New Country, New Continent, New Hemisphere

Warning - this blog entry contains pictures of snakes and cheap red wine 

(both for the benefit of Lisa C)

There is probably no other place I have dreamed more of visiting than South Africa. My mother lived here for many years in the '60s, and she always claimed it was the most beautiful place in the world. That endorsement, plus the draw of the Big 5 animals, made this country a no brainer.

With the exception of some parts at the end, the four hour drive from O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg to the town of Hazyview was not worthy of too many photos, and when we finally arrived after dark at our guesthouse, it was a huge relief. After a long night flight and the long day of driving, we really needed a shower and a good sleep.

Our hotel is wonderful - a small guesthouse flawlessly run by a super friendly Afrikaaner couple - the absolute epitome of hospitality. But with a 30,000 volt fence surrounding the place, there's no mistaking you are in South Africa - personal security comes first!

And this is the sight which greeted us at the local supermarket - good wine at fair prices. 10 rand = 1 Canadian dollar, so these bottles range between $3 and $5 each. I guess the diet will have to wait.

All of our South African friends are white, but make no mistake, this is a black country. I think that this is the biggest aspect of our culture shock here.

It's a Saturday night, so in South Africa, this means a braai. It is the equivalent of a BBQ, but it means so much more - it lasts all evening and involves much red meat and lots of wine. 

Our hosts Johan and Freda kindly invited us to join them, and I staggered back to the room in a protein and wine-induced haze. We think we'll like it here.

Our stay here in Hazyview will last just a few days - enough time to get our bearings and prepare ourselves for our five-night stay at Kruger National Park. Although we are in South Africa primarily to try to see animals in the wild, I do not wish that experience to extend to snakes (especially the venomous ones), so we happily went to the local reptile park.

We were treated to more deadly snakes than I have ever seen in one zoo - and many of them are endemic to this area (comforting!!), including the black mamba and the green mamba, both deadly snakes responsible for many fatalities each year.

Up close and personal.

Green Mamba alert!!

We set aside one day to simply drive through the incredible landscapes of Mpumulanga (the province we are in). 

Fantastic rivers, caves and mountains cover the countryside. It is winter here, but this simply means cold nights and warm days - about 25 degrees - perfect for us.

While the Blyde River Canyon does not match the Grand Canyon in scope, it is one of the largest canyons on earth and perhaps the largest 'green canyon' due to its lush tropical vegetation. However you wish to measure it, it is an eye-popping example of scenic geology.

This is the best view of all at the Three Rondavels.

I still can't believe I'm finally in Africa.

Sure, go ahead. There's only a two thousand foot sheer drop behind you. Sometimes I wonder. It's hard to teach your children to obey instructions when these idiots are doing this.

And how else do you finish a long driving day than with a fantastic feast of oxtail and mieliepap? Our amazing hosts again welcomed us into their home and treated us to an incredible Father's Day feast - I think they use any excuse to get together to eat well, but who's complaining?

For all the current (and future) fathers. Have a great day!

We've only been here three days and we are having such a great time. For our South African friends who are keeping track, we have eaten biltong, had a braai, enjoyed bobotie, drunk cheap (good) red wine and Castle beer, eaten at Nandos (because we couldn't find the Wimpy's), learned some Afrikaans swear words, shopped at the Pik 'N Pay, slept under the protection of guard dogs and electric fences, and been treated like family by our hosts - so I must say it's been a true South African experience!