My first meeting with the African continent – was South Africa. This was in December 1993, just before Nelson Mandela became president and the end of apartheid.
First we visited Cape Town, and then we hired a car and drove along “The Garden Route“. Lovely landscape, mountains and hills, forests and beautiful beaches! Then we travelled further east, through the “homelands” or Bantustans; Ciskei and Transkei. Very special to visit these places – just before the end of apartheid and they re-joined South Africa in 1994.
We travelled north-east through the province of Natal, today KwaZulu-Natal, and visited Durban, the third largest city in South Africa.
North of Durban we visited the first game reserve on our trip,- “the Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game Reserves“. The first wild animal I saw was this elegant creature:
I was so exited and shouted out “A GIRAFFE”! It was my first meeting with the african wildlife.
Then we travelled north through Swaziland and crossed the border to Mozambique after a long time waiting in the passport control queue. We just wanted to go by “the highway” a bit and go back to South Africa – close to the Kruger National Park. The Highway turned out to be a road of crushed stones, and it took a long time to get to the border of South Africa. When we finally reached the border it was late and dark and the border was closed for the day. We had to stay the night in a sleazy hotel close by. Early next morning we were happy to cross the border back to South Africa. We spent a day in The Kruger National Park before we traveling back home to Norway. It was a great and fascinating experience- but unfortunately my camera was not working. Hence, I have no good pictures from my first visit to the Kruger. So disappointing! I just knew for certain – I shall go back one day.
It was not until 2008 that we were back again. And yes – this time for a much longer stay in both the Kruger Park and the surrounding areas. Our trip lasted for two and a half months , and is the first South African trip I will be showing pictures from. After this trip I have felt a longing to go back ever since; so from then on I visited South Africa more regularly . The best from these trips I will share – check New Posts and Africa/Roundtrips
