https://visiteasterncape.co.za/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Africa, Countries

South Africa Get Me Into There

2nd May 20232nd May 2023 funtime65

The Celebrities were happy enough to scream South Africa Get Me Into There… so why not us?

Well, our friends at Cassidy Travel in Ireland have been thinking about us and, of course, they never stop.

So they’ve hoved in on SA and safaris as somewhere you’d be glad to set up camp.

Now where Gillian McKeith, Shaun Ryder, Carol Vorderman, Janice Dickinson et al have gone they have followed us.

And all the trials and tribulations and tricky treats are as nought compared to our travails in the Eastern Cape.

Safari travails

When we put ourselves in the hands of Alan of Alan Tours out of Gqberha, or Port Elizabeth, as we then knew it.

Into Baviaanskloof Reserve with its monkeys, baboons, antelopes and springboks.

And were diverted though through Alan’s local knowledge we got back at 1am.

But lived by our wits in the South Africa back woods eating South African/Scots biscuits and playing party games.

Cape crusaders

Cassidy’s, of course, have everything covered on their eight-night Cape Town & Safari Package for travel on October 2.

Including flights with Qatar Airways, private transfers and accommodation.

You’ll have five nights B&B in Cape Town at the Pepper Club Luxury Hotel and Spa.

Where you’ll naturally want to check out Table Mountain National Park.

And Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was robbed of 25 years of his life.

Safari so good

And then three nights safari on Aquila Game Reserve in a Premier Lodge Room on a full room basis.

Prices from €2149pp based on two people sharing.

Something to think on when you’re watching Z-list celebs and shouting South Africa Get Me Into There.

Countries

Say a little prayer for Burt

10th February 202311th February 2023 funtime65

His songs have been the soundtrack to many a life, moments in time, such as for vagrant Tony in Washington DC… so today we say a little prayer for Burt.

I shared a half-smoke hot dog with Tony at Ben’s Chili Bowl where he had taken up residence.

And heard the story of his life to the backdrop of the song he put on the jukebox Aretha Franklin’s I Say A Little Prayer.

So there without us knowing, Burt Bacharach had seeped into our common experience.

An angel’s songs

And that in essence was the genius of the man who is now serenading the angels.

Because Burt Bacharach and Hal David heightened the human experience in their timeless songs.

Often in the most original and humorous way.

Probably why Mike Myers turned to him to play piano on the restyled top of a London double decker as Austin romanced Vanessa.

And it rubbed off too as when I travel to the American Travel Fair.

This way to San Jose

So amid the dozens of stands I’d always pick out one of the Californian displays.

And ask… ‘do you know the way to San Jose?, I’ve got a lot of friends in San Jose’

Burt then would creep up on you when you least expected it.

Mostly in America, to be fair.

Whether in Connecticut where The Carpenters are really from although we associate them more with California.

American Songbook

And where I heard echoes of Burt and the heavenly Karen Carpenter.

Or the Great Outdoors of Utah where The Sundance Film Festival is held annually and Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head tingles in the air.

While Burt and Hal put Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the map particularly when you’re 24 hours from the Mid-Western town.

Burt’s score and Hal’s lyrics have then become a reference point to define many a nostalgic destination.

Purring along

Cool for cats… in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

With What’s New Pussycat springing to mind when asked to title my musings on safari in the Eastern Cape in South Africa.

Of course all our experiences are our own but at the same time shared through the permanence of a tune.

So today as we say a little prayer for Burt we console ourselves that Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s music will live forever.

Africa, America, Countries, Europe, Ireland, UK

How happy on the mountain

11th December 2022 funtime65

How happy on the mountain are the feet of He who brings good news… that today is International Mountain Day.

And yes, of course, while there is a day of the year for almost everything, our mountains are there every day.

It took the United Nations until 2003 though before they advanced our peaks for an International Day.

Of course being from the mountainous top half of this septic island they call Britain I’d been to the roof and looked down.

And admired Scotland’s valleys and glens and looked out and wondered of the view from other peaks.

Nothing as adventurous or backbreaking as mountaineering, or bagging Munros, those Scottish peaks, of which there are 282.

Border force

Cross country: At the Austrian-German border

But leaving it to our dream makers, our holiday makers, to take us up where the air is fresh and sweet.

For some who are lucky enough to live in the mountains then gorges can be part of their daily routine.

And so it is nothing to locals who cross the border through a mountain gate between Austrian Tirol and the Bavarian Alps.

While others will trek across the Alps into northern Italy.

The mountains have long been routes through which people have traversed for trade, adventure, or in flight.

Although, as we’ve tracked already in these pages the most famous fleeing family most certainly never climbed every mountain.

But rather the Von Trapps took the train into Italy instead.

Mountain people

Only way is up: Jungraujoch in Switzerland

The most romantic way through the mountains is of course by foot but we’ve hit the peaks in all of those… trains, planes and snowmobiles.

Trains… on the Jungfraujoch Railway, the highest train route in Europe.

Planes and helicopters in the mountains above the Grand Canyon.

By coach up the Rockies on Colorado and Graaf-Reinet in the Eastern Cape in South Africa.

In the frame: With my fellow Jim in the Pyrenees

And with half the Atlas Mountains descending on your Scooby Doo van during a rainy Ramadan.

Mountains are to be admired, of course, but to be respected too.

And we continually wonder at the skills of those who keep an eye on them when they are stirring.

And point out nonchalantly when we’re in the Pyrenees that there’s an avalanche in the distance.

Slope off on your hols

This time of year is, of course, reserved for those who put planks on their feet and zig-zag down the mountains.

And whether that’s in our northern tip of Britain, my favoured ski slopes of Soll in Austria and Val D’Isere in France.

And on the dry slopes of my other land, Ireland, at Kilternan.

We’re all on the same page…

How happy on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news.

Our dream makers, our holiday providers.

Africa, Countries

Cheetah’s day

4th December 2022 funtime65

It comes around swiftly at this time of year… cheetah’s day.

And on this day which is designated to the big cat, my thoughts naturally turn to Thandie and her cubs.

Not sure how much Santie figures in animal reserves.

But I’m hoping in this season of giving her little ones get spoiled.

It’ll be four years in a couple of months since I left Thandie mothering her new-borns.

In the Mount Cambedoo Reserve in Graaf-Reinet in the Eastern Cape in South Africa.

Power Ranger

Made it: With Hewart and Reserve owner Iain

Of course being such speedsters, they can hit 70mph in just three seconds, cheetahs can be hard to keep up with.

And that’s where rangers come in.

Zimbabwean Hewart uses guile and knowledge of Thandie’s movement and electronic equipment.

To track down the majestic pussycat to her shelter under a tree.

Until we are looking in awe at this wonderful specimen in her natural lair, ensuring that we don’t venture too closely.

Protective animals and their young, and all that.

And more so as their men folk don’t tend to stick around.

Male cheetahs prefer to live in a band of brothers known as a coalition.

While it may be difficult to spot a cheetah, if you do it’s easy enough to identify the spots on the big cats.

Laying a Marker

The chita, from the Hindi word ‘chita’ or ‘the spotted one’, they have between 2,000 and 3,000 such markings.

Now every day is worth celebrating the cheetah, I think we’d all agree, but why this day?

Well, we have Dr Laurie Marker who founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund in 1991 to thank.

In 2010, she designated today, December 4th, as International Cheetah Day choosing it after the birthday of a cheetah named Khayam.

Save our cheetahs

Dr Marker trained this cheetah for her first research project on teaching captive-born cheetahs to hunt.

When she reintroduced Khayam to the wild, she realised how endangered the cheetahs were becoming.

With less than 8,000 cheetahs living in the wild, a 50 percent decline in the last four decades, and still being hunted for fur.

All good reason to celebrate Cheetah’s day, and we’re sure you’ll be spoiled Thandie.

Africa, Countries, Ireland, Sport, UK

Lions in Siya Africa

25th July 202124th July 2021 funtime65

Now I know a thing or two about Lions in Siya Africa.

The Lions are on the Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve in the Great Karoo in the Eastern Cape.

Which is just around the corner from where the British and Irish Lions are playing their Test series with the South African Springboks.

Well, a rather big corner, the Cape of Good Hope.

Heroes in Capes

OK, it’s a cheetah but the Lions were hiding

Cape Town‘s beauty and its Table Mountain are legendary.

Less well known, at least outside of South Africa, are the charms of the Eastern Cape.

From where Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, Pride of Port Elizabeth, hails.

You’ll see his influence in the oldest township in South Africa from where he set out on his heroic journey to become Springboks skipper.

South Africa needs leadership

And to place that in sense of importance within the Rainbow Nation…

Didn’t the Eastern Cape’s own, Nelson Mandela don a Springboks jersey to greet Francois Pienaar at the 1995 World Cup final against New Zealand?

South Africa could do with Madiba now as it wrestles with social unrest in the wake of Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment, and its Covid crisis.

But in Kolisi it has a champion.

A different Test

Panorama: With South Africanophile Rachel

It is of course a matter of regret that the Lions aren’t touring South Africa.

And an even greater one that Port Elizabeth, where the Lions have a decent record, hasn’t hosted a Test match against the Lions since 1980.

The Eastern Cape is solid rugby territory and a visit to the township reveals that the Boks are now embraced by all its peoples.

A Scot in exile

Rugby fans: Siseko, Nelson Mandela and your Bandanaman

Now mine host Iain is a proud Springboks fan and thinks nothing of taking his Jeep out to travel across country to watch his rugby.

But as his name reveals despite living in solid eastern Southern Africa his roots lie up here in Scottishland.

However the series evolves he will take take great joy from a healthier than usual representation from North Britain.

And we are not immune either from adopting Afrikaners either with Dusan Van der Merwe.

We call them SpringJocks.

It should be a great old journey with the Lions in Siya Africa.

Africa, America, Countries, Culture, Europe, Oceania, UK

Route 66 in an electric car

17th July 202117th July 2021 funtime65

It’s the world’s favourite road trip… but get your kicks on Route 66 in an electric car.

In the style of this site, of course, I’m working backwards!

At the end of Route 66, Santa Monica Pier, Southern California, on a scorching summer day.

Or a motorbike

Your motorbike, the cooler choice, will have to pull up before the pedestrianised pier, and landmark.

We were first introduced to Route 66 from the classic song where we were encouraged to get our kicks.

As an introduction we are told it’s 2000 miles from Chicago to LA.

Smalltown America

And in time-honoured American songs fashion a list of smalltown US follows and states.

We get Saint Looey, Joplin Missouri, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff Arizona, Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino…

You get the picture.

And yes, I still have to get those stickers for my luggage.

Although I have a clunking keyring to fool people into thinking I‘ve done the hipsters’ highway.

Why am I flagging up Route 66 today? Well, why not?

But it also tops a survey commissioned by Continental Tyres for the new Extreme-E.

The Great Road Trips

Route 66 holds off Pacific Coast Highway and the Great Ocean Road in Australia for the top spot.

While a cursory glance of the top ten also highlights Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and South Africa’s Garden Way.

Now like all of those with adventure in out blood I have relished getting out on the road though perhaps not the iconic ones.

Snow in Mississippi

And so I drove/was driven through the flatlands of the Blues Trail in Mississippi on my Deep South odyssey.

Where I fell asleep through the repetition and woke up with the fields covered white.

And, no, I wasn’t dreaming. Mississippians call cotton Snow.

Driven around the bend

Or our own circuitous route around Monaghan’s townlands trying to find the Patrick Kavanagh Centre.

And being driven aimlessly around a South African park in the Eastern Cape late at night.

And that’s why the Lord gave zebras white stripes

Continental Tyres runs down the top 10 UK road trips and Scotland takes the plaudits with its North Coast 500.

While it’s good to see the Coastal Circuit in Northern Ireland getting a namecheck too.

The vital spark

Now electric cars are to be commended but I’m not sure how popular they would be with the Route 66 set.

I mean how many charging points would you need over that 2,000 mile expanse.

Never mind keeping up the cool quotient.

But the highway’s going nowhere and you’ll get longer to enjoy it.

So Get your kicks on Route 66 in an electric car.