Durban, South Africa

Durban, South Africa

Wednesday, 26th February 2020 Day 38

Our last South African Port before we head back to Australia, calling in to Re-Union Island and Mauritius on the way. Durban attracted the most warnings to tourists for pick pockets and muggings. Fortunately for us we did not experience any unpleasant occurrences.

The city is situated alongside a beautiful long white sandy coastline which has been given the name of Miami of South Africa. In 2010 South Africa hosted the world soccer championships which with overseas investment, encouraged hosting cities to build new, modern stadiums.  We saw new stadiums in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and now in Durban. Not only has Durban have a new stadium, it also boasts a lot of other sporting facilities in the same area. There are Track and Field, Olympic Swimming Pools, Rugby Stadium, PGA Golf course and more. (Which I can’t remember). A lot of the buildings in the city are Victorian, Art Deco and Indian and the streets appeared to be clean and tidy.

We travelled out of Durban on a well maintained 3 lane ‘tolled’ highway to visit the Zulu homeland in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Here we were entertained by costumed song and dance members of a Zulu group. They performed a rendition of traditional courtship and betrothal. Zulu men are still even today permitted to have many wives. Each wife’s family are paid at least 11 cows by the groom to gain permission to marry. Imagine if you had lots of daughters; you would have a healthy herd of cows! Though imagine if you had lots of boys only.

Alongside the display of Zulu huts we saw a collection of various crocodiles and reptiles, including snakes. I managed to not scream or run away when given a snake to wrap around my neck. My heart was thumping all the time whilst that snake was nearby.

Back in the city to enjoy lunch in what was previously a small reserve for an elephant and a few other native animals but now used as a lovely large walled garden with a pleasant café and courtyard nestled under huge fig trees. Our guide choose well. This garden is situated in the leafy green ridge area overlooking Durban and where the wealthier population resided. We met up with a couple on board who were visiting a cousin who had lived in Durban for several decades and whose children were now living in Canada and working in dental fields there. They were planning to sell up and move to Canada. Their house had been worth One and half million (I assume dollars, not Rand) 5 years ago but now they said it was worth about 375,000. They mentioned the crime rate had increased and they were living their life in constant danger.  When they went to lunch, the cousin got a man off the street to ‘watch’ their car whilst they had lunch, and then paid him when they arrived back!

We went to the Victoria Street Market on our last stop before heading back to the ship. Here we saw lots of various stalls selling spices, eye catching coloured clothing and jewellery and art works. I saw framed art made with different coloured butterfly wings. The shop owner was quick to tell me that the butterflies only live 2 days and after they die the wings are harvested and used in art designs. Our on board port lecturer warned us not to go here as it was Very Unsafe but our guide was amazed to hear this and explained she never has had a problem when taking groups here. When we arrived we saw clean and tidy alleyways, neat and colourful stalls with the ever present security guard in most alleys. Things were a lot cheaper here and I would have liked to have bought more but were reluctant to use our credit cards, instead using the last of our Rand. It is not surprising how some people get things wrong.

I compare this city to our own and see lots of similar history but I am surprised to see so much industry thriving here, it looks like there is a lot of work but still over 30% unemployment. Our guides have all explained a lot of people have come here from other parts of Africa to live and are not even registered, trying to find work and a better life. This country should be very wealthy but it is struggling to have the money to support its infrastructure. Schools and health are missing out. In Durban there is a big Toyota Factory manufacturing vehicle, just like in Port Elizabeth with its 4 vehicle manufacturers with all the supporting industries. The mines are still being mined for coal and gold but I believe the resources are soon to run out. Sugar plantations and production is very dominant in Durban. The place is vibrant and busy with large trucks supplying the port with raw materials and manufactured goods. Sadly all our guides have told us there is corruption in every level of government and business here and until it is checked South Africa will continue in the same direction. I worry for Australia.

Our last day in South Africa meant our travel visas had to be cancelled and passports stamped in a face to face interview. We were told to present ourselves in the ports terminal between 4.30 and 7.30 pm to conduct our interview. Yeh; right. DH and I had returned from our day and decided to wait for the line to start up. We were 20 minutes on the line with many passengers and crew lining up behind us, waiting whilst 3 immigration officers processed one person per 2-3 minutes. The Sun Princess has 2, 200 passengers and over 1,000 crew who went ashore in South Africa. Fortunately we got through within 45 mins but a lot of people were in the line for over 2 hours waiting to be processed. Even the Captain had to wait in line! Can you imagine the discontent and grumblings felt on board that night and the next day?  We both had a Panadol before going to bed that night. I know my back was aching just standing that time and am grateful we didn’t stand like others did for over 2 hours.

Day 36 Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The ship has sailed around the Cape and up the east coast of South Africa to Port Elizabeth which is situated almost on the same latitude as Cape Town. The ship was to originally take 36 hours to arrive here, obviously as a slower rate of knots than we have now traveled, but we have reached this port at the arranged time.

All the ship’s tour listings in South Africa refer to the remoteness of location and operational surprises and to leave valuables on board. Our guide, as all the other guides have stressed the importance of safety awareness.

Port Elizabeth is one of the easiest points to access many game reserves, so it is no wonder we have visited two today. The first, Kragga Kamma Game Park is a private park which allows private vehicles access to the park but with the understanding no one is allowed to exit on any occasion. It is interesting to see the animals are so used to seeing the vehicles driving around that they totally ignore them and allow us to drive up close to them.  It is here we added to our list of exotic animals; Cheetah, mongoose, bushbuck, waterbuck, bush pig and warthogs.

                                                                        Rhino

Warthog family

                                                                    Bushbuck

                                                           Family of elephants

The 3 lionesses here were rescued from a farm in the Ukraine where they had been dumped by a circus, no longer wanted. They were living in a filthy 35m2 concrete and steel cage with no direct sunlight or fresh air. They are now living in a natural an environment as possible with space to roam.

Our next reserve is the government operated Addo Elephant National Park. It is the third-largest national park in South Africa, a vast, bio diverse conservation area with incredible landscapes and high (maybe 2 half metre) vegetation which makes elephant spotting very hard. Apparently up to the 1920’s the area had been an elephant hunting ground where hunters trekked and killed these huge animals for pleasure. Only 8 female and 3 male elephants remained when the ‘hunters’ turned to ‘conservationists’ and partitioned the government to convert the land to a National Park to protect these beautiful creatures. The elephants here do not have tusks but a breeding program where elephants from Kruger National Park have been introduced and some of the young have tusks. Out of 11 original elephants, there are now over 700 or more.

                                  Siblings playing with each other while Mum or Auntie watch.

                                                            Com'on I want to play!

This elephant walked up this close to our van to eat. She wasn't even concerned being this close.

We again traveled around the park in our van getting very close to the animals. It was such a wonderful experience to see families of elephants with their young babies playing with their siblings or suckling from their mums'. It is here we saw many zebras, elands, warthogs, a various bucks.

                                               Warthog. Note the warts over each eye.

Zebras like to stay on the road to avoid the annoying flies which plague them mostly when standing                               in the grasses. Their tails and bodies are continually twitching.

                     Lunch time with Dan and Sue, Merrilyn and Roger and Rosilyn with our guide.

                This elephant may have been one of the introduced from Kruger N.P. The original                                           elephants do not have tusks however the introduced elephants do,


On our return drive back to the ship, our guide explained 4 automotive factories have set up here I Port Elizabeth, 2 are Chinese owned. This port is a very large ‘Row Row’ port shipping vehicles out of South Africa. There are also many side industries here supporting the vehicle manufactures.  I am amazed there is a lot of infrastructure, industries and manufacturing here in South Africa but the unemployment rate is over 30% and a lot of homeless people begging in the streets. Our guide explained a lot of people from the northern areas of Africa are illegally here and are competing with the locals for work. There is a lot of corruption here as well. South Africa also prefers to employ young female workers over male (either older or young), so the dynamic of the workforce has changed over the decades.

Cape Town Day 3

Day 34: Table Mountain and Cape of Good Hope.

We woke up this morning to be greeted by grey clouds and more grey clouds. Our expected trip to Table Mountain had a cloud hanging over it. (Like the pun?). Ha Ha. A quick revision of plans to allow for the chance the cloud cover tp pass away with the hope we would still be able to cable car up to the peak in the afternoon.

Our drive to Cape of Good Hope took us along the coast line past expensive homes and hotels overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, beaches and coastal pathways. To name a few, Camps Bay, Clifton and Hout Bay until we travelled along a stretch of road famous for the steep cliffs to the side to Chapman’s Peak. One stage of the drive, the road had overhanging cliffs, which sheltered the road users from rock falls.

Today is Saturday and the locals were out in force, bike riding and running, all along this scenic road. Apparently there is a marathon bike ride soon and everyone is out training.

As we have elected to visit Cape of Good Hope first, we were fortunate to be the first bus to arrive. By the time we left there was a long line up of vehicles waiting to pay and enter. This also means we were the first to get to the actual Cape of Good Hope and then the Cape Point where the Flying Dutchman funicular had didn’t have any line ups to ride.

Although the Cape of Good Hope is popularly perceived as the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, they meet at Cape Agulhas, just east of Good Hope. At our first stop we were able to see a seal colony perched on the rocks just nearby. Here is the first of the 200 metre towering cliffs, defining 3 of the promontories. Cape of Good Hope, Cape Maclear and Cape Point.

                                                                        All set?

                                                                 On the funicular

                                                                   Cape Point

Our second stop was at the lighthouse near Cape Point. This is where we rode the funicular for a short ride to a viewing point base. When driving around this wind swept area we saw many native proteas and heath. Unfortunately it was the flowering season for the proteas and I could only imagine how colourful the area would be when they are in flower. Though there were many different delicate daisies of different colours growing in amongst the heath and proteas.

It is now nearly noon and a fine rain has started to fall as we make our way to a restaurant near Simon’s Town called Black Marlin. It seemed to be a popular destination for bike riders to enjoy breakfast. It must have had a beautiful view overlooking the coast on the eastern side of the peninsular but we were not to see. A very popular luncheon spot for tour buses too.

                     Line of cars entering the Cape of Good Hope National Park.

Happy to know we have already been there. Line up of cars to enter the park.

As the cloud and rain was still hanging over Table Mountain, it was decided we would stop at Simon’s Town for a 30 minute break. This little sea port has been South Africa’s Naval Port for many years, going back to the last century. There are many buildings and infrastructure relating to the navy and a good Naval Museum here. It looks like a really interesting place to stay and discover its interesting past.

On the way back we drove past the University of Cape Town, Rhodes Memorial and Groote Schuur Hospital where the first successful heart transplant was performed.  After a quick drive around the city we arrived back to the ship and could see Table Mountain was still covered in cloud.

Early tonight the Captain announced the ship would not be leaving Cape Town until 6-8am next morning. Strong winds were picking up from the North which would make sailing through the protective heads of the harbour dangerous. However our expected arrival in Port Elizabeth would still occur on time.

PS Internet, whilst the ship is at sea is unreliable, depending on satellites overhead to bounce signals.

Leaving Cape Town Day 35

Up early this morning to witness the Sun Princess sail out of the protected marina.

                   Beautiful clear morning with the sun rising to the left of this photo.
                        The dawn light is just about to shine on Table Mountain.

The ship is still docked to the wharf when I took this photo of the V & A Marina. Note                                                         the ferris wheel in the left.

                                                   View of Signal Point on left.

Looking down the main street of Cape Town with Table Mountain in back ground.

                            The ship is swinging around to position, ready to leave.

              Little tug bringing the ship around to sail throgh the narrow heads.

About to sail through.

                                                                    Through!

                             Two little tugs making sure the ship traversers heads.

                 View of V & A Marina and soccer oval built in 2010 in background.

Bye Cape Town.