Nox
15-03-2006, 02:38 PM
I fell over a curbstone!
I won't bore you all with photos, most of which are stuck on a CD on my CD drive that will neither read, write or open, but I've been on my hols to Africa.
Spent the first three nights in Zambia at a place called Livingstone which is at Victoria Falls. We had been told there was a 'lot of water' coming over the falls, and boy oh boy was that true. It's like entering a power shower. You have to wear a swimming costume and/or a waterproof cape because even from the pathways nearby the spray is phenominal. There's no way you can get the camera out in the middle of it. To say you get soaked is an understatement. The spray is so powerful sometimes it's difficult to even open your eyes. We waded across a bridge and looked down into the mist and there was a rainbow, but it wasn't like your normal rainbow, it was horizontal not vertical.
I took a helicopter trip over the Falls so I could see it from both sides - the Zimbabwe side is a bit 'iffy'!
Went on a river safari in Botswana and saw elephants swimming across the river (very close indeed), hippos and lots of antelopes.
Went on a 'sunset river cruise' down the Zambezi. The white tourists are served delicious food and copious amounts of alcohol by blacks in 'South Pacific' uniforms. The whole of the Zambia trip was awfully colonial. You're in a secure hotel compound and waited on hand and foot. They'll do anything for you, as long as you give them a tip, which in our money is pretty menial.
Flew down to Cape Town where we stayed with my cousin in a fishing town nearby. It's quite an eye opener. The properties are generally spacious and opulent compared to ours. However, the crime rate is out of control and every house has high walls, electric fences and armed response. You can't just 'wander into town' - everyone goes everywhere by car.
We went along the 'Garden route'. The scenery was stunning. High mountains, green valleys, white beaches, aquamarine seas, tranquil lagoons, and frequently all in one place. Most amazing of all, was there'd be no one around. The distances are so vast and the towns so far apart, that you can have a beautiful beach practically to yourself. We visited some caves, I rode an ostrich and was accosted by baboons. (Not at the same time)
Back to the Cape Town and up Table Mountain. We picked the perfect day. It was crystal clear and very hot. Great views of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
Sampled plenty of wine in the vineyards all around the Cape. The wine is comparitively cheap. For less than a fiver in our money, you can get a really decent bottle of plonk. It was interesting to look at take a tour of the wine making process, which we did in the major grape growing region of Stellenbosch.
The food was divine. The only thing is the South Africans don't really know the meaning of the word 'snack'. Even a light meal would be piled high on the plate. I ate quite a lot of fish, not something I'm usually that fond of, but it had more taste than the Cod or Placie I'm used to. We ate in some excellent restaurants, but pricewise, it was about the same as you'd expect to pay for a pub meal. The one time we stopped in a motorway cafe (equivalent to Happy Eater) on our way to Plettenberg, we paid 149 rands for a cooked breakfast - about £1.30.
I saw seals on a boat trip, spent time with penguins on boulder beach, and even spotted a whale in the harbour which was something of a highlight as they shouldn't have been there until later in the year.
It's a great country, but I'm not sure the grass is always greener on the other side. They have their problems. Whilst we were there, we were subjected to a lot of power cuts because the nuclear plant where the electricity comes from (gas is very rare) had been so badly maintained it had malfunctioned. Violent crime is rife, but on the other hand, in the Cape, they have this stunning backdrop to compensate for it all. The weather was mixed - they talk about the weather more than the Brits! On the Garden Route it was a bit dull and rainy, but we returned to the Cape to temperatures of over 90 for a week, peaking at just shy of 100F. I had my sun block with me, so only got burnt a couple of times. The culture is such that when it was very hot, we'd retire to the shade, so it could have been a lot worse.
I won't bore you all with photos, most of which are stuck on a CD on my CD drive that will neither read, write or open, but I've been on my hols to Africa.
Spent the first three nights in Zambia at a place called Livingstone which is at Victoria Falls. We had been told there was a 'lot of water' coming over the falls, and boy oh boy was that true. It's like entering a power shower. You have to wear a swimming costume and/or a waterproof cape because even from the pathways nearby the spray is phenominal. There's no way you can get the camera out in the middle of it. To say you get soaked is an understatement. The spray is so powerful sometimes it's difficult to even open your eyes. We waded across a bridge and looked down into the mist and there was a rainbow, but it wasn't like your normal rainbow, it was horizontal not vertical.
I took a helicopter trip over the Falls so I could see it from both sides - the Zimbabwe side is a bit 'iffy'!
Went on a river safari in Botswana and saw elephants swimming across the river (very close indeed), hippos and lots of antelopes.
Went on a 'sunset river cruise' down the Zambezi. The white tourists are served delicious food and copious amounts of alcohol by blacks in 'South Pacific' uniforms. The whole of the Zambia trip was awfully colonial. You're in a secure hotel compound and waited on hand and foot. They'll do anything for you, as long as you give them a tip, which in our money is pretty menial.
Flew down to Cape Town where we stayed with my cousin in a fishing town nearby. It's quite an eye opener. The properties are generally spacious and opulent compared to ours. However, the crime rate is out of control and every house has high walls, electric fences and armed response. You can't just 'wander into town' - everyone goes everywhere by car.
We went along the 'Garden route'. The scenery was stunning. High mountains, green valleys, white beaches, aquamarine seas, tranquil lagoons, and frequently all in one place. Most amazing of all, was there'd be no one around. The distances are so vast and the towns so far apart, that you can have a beautiful beach practically to yourself. We visited some caves, I rode an ostrich and was accosted by baboons. (Not at the same time)
Back to the Cape Town and up Table Mountain. We picked the perfect day. It was crystal clear and very hot. Great views of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
Sampled plenty of wine in the vineyards all around the Cape. The wine is comparitively cheap. For less than a fiver in our money, you can get a really decent bottle of plonk. It was interesting to look at take a tour of the wine making process, which we did in the major grape growing region of Stellenbosch.
The food was divine. The only thing is the South Africans don't really know the meaning of the word 'snack'. Even a light meal would be piled high on the plate. I ate quite a lot of fish, not something I'm usually that fond of, but it had more taste than the Cod or Placie I'm used to. We ate in some excellent restaurants, but pricewise, it was about the same as you'd expect to pay for a pub meal. The one time we stopped in a motorway cafe (equivalent to Happy Eater) on our way to Plettenberg, we paid 149 rands for a cooked breakfast - about £1.30.
I saw seals on a boat trip, spent time with penguins on boulder beach, and even spotted a whale in the harbour which was something of a highlight as they shouldn't have been there until later in the year.
It's a great country, but I'm not sure the grass is always greener on the other side. They have their problems. Whilst we were there, we were subjected to a lot of power cuts because the nuclear plant where the electricity comes from (gas is very rare) had been so badly maintained it had malfunctioned. Violent crime is rife, but on the other hand, in the Cape, they have this stunning backdrop to compensate for it all. The weather was mixed - they talk about the weather more than the Brits! On the Garden Route it was a bit dull and rainy, but we returned to the Cape to temperatures of over 90 for a week, peaking at just shy of 100F. I had my sun block with me, so only got burnt a couple of times. The culture is such that when it was very hot, we'd retire to the shade, so it could have been a lot worse.