Monday 25 November 2019

Part One of our trip to South Africa.

We have been back home for the last 10 days, but neither of us feels perfectly well and do forgive me if blogs are slow for a while, as I'm short of the energy needed to go through the many hundreds of photos that I took! HOWEVER, this malaise takes nothing away and did not detract at all from the fabulous welcomes, entertainment and trips organised by our generous hosts, Steve and Cathy, Patrick and Christelle and Gordon and Julie! We really enjoyed seeing them again and joining in with the arrangements. It was to be a truly memorable and varied holiday!

We arrived in Johannesburg on Friday 11 October. Our health problems emerged a few days later in the most unusually cold weather in RSA, which was generally the pattern for all but a couple of days in the Kruger Park, when the temperature rose to 46C; talk about extremes!  Airconditioning is always a concern for us both, and the long flights can be draining on the system.  Three flights going there and three coming home, plus a 9-hour wait in Gatwick to board the final leg between Gatwick and Bordeaux. This was perhaps a "too ambitious" schedule and age is not on our side!

  I didn't take a lot of photos in Johannesburg, as my telephoto lens was playing up! Thanks to an internet search and to Cathy for ferrying us, we managed to get an identical second-hand replacement in a nearby mall. It later proved not to be in perfect shape, but I think I have some reasonable photos to show you over the next few weeks!

Flying from Bordeaux to Gatwick on 10 October.  We then had to bus to Heathrow with all our suitcases!! No luggage transfers by the airline!

Arrival in Johannesburg on 11 October - wonderful Jacaranda trees!

In our friends' garden; some strelitzia flowers.

A distant shot of what I know as a Grey lourie - it seems now that the common name is simply the Go-Away bird due to its call. (Corythaixoides concolor).

Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis).

 Common bulbul or Black-eyed bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus).

Hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash), They are very noisy and had a liking for the friends' cottage where we were sleeping.  Not only with their call, but they seemed to enjoy jumping up and down on the tin roof (not this one!) as well!!

Our friends, Cathy and Steve's cat Leo.  He is a Main Coon, apparently the largest of the domestic cat breeds.  At just 5 months, he already weighs in at 9 kg!  So beautiful and with a fabulous temperament.

We took a trip to Steve's workshop to see what he was working on.  This is his race car, a Porsche 910, and.....

and he painstakingly restores other sports cars.  This looks like an interesting project with plenty of work to do!

Finally, more jacaranda trees! We caught them almost in full flower and before the heavy summer showers could drive the petals to the ground!

On Monday 14th, we flew to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, where Nigel was the first one to feel unwell and he spent the first two days there in bed!

This is a copy from my post on My photodiary. I will be posting the rest of this holiday on that blog as it really has nothing to do with my Life in the Charente.  Please make a note of the above link if you want to see my other photos which are mostly African Wildlife.  Thanks for following. Diane

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24 comments:

  1. aww what lovely travel and love yours pictures Diane, I missed you ! xo

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    1. Thanks Gloria, hoe all is well with you. Diane

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  2. Hope you're like new soon! I know how traveling like that affects a person! Love the cat and the jacaranda trees are gorgeous! Refresh and relax and I will be looking forward to more of your photos! Take care

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    1. Thanks Pam. Leo is just gorgeous and I do miss the Jacaranda trees. Hope everything is well with both of you. Diane

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  3. I must admit, LEO was my absolute fav photo here. I'm sorry you got sick on your trip, so many bugs etc...that lurk out there. I hope you are feeling a lot better now.

    mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

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    1. On the mend but still not 100%. Please note that I generally do not publish comments with links, Next time I am afraid if there is a link you will end up in spam!! Leo is a fabulous cat, an amazing nature. Keep well Diane

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  4. That was a big trip to undertake and so sorry you both got ill. We have stopped long haul flights for that reason. Just staying close to home for our trips now. Its a sad day when we are too old to enjoy travelling but inevitable. Love the Jacaranda trees.

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    1. It is hard not to visit RSA despite the difficult trip. We both love the place and all our best friends are there!! The wildlife is also a huge magnet while it exists though some breeds are more then simply endangered! Yes the jacaranda trees are very special but you are lucky as you get them in Australia. Keep well, t'other Diane

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    1. Thanks for the visit and the comment, much appreciated. Have a good day Diane

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  6. Beautiful photos! It looks like a wonderful vacation, although I'm sorry that the travel was so difficult.

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    1. Thanks Marjie, good to hear from you. Yes the flights were not easy but we survived. We could have taken an easier flight but then the cost would have almost doubled!! Hope you are well and the family will be with you for Christmas. All the best Diane

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  7. I think you are very brave to do such a long journey, although you did take some nice photos. Those Jacarandas look awesome!

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    1. Thanks Vera. I love Jacarandas, wish they would grow her but it is to cold for them. Keep well Diane

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  8. Hi Diane, I thought left a comment here weeks ago. I guess I intended to return for that ;-) I am sorry to hear you were sick for a lot of the holiday time in South Africa. I know exactly how it feels since that happened to me on my last trip to Kenya. I didn't get to do nearly as much sightseeing and travelling within the country was nil. Good thing there is a lot to do in Nairobi. I do love the Maine Coon cat. When I got my first cat years ago I considered getting one but a friend had a stray Turkish Angola she needed a home for and that is how I came to be a cat owner. Your friend Steve has a beautiful racing car and I'm sure he has a lot of great experiences and stories to tell about racing. The jacarandas are so beautiful especially when they are in full bloom. Thanks for letting me know about your bridge experience. You and I are going through exactly the same thing. It is too expensive for me too to get the implants but perhaps there is hope for another day. For now I hope the partial will work. The woman who makes them has her own lab in the office where I go and she has great reviews. So fingers crossed. Have a wonderful Christmas. I hope you and Nigel are now recovering. Hugs. xx

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    1. Thanks Penny for the long comment. I loved that Maine Coon but sadly Nigel has a cat allergy, so no more cats I am afraid. I so miss the jacarandas they are stunning when in flower, our visit was timed perfectly to see them though not actually in the plan. We are both fine now Penny and hopefully we will not pick up any flu bugs over the next couple of months when everyone seems to be sneezing!! Have had our vaccines but I am not convinced as to how well they actually work. Teeth they are an expensive part of the anatomy. Hope you also have a good Christmas and a perfect 2020. Diane

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  9. Wow, wonderful travel, love all the photos, so pretty!

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    1. Thanks Natalia, fabulous trip for us and seeing all our friends as well. Keep well Diane

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  10. Travelling long distance sometimes can be tiring. Hope you and Nigel are much better by now. Great photos from your travel. That is a beautiful cat.

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    1. Thank you Nancy, that cat is gorgeous and it has the most amaing tempermentas well as being very big! Take care Diane

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  11. Fascinating to see photos from another country. Those jacaranda trees are fantastic and such a gorgeous portrait of Leo.

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    1. Thanks Denise. This what I love about blogging, you get to see where other people live and holiday so you have a virtual tour of places one is never likely to see themselves. Keep well Diane

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  12. What a wonderful set of pictures - really love the cat - its a breed I would love to have!

    Hope you have a great Christmas - Stewart M, Keswick, UK

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    1. Thanks Stewart all the very best to you as well. I would love a Maine Coon but I have a husband who has a cat allergy!! Hope the weather is better there than it is here!!

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