Well I have been here 2 and a half weeks now and have spent that time mainly in the city. I have done a couple of day trips to outer lying areas but nothing extensive yet. It is definitely not what I would call a beautiful city. Walls around homes are topped with either barbed wire or electric fences, there are no gardens on the side of the roads, in some areas there is not even pavement, just dirt. People stand in the middle of the road at traffic lights trying to sell you everything from Sunglasses to phone chargers, fruit to toys, even mirrors. Some people just ask for money, others direct you when parking your car and expect payment for it.
There are constant makeshift shops on the side of the road selling random things. Some people steal part of a fence then cut it up and sell it as scrap metal!
There are some pretty areas of the city though and a lot of parks and shopping malls. Food is relatively cheap depending on where you go out. Alcohol is cheap too which is both a good and bad thing! 100 Rand is about AUS $12 and for 100 rand I can get 3 packets of cigarettes!
Last week Trevor and I drove about an hour and a half to Hartebeespoort Dam. It is quite a pretty area. We went to an animal park that had all sorts of creatures like snakes, vultures, cheetahs, chimpanzees, seals, hyenas, wild dogs, lynx and even hamsters! We had lunch there and I tried Springbok carpaccio, it was actually very good! We wanted to ride the cable car up the mountain but it was closed. There is an Elephant park out that way too that we are going to try and go back to.
On Sunday I went with Lisa and Beverly out of town to go horse riding. It was a mans private property and we rode up the mountain for a good hour and a half. He has wild Zebra and Wildebeest roaming his property. The wildebeest stampeded about 10 metres away from us it was amazing.
This Sunday we are going out to a rhino and lion park which also has a hippo walk and then Monday I am going on a bus that travels from Johannesburg down the coast to Cape Town. Its a hop on hop off thing so I can stop at over 40 different places on the way in a 14 day period.
I am very looking forward to Cape Town as I plan on going Shark diving and sky diving there!
I just bought a GoPro camera so will be sure to capture every second of both to re-live over and over!!
Finally it has arrived, my departure date!
I have spent the last 2 weeks having several farewells and saying my goodbyes and now it is time to fly off into my new adventure.
Goodbyes are funny things, sometimes they are hard and other times not so much. This time was a mixture of both. I spent some quality time with my parents whilst home and I will miss them, but on the other-hand this trip could not come sooner. I personally need this trip now more than I ever have and it will do wonders for me to follow that voice inside my head and heal my heart at the same time.
Leaving my mother in tears on the side of the freeway I jump into the car of one of my bestie's and head off toward the airport. Whilst in line to check in I have an absolute freakout when I can't find my passport!! Thank god I actually have it, I just moved it from its usual spot for some unknown reason.
Once at the counter there is another issue. The lady will not let me check in without proof of my ongoing flight from Johannesburg. I have this proof, but it is on my laptop which has decided it does not want to connect to the airport WiFi. Eventually that is sorted and I get checked in and go to exchange some money for Sth African Rand. By this stage Belinda and I realise that even though we thought we had heaps of time I really have to get through security and customs as my boarding time is not far away...No time for duty free shopping!!
I can't complain about Singapore Airlines at all, they were were quite good to fly with and I was lucky enough to end up with a spare seat next to me on both my flights. I can complain however about the stupid cold I got 2 days before I left which made my flights quite uncomfortable! By the time I landed at Singapore airport (8hrs and 3 movies later) my nose was red raw and my ears still had not popped so I couldn't hear properly and apparently was yelling at people.. Not to mention it was 1am and still 30 degrees outside!! I then boarded my 10 hr flight to Johannesburg intent on popping sleeping pills and waking up at my destination. My body however had a different idea. It decided I would only have 3 hrs sleep and 4 nose bleeds!
I arrive at Johannesburg at 7am and Trevor greets me at the airport with a hug and a coffee. We then head off to have Mothers Day breakfast with his family.
I spend the next 2 days taking medication and suffering 12 more nose bleeds! Not the greatest start.
Trevor runs a business so has to work whilst I am here but his mum and sister took me on a little tour of Johannesburg and to some flea markets in town which had some really creative stuff! Most things are hand made, intricate bead work and paintings as well as local foods and clothing. So far things have not seemed as scary as some people have told me, however there are locked bars on the house doors and electric gates and fences. Windows must be kept up and valuables hidden when stopped at traffic lights.
Trevor's sister Lisa took me to a Lion Park 45 mins outside of the city yesterday, it was fantastic!! We got to go into a cage with around 7 five month old lion cubs that you could pat as long as it was behind the shoulders and firmly. We then drove ourselves around the park where there was different areas for Lions, white lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs. They literally came right up to our car! It was amazing! There was also Giraffe feeding, hyenas, zebras and springboks.
As yet I have not made concrete plans about the rest of my trip. I am definitely going to Cape Town and Mozambique and I think we are going to Kruger Park next week.
I am enjoying Africa and looking forward to what the coming months bring!
Yvette
