My South African experience

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Created on Wednesday, 05 December 2012 10:01

Micol Fasolato from Italy -

The worst thing which can happen to you is to love it so much that you might decide to move there! -

On the morning of the 16th October 2012, I arrived at Johannesburg International airport, after dealing with a 12 hours flight, where I was sitting close to a tiny, old Afrikaans woman of a remarkable smell (not very pleasant) who bothered me for most of the trip by asking me several times to help her with the screen settings, considering that at a certain point she decided to watch a movie and picked probably the only Chinese movie with English subtitles of all the movie’s list available and expected me to call the hostess so that she could complain about that; luckily of late I’m very much into Dalai Lama’s writings and teachings, so I managed to find some peace of mind through some meditation which kept me from strangling her.  I can’t resist mentioning that besides this, on the other side of my seat, I had an odd couple who kept walking on all fours in search of some mysterious glasses for over 2 hours.

After finally landing and setting foot on earth again, I started to queue for the passport control and had to wait 30 minutes before my turn, so that my first thought was “God! There must be a lot going around here!”, although in the end I realized that it took some minutes just to check MY passport (I swear I’m not wanted by the police).

Sorry to keep you waiting from reading nice facts, but you know, “nice” memories easily come back to mind!

So, after being stuck in a multi-ethnic queue, I finally managed to reach my friend who hosted me for 5 incredible weeks and took great care of me. He was my travelling fellow (or I should actually say that he was my guide) toward the best adventures I’ve ever had in all my life. I’ve always considered myself as a confident  traveller, always eager to leave for a few days trip, but the truth is that South Africa has been the first country I’ve visited outside Europe. So there I was, a fanatical traveller who has had great experiences and good knowledge of art museums and historical centres but no idea of how it was to experience a safari in the wild bush or driving for hours in regions where no soul was present and where petrol stations could be found only every 300 km.

As an animal lover, I can’t help myself from talking about my unforgettable experiences with animals which in Europe you would only find suffering inside a zoo’s cage:

•    On the first weekend of my stay, I went to the Pilanesberg National Park for a safari and I have to say that, although the weather was unbearably warm and the paths were considerably damaged, the experience of a safari is one of the most exciting you can have in your life. Seriously, imagine being in your car and seeing a herd of elephants crossing your path so closely you can almost hear their footsteps and you notice their size for the first time and feel so impotent, your adrenaline gets so high as if you have to jump from a mountain with a parachute. I can state that I’d been quite lucky there, since I managed to spot hippos outside the water and lions laying on the grass, as well as many other species. Just remember to not speed up over 40 km/h as you might hit an animal on the road (and trust me, you would get into trouble, as well as your car and the poor animal).  In case you are considering to visit, I strongly suggest you arrive there around lunchtime, because at 1pm there’s a huge (and I mean really huge) mouth-watering buffet of which I am still dreaming about.

http://www.pilanesberg-game-reserve.co.za/

The following day I went to the Lion Park in Johannesburg, where I enjoyed the company of a few little felines and many other encounters (giraffes, hyenas, white lions, wild dogs and cheetahs). Shame that I realized too late that they also offer a 1 hour “walking with cheetah” program which I would have loved to experience. Never mind, I’ll do it next time!

http://www.lion-park.com/

•    The second place where I’ve enjoyed some animal company was at the Mystic Monkeys and Feathers Wildlife Park located 85km north from Pretoria in the province of Limpopo, where many diverse monkeys from all over the world are on display, as well as some particular bird’s species from South America. I had the opportunity to play for 15 minutes with two adorable 3-weeks old tiger cubs who were even smaller than my cat (well, yes, I have a big cat) and I bottle-fed one of them. So sweet! I know, most of those animals kept in that park were not from South Africa and neither from the rest of the continent, but it was definitely worth experiencing, it was amazing.

http://mysticmonkeys.co.za/

•    Since I was a child I’ve been growing a fondness for elephants and I would have never imagined being able to touch them so closely, without the intrusion of fences or a cage. But in South Africa, specifically at Knysna Elephant Park, I could walk with elephants, touch and feed them and hear from a guide about their daily routine. One suggestion: don’t buy a bucket of fresh fruit to feed the elephants if you are feeling hungry; the fact that I had the smell of fresh pineapple under my nose for about 20 minutes made me become a little moody. Also, don’t expect to manage to feed all the elephants, the bigger ones will pull out their trunk the more they can and breathe on your face, so that you won’t have other choice but give them all the food! Naughty elephants!

http://www.knysnaelephantpark.co.za/

I also want to show you the outstanding place in Knysna lagoon where I stayed for 2 days:

http://www.milkwood.co.za/under-milkwood-luxury-self-catering-chalets-and-bed-and-breakfast.html

I’m sure there are no such places in Italy! (I have to add that there’s a season in which you might find a poisonous great scorpion inside your chalet… Maybe if you’re thinking about staying there overnight, ask about that little detail, so that you can decide properly).

•    Many people probably don’t know that a common animal in South Africa is the ostrich and as I couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet this fast runner bird, I went to a farm nearby Oudtshoorn where I saw different African ostriches (included a white one which has been named Lady Gaga) and I sat on one. It’s amazing, it’s not that different from sitting on a horse back. Of course, you can have a better grip on a horse neck than on an ostrich one, but it’s impressive to know that a big bird like that can run a speed which goes over 70 km/h by using only 2 legs.

http://www.safariostrich.co.za/history.htm

•    And last but not least I visited the penguins on the beach and there happened to be baboons on the street while driving back from Cape Point. But you need to remember that monkeys are not as nice as the monkeys in Tarzan or as the little Capuchin monkey of Ace Ventura Pet Detective: they bite and would do anything to steal your food!

As a great finale, just a few days before flying back to Italy, I stroked a 10 year old cheetah named Joseph, a wonder of nature that even purred at me. Cheetahs are different from other felines and I hope you will all have the chance one day to get close to these beautiful creatures (I mean, in a safe environment and under surveillance).

http://www.cheetah.co.za/

Another thing which makes your journey even more memorable is the South African landscape. I loved the Karoo, a semi-desert region that covers a great part of the country, where I felt like nowhere else I have been. It’s incredible to see how many big spaces South Africa has, when on the contrary in Italy we are all living like bees in a hive for the lack of space. I really enjoyed feeling the quiet atmosphere of that region, it gives you peace of mind (maybe even more than the Dalai Lama’s philosophies).

What Italians might find odd are the South African cities, as we are used to have our historical squares which function as a meeting point with other people. That doesn’t exist in South Africa. The big cities are just a few and I had the chance to visit two among the biggest, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The differences between these two cities are that in Cape Town there are many tourists and inhabitants of European origins, which make the city look almost like a European one (with many wine farms which offer wine tasting programs and delicious local food that reminded me of Italy) and where you can still see some people having a walk in the streets, while in Jo’burg people would never dare to move around unless they are in a car, where they can feel safe from suspected criminals. But in Cape Town many people drive badly (at the point that I wonder whether they got their driving license from Kinder Surprise or if they took driving lessons from an unlicensed instructor) and prices are also more expensive, probably because it has become such a crowded touristic destination and, this is my personal feeling, I found workers and employees in Johannesburg much kinder and more professional toward customers than in Cape Town. So there are pros and cons, as everywhere else.

I didn’t have any problem with food either, even though I am vegetarian and usually a sceptical Italian toward foreign cuisine. For those who prefer to remain very Italian even abroad and eat pasta or pizza or other Italian meat or fish main dishes, I suggest:

http://www.ciaobabycucina.com/default.asp (only in Gauteng)

You can easily find good Italian pizza restaurants around the city, you just need to ask to some local people.

If you are a meat and fish lover, this is a good steakhouse (where, by contradiction, I had the best veggie platter of my trip):

http://themeatco.com/locations/africa/south-africa/melrose-arch

As a city located along the Atlantic ocean shores, Cape Town is full of restaurants where exceptional fish won’t disappoint anybody.

If you prefer to stay on a low budget money and rather have something quick, then South Africa has the best fast food I’ve ever experienced, where the food is healthy and tasty (nothing’s fried) and the service is fast at a good value for money:

http://www.kauai.co.za/

Coffee shops are very nice too, their menus are almost as rich as those of a restaurant and you can have cold or warm meals (if you are Italian, avoid pasta).

What you cannot miss when you go to South Africa is the national  creamy, alcoholic drink called Amarula, which tastes similar to Baileys, just maybe a little less strong.

http://www.amarula.com/age-screener?referer=/

If you are in Johannesburg, I suggest dropping in Montecasino, an indoor area which reminds of a Tuscan old village, where you can have lots of choices of entertainment areas, bars, restaurants and hotels. But remember, as signals will warn you, Montecasino is “a gun free area”!

I have something to warn you about shopping too. I’m sure that many of you are aware of the fact that the South African currency (the Rand) is going downhill day after day and as Africa is a poor continent, you “must” be thinking that in South Africa you will find items at cheaper prices than in Italy and the rest of Europe, so that it would be convenient to take advantage of that opportunity. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to let you know that, for all of you who are thinking, that you are fooling yourself! Prices are generally expensive and food’s prices are more or less similar to the Italian ones, depending on what you buy (i.e. an espresso is more expensive in South Africa than in Italy). I cannot actually remember what I found much cheaper in South Africa than in Italy, except maybe properties and house maids (although these things might not actually be of any interest for tourists) and the petrol (but for that, at the moment Italy is probably unbeaten for having the highest price on petrol in the world).
 
Nonetheless, South African shopping centres are huge and you can find whatever you want.

If you are interested in buying local art and crafts, then I recommend you go to the Rosebank  African Market (up only on Sunday) if you are in Johannesburg or have a look at the local stands which you can find generally around touristic areas, where you can bargain a little on the price. But if you don’t want to spend your precious time in search of nice souvenirs to take back home, at main airports there are many nice shops too.

So, dear Italian people (or any other European citizen), why do I see so few of you travelling around South Africa? It’s a memorable country with stunning landscapes, double lane roads (remember that you have to drive on the left) and friendly and relaxed people (no stress in South Africa!).  The worst thing which can happen to you is to love it so much that you might decide to move there!

Thank you South Africa for the great experience which I’m holding in my heart. I already miss it there, but I’ll be back!