South Africa - The Cape
JANUARY 2009
I am back in Cape Town staying in an apartment for a week with C and two of his friends who are over for a friends wedding which was last night in Stellenbosch, one of the wine areas just near Cape Town. It was a really small wedding in a really beautiful setting and so I felt rather chuffed to be invited (very last minute - didn't have anything to wear so had a mad last minute shopping expedition and found a dress at about 5pm the day before!) I met several of C's good friends which was a bit daunting... and he was a little worried I think when I told him that I caught the bouquet at the last wedidng I went to!!We got back from Namibia a few days ago, having driven from J'burg up through Botswana and Namibia over nearly 4 weeks - 5,000km in all!
We had Christmas in a backpackers joint in Maun, Botswana which is Prince Harry's favourite watering hole apparetnly! It was full of the biggest ex-pat alcoholics I've every met. But the couple who ran it were lovely and took a bit of a shine to us. He invited us on a trip right into the Okavango Delta. It took us all day in a speed boat to get there (literally dodging hippos which are so cool and now one of my fav animals) We stayed at Gun's camp which is right in the middle of the delta and normally costs US$400 per person per night and we stayed for $20 each! One of the other guys heard lions at night and there were some warthogs wandering around, and elephants nearby.Christmas day was back at the backapackers place - cold turkey and a mince pie! New Year's Eve we ended up camping on the Skeleton Coast in Nambia which is the most deserted palce I've ever seen or been to and beautiful. It was a quiet and different way to spend New Year but lovely. We then spent a few days in German-Swakopmund which is a very wealthy Cote d'Azur equivalent seaside resort. We went kayaking with seals and dolphins which was amazing. The seals get really close to you and are very funny and noisy. I amused myself for hours imitating their funny noises and talking to them - C is beginning to realise he's travelling wiht a mad-woman...The last day we spent repairing and cleaning our hire car before handing it back - it was amazing how little damage it had after what we put it through. We ended up chatting to the garage man (a white south african) for about 2 hours who was really interesting. He was telling us all about what it's like to live in that part of Africa... how different it is running a business there etc etc. He finally got onto the topic of aids which was really fascinating - basically saying what a huge problem it is here and how out of control it is... In his words, The 'Blacks' think that the whites wanting them to use condoms is a way of controlling them and trying to shrink their population and take over. He then showed us a picture on his office wall of him and his staff from 2001. Out of the 15 or so men in the picture, he and one other (the only other white) were aids-free. One had HIV and ALL the others had died from Aids. But its never acknowelged that aids is the cause of death.
Very sad.
He also said there is a problem with young Europeans (mostly girls) coming over on overland tours/holidays - hooking up with locals and going back home infected. We saw a couple of English girls getting it on with guys on the beach in Namibia - accoridng to the statistics they are very liekly to be infected. Botswana is the richest and most stable country in Africa and the life expectancy is 35 and falling!So I have a few days left in Cape Town (which
I ABSOLUTELY love - I want to live here! And have spotted several TV companies here... hmmmm)
Then C and I go our separate ways for about 3 weeks. He is off to meet his Mum and visit cousins in Durban and I am taking the 'Baz bus' (a backapckers greyhound thingy) along the coast and will meet C in Maputo (capital of Mozambique) Two weeks there and then home (which I am definitely NOT looking forward to!)
Can't wait for Mozambique - meant to be stunning and great snorkelling/huts on the beach. And very different to the places I've seen so far - much more the poor Africa...
