Day 57

Day fifty seven
Friday - 13th March 2020

Current position
Home

Well I'm glad to report that we arrived in Dubai alive and kicking and made straight to the lounge for a glass of red wine at 5.30am Dubai time.
We boarded on time with no temperatures taken and again there were some passengers wearing masks but fewer compared to the last flight considering this plane was nearly full. We were lucky as the window seat was unoccupied so Ros and I had a bit more room as we had an empty seat between us. Time passed reasonably quickly on the final leg of our journey and soon we were in baggage reclaim waiting for Nelson. Our bags came off first but there was no sign of Nelse. In the end we found that he'd been allocated as oversized baggage which is dealt with by a separate conveyor. Once found it was good to see that he'd arrived safe and sound with no visible signs of damage to his packaging.
We got the Maglev Shuttle to Birmingham International and summoned wait for it an Uber to take us home. No sooner had I pressed the button than a gleaming black BMW appeared from one of the car park spaces as he'd obviously been waiting for us. It transpired that he'd only had one other fare during the whole morning earning just £8.00 owing to the effect of the Coronavirus. He dropped us at our front door some half an hour later and we were pleased to find everything at home was in order after eight weeks away. We settled in and unwrapped Nelson. He'd been wrapped up so many times it was like pass the parcel undoing layer after layer. He'd travelled well suffering a minor split to his hat another to his ankle and a slight dent on his arm but all this can be fixed with a bit of wood glue so all's well. We just need to find a good place for him to stand.
Well what did we think of South Africa. Firstly it was not as dangerous as we had been lead to believe. Yes there were areas that appeared to be dangerous and thankfully by luck or by judgement we avoided them. The only strange experience we had was when the Uber driver was threatened for money but fortunately that did not directly involve us.
The other thing we will remember is the food. Compared to other countries visited the food was fantastic. The choices were many and varied the quality was excellent and the portions so large that we shared most main courses. The South African wine was good even the cheapest supermarket wines were very palatable. The service was wonderful too with all the waiters and waitresses serving us efficiently with a beaming smile.
The most memorable attraction has to be Victoria Falls although not in South Africa the Falls weren't far away. Cape Town has to be our most favourite City as it had a good international feel about it. We especially enjoyed the lively and dynamic Waterfront.
Unfortunately the Garden Route did not live up to expectations as the drought conditions over the last four years have taken their toll on what should have been a lush green landscape was arrid and burnt brown for as far as the eye could see. We enjoyed our wildlife excursions. Our one day tour of Addo and Schotia was the best and the three days at Kruger National Park was disappointing both in the small number of animals seen and the 'orrible treehouse accommodation that left a lot to be desired.
Uber's were brilliant we'd never used them before but without them we could not have got around so safely or easily in fact over the whole trip we used them on Seventy two occasions. They were so cheap that most short journeys around town were done for the price of a cup of coffee. Our overnight stays in guesthouses hotels etc were in the main good the best was the Holiday Inn Express in Cape Town and the worst was Kimberley Backpackers again in Cape Town. We were also deeply disappointed with our last two nights at The Residence where we should have enjoyed the services of a really exceptional hotel but unfortunately it turned out to be just average a 'damp squib' Overall we stayed at nineteen different places for an average of three nights at each.
My summary would not be complete without the mention of Nelson Mandela. He popped up everywhere on Robben Island in the Nelson Mandela Centre where his statues sprang up all over the place advertising his exhibition on the third flour. He was there again at the Apartheid Museum, his office, outside the Union Building, the Parliament Building and many many other places. He is rightly a huge iconic figure to the people of South Africa and we are pleased that we have met him so many times and learned so much about him.
It's good to be home now that spring is on its way and our thoughts now turn to the Bentley and this years Grand Tour of Europe Coronavirus willing.