South Africa Pt 1

South Africa has to be one of the most incredible places that I have ever visited. As you journey into the wilderness of the bush you are entering a completely different world. A world devoid of the hustle and bustle of city life, devoid of electricity and other utilities, but rich in raw and natural beauty.

I went to train how to interpret nature, how to read signs and how to create memories. I went to train as a Safari Guide.

The flight to South Africa wasn’t the nicest I’ve ever been on. Well the first connection between Heathrow and Charles de Gaul wasn’t so bad. But following this was the longest flight I’ve experienced. Eleven hours it took to get to Jo’burg, and thanks to the ever unstable tropics the seatbelt light never went out. This wouldn’t have been so bad had my seat not been small, cramped and in front of the toilet, but hey, I’m sure it could have been worse…maybe. However, the bonus of such long flights is that they do serve regular meals and drinks. Thus once ever hour or so my morale was raised slightly.

It was five am local time as we begun the descent over the city, the view was amazing as it always is when flying at night. As we got closer to the ground small lights could be made out to be houses, and then cars driving around as if on some tiny scalextric set.

The plane shook violently; we had landed, although it was not an entire success. The plane bounced and took off again for a few hundred meters and then came down with a mightier thud than last time. The whir of the reverse thrusters engaged and we began to slow down. It felt like after eleven hours I could breath again.

The airport was quiet, as you expect anywhere to be at this unearthly hour of the morning. This suited me perfectly as it let me slip through customs with thousands of pounds of equipment without any hassle. Almost silently the passengers and I moved through those movements, almost automatically, of passport checks and baggage collection. Then I walked out into the arrivals area of the airport. Looking around I tried to find a sign that would direct me to the domestic terminal. This momentary look of confusion is risky business abroad, and sure enough I was picked up on it by the porters. “Come with, come with…” Every warning about going off with strange people jumped into my mind, but then I really did have no clue where to go, and his orange boiler suit made him look like he was meant to help. As I was lead out of the airport over to the correct terminal he started telling me about his country and what it holds. After this five or ten minutes walk we were at the check in desk. He turned to me and looked down with his hand outstretched. “Can you make me a tip?” I told him I only had sterling, gave him a few coins and he scurried off.

Desperate for a good cuppa tea I checked through security with all haste and made for the first coffee shop. Happily surprised at the cheap cost of beverages a bought my tea and took a seat, shortly to be joined by a gentleman from Cape Town. He asked me why I was over here and we got chatting about the bush, Kruger Park and what I can expect to see.

After five hours of really doing nothing at all it was time to walk out to the plane. It was a tiny propeller driven machine, and I can’t say I trusted it. Thankfully the flight was short, only an hour, touch down came just after lunch.

The airport was near a town called Hoedspruit, and it was basically a hut with chairs, but nevertheless comfortable. A few of us began to gather in groups as we got more confident with our surroundings. Soon there were six or seven of us, all waiting for the ground transfer, happily chatting and getting a measure of each other. Close by, within the compound of the airport there was a creature I could recognise, but had never before seen. It was a warthog, happily munching away on whatever it could find. It looked so relaxed and it was very tempting to approach and maybe even touch him, but the urge was resisted which was probably good for us.

Another flight came in, and this brought the compliment of students up to a healthy sixteen, although seven of them would not stay throughout the entire course...

The mini bus ride to the gates of Karongwe Reserve was uneventful and everyone politely chatted with each other as the savanna flew by the windows. Occasional gasps of excitement arose as Giraffe and other creatures were spotted, but it was surprising how quickly these animals become a common sight, although they never lost their impressiveness.

The barbed boarders of the reserve continued to flash by, the mini bus slowed, the blur of green we had been watched changed to from exotic vegetation, the vehicle turned, and we drove up to the gates of where home was to be for the next month.