South Africa - 24th Sept - 13th Oct 2009

This is the city, gold, diamonds, platinum, apart. Tied to its history a story.
This country is rich with natural beauty,
the earth and the sea abound.
Its nature not nurtured.
A cradle of men, kind, friendly, mellow.
You're colour coded and molded, or branded.
How could we imagine to meet such warm fellows?
Your reputation is bloody awful!
The big five?
the liars
the bluffers
the winos
the elegants
the leppers
the land of the cheeters the hypo crisy and a load of old croc!
I only ever liked the humming birds,
in Johannesburg I heard the caged bird sing
we extended our stay there 3 extra days
before flying to the Cape of good Hope.

Johannesburg

Like a comet like a rocket like a meteor hit,
like the world tour didn't start or couldn't end without it.
They say it's not safe. Its prison after prison,
in your house, in your car, in your mall, in your mind,
Constitution, Apartheid, Soweto can't go there without a guide.
High walls, electric fences, security guards
and here is the cradle of man kind, let's see....
Rashaad invites us to a braii in Vereheeling with his brothers.
We are 5 having a fantastic time,
in the VW, music blearing, windows wound
down and they'll “be back in a sec”.
It's dark and the parking attendants reeling you in,
we're in no danger while they find the freshest prawns.
It's braii day and our first day and Rashaads brothers birthday!
At 11pm, we eat a finger licking feast after which, we're off clubbing.
I beg your pardon and did I say this is our first night in Joberg,
after a visit to the Apartheid Museum put up by the Casino?
Saturday we're at the World cup cricket match, West Indies play Australia.
Free tickets courtesy of Rashaad, hard not to enjoy the 1 day test.
Overs, runs, and wickets,
Caro waving the WI flag at fours and sixes.

We round off the evening in Melrose's place to dine Moyos.
Good music, good food, good fire.
Sunday with Lisa, she's a photographer, takes us to Kgasawne
to take pictures along with Warwick her boyfriend.
Zebras and baboons and picnickers peeking through the trees.
It's like Picnic of Hanging Rock, we are hiking and it's beautiful 360 degrees.
Monday night dinner with Bernice and Lorenz
a banquet of a braii meat piled high and fish to die for
like Jesus sermon on the mount without the 5 loaves
and Jamming Indian Udu percussion
Rashaad and his bros had the beat
Lisa and Warwick had the beat
Bernice and Lorenz had the beat
Graham and Tony had the beat
Their Graton Guest house
hard to beat
were guests Jeremy and Rejanne
visit the patter of tiny feet
had the beat
Our 1 day Pilansberg Safari had us beat
the lion leopard and buffalo playing hide and seek
and sun beating down mellow and sweet
and downtown Joberg has a beat better
than its cold war years before
we got the beat, we got the beeat,we got the beeeeeeeat,yeah!We got it!

Cape Peninsula

Kalk Bay to Cape Point, to Hermanus then Cape Agulhas,
Franschhoek then Cape Town to finish this piece of resistance.
Kalk's fishermen and Olympia cafe are fine,
where Kalky's fish and chips was a pleasure,
as was the sea shore at your door step.
Cape Point is hard to describe in words, it's so
lkdnkjbetjkenkirhpipjbjhjcbjygfejjjhfvhly stunning.
The National Park has ostrich and springbok and baboons the buggers!
Hermanus is a must, you'll have a whale of a time.
Agulhas, where Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet is the most southernest point of S of A!
Franschhoek, in the pretty wine region, would be prettier still,
if there were still elephants majestic in the valley.
And Cape Town. Can it live up to it's high reputation?
My honest 1st impression was Cornwall meets Miami.
Europe has dug their claws in deep here
But Africa cafe, Mama Africa and
Marco's Africa Place was a saving Graceland.
Marco has the finest African cuisine and live music
that got everyone out of their seat,
music makes the people come together,
where Caro eats ostrich, springbok and kudu 3 colours meat.

We climbed table mountain to taste the fresh air
drove to the lions head and 12 apostles,
there must be a God
At Victoria Wharf busker's sing like
Ladysmith Black Mambazo whom
P.S. made the world take note,
doe ray me far so latte-dah!