. Onward to the Kruger entering the southern entrance at Crocodile Bridge traversing northward to spend the night at Olifants and exiting the Phalborwa Gate.
In the South, walking out of the hotel into Cape Town's square glancing at the peak of Table Mountain just in time to see the tablecloth of clouds cascade over the top draping themselves along the sides like fine lace. The blue sky above provided a fine ceiling overlooking the tableau. The close proximity dictated a mandatory drive South via Simon's Town through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve past the De Gama Monument to visit the Cape Point lighthouse . Although I walked as far out on the point as one dared, I failed to see the promised clear delineation of the green Atlantic Ocean waters merging into the brown of the Indian Ocean.
Just before the effective date of the transfer home to L.A., a 2 week safari was in order. The Land Rover carried 6 passengers and our guide on the trek. A camp trailer holding provisions and our tents trundled behind. We left the centre of Johannesburg early on Saturday morning North on the M1 turning West on the M4 traveling through Rustenburg and other such historic sites as the Boer War's Battle of Kleinfontein before turning North once more for the Botswana border as our first night's stop. From there, we departed the highway and drove inland through a sparesly populated landscape which provided few opportunities for stocking of supplies, happy to get green vegetables and warm Castle beer.
Traveling only 200 kilometres or so each day, our evening encampments provided a variety of entertainment. One night after dark an elephant became thisty and broke into a comfort station for the water while hyenas left the smell of their foul breath wafting through the air on their evening constitutional which took them through the middle of the campsite. Another evening a water tower, the downspout of which provided a refreshing shower, overlooked a small dam (pond to us yanks). The brilliance of the Southern Cross illuminated the sky in the dark African veld. In the middle of the night, after retiring, we heard the chortling of elephants as they splashed in the water. Crawling out of our tents we witnessed them playing in the moonlight as they drank and bathed in the middle of the dam.
Our intermediate destination on the journey was Maun resting on the south of the Okovango Delta more than 1000 kilometres away from the Indian Ocean. Arriving in Maun late one afternoon, the evening provided entertainment at a boisterous pub. However, it paled in comparison to the daring disco outside the hut made of beer can's covered with thatch as the Afrikans danced to the sounds of a boom box blaring native music. The next morning we climbed (as opposed to boarded) into an 8 seater single engine plane with Juluka 's "Scatterlings of Africa" playing in the sound system as we rested upon seats upholsterd with sheepskin riding into the heart of the delta destined for a primitive landing strip. We disembarked and walked to a rudimentary boat dock from which we departed to enjoy a pleasant glide through narrow channels of lily-pad covered water in a mokoro (hand-carved wooden dugouts) poled gondola style to spend the night on an island in the middle of the Delta. Spending the following night in Maun, replenishing stock of beer - and it was even cold when first purchased- to continue the journey through Chobe National Park making our way to the Caprivi Strip. Upon arrival we were greeted by a herd of elephants measuring easily in the hundreds.
From the Caprivi Strip we drove Eastward to Victoria Falls where some chose to leisurely wash off the dust. I chose to rent a bicycle, cross the bridge into Zambia and pedal up to Livingstone. I wanted to see the splendor of the Falls on the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia directly overlooking the middle of them as the Zambezi River fell off the edge. It would have been a journey of more comfort had the thing possessed more than 1 speed... Upon arriving in Livingstone, I aimed my 35mm camera with a telephoto lens for a nice street scene. Unfortunately, I was accosted by a civilian who took exception to an unfamiliar white man taking photos of what he explained was a government facility(?). -whatever- I meekly apologized, capped the lens and strolled through the town settling instead for merely admiring the sites. On the stroll, I happened upon some men with a variety of wooden carvings. I had a pair of spare Levi blue jeans and some American T-shirts in a small pack anticipating an opportunity such as this. My housemate in Johannesburg had advised me of the high quality of the rosewood carvings in Zambia prior to my departure. The artists were pleased to receive the clothing and some hard currency. I was pleased to obtain 2 rosewood statuettes and 2 rosewood masks in return.
The Southward journey to Johannesburg got us through the border crossing on the southern Botswana side just at closing. Upon clearance, we crossed the small strip of no mans land arriving at the northern entrance to South Africa as the gates were closing. The Border Officer was padlocking the gate for the evening and walked toward his residence. No amount of cajoling would extend the gate hours that night so we spent it camped along the fenceline. A small amount of mischief prevailed as freshly creosoted telephone poles were contributed to the evening's roaring bonfire. After all, what territory could possibly claim possession as they WERE in no man's land.
Upon return to Johannesburg, I drove back to the 6 bedroom Cape Dutch farmhouse which I shared with 4 other assorted ex-pats and 1 South African. While preparing for a reunion dinner with my colleagues of the past two weeks, the South African lady I had been dating for the previous year arrived to accompany me. She was working for the travel agency from which I had booked the safari and wanted to both greet me as well as find out the quality of the trip to use in future marketing efforts. The relaxing trip had given me a chance to unwind and decide what I wanted for the future. I proposed to her that evening prior to dinner, she accepted and we shared our first toast as an engaged couple that evening with our newly found friends from the journey.
Our honeymoon was in the Drakensburg mountains 2 weeks later and 1 week after that we were in Long Beach, California living 2 blocks from the Pacific. We only stayed in Long Beach for 3 years before becoming ex-pats once more as we moved to Hong Kong with our 8 month old son-but that's another entry.
In the South, walking out of the hotel into Cape Town's square glancing at the peak of Table Mountain just in time to see the tablecloth of clouds cascade over the top draping themselves along the sides like fine lace. The blue sky above provided a fine ceiling overlooking the tableau. The close proximity dictated a mandatory drive South via Simon's Town through the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve past the De Gama Monument to visit the Cape Point lighthouse . Although I walked as far out on the point as one dared, I failed to see the promised clear delineation of the green Atlantic Ocean waters merging into the brown of the Indian Ocean.
Just before the effective date of the transfer home to L.A., a 2 week safari was in order. The Land Rover carried 6 passengers and our guide on the trek. A camp trailer holding provisions and our tents trundled behind. We left the centre of Johannesburg early on Saturday morning North on the M1 turning West on the M4 traveling through Rustenburg and other such historic sites as the Boer War's Battle of Kleinfontein before turning North once more for the Botswana border as our first night's stop. From there, we departed the highway and drove inland through a sparesly populated landscape which provided few opportunities for stocking of supplies, happy to get green vegetables and warm Castle beer.
Traveling only 200 kilometres or so each day, our evening encampments provided a variety of entertainment. One night after dark an elephant became thisty and broke into a comfort station for the water while hyenas left the smell of their foul breath wafting through the air on their evening constitutional which took them through the middle of the campsite. Another evening a water tower, the downspout of which provided a refreshing shower, overlooked a small dam (pond to us yanks). The brilliance of the Southern Cross illuminated the sky in the dark African veld. In the middle of the night, after retiring, we heard the chortling of elephants as they splashed in the water. Crawling out of our tents we witnessed them playing in the moonlight as they drank and bathed in the middle of the dam.
Our intermediate destination on the journey was Maun resting on the south of the Okovango Delta more than 1000 kilometres away from the Indian Ocean. Arriving in Maun late one afternoon, the evening provided entertainment at a boisterous pub. However, it paled in comparison to the daring disco outside the hut made of beer can's covered with thatch as the Afrikans danced to the sounds of a boom box blaring native music. The next morning we climbed (as opposed to boarded) into an 8 seater single engine plane with Juluka 's "Scatterlings of Africa" playing in the sound system as we rested upon seats upholsterd with sheepskin riding into the heart of the delta destined for a primitive landing strip. We disembarked and walked to a rudimentary boat dock from which we departed to enjoy a pleasant glide through narrow channels of lily-pad covered water in a mokoro (hand-carved wooden dugouts) poled gondola style to spend the night on an island in the middle of the Delta. Spending the following night in Maun, replenishing stock of beer - and it was even cold when first purchased- to continue the journey through Chobe National Park making our way to the Caprivi Strip. Upon arrival we were greeted by a herd of elephants measuring easily in the hundreds.
From the Caprivi Strip we drove Eastward to Victoria Falls where some chose to leisurely wash off the dust. I chose to rent a bicycle, cross the bridge into Zambia and pedal up to Livingstone. I wanted to see the splendor of the Falls on the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia directly overlooking the middle of them as the Zambezi River fell off the edge. It would have been a journey of more comfort had the thing possessed more than 1 speed... Upon arriving in Livingstone, I aimed my 35mm camera with a telephoto lens for a nice street scene. Unfortunately, I was accosted by a civilian who took exception to an unfamiliar white man taking photos of what he explained was a government facility(?). -whatever- I meekly apologized, capped the lens and strolled through the town settling instead for merely admiring the sites. On the stroll, I happened upon some men with a variety of wooden carvings. I had a pair of spare Levi blue jeans and some American T-shirts in a small pack anticipating an opportunity such as this. My housemate in Johannesburg had advised me of the high quality of the rosewood carvings in Zambia prior to my departure. The artists were pleased to receive the clothing and some hard currency. I was pleased to obtain 2 rosewood statuettes and 2 rosewood masks in return.
The Southward journey to Johannesburg got us through the border crossing on the southern Botswana side just at closing. Upon clearance, we crossed the small strip of no mans land arriving at the northern entrance to South Africa as the gates were closing. The Border Officer was padlocking the gate for the evening and walked toward his residence. No amount of cajoling would extend the gate hours that night so we spent it camped along the fenceline. A small amount of mischief prevailed as freshly creosoted telephone poles were contributed to the evening's roaring bonfire. After all, what territory could possibly claim possession as they WERE in no man's land.
Upon return to Johannesburg, I drove back to the 6 bedroom Cape Dutch farmhouse which I shared with 4 other assorted ex-pats and 1 South African. While preparing for a reunion dinner with my colleagues of the past two weeks, the South African lady I had been dating for the previous year arrived to accompany me. She was working for the travel agency from which I had booked the safari and wanted to both greet me as well as find out the quality of the trip to use in future marketing efforts. The relaxing trip had given me a chance to unwind and decide what I wanted for the future. I proposed to her that evening prior to dinner, she accepted and we shared our first toast as an engaged couple that evening with our newly found friends from the journey.
Our honeymoon was in the Drakensburg mountains 2 weeks later and 1 week after that we were in Long Beach, California living 2 blocks from the Pacific. We only stayed in Long Beach for 3 years before becoming ex-pats once more as we moved to Hong Kong with our 8 month old son-but that's another entry.
