| Updated June 02, 2009 |
| Day 1 : April 11,2009 I am having the particular pleasure of composing the initial beginning of this report while in flight . I must say , I have never before written one while travelling 592 mph ! At the time of this writing I am on a Delta 747 and this one has individual LCD screens in the head rests of the seats ahead of all passengers. One neat feature of these is the “moving map” display that alternates between flight data such as speed and elevation , eta , etc and a map that shows the planes progress toward the first destination . Our first stop is Dakur, Senegal . Some folks will get off the plane while others will board. The folks headed from the USA towards South Africa are not allowed off the plane . I suppose this is a very good thing after having read the website TRIP ADVISOR about the Dakur airport and how trouble is very likely there. I think customs laws as well as vaccination laws have something to do with it as well . If any passenger were to get off the plane in the country of Senegal , they would then be required to have a yellow fever vaccination in order to enter countries south of here . All of us staying on the plane otherwise will not have this requirement. At Dakur the plane will refuel after having flown 8 hours and traveling some 4,000 miles. Then it is back up into the air for another 8 hours of flight. After landing in Johannesburg, South Africa I will have been on the plane 19 hours. The time zone is 6 hours ahead . Jo’burg is far south of the Equator and even below the Tropic of Capricorn . While back home North of the Equator Spring approaches for Atlanta , fall and winter approach as the seasons are reversed from one side of the equator to the other ! April 12 Johannesburg After landing in Senegal and having the entire plane searched by a wild and rambunctious security force , we were allowed to take off. But not before a special treatment ......................South Africa requires any plane that touched down at Senegal to be fumigated with insecticide. This basically consisted of the stewardess spraying the Aisle with bug spray . We have landed and at the hotel now . Jo'burg airport - "OR TAMBO" - was clean and nice . The streets which are lined with palm trees ,now dark, are busy and probably dangerous . After that 19 hour flight without much sleep coupled with a 6 hour time change , I am wiped out . My computer which is still on Eastern US time now says 2:30 pm in the afternoon but yet it is dark here and 8:30 p.m. MORE LATER ........................................... |
| April 13,2009 After a night of rest I awoke with a better disposition and was able to better realize how nice the Guest House we were staying at was. "Le Chateau" has a super nice formal garden. With towering arches , bubbling cherub water fountains , and blooming flowers such as the "bird of paradise". You can check out their website: www.lechateau.co.za The inn has a restaurant which was closed on our visit because it was Easter Weekend. We ordered pizza of all things. It was good but much different from back home. The COCA-COLA in the African style can was better than in the States. Internet was 30 rand for 30 minutes ($3 American) and was moderate speed. We embarked from Jo'burg onto British airways for the 1,000 mile short jump to Windhoek,Namibia ( where I photographed the beetle). We hit the highway running and along the way we stopped and took a picture of a termite nest that was about 8 foot tall . We ended up arriving at the Bahnhoff Hotel in Usakos . More about the place later ., but as a quick note , the owner of the inn , Jaco Smith ,also sells minerals . His website is www.erongominerals.com . I know a lot of you are hesitant to buy from a foreign country based on a website . I have met Jaco and he seems to be a fine fellow and I wouldnt hesitate to order from him. He is located in Usakos in the Erongo Range and a short distance from Tubussis and a little ways yet farther to Brandberg. During our stay there , we had an African "BRAII" or barbeque. It was great , with mutton,gemsbok, and WORS or farmeres sausage. Wireless internet here was free and fast! |
| The adventure hasn't even gotten started yet ! Check out the next page where it really gets wild : PAGE TWO |
| The background photo is of the formal garden at "Le Château" in Krempton Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is the Johannesburg,SA and Windhoek, Namibia page & it chronicles the trip I took to collect and buy crystals specimens. .... |
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| getting stuck in the desert ! |
| Below is some of my crystals for sale |
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