AN AFRICAN SOJOURN AUGUST 2012
A JOURNEY TO SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE Photography by: Steve Williams – Sydney Williams Storyline by: Colby Kluthe
Presented by: The Daniel McCree Foundation
SOUTH AFRICAN PREAMBLE We, the people of South Africa, Recognize the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to —
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person - Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations. May God protect our people. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso. God seen Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa. Mudzimu fhatushedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika.
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996. As adopted on 8 May 1996 and amended on 11 October 1996 by the Constitutional Assembly
INTRODUCTION Thoughts from a Mouthy Saint: Beyond our Imagination Thoughts from a Mouthy Saint: Beyond our Imagination By: Colby Kluthe, MetroEast NEWS
The month of August is bound to be an interesting one, and a personal journey of faith and anticipation. Several months ago, I was invited on an allexpenses trip to visit both South Africa and Zimbabwe on a 10 day journey. Details beyond that, I really don't know.
"I have found that most opportunities are both the "impossible" as well as the "Fantastic" that one could never have imagined in the first place." The miracles of life always seem to weave both elements together seamlessly. I must admit that since the opportunity presented itself, I have been surrounded by energy surrounding the idea of South Africa. It would seem that everywhere I looked and listened, a reference to the place was bound to whisper into my ear. Preparations for such a trip have included a significant delay in receiving my passport, proving my citizenship, medical preparations and more. Nonetheless, having walked forward diligently towards the goal, only a few days sit between my comfort zone and my own leap into the journey that is most certainly to be fantastic as well as an exercise in my own ability to take the journey without many details.
Opportunities always seem to implore each of us to "just Go!" -and you will be blessed. And for now, that is all that any of us can know as we weave our way down our own road. For me, I am trying to not imagine anything in advance and simply take time to reflect on the journey rather than the "how". It simply IS and will be if we are willing to walk towards it. So there is the scoop on why the August Issue came out a few days early. The journey for me shall include traveling from Joplin,MO to St. Louis on the 29th, and details remain foggy except that I should return to St. Louis around August 10th. It may even take a day or three before I find myself back in Joplin. So until then... keep walking and "Bee Blessed". -Colby
THE WALK OF “FORTHWITH” DETERMINATION This little marble we call earth is a mere dot among the greater universe, but nevertheless the travel of it is not for anyone faint of heart even among the comforts of 21st century speeds. Under the best of circumstances it is simply a contest in being patient. We departed St. Louis around 3pm CST, arriving in Detroit about 5pm EST. When we got off the plane and began to wonder where our connecting flight might be, the intercom system announced “If you are going to Amsterdam Your Gate is C16” Well how nice they were reading my mind, not nice that we were in the A concourse. By the time our group entered the C gates, the friendly announcements were calling us by name. Yes indeed, the flight of what was surely 250 was waiting for us to arrive. So we could “successfully embark” on our 9 hour flight.
The Journey to South Africa
ST LOUIS – DETROIT Delta Airways DETROIT – AMSTERDAM Delta Airways AMSTERDAM – CAPE TOWN KLM- Royal Dutch Airways (Flight Time 12 hours) CAPE TOWN – HOEDSPRUIT (KRUGER PARK) SAA- South African Airlines HOEDSPRUIT – JOHANNESBURG SAA- South African Airlines JOHANNESBURG – VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE SAA- South African Airlines VICTORIA FALLS – JOHANNESBURG SAA- South African Airlines JOHANNESBURG - AMSTERDAM KLM- Royal Dutch Airways AMSTERDAM - DETRIOT Delta Airways
The Southern Sunrise – Signal Hill, Cape Town S.A.
A typical foggy morning over Cape Town in August. Sydney Williams, Steve Williams, Colby Kluthe, Rachel Williams (August 2nd,2012)
The near coastline of Central Cape Town is lined with high-value beachfront communities. The nearby Camps Bay Is a popular peak season beach to visit for an afternoon on the beach and tea along narrow streetscapes.
CAPE TOWN
“The Southern Sun” (At the Waterfront) CAPE TOWN
During our time in Cape Town, we stayed at the Southern Sun Hotel located just a few blocks from Victoria’s Wharf and Waterfront properties. Located in the heart of the city, this upscale hotel seemed to have at least one employee for every guest. Perhaps even outnumbering the guests. The Hotel seemed more like an embassy for a visiting head of state, but comfortable in all its surroundings. Welcoming for any guest, but intimidating for anyone not staying there. Overall by the time we left it was our home away from home, and with anticipation we departed for our time on Safari.
DAY THREE – THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
VIEW FROM TOP OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE LIGHTHOUSE, THE INDIAN OCEAN ON THE EAST, THE ATLANTIC ON THE WEST
DAY FOUR – CAPE TOWN TO HOEDSPRUIT (KAPAMA GAME RESERVE) SOUTH CAMP (Kapama Private Game Reserve) Located in the central region of South Africa, the Kapama Game Reserve is more than 260,000 Acres and is located near the Hoedspruit-Eastgate Airport. The private game reserve houses 5 resort camps and is home to an extensive wild reserve of Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Warthogs, Impala, Elephant, Crocodile and many birds, baboon monkeys and nocturnal wildlife. As Guests of the South Camp, we were among roughly 45 other guests enjoy three-daily safari adventures, rounded out by three large meals daily, afternoon “high-tea” and nightfall toasts in the wilderness. Our safari guide Mike, was a native to Zimbabwe and had a vast knowledge of the reserve and animal behavior. Often knowing what was ‘about to happen’ simply on instinct. Our tracker, Moses remained attentively perched to the front of the rover like a hood ornament and kept track of prints in the roadway directing us toward the next adventure. The camp was upscale and easy to forget you remained in the wild, except for the 15 foot high electric fence perimeter around the camp, protecting guests from the more dangerous game. Each Cabin was more closely related to a high-end hotel, each cottage with oversized bathrooms and bedroom, complete with a walkout patio and thatch roofline. “Forget Kansas City and the Cows on the runway, I just saw a Baboon watch us land!” Kapama Private Game Reserve, with its portfolio of luxurious safari lodges, occupies a vast area between the northern Drakensberg mountains and the Greater Kruger National Park and is the largest single-owned game reserve in the region. The adjacent Eastgate airport (Hoedspruit) is perfectly situated to receive guests flying in from either Johannesburg or Capetown, and Kapama includes free transfers in open safari vehicles directly to any of our four lodges on Kapama namely River Lodge, Buffalo Camp, Karula and Southern Camp. These camps and lodges can accommodate a total number of 222 guests.
South Africa's Limpopo province in which Kapama is situated is renowned for its wildlife and includes areas such as the well known Kruger National Park. The Kapama reserve with its 13000 hectares of pristine wilderness shares a large number of biomes with the Kruger Park and therefore are able to host all animals including the Big 5: Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo and Rhinoceros, to name but a few of the approximately 42 different mammal species calling Kapama home. Approximately 350 bird species and a myriad of smaller species can also be seen in their natural environment. Game drives are conducted twice daily with expert guides and trackers who will eagerly share their bush experiences and knowledge with you whilst driving through some of the most beautiful savannah woodlands, grassland and riverine bush which makes up the Kapama Game Reserve.
DAY FIVE EARLY TEA, ELEPHANTS & STARS As we begin our fifth day of sojourn, and near the halfway point of our visit to South Africa, we began our daily routine of waking up around 5AM to be sure and be out in the “bush” by late sun-up. On this particular morning we left the Southern Camp fence enclosure and not more than 300 meters from the gate were three African Elephant, along the roadside making the mess of trees as they are known to do. The entire morning we traversed the reserve and managed to rack-up seeing all four of the “Big-5 Animals.” The Big 5, our guide explained were based upon the five most dangerous animals to hunt. The staff of Kapama seemed to anticipate everything, with hot water bottles and extra blankets in each vehicle as the area is quite cold before the sun makes it’s full impact mid-day. About two hours into our morning safari, we stop for coffee (Having already enjoyed one cup in-room, and another at the lounge before leaving the camp. This break became most welcome, as an opportunity to respond to nature myself and most likely smoke break as well. Our amazing tracker Moses quickly sets up a table and begins to prepare Morning Tea, Coffee or Hot chocolateOur guide, Mike quickly begins to share stories of safari and “silly tourists” that don’t take good advice. After a few moments of laughter from our group of 8, we quickly jump back into the LandCruiser for another hour of adventure. . In the Evenings before Sundown, the ritual would be repeated, before returning to the camp for dinner.
The Kapama Game Reserve South Camp host’s individual cabins complete with modern facilities and pictured above the Dining House serves three meals a day to the guests of the lodge. The top photo is of the Lounge building which was the sight of morning tea, and afternoon relaxation between safari outings and “high tea” in the late afternoon.
The Daily Adventure of Safari Each time you leave the camp it’s anyone’s guess as to what you might see in the three hours that lay ahead. Over the course of three days, and ten different outings, no two excursions were the same. In one case we were watching an entire pride of Lion bask in the morning sun, and on another occasion we spent the morning watching monkeys in the trees and a rather shy Hippo in a nearby riverbed. Mike Butler, the Head Ranger for the South Camp was our guide throughout our stay, alongside Moses our tracker. (Pictured Right) Together they were able to maximize our time watching wildlife by tracking movement and location of a great variety of animals.
DAY 7 –JOHANNESBURG AND SOWETO CROWNE PLAZA – ROSEBANK
We enjoyed two full days in the area of Johannesburg and the nearby township of Soweto. Our first day we spent touring the recent apartheid history of Soweto, including the uprising of 1976, and a tour of the family home of Nelson Mandela. Soweto is a community established more than 100 years ago, as a separation of blacks from the Dutch colonists who were rapidly developing the gold mining industry in nearby Johannesburg. Our visits also included the Kliptown Youth Program in Soweto and Constitution Hill in “Joburg” as the locals refer to it. Constitution Hill was once a British fort, and just a few years later became a prison which remained open until the mid 1980’s. Today it is the sight of South Africa’s Constitutional Courts, and museum dedicated to the many freedom fighters once held captive during its history as a prison. The overwhelming spirit of those who live in the area is that of hope and determination to make the South Africa promised and envisioned in the Constitution. As with any nation is a work in progress. However it can easily be said that while the poverty and financial segregation of Joburg and Soweto are very apparent even today, the community takes great pride in how far they have reached in just a short period of history. Soweto, while made up partly of make-shift housing, it is also home to middle-class homes and many signs that this is a community on the move, that recognizes its bitter past, and look towards it’s own future.
SOWETO
Soweto, or the Southwest Township more formally is home to more than 2 million. A community established to separate blacks from Johannesburg, the city’s rich history speaks of a time not so long ago, where citizens were required to carry Identification Papers to even enter the city of Joburg. Even then, they were only permitted to visit in order to work. They were forbidden from owning property or living in the city. The penalty for not having the proper paperwork was imprisonment. Under the newly established constitution, all South Africans are free
to move about the country at will. The reality remains, that many residents of Soweto are well established in this century old city, and have re-invested into its development and improvement. The other side of this coin is that Johannesburg remains to financially exclude many, with higher property values.
A LOOK AT A TYPICAL KLIPTOWN HOME
We were fortunate enough to be invited inside a make-shift home in the Kliptown area of Soweto. The family of Sseven share this three room house, made up of a small kitchen space (no water), a living area with “non-billable” electrical hookups. The neighborhood utilizes portable toilets and each street seems to share one spout of water for drinking, cleaning and laundry. It is clean to drink, but not available in each home. A nearby community center (Kliptown Youth Program) is the only ‘official’ recipient of electricity, and they provide a vast array of programs for the youth who live in the neighborhood. The people of Kliptown were most friendly towards us as visitors, and seem to have a determination to provide opportunities for themselves and those who call Soweto home.
Kliptown Youth Program
DAY NINE – JOHANNESBURG TO VICTORIA FALLS (The Kingdom Hotel- Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe)
Victoria Falls is a small village in Zimbabwe and home to one of the world’s largest waterfalls along the Zambezi River. More than twice the height of the Niagara Falls in the United States, this natural wonder has not been spoiled by development. Protected by a national park, rangers walk the pathways each morning to ensure that wild animals are not a threat to visitor safety. It is also located alongside the border of Zambia. And the village while small, is dotted with large resort properties for any taste and budget. Due to high inflation, the local currency the Zimbabwe dollar was discontinued in 2009, and locals will gladly accept your US Dollar or the South African Rand. The village is made up mostly of banks and local shops that cater to the tourist population year round.
Sydney, Rachel & Colby
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
The Elephant Ride Zimbabwe
After our 10 days in Africa we are ready for our return Flight to Johannesburg, Amsterdam and onward to St. Louis. We arrived at the Airport on a Thursday Morning, around 10:30AM Local Time. Our flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam left on time around 11:30 Thursday Night. Twelve hours later we would Arrive in Amsterdam mid-morning on Friday, and connect to our U.S. bound flight just a short two hours later. Our final flight arrived in St. Louis (From Detroit) around 8:30pm Friday Night.
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