Log One Hundred and Eleven – The Southern Tip

14 October 2024

Our final safari and we spotted more lions and this time in the act of procreation. After an earlier viewing of a lion pride sleeping off a meal after a kill I guess this completes the day in the life of a lion. We were told that we were very lucky to see this event. It’s rarely observed.

Our time at the game park has been so much better than we could have expected. We have met so many fellow travellers who visited other parks and felt lucky to see some giraffes and zebra.

We had a long drive back to Johannesburg to catch a two hour flight to Port Elizabeth and hence to southern parts of the country. Sadly the Johannesburg CBD has become a ruin of abandoned buildings and decaying infrastructure. We did not visit downtown J’burg.

We travelled through the ‘garden route’, a green expanse of farmland that contrasts with the dry savanna of the game park in the north. After visits to an ostrich farm, a limestone cave system and protea farm we made it to Cape Town, the most southern tip of the African continent. We have a few days in Cape Town before the long flight home.

Last night it was an African meal and entertainment that included the hundreds of guests playing African drums. I had images of the drums from those old black and white movies about deepest, darkest Africa.

We were conducted by an expect drummer who had amazing patience with so many drummers unable to follow directions. Huge noise and so much fun. It is one way to exercise the arthritis out of your wrists.

The meal last night included fish, prawns and chicken. The African dishes also included Namibian ostrich, impala and venison. Apparently Namibian ostrich is the better ostrich, who knew.

Before finishing this series of stories I thought I would regale you with some of my recent observations of South Africa and the world in general, prompted by this trip.

• Shopping malls the world over are so similar, same stores, same products. It’s just the faces and the voices that differ.
• Civilisation is not defined by science, the arts, literature or politics. It’s all about the coffee and South Africa is civilised.

• Every coffee shop the world over has tables that wobble.
• African people, adults and kids, love to dance and sing. They love colour and style. It’s not unusual to see the cashier quietly singing while waiting on customers.
• In all countries the tourist is fascinated by what the locals consider passé. In Australia the locals would consider a kangaroo just another kangaroo. The tourist would freeze, stop and take photos. In Africa we would exclaim Impala, stop, we must take photos. To the locals, nah, it’s just another Impala!
• The roads and highways here are the same as home. We just don’t have baboons and monkeys crossing the road.
• We might have BT50s, HiLux and Ford Rangers at home. You just wouldn’t see three guys lounging in the back without seatbelts or any restraints.
• Inequality in South Africa can be jarring. In Cape Town there are Ferraris parked in the streets not far from ramshackle huts made of plastic and sticks.

One last day before the long trip home. Then it will be time to unpack, edit photos and consider where to next….