South Africa - 2/8 - i should log off

Review: Tempest Car Rental (South Africa)

April 18, 2010 By Danny

We rented a Hyundai Atos from Tempest Car Rental for 6 weeks of touring through South Africa. A few reasons we chose Tempest include:

They were the only company operating in South Africa that would give us a special month long rate, this rate was cheaper than the next best offer by far.

They were the only car company that allowed us to enter Swaziland, Lesotho & Namibia free of charge. (Note: There was a fee for Botswana however and Zimbabwe was not permitted. This was consistent with all other car rental agencies where we inquired)

They allowed us to return the car to a different location for a smaller fee than all the competition as well.

Basically we chose them because they were the cheapest all the way around. There was nobody that came close to the price we were quoted. The car we rented was new and in excellent condition. We had no car troubles.

Returning the car was almost a headache but it shouldn’t have been. We rushed to get it to the airport by the time of day we had rented the vehicle, to avoid paying for another days service. We sped around trying to find gasoline but failed, fearing the worst in fees. Upon arrival we learned that the rate fee to fill the tank was trivial compared to what we would have paid anyhow and that we were allotted a grace of an additional few hours. It took a few days for our credit card to be charged properly, but it was and we were extremely satisfied with 100% of the service we received. You should be aware that Tempest is associated with Europcar.

http://www.tempest.co.za/

Goodbye South Africa!

March 4, 2010 By Danny

Maybe it seems we’ve lingered here too long, but we didn’t seem to mind. In the two months we spent in South Africa before heading north for Zimbabwe we visited 5 countries: SA, Mozambique, Namibia Swaziland and Lesotho. We drove 12,000 kilometers, ensured our annual park pass paid for itself twice over, and saw all of the big 5 and then some. We entered a swim race, saw our first rugby match, celebrated a birthday and the new year, and even managed to make new, life-long friendships. In short, we got to know this place pretty darn well.

South Africa really is an interesting country but it is a country which defies easy classification. Many people back home think of South Africa as the developed and advanced part of Africa. Those people would probably be correct but stopping there doesn’t tell the whole story. The story begins a long time ago, with the discoveries of gold and diamonds in some sections of the country. Apartheid came next, followed by what some would call terrorism, others a civil war. A truce was called, suffrage was made universal, and those in power had a different skin color.

Has the country changed much since the 1990’s? We weren’t here back then but I’m not sure it has. The majority of blacks and coloreds still live in shacks outside of the city, some with running water and electricity and some without. The internet still works at dial-up speeds in most places, though it’s improving. People in Johannesburg still live behind 10 foot walls and electric fences. The government still defines all citizens by race (for statistical purposes only of course).

Some things have changed though…many towns and cities (attempts to change the name of the capital from Pretoria to Tshwane are currently being held up in court) are being changed from their current name to their Zulu or other tribal name, causing confusion on the roads. The form of affirmative action used here is de facto forcing many whites to leave the country. I wonder if in making these changes, those who are now in power have felt the need to ask the bushmen tribes what they think….after all the bushmen were here for even longer… Many citizens are embarrassed by the fact the President has 5 wives, is working on number 6, and is father to more than 20 children…many others though merely say they are unfit to judge another’s [polygamist] culture.

In my opinion though, all the hoopla, all the racism, all the debate, and all the remarks, can best be described as only one thing…growing pains. Although it is a country with a long history, it is a new democracy. Many of those with the right to vote have only just received it and as each individual, each generation grows and ages they will find a greater appreciation for that right. The politics will continue to evolve and the country with it. This is a beautiful country to know, and I am thankful to have known it as it is today and look forward to seeing it again in the future.

Glittering diamonds

March 3, 2010 By Jillian

We have hardly any space for souvenirs, so our purchases tend to be small and insignificant. I buy myself earrings in every country- usually aiming for something “crafty” made from local materials at an insignificant price ($4 or less!): coconut, coins, shells and sacred stones. It didn’t take a long time for me to start making jokes about purchasing earrings made from South Africa’s famous stone, the diamond. Although Danny continues to point out that he already bought me one of those, I heard a rumor that diamonds are found on the coastline of Namibia pretty regularly. As the first line of the guidebook states: “The shifting sands of the Namib Desert conceal the world’s largest stash of gemstone diamonds.” Now before I start an international diamond rush, let me assure you, the Naimibian government doesn’t let anyone get near their coast, deserts or diamond mining areas. Marked on the map as “restricted” areas we’ve heard stories of tourists receiving a visit from Namibian Police in the evening after stopping near a restricted area for a picture that afternoon, a violation which had been spotted from the air. Needless to say wandering into a restricted area, including the beach to scoop up diamonds isn’t really feasible.

No diamonds were to be seen along the road in Namibia so we headed to the next best place: Kimberley, home of “the big hole”. Trust me, its one big hole. Almost a century of diamond mining has left a big hole in downtown Kimberley, one that you have to see to believe. The story is not unlike that of the California Gold Rush: desperate for fortune people came from around the world to toil in the sun digging, sorting and mining for these precious stones.

In the chaos of the “diamond rush”, small time miners dug their claims to the very edge of their boundaries in the hope of finding the big one. Within a few years open mining had reduced the hillside to a honeycomb like structure, with small walkways separating family claims. As you can imagine, you can only dig so deep with a shovel and pick ax, and by the turn of the century a consolidated diamond mining company had been formed, laying the structure for today’s diamond giant: deBeers.

Having taken over the industry, the consolidated mining company moved to more modern mining methods, extracting diamonds from much deeper in the earth, leaving us with the “big hole” today. Although diamond mining continues to this day in and around Kimberly, the big hole is no longer an active mining site and has been turned into a wild west/frontier like tourist attraction. The museum tells the story of mining in Kimberly, but more interestingly of various diamond myths from around the world. Their vault contains diamonds of various states, cuts and polishes, although the most famous diamonds in the world are only displayed in replica.

A large percentage of the worlds diamonds come from southern africa, but none found their way into our souvenir collection. Granted, given the controversy surrounding some African diamonds frequently called “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds” its probably not such a bad thing.

Searching for Cheetah

March 2, 2010 By Danny

Exiting Etosha we drove quickly through Namibia’s capital Windhoek before crossing the border directly into the Kahalari Desert, and the trans-frontier park shared by both South Africa and Botswana. This park is known for two things: being in the middle of nowhere and being home to a lot of cats. We knew we’d see lions, (the ONLY animal other than wildebeest we’ve seen in every park) but we were looking for cheetah.

We quickly made camp and went out for a drive and found a dead lion. Eventually the animal moved so in fact, it was not dead, just nearly dead. It was skinny and alone. Other visitors told us that earlier it opened its mouth revealing an abscess, probably earned from a kick to the throat while making a kill. In their opinion (they do a lot of game-viewing) the lion could no longer eat and although not yet dead, it was close to dead.

The next morning we set off toward our next destination and within a few kilometers we came across the rest of our camp (who all drove faster than us because they were in proper 4×4 vehicles…over our three days we didn’t see another 2wd vehicle in the park) who were watching three male lions walk toward a water hole. Within 10 feet of our open window the began roaring at something in the distance. Although it didn’t sound anything like the lion (which is actually a mix of a lion, tiger, and bear) in the MGM intro seeing and hearing it so close was a bit unnerving. I would have made a video but I was a bit transfixed. After the lions walked away we learned that just around the corner were some cheetahs chasing a jackal but they’d since moved on…..dammit!

Then we got our reward. Driving along and trying to keep up with the convoy everyone eventually stopped, we couldn’t see anything but there off in the distance was a cheetah, barely visible to the naked eye. We parked the car and watched, along with the wildebeest herd nearby, to see if there was about to be a kill. The herd moved on and we moved to get a better vantage point…nothing happened. Finally a springbok wandered closer to the cheetah than it should have and the cheetah took off over the hill…so did we. By the time we zoomed around the hill we could see no sign of springbok but we did see the cheetahs (now part of a group of three) walking right toward the cars that had stayed put the entire time, to the waterhole right in front of those cars. We zoomed around again and parked along with everyone else and those cheetahs came right up to us. They were skittish, much more shy than the lion we’ve become very accustomed to, but they were beautiful.

Finally, back at our new camp, while I was cooking a nice late lunch, a king and queen took interest as well. This mating pair of lion had been so close to the camp’s viewing platform (actually under it) that we could hear them breathe. Now they just wanted a piece of my boerwurst. I know I’m good on the grill, but never thought I’d attract lions! Needless to say that night we fell asleep to the sound of the lions roaring outside our camp. It was a beautiful night in the Kalahari.

Foodie Friday- Cape Malay

February 26, 2010 By Jillian

Throughout South Africa we’ve been hearing about Cape Malay food, but never really understood what it was. We knew where the cape is, but what is or where is Malay? What is this cuisine you speak of?
We went to the Capetown waterfront and asked the security guard the best place for Cape Malay food. Pointing us in the right direction, we headed off to taste things which we couldn’t pronounce but wanted to try. So I ordered a chicken curry rootie, unsure what rootie was, but figuring that anything with chicken was safe. Danny opted for the babottie, a surprise for sure. What came was delicious, and licking my plate clean so to speak, I was hungry for some more.

A blend of savory and spicy curries and meats cooked with dried fruit, Cape Malay cuisine represents Capetown- a blend of ethnic cuisines. From curries to chilis to ginger, tumeric and cinnamon, Cape Malay cuisine is highly spiced and undoubtedly delicious. Cape Malay cuisine is descended from the Malaysian state prisoners that were sent to South Africa in the late 17th Century. They brought with them their aromatic spices, culture and religion. Blending with the Dutch, English and Portuguese influence in Capetown, a distinct Cape Malay cooking style was created.

Review: Tempest Car Rental (South Africa)

Goodbye South Africa!

Glittering diamonds

Searching for Cheetah

Foodie Friday- Cape Malay

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