My 2020 Southern African Adventures
I was born and raised in South Africa and, ever since moving to the U.S., I’ve made a trip back every few years to be reminded of my roots, catch up with family and friends and just enjoy what South Africa has to offer—good wine and good food, good hikes, great birds, among many other things. Most trips back are not particularly adventurous or even exciting, even though they are always good.
During my most recent trip back (mid-December 2019 to mid-February 2020) I encountered a few new adventures that were a bit nerve-racking, blood-pressure-raising and evoked serious praying. It included a trip into Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Hence this saga is about southern African adventures.
The first adventure to raise my heart rate and get me seriously praying happened the day we went hiking and bird watching at Cape Point (the south western most tip of the African continent). We hiked rugged terrain along the coast as far as we could go without dropping off into the Atlantic Ocean. I kept taking my glasses off and stuffing them down the front of my shirt so I could look through my binoculars at a bird. On the way back, just before reaching our car, I discovered my glasses weren’t on my face and neither were they tucked into my shirt. I hit panic-mode big time, muttering urgent prayers to God for their recovery. I need my glasses, especially for reading. I hastily began retracing my steps with my eyes glued to the ground. My panic didn’t last, and my prayers changed from urgent supplication to grateful thanks very quickly. My glasses were safely lying in the sand at the last set of rocks we’d just climbed over. I would be able to see for the rest of my time in SA (another 6 weeks).
The next adventures involved a rental car. From Cape Town, I flew to Johannesburg, met a friend and picked up a rental—the cheapest they had. Of course, I got what I paid for, a small Renault Kwid. If a rental company ever offers you a Kwid, say a polite but firm, ‘No thank you!’ It had absolutely no power (I geared down going up slight inclines) and tiny tires. This wasn’t a car designed for rough terrain or steep inclines, but I had no intention of travelling on rough terrain so thought I’d be okay.
We left Jo’burg early the next morning for two nights in Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest park and encountered my first problem. I couldn’t figure out how to put the Kwid into reverse! It’s not that I’m ignorant about manual driving. I know the different tricks different cars have for getting into reverse gear. The Kwid used none of those tricks. I drove the 6 hours to Kruger without being able to get into reverse. At each stop along the way, I made sure I could drive out forwards. Thanks to a helpful stranger in Kruger I was finally able to learn the Kwid’s trick. It was nothing like I’d ever seen before! But I was finally able to use reverse gear and avoid getting stuck.
I won’t bore you with our very minimal animal sightings and a few more of our bird sightings in Kruger. Another story for another day. At one point, I was forced to drive the Kwid on a bad section of dirt road. I was right; the Kwid wasn’t fit for bumpy, potholed dirt roads. I made a mental note to avoid them the rest of the trip. Hold onto that thought.
We left Kruger, travelling south into Swaziland, now officially called Eswatini. We needed both petrol (gas) and money and I wanted to get that while in South Africa. I had a R100 note (worth very few US dollars) and small change. My friend had small change only. Just before the border crossing, we stopped in a small town for gas (no problem there) and then drove to the plaza and an ATM machine. As we stood in line waiting to draw money, an African man began yelling at me in Afrikaans. I don’t understand much Afrikaans, but I did understand his threat when he aimed his hand at me in the form of a gun. It was only then that I realized that I was the only white person in that crowd. We immediately left and the man, thankfully, walked away in the opposite direction. We were both too shaken to stay at the ATM and entered Swaziland with our minimal cash. My R100 note was immediately taken from me by the Swazi border patrol—payment for bringing a car into their country!
With the help of gps we had no difficulty finding the place my former student and host in Mbabane (capital of Eswatini) had booked for us. Because he was unable to meet us for dinner that evening, we braved going into the city on our own to find supper and draw cash. We ordered take-out, found an ATM machine and then started back to our rooms. By the time we left the center of town it was pitch dark, pouring with rain and the gps didn’t work! It had taken us about ten minutes to get into town. We drove around Mbabane for over an hour trying to find our way back. We asked multiple people for directions and received multiple different suggestions, all of which were useless. Swazis, it seems, aren’t very good at giving directions. Once again I went into panic-mode and offered fervent prayers. Before total desperation point, we asked one last man and he was able to give us the first and only straightforward and correct directions. We weren’t far and the moment I turned into our road I saw the landmark I was supposed to look out for to get back. In the dark and torrential downpour, I missed it, each time we drove back and forth past it. Once again, my panicky prayers changed to grateful thanks. However, neither of us were hungry for our now cold pizza take-out.
Our final adventure with the Renault Kwid took place the next afternoon. We’d been invited to my former student’s home for a late lunch. He and his wife live outside Mbabane on a mountain top. Swaziland is a beautiful mountainous country. Because of good rains this year, it was green and lush. The road to his mountain road was paved and decent, just slow-going as we climbed higher up the mountain in the powerless Kwid. The last couple of kilometres up the steep mountain road was hair-raising, the kind of road I’d determined not to travel on in the Kwid. Actually, I wouldn’t like to take a four-wheel drive high chassis vehicle on it either! It was a dirt road made up of rocks, potholes, gullies and mud (from the recent rains). With no power, tiny tires and three adults in the car, it was indeed slow going; not to mention my focused concentration to avoid getting stuck or damaging the rental. I think it was grace that got us up and back down after lunch. However, the journey was worth it. The meal was good and plentiful and the view from the mountain home was amazing, even breath-taking. However, I think next time I visit, I’ll go by helicopter!
The next day we drove back to Jo’burg and I thankfully returned the Kwid and made sure my next rental was a better vehicle.
March 2020
During my most recent trip back (mid-December 2019 to mid-February 2020) I encountered a few new adventures that were a bit nerve-racking, blood-pressure-raising and evoked serious praying. It included a trip into Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Hence this saga is about southern African adventures.
The first adventure to raise my heart rate and get me seriously praying happened the day we went hiking and bird watching at Cape Point (the south western most tip of the African continent). We hiked rugged terrain along the coast as far as we could go without dropping off into the Atlantic Ocean. I kept taking my glasses off and stuffing them down the front of my shirt so I could look through my binoculars at a bird. On the way back, just before reaching our car, I discovered my glasses weren’t on my face and neither were they tucked into my shirt. I hit panic-mode big time, muttering urgent prayers to God for their recovery. I need my glasses, especially for reading. I hastily began retracing my steps with my eyes glued to the ground. My panic didn’t last, and my prayers changed from urgent supplication to grateful thanks very quickly. My glasses were safely lying in the sand at the last set of rocks we’d just climbed over. I would be able to see for the rest of my time in SA (another 6 weeks).
The next adventures involved a rental car. From Cape Town, I flew to Johannesburg, met a friend and picked up a rental—the cheapest they had. Of course, I got what I paid for, a small Renault Kwid. If a rental company ever offers you a Kwid, say a polite but firm, ‘No thank you!’ It had absolutely no power (I geared down going up slight inclines) and tiny tires. This wasn’t a car designed for rough terrain or steep inclines, but I had no intention of travelling on rough terrain so thought I’d be okay.
We left Jo’burg early the next morning for two nights in Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest park and encountered my first problem. I couldn’t figure out how to put the Kwid into reverse! It’s not that I’m ignorant about manual driving. I know the different tricks different cars have for getting into reverse gear. The Kwid used none of those tricks. I drove the 6 hours to Kruger without being able to get into reverse. At each stop along the way, I made sure I could drive out forwards. Thanks to a helpful stranger in Kruger I was finally able to learn the Kwid’s trick. It was nothing like I’d ever seen before! But I was finally able to use reverse gear and avoid getting stuck.
I won’t bore you with our very minimal animal sightings and a few more of our bird sightings in Kruger. Another story for another day. At one point, I was forced to drive the Kwid on a bad section of dirt road. I was right; the Kwid wasn’t fit for bumpy, potholed dirt roads. I made a mental note to avoid them the rest of the trip. Hold onto that thought.
We left Kruger, travelling south into Swaziland, now officially called Eswatini. We needed both petrol (gas) and money and I wanted to get that while in South Africa. I had a R100 note (worth very few US dollars) and small change. My friend had small change only. Just before the border crossing, we stopped in a small town for gas (no problem there) and then drove to the plaza and an ATM machine. As we stood in line waiting to draw money, an African man began yelling at me in Afrikaans. I don’t understand much Afrikaans, but I did understand his threat when he aimed his hand at me in the form of a gun. It was only then that I realized that I was the only white person in that crowd. We immediately left and the man, thankfully, walked away in the opposite direction. We were both too shaken to stay at the ATM and entered Swaziland with our minimal cash. My R100 note was immediately taken from me by the Swazi border patrol—payment for bringing a car into their country!
With the help of gps we had no difficulty finding the place my former student and host in Mbabane (capital of Eswatini) had booked for us. Because he was unable to meet us for dinner that evening, we braved going into the city on our own to find supper and draw cash. We ordered take-out, found an ATM machine and then started back to our rooms. By the time we left the center of town it was pitch dark, pouring with rain and the gps didn’t work! It had taken us about ten minutes to get into town. We drove around Mbabane for over an hour trying to find our way back. We asked multiple people for directions and received multiple different suggestions, all of which were useless. Swazis, it seems, aren’t very good at giving directions. Once again I went into panic-mode and offered fervent prayers. Before total desperation point, we asked one last man and he was able to give us the first and only straightforward and correct directions. We weren’t far and the moment I turned into our road I saw the landmark I was supposed to look out for to get back. In the dark and torrential downpour, I missed it, each time we drove back and forth past it. Once again, my panicky prayers changed to grateful thanks. However, neither of us were hungry for our now cold pizza take-out.
Our final adventure with the Renault Kwid took place the next afternoon. We’d been invited to my former student’s home for a late lunch. He and his wife live outside Mbabane on a mountain top. Swaziland is a beautiful mountainous country. Because of good rains this year, it was green and lush. The road to his mountain road was paved and decent, just slow-going as we climbed higher up the mountain in the powerless Kwid. The last couple of kilometres up the steep mountain road was hair-raising, the kind of road I’d determined not to travel on in the Kwid. Actually, I wouldn’t like to take a four-wheel drive high chassis vehicle on it either! It was a dirt road made up of rocks, potholes, gullies and mud (from the recent rains). With no power, tiny tires and three adults in the car, it was indeed slow going; not to mention my focused concentration to avoid getting stuck or damaging the rental. I think it was grace that got us up and back down after lunch. However, the journey was worth it. The meal was good and plentiful and the view from the mountain home was amazing, even breath-taking. However, I think next time I visit, I’ll go by helicopter!
The next day we drove back to Jo’burg and I thankfully returned the Kwid and made sure my next rental was a better vehicle.
March 2020
