dis BLERRRRIE lekker by die huis....

So I have been home, back in South Africa, for going on my second week now…and man it’s not completely the way I left it…but alas it is after all that element of surprise, risk and the challenge that I relate to South Africa. Even with just 2 weeks, I have already had numerous Braais AND a potjie, I’ve drunk South African champagne and Portuguese wine, eaten Portuguese food and Nandos flame grilled chicken and a half rack of steers flame grilled ribs:D I’ve cooked a bit and baked for fun ;) [Personal South African advertisement joke] and of course OVER INDULGED…in ….salad.

I’ve spent many minutes or hours bonding with the Highways….R21…N12….N1…..my favourite is the N1, can you believe it!!! On top of THAT, loved getting back into my right hand drive, manual, volks-wagen (NOT folks wagon). I’ve raised my voice at at least ONE taxi and laughed at some others, I have picked up on my subtle American accent when I speak my mother tongue. I’ve cracked a sweat in the middle of the day as temperatures reach a WHOPPING 28°C …(American friends 82°F) THIS IS AFRICA!!! Yes contrary to popular belief it is ALSO autumn now….but grass is still green… our trees still have leaves, birds chirping, it’s raining and the world is beautiful shades of green…as opposed to the white from the previous months.

My pet hate(excuse the pun) presently…would have to be the Mosquitoes (not my PET) which I have forgotten about…and they obviously DID miss me too, each one trying to get his/her 10c in before I part from them again…HEAVEN HELP ME…with 2 weeks to go…this might become WAR.

So with my obvious luck I am home in time to celebrate another well-know South-African public holiday, (public holidays are characteristic of SA) - Freedom Day, and we head off to the Kruger National park, to make my SA trip a bit more colourful. We decide to take the journey through the Highlands Meander, over the Long Tom pass [refer to previous blogs (grand canyon) where similar to this situation…it was so misty that the beauty of the pass and the meander was more subdued…due to WEATHER CONDITIONS…] through Dullstroom, where we stopped for a breakfast / brunch…in the rain, the road that runs through the little town is about ONLY restaurants and cafes…but, Question…what do fly-fishermen do in Dullstroom when it is raining….??? They fill up all the coffee shops and restaurants; I have no idea where all these people came from… After trout-inspired meals, sandwiches, and wraps we are back on the road.

The land is beautiful –sugar plantations and banana-tree…fields?? For MILES!!! After shaking rattling…not so much rolling, we arrive at Ngwenya lodge, where, along the Crocodile River. Here a poor fellow south African (GP number plate) had reversed off the road and I think I am correct in saying 2 wheels were touching the ground as the car hung, suspended half off the road and the other two wheels in the air- the owner and creator of the spectacle is hiding while people looking for excitement are joking and taking photos of this silly mans embarrassment.

So on the wild side of things, we had a braai obviously (TWICE!)… and savanna…(obviously…). The next morning, and the morning after we were up at 4...yes friends 4 am… I kid u not…and NO it was not as result of ANY form of Jetlag…we had to be at the game reserve by 5am…it opened at 6…arrived at 5 as car number 23 and within minutes there were 40 more cars behind us…popular place this.


Through rain, mist, cold and cloud cover over the 2 days…we saw…8 lions, MILLIONS of elephants and babies, 8 wild dogs, herd of buffalo, giraffe and their babies, waterbuck, impala….hippos, hyenas, kudu…did I mention as the spotter I was sleeping most of the time and all these animals were well, not throwing themselves at us but were all pretty much in the road… on top of that, just as we thought elephants were boring…the one DID decide to um….run towards us….as my mom all too calmly put the car in reverse, I started sweating and laughing nervously as my dad thought…this would be good footage… as the cars behind us got it all on film!!! Yes friends this is Africa and we live on the edge… :D

3 days later we head home and stop over at Millys trout farm for once again, another trout-inspired dish…pancakes, platters and wraps….home sweet home as the packing commences (ok fine, it hasn’t even started yet :D )

Through all this I must admit…the roads up there in the game reserve….the dirt roads…are in fact better than some of our tarred roads down here… my love-hate relationship with the city begins again, no more a lady of leisure as things pick up speed and days get shorter as time gets less. (who REALLY has time to sit and write a blog…;-)



T (-6 days)…then we put a shrimp on the barby!!!

7 day count down, LIFT OFF and ... its been real!

Today I arrived back home in order to be in time for our preliminary flat-inspection… (Pre determinant of our $750 deposit….that we deserve back.) being slightly later than my 2 flatmates, I was the lucky winner of becoming cleaner of the bathroom area…the sink…where everyone spits….the shower where dirty people go and the toilet where everyone…well lets not get too visual now…and this…has not reeeeally been cleaned in a few weeks or months…
I am proud to say that I am proud of myself and the good job I did…. The toilet shines, the taps shine and the shower SPARKLES. One would think that a shower might be the cleanest place in an apartment as that is where everyone comes out clean…? No? So anyway slowly slowly there is a lot of movement in and around these apartments as people try to boycott paying more rent…


Easter weekend is drawing near and as the week comes to an end the work environment is filled with mixed emotions of sombreness and excitement, people are becoming gushy as the South Africans have stolen many hearts and have a special place in MANZANITA.


So the day arrives where we all start taking our final shifts at Manzanita, it’s sad, it’s exciting, it’s exhilarating and its hard work to stay focussed… by the end of the night I was the lucky winner of a pie-in the face…WHAM!! :D good way to end an Unbelievable experience. I have said it many times but these boys and girls I will ALWAYS love!! I try to keep this blog ‘name-free’ but in honour of these AMAZING guys from the restaurant, I have to ‘name-throw’ a bit… Jake, Josh, Ryan, Danny, Lucas, Adam, Beatriz, Sarah, Kim, Cameron, Scott, Justin, Dylan. These guys make it all worthwhile!!! Thanx for the unbelievable memories.


I’ve always kind of thought of myself as a cool cat and a tough-cookie, but as I started leaving Truckee…I started biting back the tears…. Nevertheless…we headed over to Reno, I was to catch my flight at 06.30 Thursday morning, so had to be at the airport a good 04:30 in the morn….our MISSION…should we choose to accept it…stay awake so I can sleep in the aeroplanes (plural…many…more than 1!!). and this is JUST what we did….as a team of 6 we booked a room at the CIRCUS CIRCUS hotel…well 2 of the 6 did…while the rest of us dispersed…in search of a drink…this is the baby Vegas you know…. And so the night of fun, laughter, eating, gambling and dancing had begun… before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport, as we fought with a taxi driver who made us leave a friend behind…the tears were inevitable. At the airport I repacked my bags rather than paying $ 150 for overweight. And thus was left with not 2 pieces of carry-on …but 4!!!


After greeting the people so close to my heart…the tears were running down my face like waterworks….how can you learn to love people so much only to say goodbye again…I walked through security and as I place my WHOLE PACK of carry-ons on the conveyor I knew I was going to have NO trouble waltzing through here as this poor girl is crying her eyes out….I place, my handbag, back pack, laptop, and rolly bag…jacket boots and belt on the strip and noooo one says nothing! They DID however find a knife in my bag…..I’m sorry officer I reeeaaallly didn’t know it was there…it was my bottle opener from work….such a good employee right;)


Furthermore I’ll spare you the details but in short I flew to Salt Lake city where I found my flight to Atlanta to be delayed, hence I was bummed onto another flight so that I could get to Atlanta in time for my JHB flight… this flight took me to Vegas….where I almost missed my flight to Atlanta as this one I was on was ALSO delayed…ran onto my next one which was obviously free and…well…FIRST class…wined and dined…NICE…. ATLANTA…BOOM….Thank the Lord when I saw at gate D12….”Johannesburg…on time….” HA-LE-LUJA. Funny..this flight was ALSO delayed, but 14 hrs and 33 min later, I landed at OR Thambo, rushed with a mixture of emotions….BOOM…


…this just happened….

USA, Ritz-Carlton, Manzanita – server attendant… ROCK BOTTOM….check….let’s move up.

3 weeks and counting as my wings take me to Australia to start a bit more of a life than a 5 month ‘vacation-job’.