Stay a while Crocodile

Make haste while the sun shines! Time waits for no man as we trundle along. It's true; we can see our lives flash past us when we have fun. When those glass doors at Johannesburg International Airport swooshed open, I became one happy Mama; my girl was safely back on African soil, ready to explore Johannesburg and Kruger National Park with us.

I spent the eighteen-hour road trip to Johannesburg knitting a new blankie while we listened to an exciting Audiobook titled “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins.  The N1 was all business as usual, busy, frenetic, and somewhat tedious. Of course, the "stop-and-gos" are a necessary evil, but they cost us an extra hour on the road.  

Johannesburg, I owe you an apology. I’ve always thought you were much ado about nothing; I must confess. Besides the Apartheid Museum, which I thought was well executed and gets the message across, I never really got what appeals to visitors until now! Johannesburg is about its people, their hospitality, and the party. While I burnt the candle at both ends, my light shone brightly; we danced, ducked, and dived, ate well, laughed, and caught up with friends and family. In the wee hours, my Precious catapulted me like a diving diva from the ’50s from his shoulders into the icy waters of the pool, all thought of his torn shoulder ligaments and buggered knees anaesthetised!

We supped at a local eatery on 11th Street in Parkmore, where delicious morsels, beautifully plated, tasted as good as they looked. The Marrow bones on toast were a popular choice, and my Oysters were plump, fresh, and yummy. Our main courses were Pork Belly, Steak, and the Sea bass was original; all our plates were done to perfection. Our server was friendly and professional. The busy restaurant is cosy, vibey, and cleverly decorated with a cast-iron stairway leading to an upstairs bar and private dining area. I maintain that a good meal is remembered by the impression made by the Starter and cemented by what’s on your Dessert plate. My eyes always zoom in on a Pana cotta; this one was unremarkable and disappointing, but then, who says “one should always have it all?”   The cook in me says “Me!”

On Saturday, we marvelled at the monstrous, claustrophobic, walled-and-gated properties, with more bricks and mortar in one wall than in a whole neighbourhood in our village. Italian ironmongers could re-beautify Tuscany with the craftsmanship displayed in Parktown, Houton, and Sandhurst. Here, the adage “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” was coined, I’m sure. 

We spent a good few hours at the Military Museum in Saxonwold. I was transported back to Dachau when I saw the WW2 Military hardware used by the German Army and Luftwaffe, always emotive and once again typifies our cruelty and inhumanity towards our relatives. Our senseless bush war can never be justified in my books, but I do have respect for the engineering and ingenuity our military forces showed during our border wars. I stood stock-still as I looked at the South African uniforms and recalled my brother doing his military training. In my mind’s eye, I still see him getting on the train, a mere boy, to go off to the border, and I remember my friend who slipped a needle into a vein to rid himself of the pain.

For lunch, we were treated to the Neighbourgoods Market in Juta Street. Braamfontein. This is another treasure not to be missed, trendy, pumping with good food, good music, and lots of good Cape Wine and Handcrafted Beer. The crowd is eclectic, young, and spirited, packed into a relatively small space; we all enjoyed a myriad of fabulous food from Asian to Zebra. I wish I could’ve gone undercover with my camera; I’ve not seen so many beautiful people in one spot for a very long time. Oh, to be young and carefree.

On Sunday morning, we nursed sore heads, scratchy throats, and weary bodies as we headed to Kruger National Park for five days at Pretoriuskop, eager to show Rob elephants and experience the park's incredible wildlife and scenery. The weather was perfectly fantastic, making every moment memorable.

I include a short video shot during one of our Sundowner trips to a waterhole while in Kruger, an amazing sighting we experienced: four young lionesses, one lion, and two white Rhinos. 

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