I noticed that I said the 25 was Thurs but I'm sure you all know it is Friday
On Saturday we left Areena ( Gonube ) at 7 AM as we had a 350 Km trip to Port Elizabeth and we wanted to get there in good time to take advance of the nice weather and the beach that we knew was right on the camp site. This was one of our better trips because it was all on N2 which was partly freeway and then real good two lanes with some 8 foot should, which as I mentioned previously, becomes a 4 lane for all intent and purpose. It also allows us to average 90 KMH instead of the usual 50 or 60 KMH.
Everything went along nicely until we got close to Port Elizabeth and Carroll punched in the co-ordinates for the Willows camp site .. no match found, so she punched in the name.... no match found, so she punched in " camp sites in P. E..... no match found. Now what.. well maybe; just maybe there will be a sign. No such luck. So we do know that the camp ground is on the water, the Indian ocean to be exact, so drive thru the city to the Ocean. On a Saturday afternoon, this was not the best decision we have ever made, so we decide to find an information ( i ) booth and with luck we did, unfortenately they were closed. But we did spot a "Filling" station so I pulled in to ask direction. As I got out of the MH I spotted 4 Black attendance who I thought might help; and then I got a Flash back to 1 Nov when I ask 4 Black guys at a Filling station the best way to get out of Johannasburg and after a committee meeting they gave me the wrong directions. So I just gave they a quick wave " Hello " and went inside to the " white" clerk who gave very specific direction which lead is directly to our camp site some 30 mins away.
The camp site was not full so the clerk gave us a site with a great view of the Ocean and all the plots were grass and treed. the entire camp site is beautiful. It would make most sites in Canada look like a pig pen. The clerk original said the cost per night was R185 and then ask if I was a"Pensioner " ( they don't have Seniors in ZA ) and I said yes so she said the price is only R98.
After parking the camper we headed for the ocean for our first taste of the Indian ocean and it was great. Too bad we can't stay here longer than a day but we have to get further south to the Garden route where everyone raves about its' beauty.
After our swim and a beer, we headed back to P.E. for a look at there waterfront, which is very nice with lots of beach area.
Since it was now 7 PM we decide to stay in town for supper and we found a nice resturaunt called De Kelner. After perusing the menu we decide on ChateauBriand for two. The chef actually cook our meal right at our table which attracted the attention of most of the people in the whole place. The bill came to R400 ( 50.00 cdn ) and that included a Starter of Mushrooms and a beer for the driver. It was a good job I had a beer because I had to drive home in the dark on a narrow road.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
25 Nov Thursday Gonube & East London
Our Cdn friends left before we had a chance to say goodbye but they had another long day of travel ahead of them , as they were heading for the Cape. We inturn decide to visit the quaint little town of Gonube, which appears to a bedroom community for East London. None of the cities and towns have a sign to say the population but my guess for East London would be around 200,000.
We did a quick trip around Gonube which took about 20 min and said to ourselves; is that it. It has a beautiful beach and a few hotels and a new shopping Mall not yet full of stores but that is it. So we ventured down the road to East London and it was a zoo of traffic. We did the waterfront and they are begin to all look alike. We also looked for a Bus tour of the city but they don't have one. Then we seen something about the gigantic Mall so we found it on the outshirts of the city as per usual. However, we encountered the same parking problem, which is the entrance all have a height restriction of 2.6M ( 7 Feet) and we need at least 3 M clearance. But,Carroll, with her eagle eyes noticed that cube vans and other delivery trucks could park just inside the lot and just before the restriction gate so we followed those trucks and just parked where they did. This gate had a chain that was on the ground, so as long as it stayed there we could also get out. If not, I'll let Carroll deal with Security.
So we walked the Mall picking up a few items and I was also looking for an Apple store as my iPad2 can not send msg. I checked with the Vodafone store and to my surprise, there is only 2 Apple stores in ZA. One is in Capetown and the other is in Johannesburg. Can you believe, 53 million people and only 2 Apple stores. I was told this is Blackberry Country.
This mall also has a Casino, so Carroll had to check it out as usual and make a small donation. I think she only lost 2 dollars. Then we stopped for a late lunch in the Mall and decide to check out the only camp site in the small town of Gonube and possibly hit their gorgerous beach.
Oh, I should mention getting out of the parking area wasn't too bad. As we walked to the MH I noticed that the chain that was on the ground when we entered was now, up and locked. So I'm thinking this is where I start kissing Butt to get out; I even checked to make sure I had some change if I had to buy my way out. Then I seen a guy looking at me as we walked to the MH, so I walked over and said , can you let me out and he did. Problem solved.
Now, to find the camp site. Carroll punched the co-ordinates into the GPS and off we go to Gonube and we had to wind our way thru the town and down towards the water to the camp site. I check thru security who direct me to reception; she in turn say, go grab a site and return and pay for it. That was easy.... until I got into the camp site. The people we seen and their campers or reasonable facimally may have been of a slightly less quality than the Eslers are use too. Any nobody was " White" which did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Carroll says. I don't even want to see the bathroom, just get me out here. Nuff said.
So we return to Areena camp ground, which was the one we spent last night in. I think they were surprised to see us back .
Tomorrow we head for Port Elizabeth which is on the Indian Ocean and the camp site at P.E.was recommended by our Host, so we know it will be a nice one.
We did a quick trip around Gonube which took about 20 min and said to ourselves; is that it. It has a beautiful beach and a few hotels and a new shopping Mall not yet full of stores but that is it. So we ventured down the road to East London and it was a zoo of traffic. We did the waterfront and they are begin to all look alike. We also looked for a Bus tour of the city but they don't have one. Then we seen something about the gigantic Mall so we found it on the outshirts of the city as per usual. However, we encountered the same parking problem, which is the entrance all have a height restriction of 2.6M ( 7 Feet) and we need at least 3 M clearance. But,Carroll, with her eagle eyes noticed that cube vans and other delivery trucks could park just inside the lot and just before the restriction gate so we followed those trucks and just parked where they did. This gate had a chain that was on the ground, so as long as it stayed there we could also get out. If not, I'll let Carroll deal with Security.
So we walked the Mall picking up a few items and I was also looking for an Apple store as my iPad2 can not send msg. I checked with the Vodafone store and to my surprise, there is only 2 Apple stores in ZA. One is in Capetown and the other is in Johannesburg. Can you believe, 53 million people and only 2 Apple stores. I was told this is Blackberry Country.
This mall also has a Casino, so Carroll had to check it out as usual and make a small donation. I think she only lost 2 dollars. Then we stopped for a late lunch in the Mall and decide to check out the only camp site in the small town of Gonube and possibly hit their gorgerous beach.
Oh, I should mention getting out of the parking area wasn't too bad. As we walked to the MH I noticed that the chain that was on the ground when we entered was now, up and locked. So I'm thinking this is where I start kissing Butt to get out; I even checked to make sure I had some change if I had to buy my way out. Then I seen a guy looking at me as we walked to the MH, so I walked over and said , can you let me out and he did. Problem solved.
Now, to find the camp site. Carroll punched the co-ordinates into the GPS and off we go to Gonube and we had to wind our way thru the town and down towards the water to the camp site. I check thru security who direct me to reception; she in turn say, go grab a site and return and pay for it. That was easy.... until I got into the camp site. The people we seen and their campers or reasonable facimally may have been of a slightly less quality than the Eslers are use too. Any nobody was " White" which did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Carroll says. I don't even want to see the bathroom, just get me out here. Nuff said.
So we return to Areena camp ground, which was the one we spent last night in. I think they were surprised to see us back .
Tomorrow we head for Port Elizabeth which is on the Indian Ocean and the camp site at P.E.was recommended by our Host, so we know it will be a nice one.
24 Nov Eland to Gonube
This was out longest day so far as we covered 550 KM, most of thru a down pour. Our first stop was at Kolstad for fuel, 140 KM from Eland, where we spent the night before. As we pulled into the Truck stop to refuel the vehicle ahead of us, beening refuel was a Maui Motor Home which indicated it would be an "out of country" traveller. Carroll ask the attendant where they were from and he said Canada. So Carroll held " court " with them until I refuelled. Then we, meaning all 4 of had to visit the washroom and then we ( all 4 ) went into Wimpy's ( the ZA version of Macdonald's ) for a coffee. The couple where actually a father and daughter ( Jim and cassie )The daugther has been here for 6 months doing some research ( at your expense ) paid for but your tax dollars. She has a Masters degree in Political science and she is doing research on Social Health in ZA. Give me a break. The father has a Air conditioning/ refrigeration business in Armstrong , BC. He said ( jokingly) he came over to take her home. Anyhow, they said they were going to a Camp site called Areen and we were going to Gonube, so off we go, never thinking we would meet again as they had a 15 min head start. As we travelled down the road we actually caught them several time but never past due to weather and traffic. .
We had to go thru several small town/cities and the people and the traffic was unreal. It seems that everyone was shopping, double parked, trucks unloading in the middle of the street, etc etc. It was chaos in the small towns but we managed to get thru safely.
Passing 18 wheelers on these winding mountain roads, was another story because if you don't take a chance on a solid line you will be following them all day. So I just put on my ZA driving Hat and did as they do; pull out and flash your lights and the guy coming at you will move over.
I did have one little incident I must tell about. I was following an 18 wheeler , for what seemed forever and finally we crested a hill ( in a rain storm ) and I seen an opening so I nailed her down. What I did not see was an intersection at the bottom of the hill, nor did i see the " Painted" no passing Bulavard" , nor did I see the cop standing in the far lane with his hand in the air. By the time I got to the cop I was probably doing 100 KMH, the truck was up my ass and i assumed the cop was waving at someone other than me so I kept going. However , about 2 KM down the road is another cop standing at the side of the road and I think; shit, the other cop must have radio ahead to stop me, but he did not wave me over; so another disaster averted.
This 550 KM trip was very tirering but the rain finally about 100 KM from Gonube where we intended to stop for the night. As we got closer to our intended destination I was getting tired so i said to Carroll, just take the closes camp site on the GPS; I'm tired and I need a beer. She punched in the closes one and it happen to be the same one that Jim and Cassie were going to so we headed there. As it turns out they arrive at the gate just ahead of us.
One we got set up they joined us for a beer ( I think it was 3 beer ) and to swap stories. We then had supper at the camp resturaunt Jim and Cassie and then called it a day. Gonube can wait until tomorrow
We had to go thru several small town/cities and the people and the traffic was unreal. It seems that everyone was shopping, double parked, trucks unloading in the middle of the street, etc etc. It was chaos in the small towns but we managed to get thru safely.
Passing 18 wheelers on these winding mountain roads, was another story because if you don't take a chance on a solid line you will be following them all day. So I just put on my ZA driving Hat and did as they do; pull out and flash your lights and the guy coming at you will move over.
I did have one little incident I must tell about. I was following an 18 wheeler , for what seemed forever and finally we crested a hill ( in a rain storm ) and I seen an opening so I nailed her down. What I did not see was an intersection at the bottom of the hill, nor did i see the " Painted" no passing Bulavard" , nor did I see the cop standing in the far lane with his hand in the air. By the time I got to the cop I was probably doing 100 KMH, the truck was up my ass and i assumed the cop was waving at someone other than me so I kept going. However , about 2 KM down the road is another cop standing at the side of the road and I think; shit, the other cop must have radio ahead to stop me, but he did not wave me over; so another disaster averted.
This 550 KM trip was very tirering but the rain finally about 100 KM from Gonube where we intended to stop for the night. As we got closer to our intended destination I was getting tired so i said to Carroll, just take the closes camp site on the GPS; I'm tired and I need a beer. She punched in the closes one and it happen to be the same one that Jim and Cassie were going to so we headed there. As it turns out they arrive at the gate just ahead of us.
One we got set up they joined us for a beer ( I think it was 3 beer ) and to swap stories. We then had supper at the camp resturaunt Jim and Cassie and then called it a day. Gonube can wait until tomorrow
23 Nov Wednesday Margate to Eland
It was still rainning when we left Margate and our next stop , would be Gonube area; which would have been over 650 KM away which in the country is not abtainable in one day due to the road conditions and the small towns that had to be navagated and I use that word loosely. The small towns are more like an obstacle course with the traffic and the people.
So we ( mostly Carroll ) decided to go to a Nature reserve and then launch real early the next day for Gonube, a place also mention by another camper. As we were motoring along , in the middle of nowhere , we passed two huge mines. One mfg Cement and the other was mining Limestone.
Shortly , thereafter we happen to see a sign that read " Coffe Shop Now Open ", at Leopard's Rock. This caught our interest and since it was only 10 AM, we could use a coffee so we did an about turn and drove about a 1/4 of a KM up a tree lined lane until we reached the coffee shop which was more like a resturaunt. We seen two other cars in the lot so we figured we would not be alone. Surprise... they were just leaving but what the heck; we decide to check the place out. Too our surprise this " Coffee Shop " is built on the edge and high above a beautiful Gorge. The owners, retired from the Two mines I mentioned, also built several beautiful Chalets overlooking this Gorge. The owners gave us and another couple who happened to drop in out of curiosity,a tour of the chalets and they are gorgous. We were surprised to hear that the chalets are about 90 % booked on the weekends. We also got the " picture tour " of the area and the story behind the name of Leopard's Rock. I makes this story brief so bear with me; many years ago a man came to this area and lived near the gorge. Apparently, and the picture bear the truth, he domesticated a Leopard and it became his pet. A picture shows him laying on a Rock , suppositly 1000's of feet above the Gorge, but only 10 feet, with the pet Leopard laying on him, hence Leopard's Rock.
To futher our story , we decide to order breakfast, Carroll a small breakfast and me a large English breakfast. The other couple had a coffee and a muffin and low and behold two more couples come in and I'm thinking this place is 30 KM off the road and already, in the middle of the week, 8 couple have showed up. They don't even advertize the place as a coffee shop.
OK, we got to get going so travel another 30 KM thru , what is mostly sugar Cane area or wild game reserves and then we see a sign we did not want to see. It said " Only 4 more KM of gravel road" and you will be at the Eland Game reserve. I'm thinking this better be good.
It looked pretty dam good as we drove in ( as if we had a chose now the morning was shot ) so we waked in to the reception area and met with man, who I think, wrote "History Book" on the area. I really expect to write test when he finished explaining everything. All as I said or think i said was " so what have got for me to see here".
Anyhow, we stayed the night, althought we were the only campers, there were others in the chalets; we did a self-drive to see the animals but I'm not convinced a Zebra, antelpoe and Warthogs qualify as a Wild animal. We then went to a suspension bridge above the Gorge and too pics of the gorge from the bridge. They also have 3.3 Km of Zip line but it was closed as a result of the rain and foggy weather. I may have tried the Zip line if it was open.
Later, I went back to see " Mr. History Book " about my travel plans for tomorrow as we had to go about 550 KM to Gonube, our next "Planned" stop. I also said I needed one fuel stop. So he gave me very specific details because we were travelling , for the most part, thru any area that was not; to coin a phase " White freindly " It was OK during the day but not to stay overnight.
So we decided to leave at 7 AM the next day and to heed his directions.
So we ( mostly Carroll ) decided to go to a Nature reserve and then launch real early the next day for Gonube, a place also mention by another camper. As we were motoring along , in the middle of nowhere , we passed two huge mines. One mfg Cement and the other was mining Limestone.
Shortly , thereafter we happen to see a sign that read " Coffe Shop Now Open ", at Leopard's Rock. This caught our interest and since it was only 10 AM, we could use a coffee so we did an about turn and drove about a 1/4 of a KM up a tree lined lane until we reached the coffee shop which was more like a resturaunt. We seen two other cars in the lot so we figured we would not be alone. Surprise... they were just leaving but what the heck; we decide to check the place out. Too our surprise this " Coffee Shop " is built on the edge and high above a beautiful Gorge. The owners, retired from the Two mines I mentioned, also built several beautiful Chalets overlooking this Gorge. The owners gave us and another couple who happened to drop in out of curiosity,a tour of the chalets and they are gorgous. We were surprised to hear that the chalets are about 90 % booked on the weekends. We also got the " picture tour " of the area and the story behind the name of Leopard's Rock. I makes this story brief so bear with me; many years ago a man came to this area and lived near the gorge. Apparently, and the picture bear the truth, he domesticated a Leopard and it became his pet. A picture shows him laying on a Rock , suppositly 1000's of feet above the Gorge, but only 10 feet, with the pet Leopard laying on him, hence Leopard's Rock.
To futher our story , we decide to order breakfast, Carroll a small breakfast and me a large English breakfast. The other couple had a coffee and a muffin and low and behold two more couples come in and I'm thinking this place is 30 KM off the road and already, in the middle of the week, 8 couple have showed up. They don't even advertize the place as a coffee shop.
OK, we got to get going so travel another 30 KM thru , what is mostly sugar Cane area or wild game reserves and then we see a sign we did not want to see. It said " Only 4 more KM of gravel road" and you will be at the Eland Game reserve. I'm thinking this better be good.
It looked pretty dam good as we drove in ( as if we had a chose now the morning was shot ) so we waked in to the reception area and met with man, who I think, wrote "History Book" on the area. I really expect to write test when he finished explaining everything. All as I said or think i said was " so what have got for me to see here".
Anyhow, we stayed the night, althought we were the only campers, there were others in the chalets; we did a self-drive to see the animals but I'm not convinced a Zebra, antelpoe and Warthogs qualify as a Wild animal. We then went to a suspension bridge above the Gorge and too pics of the gorge from the bridge. They also have 3.3 Km of Zip line but it was closed as a result of the rain and foggy weather. I may have tried the Zip line if it was open.
Later, I went back to see " Mr. History Book " about my travel plans for tomorrow as we had to go about 550 KM to Gonube, our next "Planned" stop. I also said I needed one fuel stop. So he gave me very specific details because we were travelling , for the most part, thru any area that was not; to coin a phase " White freindly " It was OK during the day but not to stay overnight.
So we decided to leave at 7 AM the next day and to heed his directions.
22 Nov Tuesday Leaving Durban for Margate
We left the Durban area ( actually Natilia) and travel about 100 KM along the coast to Margate, which was a place suggested by another well travelled camper we had met earlier at BadPlass. As we left Natilia it was threatening rain again but clear up as we got to Margate. Therefore we took the opportunity to drive around the area to see the sites and to see again how much beautiful Beach Front this country has available. We are glad to see that the Hotels, in general , are build off the beach proper and the beaches are for the people, not wealthy hotel patrons.
Then we decided, that since we are now on the water we should try a fish plate for lunch and we were not disappointed with the fish nor the price.
While eating lunch on the deck, Carroll spotted a Unisex hair salon where I could get a much needed trim for R50 ( less than $7.00 cdn ) so in we went. I didn't realize how badly i needed a haircut until the lady said; do you want a Perm or a Trim. ha ha. Then we headed for the beach but the water was too cool to swim as a result of 5 days of continuous rain. So, Carroll ,just had to check out the Hawkers Wares again, as she just can not walk by them. I ask what she needed or wanted and she said Nothing so I know that means... get out my wallet because she is buying but not before she beats the guy down to 1/2 price. After carroll picked out some much needed Place Mats, we decide to drive around the area and then find a camp site for the night.
There were only 2 camp sites in our "Camping Book" so we chose one and plugged it into the "trusty" GPS which took us directly to the site. The camp looked OK and the price was right ( R120 ) so we took it for the night. I will say in hind-site it only met our Minium Standard but it was clean and very friendly. We ask the owner for the best place in town for a fish supper and he directed us to another town some 5 or 6 KM away to a John Dory's which a large chain but with excellent food. Once we read the menu we "kind of change our minds. " We ordered dinner for two which included , Ribs along with Muscles, Prawns, Calamari, squid with rice. We also had a Greek salad and of course a beer for the driver. The supper cost us R208 or $26.00 cdn. I don't know how the can make a meal like that for so little money.
We then returned to the camp site and listened to it rain all dam night and it did not get any better the next day.
Then we decided, that since we are now on the water we should try a fish plate for lunch and we were not disappointed with the fish nor the price.
While eating lunch on the deck, Carroll spotted a Unisex hair salon where I could get a much needed trim for R50 ( less than $7.00 cdn ) so in we went. I didn't realize how badly i needed a haircut until the lady said; do you want a Perm or a Trim. ha ha. Then we headed for the beach but the water was too cool to swim as a result of 5 days of continuous rain. So, Carroll ,just had to check out the Hawkers Wares again, as she just can not walk by them. I ask what she needed or wanted and she said Nothing so I know that means... get out my wallet because she is buying but not before she beats the guy down to 1/2 price. After carroll picked out some much needed Place Mats, we decide to drive around the area and then find a camp site for the night.
There were only 2 camp sites in our "Camping Book" so we chose one and plugged it into the "trusty" GPS which took us directly to the site. The camp looked OK and the price was right ( R120 ) so we took it for the night. I will say in hind-site it only met our Minium Standard but it was clean and very friendly. We ask the owner for the best place in town for a fish supper and he directed us to another town some 5 or 6 KM away to a John Dory's which a large chain but with excellent food. Once we read the menu we "kind of change our minds. " We ordered dinner for two which included , Ribs along with Muscles, Prawns, Calamari, squid with rice. We also had a Greek salad and of course a beer for the driver. The supper cost us R208 or $26.00 cdn. I don't know how the can make a meal like that for so little money.
We then returned to the camp site and listened to it rain all dam night and it did not get any better the next day.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
21 Nov Monday
Did I mention in my Sunday blog that we would be headed south. Well, our planning is never cast in concrete as you know by now. When we got up this morning the sun was shinning; it was warm with a nice 30 KM breeze and the ocean was beckoning for the swimmer to join in.
Since we dearly wanted to ride the SkyCar at the famous soccer stadium we decide to stay another day and go back to Durban. On sunday we were advised by the Ticket agent that Monday was " Booked " for Schools but what she did not apparently say was that after the schools were done we could ride the skyCar. So , Carroll decide to Call the Skycar office on Momday and they said, for sure the ride was open and available as we would not get there until near noon anyhow.
So back to Durban we go , some 45 KM away and for a city of 3.5 Million people it is very easy to get around. also we were heading for the Malacon, ( my word for the waterfront and beach ) which of course is on the ocean and the stadium is only 3 blocks away.
You may recall, the minor parking problem i had on Sunday. Well " Mr who thinks he Owns the parking Lot " was on duty again and again he said No way...you are too big and you are a Bus, which not allowed. . But I am now in the entrance way blocking any traffic so he comes close enough for Carroll to discuss the situation. She explained that this our passager vehicle, not a Bus, etc etc etc. He finally gives in and allows us to park. besides the parking lot is half empty anyway.
So we get to ride the SkyCar to the top of the soccer stadium and the view of the stadium and the city are fabualous. I think we are 300 M off the ground so you can see forever. The stadium holds 56,000 for a soccer game and will hold 85,000 . ZA dearly wants to host the Summer Olympic as the world cup did so much to help bring this country to the world stage. I think it help bring the people together also.
After the SkyCar ride we decided to have lunch at the stadium as there are several resturaunts, cafe's and other boutiques around the perimeter that will gladly take the tourist money.
As we were eating lunch we mused about walking the Malacon and do some people watching , just to top of the day. However, the weather turned from beautiful to down right nasty as the winds increase and the rain returned. therefore we decided enough was enought we headed back to our camp. Carroll, the navagator decided, and rightly so the we could stay on M2 ( M stands for Motorway ) as we would eventually need that road to exit the city. what she did not know was the M2 took us right by the Convention centre and there was an Enviromment Conference hosted by the United Nations. Hence the security was tight and the 4 lanes of traffic became one. Which means i had to pilot our Motor Home into the traffic jam and of course I'm probably one of the few with Insurance and i beieve most of the drivers are 'training " for the Indy 500.
With Carroll help and her brave words such as " Cut in Now" we managed to get to the freeway called N2 ( I have no idea what N stands for ) then stopped at the grocery store to pick up a ready made supper. It now appears the the windis increasing and for sure rain will not stop tonight.
Since we dearly wanted to ride the SkyCar at the famous soccer stadium we decide to stay another day and go back to Durban. On sunday we were advised by the Ticket agent that Monday was " Booked " for Schools but what she did not apparently say was that after the schools were done we could ride the skyCar. So , Carroll decide to Call the Skycar office on Momday and they said, for sure the ride was open and available as we would not get there until near noon anyhow.
So back to Durban we go , some 45 KM away and for a city of 3.5 Million people it is very easy to get around. also we were heading for the Malacon, ( my word for the waterfront and beach ) which of course is on the ocean and the stadium is only 3 blocks away.
You may recall, the minor parking problem i had on Sunday. Well " Mr who thinks he Owns the parking Lot " was on duty again and again he said No way...you are too big and you are a Bus, which not allowed. . But I am now in the entrance way blocking any traffic so he comes close enough for Carroll to discuss the situation. She explained that this our passager vehicle, not a Bus, etc etc etc. He finally gives in and allows us to park. besides the parking lot is half empty anyway.
So we get to ride the SkyCar to the top of the soccer stadium and the view of the stadium and the city are fabualous. I think we are 300 M off the ground so you can see forever. The stadium holds 56,000 for a soccer game and will hold 85,000 . ZA dearly wants to host the Summer Olympic as the world cup did so much to help bring this country to the world stage. I think it help bring the people together also.
After the SkyCar ride we decided to have lunch at the stadium as there are several resturaunts, cafe's and other boutiques around the perimeter that will gladly take the tourist money.
As we were eating lunch we mused about walking the Malacon and do some people watching , just to top of the day. However, the weather turned from beautiful to down right nasty as the winds increase and the rain returned. therefore we decided enough was enought we headed back to our camp. Carroll, the navagator decided, and rightly so the we could stay on M2 ( M stands for Motorway ) as we would eventually need that road to exit the city. what she did not know was the M2 took us right by the Convention centre and there was an Enviromment Conference hosted by the United Nations. Hence the security was tight and the 4 lanes of traffic became one. Which means i had to pilot our Motor Home into the traffic jam and of course I'm probably one of the few with Insurance and i beieve most of the drivers are 'training " for the Indy 500.
With Carroll help and her brave words such as " Cut in Now" we managed to get to the freeway called N2 ( I have no idea what N stands for ) then stopped at the grocery store to pick up a ready made supper. It now appears the the windis increasing and for sure rain will not stop tonight.
Sunday, 20 November 2011
20 Nov Sunday Tour of Durban
Today the rain has final stopped and we have a nice soft breeze, with the Sun threatening to burn thru the clouds, so we are off to Durban about 45 KM away. Since Durban is a city of 3.5 million people we are a little apprehehensive but the young guy at the Tourist office assured us with his map and his directions , it would be a breeze and he was right. He sent us to the Ocean front, called the Malacon. The Malacon is several KM long and has a width of 100 M right along the ocean where everyone, runs,walks, roller baldes, cycles, etc. The Hawkers also have stalls at street level so they do not bother you on the Malacon. This whole area is beautiful and i assume it was done so for the World cup held here in ZA last year. I was advised by my niehbour that anything done for the World Cup was paid by " Tax payers ", which did not surprize me.
It also surprized us that there was ample free parking along the entire Malacon area . The hotels all have there own underground secured parking.
After walking the Malacon for an hour or so and checking out the hawkers wares, we decided to find the new " Soccer" stadium that was built for the World cup, as it is only a few blocks away and can be seen for miles. The most direct route had a detour, of course, so we had to make 2 or 3 runs at it to get on the correct street. Then as we approched the stadium to park, they had a Marathon so the police redirected us causing to our confusion. We did find a parking area but the attendant said I was not allowed in as it was only for the Patrons going to the soccer game so he kick me out. So I parked across the street and a policewoman said I could not park there but I should go into the stadium parking. When i said I was kicked out, she don't move, I'll talk to the attendant, which she did and we were allowed in. His logic was , that i was a Bus and Buses were not allowed in the parking area, but the policewoman changed our " Bus " to a "Van "so then we could park in the area.
The stadium has a "Skywalk " Gondola that takes people to the Top and then you walk around an area and get a view of the city. However, since the soccer games was about to start, so they had to close the Skywalk until tomorrow , ( Monday). Also, we are not allowed on Monday, as only Schools can ride on Mondays and we are not going to wait until Tuesday so hopefully we will get to see the Stadium in Cape town.
We had lunch at the Stadium and then we returned to the Malacom to catch a " Double Decker " tour Bus, for a 3 hour , conducted tour of the Durban. The Sun was now shinning and there was a slight breeze and the tour was great. The tour took us to the Port and I have never seen a Port this huge. I estimated , that there were 100 hundred ships, loading and unloading but I stopped counting at 50. There was 10,000 vehicles being loaded and off-loaded as Toyota has a huge assembly plant here. Incidentally, Toyota also mfg most of their parts in this area. One of the parking areas was full of used cars from other countries but they were being off loaded and held to be re-loaded for another country. These used vehicles can not be sold in ZA.
After the Tour , we went to the Casino so Carroll could donate some money and to have supper. To get into the Casino parking area it cost R1 ( about a 1.30 ) and then if you want to park close to the entrance to the casino you pay again. I took general parking. The casino is a carbon copy of any new casino in Vegas. However, you have to go thru an airport type security to get in and I was told I could not wear my ball cap in the casino. Women are allowed to wear a hat. does that make any sense? Then to play a machine you had to "purchase " a Players Card for R20 which was refunded when you leave. Carroll says she broke even but math was never you "strong subject ".
We left our 45 KM trip back to the camp site until dark and that was not the best move we have ever made but Carroll managed to navagate we thru the traffic; we did miss one turn but with about 3 left turns we did get on the proper " Motorway " and arrived home safely. Monday we will head south along the coast but we are not sure of the destination yet
It also surprized us that there was ample free parking along the entire Malacon area . The hotels all have there own underground secured parking.
After walking the Malacon for an hour or so and checking out the hawkers wares, we decided to find the new " Soccer" stadium that was built for the World cup, as it is only a few blocks away and can be seen for miles. The most direct route had a detour, of course, so we had to make 2 or 3 runs at it to get on the correct street. Then as we approched the stadium to park, they had a Marathon so the police redirected us causing to our confusion. We did find a parking area but the attendant said I was not allowed in as it was only for the Patrons going to the soccer game so he kick me out. So I parked across the street and a policewoman said I could not park there but I should go into the stadium parking. When i said I was kicked out, she don't move, I'll talk to the attendant, which she did and we were allowed in. His logic was , that i was a Bus and Buses were not allowed in the parking area, but the policewoman changed our " Bus " to a "Van "so then we could park in the area.
The stadium has a "Skywalk " Gondola that takes people to the Top and then you walk around an area and get a view of the city. However, since the soccer games was about to start, so they had to close the Skywalk until tomorrow , ( Monday). Also, we are not allowed on Monday, as only Schools can ride on Mondays and we are not going to wait until Tuesday so hopefully we will get to see the Stadium in Cape town.
We had lunch at the Stadium and then we returned to the Malacom to catch a " Double Decker " tour Bus, for a 3 hour , conducted tour of the Durban. The Sun was now shinning and there was a slight breeze and the tour was great. The tour took us to the Port and I have never seen a Port this huge. I estimated , that there were 100 hundred ships, loading and unloading but I stopped counting at 50. There was 10,000 vehicles being loaded and off-loaded as Toyota has a huge assembly plant here. Incidentally, Toyota also mfg most of their parts in this area. One of the parking areas was full of used cars from other countries but they were being off loaded and held to be re-loaded for another country. These used vehicles can not be sold in ZA.
After the Tour , we went to the Casino so Carroll could donate some money and to have supper. To get into the Casino parking area it cost R1 ( about a 1.30 ) and then if you want to park close to the entrance to the casino you pay again. I took general parking. The casino is a carbon copy of any new casino in Vegas. However, you have to go thru an airport type security to get in and I was told I could not wear my ball cap in the casino. Women are allowed to wear a hat. does that make any sense? Then to play a machine you had to "purchase " a Players Card for R20 which was refunded when you leave. Carroll says she broke even but math was never you "strong subject ".
We left our 45 KM trip back to the camp site until dark and that was not the best move we have ever made but Carroll managed to navagate we thru the traffic; we did miss one turn but with about 3 left turns we did get on the proper " Motorway " and arrived home safely. Monday we will head south along the coast but we are not sure of the destination yet
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