Travel report #27
South Africa - Johannesburg, Kruger National Park and Cape Town
Monday July 16, 2001
The flight was long, with a 2hrs stop over in Perth, gave us the change to at least see Perth from a distance...
We arrived in Johannesburg late at night and took the offer from a hostel (Africa Centre Hostel) that met us at the airport.
The hostel was an "ordinary" house that 2 couples had bought and turend into a hostel. Tall walls all around and a iron gate! We should feel safe here...
Basic facilities, rather expencive... We signed up for a tour straight away, leaving the next morning at 5am!
Tuesday July 17, 2001
The tour we signed up for was part of a 4 day tour to Kruger National Park, it left the day before so we had to arrange transport to the park ourselves.
It all worked out OK, we drove with a local bus, no problem. We arrived in a park just outside the NP, really nice place.
We had a short night drive and saw some animals, but not many.
Wednesday July 18, 2001
Up 5:30am and off we went with the group into the NP. Fantastic day, we saw lots of animals!!
In the evening it was another night drive, fantastic stuff!! More animals!
Then a nice dinner in front of an open fire :-)
Thursday July 19, 2001
Fantastic sunrise as we went for more animal hunting and a nice walk. Learned a lot from our guides about tracks and droppings :-)
(The drum used to call for meals, Dawn had to try it:-)
Drove back to Johannesburg to the same hostel.
Friday July 20, 2001
Guided tour into Soweto and Johannesburg. Very interesting. South-Africa defenetly has a long way to go... We tried Soweto beer!
(Our guide in Soweto and Jo'burg, with Jo'burg in the background)
We left Jo'burg in the evening, night bus to Cape Town.
Saturday July 21, 2001
Arrived about noon after almost 20 hours on a bus... Found a nice hostel (Long Street Backpackers). Walked around the city, actually quite a safe place.
Talked to other backpackers and learned a bit about SA, did not like what we heard. Still very much rasism among the white people, and defenetly still a "economical apartheid" here.
Sunday July 22, 2001
More walking around the city, visited the Waterfront. Nice place, very similar to Aker Brygge in Oslo :-)
(Cape Town, the Table Mountain in the background, spectacular!)
Went to Robben Island, very nice views of the city (Cape Town is maybe the most spectacular city we have seen) and very interesting visit. The guide we had in the prison was a prisoner here himself! Saw also Nelson Mandela's cell.
(Nice views from the boat to Robben Island)
(Our guide points himself out on the "liberty boat")
(Mandela's cell)
Monday July 23, 2001
We had hoped to climb the Table Mountain, but due to very strong winds it was closed... We walked the city instead. Left for London in the evening.