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Our trip Week 1

To me, I am on vacation from when I have finished packing and set foot out the door, so when our neighbour arrived to take us, I was on vacation! The flight from Dallas to Miami was uneventful, bearing in mind we took off from one of the busiest airports in the world, where often you spend more time lining up to take off than you do in the air. With a three hour to Miami, thankfully this was not the case! We were travelling pretty heavy with Christmas presents, birthday presents and thank you presents and presents that just seemed to “jump” in, as Dee puts it.

We went through passport control in Miami with no problems, the effort of getting the new passports in time paying off – but as we discovered on the way back – Dee should have got a new SA passport with us as she naturalised, so they don’t like her travelling in and out on her British passport (remember all the trouble it caused getting THAT one in London, England last year!) Then it was the long 14 hour flight over. The boys immediately started asking for Cream Soda, Sparberry (no luck) while we were happy to find Grapetiser and Appletiser but no Ginger Beer! Hearing the South African accents was foreign, and the affirmative action was evident in the stewards. Generally I do not sleep, as they seem to make the seats with small Japanese personnel in mind - and this flight was no exception. We had 4 abreast near the back (747-400) and the boys each had a two seater claimed but we lost one so Jason claimed (illegally) the floor.

We were met by Jon Hide, my uncle, in Cape Town and have a photo of his reaction to my cap with the ponytail sewn in the back which is quite comical. His words were “I don’t believe it” – which turned out to be his saving grace… It felt good to be in Cape Town again, had not been there for many years. Jon leant us his “Kombi” (microbus) and we headed of on a trip around Chapman’s Peak – one of the most beautiful drives in the world, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. That night after taking a look at the school that Marnie teaches at, we took Jon and Marnie out to eat and our first experience of the highly conducive exchange rate. Where in America eating out is the norm, in South Africa it is still a “dining” experience, you are not rushed through your meal to make space for the line waiting outside!

On Tuesday as the weather was overcast we decided to postpone the trip up Table Mountain until Wednesday in the hopes of clearer weather and headed instead to Stellenbosch, land of the wine farms. En route we went to “Lord Charles Hotel” where Dee and I had spent a pleasant few days when pregnant with Jason, William being cared for by my parents in Port Alfred. I remember winning a big picnic hamper in a tennis tournament of sorts, and a horseride through the vinyards. In Stellenbosch we met with Danny Veldhuysen, an old varsity / East London friend and heard his sad tale of career change / divorce / re-building his life. We met his fiance Johanna – his saving grace – and her children and saw the beautiful house they were building. We were delighted with Stellenbosch as a whole, seemed very “unaffected” by the change, but in conversation with the residents, they were just as “gatvol” (upset) as the rest of the country with the ineffectual, corrupt government and lawlessness.

That night we had a braai (barbecue) with my Uncle, Aunt and twin nieces and their respective husbands – did I say respectable? Must be a typo… Any enjoyable evening catching up a few years and teasing Aunt Marnie as usual for not giving her daughter sweets (candy) as kids and so not stunting their growth… On Wednesday we went up Table Mountain, it was a clear day and you could see forever – sounds like a good line for a song…. Oops, been done before… The new cable car was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was a bit windy on top, but Robben Island was clearly in view (Mandela’s jail cell on an island) and Cape Point as well. They are obviously getting more geared up for tourists as it IS the most beautiful spot in the world.

Flew to Johannesburg in the afternoon and exercised my negotiating skills (part of the training I offer so I HAD to do well…) with Avis and Hertz in renting a Toyota Corolla for the rest of the trip. Met Trish (Dee’s sister) at the airport and followed her home. The next day went to the Lion Park just outside Johannesburg and had a great time viewing the lions close up in the camps. Dee in Trish’s car at one point was surrounded by lions – I was changing video spools so missed getting it on film – but Trish reports there was stunned silence and the sound of windows being rapidly wound up! This experience was capped by the “madala” (old man) who was in charge on the cubs which the kids could hold while you took photo’s. He had a great time setting up poses – one with Rosy (Trish’s daughter) holding a cub and the boys holding tails of other cubs and so forth. I was playing with one when the little bugger bit my hand – no blood but he gave it a little “test”. We were all in fits of laughter during the whole episode. Friday Dee and Trish went through most of their parents’ stuff in storage to sort out what needed shipping to her Mom in England or sent to the other sisters. When they got through the first sort the mail arrived with a list from their mom with what she wanted… Friday night was the get-together arranged by our good friends the Garners and it was great to see friends and compare paunches and bald spots – Tony won on both accounts, hands down – but then he had shaved his head…

Saturday was the continuation of the sorting while I nipped out and saw some friends. The evening was a meal at the “Lord Prawn” (Shrimp) my favorite restaurant for taking clients to. They prepared my favorite “Lobster Thermidor” but I discovered the price had trebled in 5 years. It was still great! Sunday we drove down (8 hours to Richard’s Bay and Dee’s other sister, Julie and her husband Al, and teenage daughter Shonnie and son Derek.

Thoughts thus far: It remains the prettiest country I have ever been in, but as “A house is not a Home – Countryside does not make a Country” (Graeme Addison you have to quote me on that if you publish it!!!) We were amazed at the number of divorced friends, and wondered if it was in part due to the stress of living in South Africa as it is a far higher percentage than our friends in the USA. Overall I had a deep feeling of sadness, at what COULD have been. The stories of violence were almost always the topic of conversation, each one trying to outdo the other on the stories. The childhood of growing up in East London, South Africa is one that can only be shared with those who have done the same, it was truly a remarkable privilege in hindsight, it is gone forever, never to be duplicated.   To be continued…