Tuesday, 28 August 2012

SOUTH AFRICA . TOUCH DOWN


Mood status: Deliriously jetlagged
Location: Hostel room, Johannesburg 

I’m feeling so worn-out right now that I’m actually a little confused. My bum is numb. I’m all spaced out. It hasn’t hit me yet that I’m in Africa. It should’ve hit me days ago that I was going to Africa. Jet lag could be to blame, or maybe this surprisingly comfortable bed and mismatched décor that feel too much like home. 

Africa. Cat. Camping. Seriously? But here I am and here we go! 

No dramas on the flight here. I slept for most of the Sydney to Johannesburg leg, only waking up to watch The Dictator, a documentary on Steve Jobs, a strangely captivating doco on motherhood in the animal kingdom (One Life, for any takers) aaaand.. to catch a glimpse of the South Pole! Isn’t that the coolest? From up high, the ice sheets look thin and delicate, when in fact they would stand tough at several metres high if you were to face them front on. 


Waiting for me at the airport on arrival holding up a sign of my name was a big, African man who could probably pick me up and toss me all the way back to Australia. It was short-lived fear, as he flashed the biggest smile I had ever seen and introduced himself as “Gemma” - although I’m absolutely sure that this is only what I heard, and not what he said. Big, black man named Gemma, touché.

Gemma was fantastic as an impromptu tour guide while driving to the hostel, and even tried to teach me a little bit of Afrikaans. There was a food delicacy that he was trying to get me to pronounce that went something like “oo – click – noosh” to which I plainly said “oonoosh” and awkwardly felt like I had said something rude as he giggled to himself for the next 5 minutes. 

Tomorrow I have a free day to roam the city before the tour starts and I haven’t planned anything at all. I’ll hopefully be able to keep you all posted but so far wi-fi has been hard to come by, and then once I’m on my Safari odyssey updates might be even scarcer. But I can’t wait to share with you guys my adventures over the next month, and of course provide coverage on all the mishaps which - lets face it – there’ll be plenty of!

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