DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
27 November 2006- Monday
Durban SA
Awoke at 6am and checked the ship's position on the tv channel assigned just for that purpose and found we were about to enter the port of Durban, the busiest port in southern Africa. Was showered and up on deck as we entered the port with a whole section devoted to container ships. Docked at the passenger terminal to the beat of Zulu drums with a welcome committee of Zulu dancers on dockside. Took us awhile to get clearance to land. I tried for a couple of tours that had sold out and did want to tour Durban, but the only thing I came up with was a private game reserve. Went into the terminal to buy some postcards which I'll write on the way to Capetown. Lots of colorful stuff for sale- was going to try to find the post office, but advised against going into town alone. Ran into Ron and found out he and his wife were doing the game park that afternoon also- so right after lunch, boarded the buses for a one hour drive South of Durban. Durban itself looked like a prosperous city with nice modern buildings and lots of street traffic. Then found out that the unemployment rate was 60% and therefore crime rampant. Drove past Victoria St Market and next to it was the main railway station which carries 60,000 people per day and is surrounded by homeless squatters. Next came the wealthy apartment section of Brea and then a gigantic mall that looked like Disneyworld called the Pavilion.
Apparently, no one shops downtown- very American. Finally enter the land of a thousand hills- alledgedly formed by 2 scotsman who lost some coins and dug a bunch of valeys in search of them. The highways are excellent, the buses big, roomy, air conditioned so it looks like we've returned to civilization as we know it. Pass a number of chicken factories which are huge. Told they slaughter 250,000/day for consumption and export. The landscape is lush and green because this is springtime in SA and the rainy season (was in Swaziland in June when everything had turned brown.) Notice a large black cloud to the right of us but we turn off the highway to go left. The Tala game reserve is 3000 hectares and surrounded by an electric fence- the place was held up once so now they only take credit cards. We go to the lodge where they have large land rovers seating 3-4 across with 5-6 rows. The park personnel are dressed like Afrika Corps with billed hats, epaulets. I make the first one in an outside seat and we see buffalo within 5 minutes, then up to giraffe and there are a lot of antelope all around. There are no cats or crocs because the area is too small to support big predators. As we're watching a flock of ostriches, we get lightning and thunder and light rain which becomes a down pour- we do have a leaky canvas roof, but the ponchos we were promised if it rains do not materialize- and did I mention I was in an outside seat. But tough it out until we find the rhino- 2 separate sightings and then head for the lodge. Have Ron take a picture of me with a stuffed sable antelope-rare-and when I look at it later, I find I look like a harlequin since the right side of my body is soaked and the left is dry. Anyway, saw more game in an hour than we did in 4 hours of Tsavo West. Rainy ride back uneventful and make it to the dock at 5:30 pm- ship sails at 6pm.
Quick shower and dress for dinner. Nothing spectacular- the leg of lamb I picked was mostly fat, but everything else was good. Entertainment tonight was Steve Stevens a comedian, trumpet player, singer and plays an instrument that looks like a baby banjo but sounds like a ukelele. He pronounces all the words he sings so you can understand the lyrics, but he's English and some of the humor lost on Americans. Another episode of Lost - getting stranger and stranger- and asleep by 10.
Durban SA
Awoke at 6am and checked the ship's position on the tv channel assigned just for that purpose and found we were about to enter the port of Durban, the busiest port in southern Africa. Was showered and up on deck as we entered the port with a whole section devoted to container ships. Docked at the passenger terminal to the beat of Zulu drums with a welcome committee of Zulu dancers on dockside. Took us awhile to get clearance to land. I tried for a couple of tours that had sold out and did want to tour Durban, but the only thing I came up with was a private game reserve. Went into the terminal to buy some postcards which I'll write on the way to Capetown. Lots of colorful stuff for sale- was going to try to find the post office, but advised against going into town alone. Ran into Ron and found out he and his wife were doing the game park that afternoon also- so right after lunch, boarded the buses for a one hour drive South of Durban. Durban itself looked like a prosperous city with nice modern buildings and lots of street traffic. Then found out that the unemployment rate was 60% and therefore crime rampant. Drove past Victoria St Market and next to it was the main railway station which carries 60,000 people per day and is surrounded by homeless squatters. Next came the wealthy apartment section of Brea and then a gigantic mall that looked like Disneyworld called the Pavilion.
Apparently, no one shops downtown- very American. Finally enter the land of a thousand hills- alledgedly formed by 2 scotsman who lost some coins and dug a bunch of valeys in search of them. The highways are excellent, the buses big, roomy, air conditioned so it looks like we've returned to civilization as we know it. Pass a number of chicken factories which are huge. Told they slaughter 250,000/day for consumption and export. The landscape is lush and green because this is springtime in SA and the rainy season (was in Swaziland in June when everything had turned brown.) Notice a large black cloud to the right of us but we turn off the highway to go left. The Tala game reserve is 3000 hectares and surrounded by an electric fence- the place was held up once so now they only take credit cards. We go to the lodge where they have large land rovers seating 3-4 across with 5-6 rows. The park personnel are dressed like Afrika Corps with billed hats, epaulets. I make the first one in an outside seat and we see buffalo within 5 minutes, then up to giraffe and there are a lot of antelope all around. There are no cats or crocs because the area is too small to support big predators. As we're watching a flock of ostriches, we get lightning and thunder and light rain which becomes a down pour- we do have a leaky canvas roof, but the ponchos we were promised if it rains do not materialize- and did I mention I was in an outside seat. But tough it out until we find the rhino- 2 separate sightings and then head for the lodge. Have Ron take a picture of me with a stuffed sable antelope-rare-and when I look at it later, I find I look like a harlequin since the right side of my body is soaked and the left is dry. Anyway, saw more game in an hour than we did in 4 hours of Tsavo West. Rainy ride back uneventful and make it to the dock at 5:30 pm- ship sails at 6pm.
Quick shower and dress for dinner. Nothing spectacular- the leg of lamb I picked was mostly fat, but everything else was good. Entertainment tonight was Steve Stevens a comedian, trumpet player, singer and plays an instrument that looks like a baby banjo but sounds like a ukelele. He pronounces all the words he sings so you can understand the lyrics, but he's English and some of the humor lost on Americans. Another episode of Lost - getting stranger and stranger- and asleep by 10.
Labels: Nairobi to Rio 2006
posted by DT at 11:31 AM
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