Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Friday, Oct. 9 (Back-posting from my journal)

We arrived in Joburg as the sun set, and got through customs and baggage claim without incident. My normal travel pace had to be slowed considerably; groups just take longer to maneuver than one or two people! We met up with the Hospice group and Efraim, who had agreed to help us find our way around (if he knew how much he'd be doing that, he may have been less eager for the job).
If you rent a car in SA, prepare to check the boxes for theft and damage waivers. They're a good idea anyway, but if you pass on either of them, the company will hold 40K+ rands on your card - which might indicate something about the likelihood of theft/damage in this country. The rental agent and I haggled a bit, and I shamelessly flirted my way to a discounted rate. Of course, he thinks he's stowing away in my luggage tomorrow. Then we embarked upon my adventure in South African driving.

The van is basically a reverse image of the car I drive at home: wheel on the right, gear shift on the left, even the signal and wipers are reversed, causing no end of amusement for my (nervous) passengers. As third vehicle in the caravan, we had quite the entertaining time trying to keep up with our wild man of a guide. Except that he's not actually a wild man; that's just the way they drive here. And a couple of days in, I was driving that way too.

More than the driving, I was overwhelmed by the ubiquitous "helpers" swarming the airport and most parking lots. They give directions, tell you where and how to park, and try to haul baggage. I chased one persistent one away - and was glad I had later, when it turned out that one of the Hospice group members was robbed by the person helping her with her backpack. I know it's part of the culture, and the people who will watch your car for you can be helpful, but most of the time they are more nuisance than assistance.

In disappointing news, it was dark as we drove to Rustenburg, so we saw nothing, and we ate our first South African meal at MacDonalds, since we weren't sure anything else would be open that late at night. Not exactly what I had imagined.

But then we arrived at Rainhill Farm, which I think now qualifies as one of my favorite places on earth. We still couldn't see much, but we were greeted very hospitably by the dogs and the extended family who live there, who showed us to modest but cozy rooms, and the on-site pub, ready to welcome us with South African beverages as we decompressed from our travels. If anyone sees Appleteiser (basically just an apple-flavored soda) in the States, grab a pack for Alden - he has lived on the stuff! We had a good time getting acquainted with a few of the locals and with each other, since we were coming from two separate groups. Then off to bed to recover from the hours and hours of plane rides and the swollen ankles that came with them.

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