One of the benefits of being an international employee is the traveling opportunity you have to see other parts of the world you normally would not have access to. There are many wonderful vacations ahead for my family however mixed within these adventures is work related travel. My most recent trip was to an assembly plant located just outside of Johannesburg and also an engine plant in Port Elizabeth, both located in South Africa. The total air travel time from my home in Nanjing to South Africa is about 15 hours and thus my trips usually will last for a two week period. My time in the office is filled with long work days however on the weekends I try to use my time wisely and explore the cities I am visiting.
My first stop was in Johannesburg, South Africa. The day my flight arrived I took the opportunity to ask a friend currently working in the region to show me around a little. We decided to go to a Lion and Rhino Preserve located about thirty minutes from where I was staying. Our day was spent driving through the preserve looking at many animals in their natural habitat. We were able to see three of the Big Five animals: Kruger Lion, White Rhino and Buffalo. Endangered species, such as the Wild Dog are also located in the reserve. Cheetah, Hippo, Crocodile and more than 20 species of antelope were also seen. We also had a chance to see a natural cave that is 5 to 10 million years old, with amazing formations of stalactites and stalagmites. It was a great way to spend the day with a limited amount of time.
With the beauty of South Africa there is also the other side which cannot be ignored. Crime in South Africa is very high. This was evident in the location which I was staying. The house (converted into a bed and breakfast) where I stayed was in Pretoria was located in a very beautiful golf course community with very large homes. However what is very apparent is the crime which occurs in the area. All of the wealthy communities are very heavily guarded with security and completely enclosed by brick walls with electric fences/barb wire. As you enter the compound you are finger print registered and only allowed to pass with a credential check. The goal of all this, to keep the crime out of the community. This method of security is a substitute for police protection which does not exist. When leaving the compounded you rarely travel alone and certainly not at night time. Within the restaurants we visited I was amazed to find security personal in the parking lots standing guard to ensure your vehicle was not stolen. Upon returning to your car your provide them a tip which serves as their wage. As for those that do not live within these compounds there are frequent burglaries that must be guarded against.
The most evident sign of poverty was seen on our drive to the nature preserve as we passed a South African Slum, Diepsloot. Above I have shown the crime to the wealthy, however it is the poor that are most vulnerable. It is the poor that are most accessible to poor criminals in slums that I passed. Diepsloot is an impoverished settlement on the north edge of Johannesburg with a population of 150,000. Within the country there is a high number of rapes, hijackings, and armed robberies. The murder rate is 8x higher than the US. The better part of this area the people live in government housing and the rest live in shacks with no electricity and communal water. There is so many people living in poverty in South Africa and it is heartbreaking to see the conditions let alone have to experience living within in that environment day in and day out.
My next stop was in Port Elizabeth, situated on the Southern coast of Africa facing the shores of the Indian Ocean. The city is very picturesque as it is on the shoreline where you can walk alone the beachfront and watch the surfers. On Saturday I decided to take an all day African Safari from 9am to 10pm with a guided tour (myself, tour guide, and two other tourist). What an amazing adventure! I was able to see four (African elephant, cape buffalo, rhinoceros, and lion) of the “Big Five” game animals (those which are the most difficult to hunt on foot and most dangerous). For those not familiar with a Safari I was able to see these animals and many others in their natural habitat, living in the “bush” where they hunt their prey and dwell in their native land. My morning was spent at the Addo National Park, with our guide we had over 444,700 available acres to explore. I had the opportunity to see many elephants roaming the land, even a one month old elephant. I also saw rhino, antelope, zebra, ostriches, warhogs, and many more animals. As the afternoon approached we headed to the Schotia Private Game Reserve where lunch was served. After lunch we climbed aboard a 4x4 Land Rover and began our exploring through the African bush. This was some great off road fun! As we meandered through the landscape the tour guide asked me if I wanted to ride on the safari seat on the grill/hood of the Land Rover (see pic below).
I jumped at the chance (the other two friends I made chickened out!). What a way to see the animals and a highlight of my day! Here we saw some giraffes and white rhinoceros. As the sun began to set we went out to find the lions since this is when they are most active. To our surprise we were then asked if we wish to witness a lion relocation. This is not part of a normal Safari, but due to the fact there were only three of us and they were schedule to do this on our visit it was a bonus that made the trip even better. What this meant is that the lions were becoming over populated in this certain area so they wanted to relocate several prides to another part of South Africa. This is how it went down… They brought a dead antelope (killed earlier in the day, circle of life sort of stuff ;) into the middle of a field which served several purposes. The dead antelope attracted one pride with a lion, lioness, and 6 cubs. Additionally another lion and lioness were drown out of the bush by this easy meal. The intention was to have the dead antelope occupy any surrounding lions in the area with a meal (i.e. the pride I mentioned), distracting them as the other lions approached. As soon as they came close to our vehicles a ranger shot each with a tranquiller. Needless to say they were not happy and the “roars” showed their displeasure. As darkness fell upon us our task became to watch the other lions and warned the team which then caged the lions for their safe transport to their new home. As we continued on our night stalk for lions we watched them feast on the antelope (see attached pic). The knighted ended with dinner in under the stars and a campfire to stay warm. It was a great experience and I am now thankful I took the time to do this on my trip.
Lastly on Sunday I spent the afternoon walking along the shoreline to the Boardwalk where there were some S. African wood sculptures where I bought a rather large carving of some elephants to remember this trip and also the elephant ride we did as a family in Thailand. Port Elizabeth is a very nice town however I think it lives in the shadow of Cape Town which thrives with tourism... In summary it was a good weekend and I am glad I got the chance to explore South Africa a little before the work week starts….. I hope this gives everyone a little insight to South Africa where I am sure I will be returning frequently for Ford.
