June 19 Day 10
We did arise at 4:30am and headed for the JNB Airport. We were not sure where to find the domestic flight terminal. We asked two security personnel. No intellible response. However a businesslike bespectacled woman of apparently Indian descent stopped and asked where we were going. She gave us the directions.
This is South Afirica. Many aspects function extremely well. However, often the most basic questions are too hard to answer. This situation may result somewhat from language. Not only do we speak different accented English, we learned most Africans' native toungue is a tribal language. Not everyone here even knows English although everyone we have ever met so far, did.
Though getting information can be frustrasting, the many, many Africans we have encountered have been uniformly warm and pleasant, with consistent smiles. All seem delighted with the foreign World Cup fan hordes, who have dropped in for a visit to their home nation.
Our next challenge was whether someting called "1 Time Airlines" could actually get us to Cape Town. Indeed 1 Time is spartan, with old planes, but efficient. Yes, we got there.
The weather report threatend rain. However, we arrived in brilliant sunshine, except for the cloud cover obscuring Table Moutain, much like Mount Fuji.
We drove through the city toward the Cape of Good Hope drive. All good things said about Cape Town are true. One feels as if he could be in New Zealand, Australia or a northern Euorpean port city. The terrain, the look, the feel is definitely San Francisco Bay Area.
The Cape of Good Hope drive is more than 90 miles. The scenery is like Monterrey, south of San Francisco. The Cape itself is a small parking lot with a sign, "Most Southwesterly Point in Africa."
We did a late lunch at a seafood restaurant overlooking a harbor much like Stonington, Maine.
Our hotel was in a neighborhood of pedestrian streets and even a cobblestone square. We were in Europe!
We ate dinner at a nearby African fusion restaurant. The food was good, but the service was quite slow. We surmised the staff had caught the raging World Cup fever. We of course had timed our meal for that night's game. We had no serious complant.
Following dinner, we explored Long Street. The look is very New Orleans, with many verandas where bar patrons hang out.
Then Brian met Caleb, Alma and their friends. I was only too glad to collapse into bed.
We did arise at 4:30am and headed for the JNB Airport. We were not sure where to find the domestic flight terminal. We asked two security personnel. No intellible response. However a businesslike bespectacled woman of apparently Indian descent stopped and asked where we were going. She gave us the directions.
This is South Afirica. Many aspects function extremely well. However, often the most basic questions are too hard to answer. This situation may result somewhat from language. Not only do we speak different accented English, we learned most Africans' native toungue is a tribal language. Not everyone here even knows English although everyone we have ever met so far, did.
Though getting information can be frustrasting, the many, many Africans we have encountered have been uniformly warm and pleasant, with consistent smiles. All seem delighted with the foreign World Cup fan hordes, who have dropped in for a visit to their home nation.
Our next challenge was whether someting called "1 Time Airlines" could actually get us to Cape Town. Indeed 1 Time is spartan, with old planes, but efficient. Yes, we got there.
The weather report threatend rain. However, we arrived in brilliant sunshine, except for the cloud cover obscuring Table Moutain, much like Mount Fuji.
We drove through the city toward the Cape of Good Hope drive. All good things said about Cape Town are true. One feels as if he could be in New Zealand, Australia or a northern Euorpean port city. The terrain, the look, the feel is definitely San Francisco Bay Area.
The Cape of Good Hope drive is more than 90 miles. The scenery is like Monterrey, south of San Francisco. The Cape itself is a small parking lot with a sign, "Most Southwesterly Point in Africa."
We did a late lunch at a seafood restaurant overlooking a harbor much like Stonington, Maine.
Our hotel was in a neighborhood of pedestrian streets and even a cobblestone square. We were in Europe!
We ate dinner at a nearby African fusion restaurant. The food was good, but the service was quite slow. We surmised the staff had caught the raging World Cup fever. We of course had timed our meal for that night's game. We had no serious complant.
Following dinner, we explored Long Street. The look is very New Orleans, with many verandas where bar patrons hang out.
Then Brian met Caleb, Alma and their friends. I was only too glad to collapse into bed.
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