Black Wednesday (Wednesday 21Nov12)

Today was an awful day. A big part of me wanted to get on a plane and come home. My credit card company had put a hold on my card for security reasons, my SA mobile stopped working and my laptop died completely. Thank god for Sally. I had an engineer round by 4pm to look at my lap top which eventually had to be re-set to factory settings as I had nothing backed up so all my documents and software downloads were lost. As long as I had the internet and Skype to contact everyone at home I didn’t care. But I have to admit that today was a very teary day and to add insult to injury it is one in the morning and I am still trying to re-install Microsoft Office and Gmail is telling me that I have reached my picture limit for my blog. Grrr! This is not a day for technology!!! The SA mobile is in the bin so it’s back to my UK mobile number and my credit card holder has lifted the hold on my card but I don’t think I will be going to sleep tonight as I have to get up to get my flight at 4am anyway.

I should be really grateful, I am having an amazing experience, but today has really tested my resolve.

Beach and Shark Dissection (Tuesday 20Nov12)

I woke up this morning and the sun was shining which put me in a good mood. I'd had a bit of a lie in which I think also helped. I only just got up in time to wish Sally a good day at work. After an hour long session in the gym I got ready to go to the beach. from my bedroom window I could hear a very strange moaning sound and when I went outside to investigate the male tortoise was on top of the female! It did make me laugh though. He was very vocal.

My first stop was Umhlanga beach for a couple of hours so that I could top up my tan. It was my first trip to the beach since arriving in Durban. The weather has been so bad here. I noticed that it was much more cosmopolitan than anywhere else I had been in Durban. Hotels line the beach front and there are a lot of younger people hanging around on the beach and the bars/cafes on the front. Everyone looked like they were there to be seen, complete with designer sunglasses and bikinis. It was actually quite fun just to people watch for a bit. Although I only had a couple of hours on the beach it was enough time to get a tan. I watched the surfer's and people playing volley ball on the beach and out to sea the big container ships sat on the horizon line. I didn't want to leave but I wanted to go and watch the Shark Dissection at the Natal Sharks Board so I packed up and walked back to the car in the surf so that I could paddle my feet. It was a beautiful day.

At the Sharks Board we first watched a short film on it's history and what they do on a day to day basis. It was interesting to learn that the Shark nets don't go down to the sea bed but simple act as a fishing net with one net in front of another and a bait line which reduces the risk to the sharks getting caught up in the nets. There are a few that get caught and die and these sharks are used in the Dissections to educate people on sharks and their behaviours. The shark we had was quite small but it's lungs were twenty five percent of it's body mass. They were huge! The heart, however, was tiny. There were no number plates or anything in the stomach but the lady talking us through it told some really funny stories about car number plates and other rubbish found in different shark stomachs. They eat anything so we really should be more careful about what we put into the sea.

I had to make a pit stop at the shopping mall on the way back Sally's a as my flip flops had broken so I was a bit late back. Jacqui came round with a Bunny Chow for me to try which is basically half a loaf of bread with the middle taken out and then stuffed with curry. I ate this whilst booking my flight to Jo'burg ready for my safari trip to Kruger. I quickly had a shower and got changed before heading out to the Heritage Theatre to watch the "Going Out With A Bang Show" again. It was so good Sally had decided we should go and take Jacqui as she knew Marion Loudon, the female vocalist. This time everyone got up and danced which was good and I got to meet Marion at the end of the night.

The Beach

The Shark Dissection

The lungs make up 25% of a sharks body weight.

The stomach.

The sensors in the nose.

A sharks heart.

Held up against a person you can see how small a sharks heart is.

"Going Out With A Bang" - Heritage Theatre - Hillcrest

My first bunny chow thanks to Jacqui.

Jacqui, Sally and me outside the theatre.

Jacqui polishing off her bottle of wine.

 Sally and Jacqui.

Marion (the main female vocalist) and me at the bar.

The Monks Cowl Walk (Monday 19Nov12)

Today was my last day in the Drakensberg Mountains and so after a bit of breakfast and loading up the car we headed to Monks Cowl for a four hour walk. We had to store all of our valuables in the secret compartments of the hilux. The security measures taken over here still make me nervous and when Jacqui said that the thatchers that were working near the car park were watching our every move I got more concerned. It probably doesn't help that two weeks ago Jacqui was broken into and things like the TV and laptop were taken. After all the stories I have heard first hand I do understand why the white South Africans have had enough of the crime over here. There are two sides to every story, and there are good people here of all races, unfortunately the minority spoil it but I guess that is the same everywhere you go.

It was a hot morning and although I had sun tan lotion on I could still feel myself getting a bit burnt on my shoulders whilst we walked. We saw a mare and a stallion with their fowl about ten minutes into our walk and as we carried on walking they started to gallop across the valley behind us. I should have filmed it with my camera it was such a beautiful scene. A bit further on and we could here the sounds on running water from the river below us. We past a few people along the way but not many so it was very peaceful. After an hour or so we perched on some rocks in the shade and ate the slices of watermelon we had taken with us. It was well needed as the heat was making the trek harder than the day before. We heard the sounds of Baboon above us and sure enough a whole family of them sat above us in the trees.

We eventually reached the waterfall we had been aiming for after about two and a half hours. I hear the running water and feel the spray before I even got to the waterfall. The forest around it was wet and damp with moss covering the rocks and trees. Sally climbed over the slippery rocks to get to the bottom of the waterfall and I reluctantly followed behind. The spray was absolutely freezing but refreshing after the heat from the valley. My clothes, skin and hair were all damp by the end and I couldn't go underneath as the force of the spray took my breath away.

The trek back to the car took a lot less time as it was a bit cooler than when we set off. After a loo break we headed for The Valley Bakery after Jacqui's recommendation. The place was lovely and quaint with a large veranda round the converted farm house. I couldn't resist buying a pack of six Chelsea buns, which actually could have acted as a door stop, and some fresh brown rolls. My Greek salad was nice but my horlicks milkshake was better!

I feel asleep again on the drive back to Durban and when I woke up there was a blanket of grey cloud covering the sky. It was twenty degrees, ten less than the Drakensberg! By the time we got back to the house it was dark and misty. I spent a bit of time sorting out the broken lock on the Hilux as it had broken at the bakery whilst the girls sorted out the baggage. Once Rose and Jacqui had gone home Sally and I ate a cheese roll each whilst scouring the internet for Kruger safari ideas., however, the Chelsea buns were left untouched.

This is the view I woke up to.

We had a few noisy visitors in the morning.

The horse family.

Rose, Jacqui and Sally in the forest near the waterfall.

Me in the forest near the waterfall.

Looking back on where we walked!

Sally was the first one to get close to the freezing waterfall.

Sally and I at the bottom of the waterfall.

Me and Sally.

A White-Stripped Skink.

These were my Chelsea buns that were like door stoppers. Amazing buns though!

Champagne Castle Hotel - The Berg (Sunday 18Nov12)

At the unearthly time of 6:30am I got out of bed to get myself up and dressed ready to leave Durban. Sally had been kind enough to organise a trip to the Berg for me. Sally's sister Rose and her friend Jacqui also agreed to come along for the night and do some hiking with us.

Due to lack of sleep the night before I decided that I would get my head down in the car so as we drove off I put my head back and closed my eyes only to hear Sally say "Did we close the back of the truck up?" When we looked behind us it appeared that we had left the back of the hilux open. Oops! Luckily nothing had fallen out, but we did have to have a giggle while we got out and locked up the back. I was also told not to put it in the blog but it was such a blonde girlie thing to do I couldn't resist. After a quick stop at the fuel station we were on our way to the Drakensberg and within ten minutes I was fast asleep. The next thing I knew I was woken up to the loud discussion being had over which turn off we needed to get to Champagne Castle Hotel where we had booked a chalet for the night. It was my second giggle of the day as the girls were ignoring the directions of the Sat Nav and using their so called memory, which is usually something that men do.

As we arrived too early at the Hotel to check in we took ourselves off for a three hour walk to the Sphinx point. I really enjoyed the hike, it was good to be outside and active again and although it was a bit cloudy the weather conditions were perfect. I think we all really enjoyed it. After the walk we dumped our stuff off in the lovely chalet and took a drive to the Thokozisa restaurant. I was back in my old haunt near UmPhafa and all day I had been wishing I could go back and see everyone there. I miss my little home on the reserve. All four of us had worked up a bit of an appetite so we had a late lunch and a drink. The clouds had lifted and the sun was hitting down hard on my back. It was nice to see the sunshine again.

Once we got back to the chalet it was getting nearer to sunset so I plonked myself on the sun lounger with my camera at the ready. If it had been a tad earlier I probably would have gone for a dip in the pool but I settled for a few sunset pictures instead. After everyone had freshened up a little we all sat outside and took in the view and the atmosphere. We could hear the geese, goats and horses around us and there were families playing with their children and people relaxing on their patio's in the other chalets. I could easily loose myself for a week up here, especially with a few hot days. I felt very peaceful and there is just the right amount of things to do.

We had a few drinks while we prepared the veggies and meat for the braai which Sally was in charge of. While the girls were putting the finishing touches to dinner I tried to get the log fire going without success. We had prawns to start, followed by lamb cutlets, sausages and veg. It was a nice evening but I have to admit I was quite tired. Jacqui managed to polish off a bottle and a half of red wine against my four vodka's which was a bit of a poor show. I headed up to my mezzanine bedroom once we all decided to go to bed and it wasn't long before I was fast asleep.

Me in the tree.

Sally.

This believe it or not is a mushroom.

Sally, Rose and Jacqui.

Me, Rose and Jacqui.

Me at the top of the Sphinx.

Sally and Jacqui at the top of the Sphinx.

Look at those mountains. Amazing!

Another waterfall.

Our chalet.

This picture was taken from my mezzanine bedroom floor.

My room!

Such a beautiful place the Berg!