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SOUTH AFRICA 2000 Friday 17 march We flew to Johannesburg with the KLM. The captain thinks it is important to tell us that half of the people in the plane are employees of KPN. We couldnīt care less. Although we leave 30 minutes late we arrive exactly on time at 8 in the morning. Saturday 18 march We passed customs quickly, and toke a cab to the rental company to collect our 4x4. After they explained how everything works the adventure starts. We decide to take the secundairy road to Welkom and not the tollroad. The Freestate has lots of agriculture and we are traveling along fields with sunflowers and grains untill we come in the vicinity of Welkom. There it is all mining area. Goldmines, the gold is running out and more and more people are getting unemployed. As a project to get these people new jobs they build the circuit of Welkom (Phakisa). Near the circuit there is no campground, so off we go in search for a place to put our tents up. After a short drive we find Tikwe Lodge in Virginia. We are not the only racefans at the campground and at night it is fun in the bar. Sunday 19 march Sick, just very sick.. It is race day, i am hoping there is a field i can just lie down. The circuit of Welkom has a beautifull green field. One can just lie down in the sun or do as the South Africans do and bring your chairs and umbrellas. It looks like a day at the beach. When they start opening the coolingbox and put the sausage on the braai, i am not feeling that sick anymore. And that is a good thing otherwise i would certainly had to throw up with this foodflavors. The races are all exiting and so its fun to be there. At the end of the day we are satisfied and a bit burned by the sun when we go back to the campground in Virginia. Monday 20 march It is vacation so we rise early to have a long day. On our way to Willem Pretorius WildPark we do some shopping. The park is great and above all very quiet. We are almost alone there. Lots of ostriches and next to different antilopes species also the black wildebeest. We camp at the Aldam. It is a bit windy and in the distances we see lightning, but it stays dry. Tuesday 21 march Through the Willem Pretorius Wildpark we drive to the Golden Gate National Park. This park is famous for its mountains and rocks.We make a gamedrive but all we see is 1 grijsbok. But the drive is through this tremendous surroundings and absolutely not boring. Again the campground is not full. Again this night there is a thunderstorm nearby, but not in our valley. Wednesday 22 march We are wakened by the baboons who try to get into the garbage cans. Although it are animalproof ones, they manage to open one. The biggest male is on his way and takes most of the food.We leave early and drive into the mist hanging against the mountains.Qwaqwa is the first village we encounter. Yesterdays paper told us about a massive flood here. The dam was flooded and the huts standing on the riverbanks were swept away. Three people drowned. We expect an enormous wreckage, but no water to see anywhere. Some wood is left on the banks but that is all. We drive to Kwazulu Natal. Today we visit the battlefields. In this area there were several big battles in the various civilwars about 100 years ago. Lots of monuments remember that days. At Elandslaagte was a battle between the (dutch) boers and the english(army) there were a lot of casualties. The monument is not that impressive, but the graveyard, where people still come to put flowers, sure is. The battle at the Bloodriver was a battle between the boers and the Zulu. First we visit the monument of the boers. Many metal wagons in a circle like the ones of the 'voortrekkers' must have been there. The boers prayed to God and they believed that helped them to win of the 15000 Zulu. (It could have been the fact they possesed guns and the Zulu only spears.) The blood of the Zulu coloured the river red, naming it the bloodriver. To thank God the boers vowed to built a church in Pretoria. At the other side of the river is a small Zulu museum. Since apartheid is abandonned they can tell their side of the story. Ofcourse it tells it a little bit different. The monument museum is still being built but worth to visit. There even is a group of young boys performing a dance for us. It is about their football team. Because they canīt read or write they sing about the things they know. We camp near the Klipfonteindam in Vrijheid. It is a very quiet campground, with only one other guest. Thursday 23 march From Vrijheid to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Park is not a very good road. Because of the never ending rain of the last weeks there are many bridges out, and we have a lot of detours. Because of the bad surface we also got a flat tire. But nevertheless it is still in the morining when we enter the park. We choose to see the Umfolozi side today. A good choice, we see a lot of wildlife. Many zebra, impala, wildebeest, and nyala. Also 1 elephant and 1 black rhino.In the park there is no campground, so we go to Monzi, in the St Lucia Wetlands. Friday 24 march Back to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi. Today we do the Hluhluwe side. The day starts with a cheetah on the road in front of us. This gamepark is famous for its succesfull rhino breedingprogram. And that is right, we count 20 rhinos. Only the white ones. Sometimes there are four together. A beautifull site. Half way we had to turn back. The floods left a two meter high wall of sand on the banks of the Hluhluwe river. Even our 4x4 canīt take this. So its back again... The campground we had selected for this night is a little hard to find. But after we passed two times we finally found the sandroad leading to it. Saturday 25 march It is only a few kilometer to Mkuzi Game Park. But due to the rain the road is very bad and it took longer than we thought. We drove through the park for the entire day. Did see many animals, but no people. The campground is not fenced, and at night there is wildlife nearby. Impala, nyala and wathogs. There are also some monkeys who try to steel the food if we donīt look. Sunday 26 march We wake up because of the rain. So no way, we can leave with dry tents if we wait a while. Therefor we go directly to Swaziland. We cleared customs very easily and quickly. After we payed 15 Rand 'roadtax' we can go through the gate. Roads are long and straight between the sugarcaneplantations. When we arrive in Hlane N.P. it is dry. Time to dry the tent and beds in the wind and sun. Near the campground is a waterhole, wildlife is coming to drink there. A great campside with no electricity, but the oillamp is enough light in the toilet. Monday 27 march After breakfast we entered south-Africa again. At Maleane gate we entered the Krugerpark. Just inside the park we see our first wilddogs! We see many other animals on our way through the park. But we are also very impressed by the damage of the februari floods. It is time to go back to Skukuza, the restcamp, a group of lions blocks our road. We managed to pass just in time to be in the camp before the gates close. While we enjoy a good 'braai' all the lights around us go out, the campground is slowly falling asleep. That is the signal for the hyena to check the garbagebins. Laughing loud he is covering the entire campground. Tuesday 28 march Driving out of the gate at 05:30 we encounter our friend the hyena. We drive to Satara and donīt see much wildlife. A ranger tells us the game is still upset of the floods and is hiding in unusual places. The nightdrive is cancelled halfway when a heavy thunderstorms starts. We are soaked when we come back at our tents, and they are also not entirely dry..... We make a cup of hot soup and go to bed. Wednesday 29 march Again it is raining! But on our way out of the park we see some game anyway. Like this nice cheetah marking its territory. And a bit further also a lion and an elephant. We leave the Kruger through the Numbi gate. Lots of roads are closed in Mpupulanga. Alldue to raindamage. We donīt get far today. We found a nice campground in Watervalboven. Lovely greens and electricity at every stand. But the abulutionblocks are being renovated. We decide to stay for this one night. As soon as the tents are out it is starting to rain again. Thursday 30 march It is still raining. We drive over the tolway in the direction of Pretoria. Not far from Pretoria we visit the cheetah breedingcentre de Wildt. In this centre they breed cheetah and wild dog. We camp near the hartbeespoortdam. Friday 31 march We want to visit another gamepark and choose Pilanesberg. A gamepark near Sun City. There are many South-African tourist, not everyone is as much interested in wildlife. They do like to party and make noise. Also on the campground and untill late at night! Nevertheless we did see many animals. Saturday 1 april A terrible thunderstorm woke us at 03:30. Everything is soaked! We decide to have breakfast in the dry and warm restaurant. And then we leave for Kyalami to see the World Championship Superbike race tomorrow. Sunday 2 april The race is good to look at, but the program is very bad. It takes two and a half hour between the two races. No entertainment no nothing! Someone next to us said he could actually see the gras grow.... boaring! We sleep in a hotel in Sandton (near Johannesburg). Monday 3 april Only 1 day left. We go to Pretoria to see some culture. We visit the voortrekkersmonument and museum. Everything they show us is a little onesided. But still it gives an impression of the times 100 years ago. Back to Jo'burg to take a flight home. Our travels    Africa    America    Australia    Asia