Spent 4 years pretending it's all OK

NoOneAround

Hi Jvr - that's so useful to know - Thank you for taking the time!
Cape town, along garden route, fly from George to Durban and a 2 night all inclusive safari. Car hired for the duration. All hotels booked - excursions to book and pay for while we are there weather dependent. We have 2.5 days in Capetown (3 nights), Hermanus,Knysna (heard about the fires ), then to Durban area. Would be very excited if I wasn't so tired.

Just not sure how much to pay for the car park "attendants"?
where to tip (petrol attendants?) Hotel staff? Tour guides? etc etc etc - haven't had much time to look anything up yet
Only have hundred bill SA rand at the moment, so will need to get smaller notes/change at airport probably.
All info seems to say not safe to walk around and don't drive after dark? - is there more than normal crime rates in the touristy areas too?

Am sure Avis will give a decent map (hopefully) but saw one in the shop today and was wondering whether to just get one (£7) - we think will probably pay extra to get satnav. Saw a good book published by DK but it was £17:eek: so I didn't get it.

My brain is in a muddle at the moment and can't think straight. Think I have done last of the shopping this pm, been for routine blood tests, have prescriptions sorted. Just insurance to pay for and printout.

NOA
xx

jvr

.... Oh is from George so spent a lot of time in garden route and cape town it's really quite a safe area so dont be scared ! In garden route you are absolutely fine after dark driving but people don't walk around. Buy a map there will be way cheaper
Tipping .... Waiters like here 10% minimum basically there only wages are tips. Car park attenders it's like 20-50cents your small change basically. People don't tip petrol people or hotel staff... Just on way out but will send some tips and places to visit tomorrow

brizzledfw

Ooh this is making me jealous. OH has been to RSA and Namibia for work but I've never been..the Big 5 would be on my list..( or the equivalent in SA)

Have an AMAZING trip xxxx

NoOneAround

Thanks jvr and Brizzle

This trip is the combined celebration of numerous events we have missed celebrating over the last 7 years due to things being the
way they are.....
25th and 30th wedding anniversaries quietly slipped by as we have drifted apart through debt and despair - it will be our 32nd while we are away perhaps might go some way towards healing some rifts?
My 50th! DD's 18th! and Ds's16th and DD's 21st last autumn were too soon after I lost my dad, also their successes this year despite it all. Meals on Tesco vouchers have been the norm in marking occasions:D

Re tipples of various descriptions, I haven't been drinking due to medication. In half a mind to not take it next weekend so I can have the odd drink here and there.....?Hmm difficult to know what's right to do. I do miss have some vino with a meal...
Travel Insurance booked/paperwork printed. Probably could have shopped around more but just wanted to get it done - not bad for £90 for the three of us. We have a lot to pack in the limited time we have. Just hoping for good weather so we can do all the outdoorsy things. Just worried that flight will cause ra flare up and i'll slow everyone down, its been simmering for about 2 weeks now. Got some bargains today in a quick trip into town. M*S
tankini £16 (60% off:j)and bottoms for £10 (big with wrap over skirt in Tesko) - covers all manner of sins including a gigantic blueberry muffin and huge caramel cookie that I've just had;) also a 3-in-1 handbag from TKMaCS for 12.99, 3 bags in 3 colours with poppers to hold them together to use as one, or each separately!!!! long strap for crossbody carrying - amazing:rotfl: never seen a modular one quite like that before!

Actually I'm rambling now, as an avoidance tactic. I have started packing but couldn't face it. DD home tomorrow, it will be more fun together.

Have made my list for tomorrow - its loooooong. but am planning to make sure all done tomorrow so that we can perhaps take the long detour to see mum on Sunday before going to airport.

Off to bed to get an early start tomorrow
NOA

Puzzcat

Hi Noah,

Hope you and your family have a fantastic holiday, make some lovely memories together, relax and have fun.

Love Puzz. x

jvr

The drive from cape town up the garden route is beautiful! Vineyard town called Robertson is gorgeous on the route to stop .... If you like sea food I cannot recommend de vette de mossel enough! It's almost a shack on the beach and they do a 16 course seafood buffet caught on the beach and cooked on the fires in front of you it works out about £20 a head in mossel Bai just before george. And it's where i got married in George amazing restaurant called kingfisher and beautiful beach called Victoria bay. Then half way between George and knysna is wilderness a hippy town gorgeous beach and really cool shops and restaurants .... All these places are really safe. If weather is rubbish and you want some heat 45 mins over the mountain behind George is the Klein Karoo desert and a town called oudshoorn which will be way warmer and I will only visit in winter! It has loads of ostrich farms and if your kids are brave they can ride them
Never been to Durban so can't advise on that but I know oh loves it there.... Just realised all my recommendations are food related ha ooo also the elephant sanctuary in plett is a couple of hours from George and is amazing all rescues so very ethical this is just by the tsitsikamma national park with some amazing places to stay and scenary
In George there is Eden adventures you can hire canoes go up the river and then pull in and continue on foot very gentle walk to some amazing waterfalls or I think you can skip the boat and drive further up and just walk the last bit.... We did it all bare foot and it was magical

So most of all relax and enjoy and don't race around to see everything south Africans are way more chilled out that us so enjoy the vibe and you never know you might bump into my family over there haha

NoOneAround

Puzzcat wrote: »

Hi Noah,

Hope you and your family have a fantastic holiday, make some lovely memories together, relax and have fun.

Love Puzz. x

Thank you so much Puzz:) I've just about started looking forward to it. about to pick up DD from station - she had her grad ball last night -hope she's in a fit state to pack !
Lots of love
NOAh
x

NoOneAround

jvr wrote: »

The drive from cape town up the garden route is beautiful! Vineyard town called Robertson is gorgeous on the route to stop .... If you like sea food I cannot recommend de vette de mossel enough! It's almost a shack on the beach and they do a 16 course seafood buffet caught on the beach and cooked on the fires in front of you it works out about £20 a head in mossel Bai just before george. And it's where i got married in George amazing restaurant called kingfisher and beautiful beach called Victoria bay. Then half way between George and knysna is wilderness a hippy town gorgeous beach and really cool shops and restaurants .... All these places are really safe. If weather is rubbish and you want some heat 45 mins over the mountain behind George is the Klein Karoo desert and a town called oudshoorn which will be way warmer and I will only visit in winter! It has loads of ostrich farms and if your kids are brave they can ride them
Never been to Durban so can't advise on that but I know oh loves it there.... Just realised all my recommendations are food related ha ooo also the elephant sanctuary in plett is a couple of hours from George and is amazing all rescues so very ethical this is just by the tsitsikamma national park with some amazing places to stay and scenary
In George there is Eden adventures you can hire canoes go up the river and then pull in and continue on foot very gentle walk to some amazing waterfalls or I think you can skip the boat and drive further up and just walk the last bit.... We did it all bare foot and it was magical

So most of all relax and enjoy and don't race around to see everything south Africans are way more chilled out that us so enjoy the vibe and you never know you might bump into my family over there haha

Jvr that's wonderful - good to know some places to look out for, most of those aren't mentioned in the brochures I picked up so we'll try to find them
We love waterfalls - it's our thing - so that's a great. DD wants to do the elephant sanctuary and the ostrich farm. I don't know how we will choose
Will sit down with google maps tonight and try and some idea of possible order of things......

Lovely having a personal guide giving insider tips :A
I'll ask everyone I know " Do you know jvr?" :D
Back to the cases, DH has been helping hoover house in exchange for me folding up his clothes
xx
NOA

brizzledfw

Have a wonderful trip..so deserved...lots of newsy posts when you're back please...

Igamogam

Woah.......hadnt realised you were off to SA - have a great time. Spent a lot of my childhood in Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London...........until my nomadic parents decided I needed to go to school in Pretoria for a bit before returning to the UK.:)