Author: admin

Bryanston, Gauteng, South Africa 4 October 2013 I was treading on dead rats whilst walking around the Soweto shanty town the other day. Now there’s champagne and canapes, tea and scones and coffee and biscotti on offer. Visiting the private 7 acre Italienate Garden of St Christopher. A charity open garden day in the white… Read more

Bryanston, Gauteng, South Africa 3 October 2013 Woken in the early hours by the platform tannoy at Germiston station. Not sure if I’m dreaming but would swear they were saying “Whisky Alpha…….Whisky Alpha……” over and over again. Maybe it’s a tannoy test along the lines of “One….two…..one….two…”?? Woken again in the early hours, about 0500hrs,… Read more

Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa 2 October 2013 Speeding along at a fair whack through the night. Trying to make up time. Bounce. Bump. Grind. And that’s just the train. Arrive at Witbank. 150km drive to Johonnesburg. Very small Chinese Canadian has put her bag on “my” usual seat to reserve it for herself. The other… Read more

Swaziland, Swaziland 1 October 2013 Crossed the border from Mozambique into Swaziland during yesterday evening. Only know we’re in Swaziland due to a change in mobile phone network provider. Arrive at Mpaka station in central Swaziland. Carriage next to a bright sodium light which floods cabin with an eery orange glow. Reminds me of that… Read more

Maputo, Mozambique 30 September 2013 Meet neighbour in the corridor. She being a little old lady. Boy. Can she snore. I mean. Seriously snore. Cabin walls are paper thin. You can hear everything. And I mean everything. Toilet paper being ripped from its roll. Oh yes. That thin. Cheekily joke with her about keeping me… Read more

Maputo, Mozambique 29 September 2013 Off to a beach resort for a chill out day on the beach sunbathing by the Indian Ocean. Everyone geared up last night for another hot day. The train forecast is 27C and sunny. My phone told me otherwise when I checked last night. Woken to the sound of rain.… Read more

Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, South Africa 28 September 2013 On the same bus as octogenarian Canadian tour leader. We’d been on the same bus all day yesterday in Kruger. I’d been a charming young man. Can do charming when I want. She’d greeted me with the news we’re on the same bus again today with, “Ah…..my boyfriend.”.… Read more

Kaapmuiden, Mpumalanga, South Africa 27 September 2013 0430hrs. Alarm call. Not a great start to the day. Have to sit next to obnoxious Swiss woman. The one that smoked. Not a great start to the day. Another game drive. In Kruger National Park. After the disappointment of Selous, Chaminuka and Hwange not looking forward to… Read more

Kaapmuiden, Mpumalanga, South Africa 26 September 2013 Long day ahead. 11hrs long to be precise. Along the Panorama Route. Drive 10km and queue for 15mins at roadworks. Will realise later on the way back that we got off lightly. Drive through pine forest plantations and citrus farms. Scenery like Derbyshire in some respects. 2.5hrs to… Read more

Kaapmuiden, Mpumalanga, South Africa 25 September 2013 Day on the rails. Overnight border crossing from Zimbabwe to South Africa quicker than anticipated. Train can’t judge the Zimbabwean immigration. Some times it takes hours if they’re bored. Sometimes it takes minutes if they’re not. Coupled with the fact that South African rail network has routed the… Read more