Monday, 17 October 2016

Diary of trip to South Africa 1984 : Part 3 by Dorothy Carlton

Friday – Caught train 9 o’clock – bit misty but lovely to watch going up plateau. Then the little Karoo – saw few baboons in a couple river valleys. Electric to Beaufort West – Diesel to Kimberley then electric to Joberg
Stay awaken to De-Aan still has many steam engines didn’t have much sleep

Saturday – Alan & Lorna met the train
Shopped a little in Joberg went to friends of Lorna at Vereeniging –
Saw first plant to convert oil from coal
largest steel manufacturing factory in SA.
Vaal crossed several times into OFS then back.
Some very large houses on large blocks – wide streets very flat – smoke fumes.

Sunday – caught bus into Joberg ordinary SAR bus only 5 of us on it. Joberg very quiet everything.
Went to Gold Mine Museum in afternoon – very good
Down mine – see gold
Working model of extracting gold.
Early mining

Monday – after taxi, 2 planes bus arrived at Victoria Falls Hotel. See mist from hotel. Went for a walk before dark. Saw part of falls. Large mist from falls from plane. Beautiful old English hotel – a honeymoon hotel
Plane from Joberg to Bulawayo full mostly Zimbabweans coming home. School starts tomorrow.

Tuesday – Visit to “Native village” then falls – the wetter you get the less you see.
very little in way of barriers
must be careful
late afternoon visit crocodile farm then ride on river
very peaceful saw sunset on river saw lion lying near track down to river waiting for game
baboons everywhere
came back saw African dancing after tea
walked back to falls in full moon light saw bush bucks go across track in front of us.
Had breakfast, lunch, tea on terrace overlooking gorge with spray coming up. 

Wednesday – up at 6 o’clock went into   Zambia cross bridge to see falls from other side walked down to bottom of gorge – had to buy curios to get into Zambia
Had breakfast in lounge too hot on terrace
Back to Joberg.
Plane from Vic Falls to Bulawayo mostly Australians (Queensland)

Thursday – Tour of Soweto
Streets very dirty no footpaths houses clean – children all in school uniforms
day nurseries all with aprons on
students at a secondary school were old @ large must have been 18 or more
plenty of open spaces which could be reserves or sporting grounds but most were neglected @ dirty
went up Carlton center
wonderful view – bit misty
walked around shops
saw part of Africana museum

Friday – Pretoria
Voortreeker Monument
Diamond mine
Paul Kruger’s house
Driver first person we meet very right – interesting to hear
Lunch – conversation American talking about China Russia with German couple opposite he was in tank at Stalingrad. SA guide in his own   
World not going to have anyone tell him what to do.
Two other Americans couldn’t care less about politics on a 30 day trip around world.

Saturday shops – & zoo

Sunday – home very long

Couldn’t get to sleep.

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