Durban / Port Elizabeth November 27th 2016

Early in the morning we departed from The Benjamin (to the delight of the owner who felt it was safe again the restock the drinks "wardrobe"). Lutendo and Jabu were taking us on a tour of Durban.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium built for the 2010 World Cup. It is a multi-use stadium.

Sunday Market

Lutendo on the right and Charlotte and Fionnuala on the left. About to go for a walk along the Golden Mile in Durban.

The beach on the Golden Mile

uShaka Marine World

An unbalanced Sanbta!

                   !!

This statue of Dick King on horseback commemorates the epic 10 day ride of Dick King through hostile territory from Port Natal to British forces in Grahamstown to bring word of pending Boer attacks on his home garrison. This journey nearly killed him and his Zulu companion who rode with him part of the way.The route would take you through half of the modern day provinces of Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. At the time in May and June 1842 the frontiersman was travelling through some of the wildest parts of South Africa.




We traveled along Mahatma Ghandi Road where there were a lot of derelict houses. Lutendo says that a rejuvenation of the whole city is in progress. We descended from the coach at Francis Farewell Square where Lutendo told us a lot of the history and pointed out the various monuments.

Durban City Hall.

Queen Victoria.

The Cenotaph is South Africa's largest monument. It is a massive design depicting a soldier's soul leaving his body being carried by two angels.

 We then took a visit to the Indian Market. Lutendo advised buying some spices in case our food in the Cape would be too bland. Charlotte was more taken with the hats.

Lutendo told us a bit of his life story before we parted. He was lucky enough to get into university but he ran away from it after 3 days because he knew his parents' money was being spent on him and so his sisters would not get an education. He got a job in a building site and sent whatever money he could home. However, he did not put an address with it so that his parents could not come and force him to go back to university. In 1993 he became a guide with Ilios but, because of apartheid he was only allowed to guide black people. We had come to the end of our South African trip with Lutendo as guide and Jabu as driver. Needless to say we tipped generously and Jabu said he would put it to the price of another cow. So things are looking good for Charlotte!

Next stop was King Shaka International Airport from where we had to fly back to Johannesburg and then on to Port Elizabeth. Everyone else had a direct flight and would be able to do a bit of sightseeing in PE in the afternoon. We didn't arrive until 8pm unable to go out for dinner as we had had too much unpalatable plane food.

The view of the sea front from our bedroom window at the Radisson Blu Port Elizabeth. We were on the 8th floor and it was really windy all night. I was convinced the hotel would topple.
















While we were booking in I noticed Derek, one of our group, having a heated conversation with a receptionist. It turns out that he is claustrophobic and cannot use a lift - he was expected to go to the 7th floor. At any rate a compromise was reached - he could have a room on the 3rd floor, the first of the floors with bedrooms. As there were no stairs for guests he had to use the staff stairs. He had no problem with that until he got to the 3rd floor to discover that the door into the floor from the stairs was locked. So he had to return to reception. There he was told that the door is always locked and that to either go down or up he would need a member of staff with a key. He was not pleased!