Thanks everybody !
This trip to South Africa was a great and unique experience!
I made a lot of very nice meetings.
For me it was my first YAP Tour and I hope this is only the beginning.
I came to realize the incredible dynamism generated around the YAP Tour and, more generally, of 41 South African clubs. I saw among the African 41ers and the others Yappers, a real enthusiasm, a passion for the club 41 and a desire to know more or learn about the cultures of each and share his and his knowledge.
For all these things, I sincerely thank:
- The 41 club Belgium to allowed me to participate in this adventure and the club 41 South Africa
- Coordinators of this fabulous trip: Zeet Borrageiro for Johannesburg (special mention to Philip aka Will Ferrell for these superb knowledge of Soweto, well as Wicksteed Neall), Bruce McKay for Bloemfontein, Gerhard Marcrow for Bethlehem, Angus Flockart for Pietermaritzburg (special mention to George Wessels who accompanied us during our activities in Pietermaritzburg) and Louis Boshoff for Port Shepstone.
- All the hosts in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Bethlehem, Pietermaritzburg and Port Shepstone.
- The other participants of the YAP Tour, from India, Germany, Austria and Belgium like me, with whom I spent a great time.
- Without forgetting our great bus driver, Clive Greenwood.
La bise !
Hugo
Departure from DURBAN - 7th September
The day of departure ...
Yes i know that sucks, even for yappers who left early or at night (Sneh and Sharan), but all good things have an end.
Regarding Amelia and I (Belgian yappers) we were, to say the least, lucky to visit Durban before our flight. For this a big thank you to Cara and Guy Hankinson
I'll let you enjoy these last pictures of this beautiful road trip
Feel free to join the Facebook group YAP South Africa Tour 2014 if it is not already!
Chill afternoon !! 6th September
Beaver Creek / Crocodile Farm - 5th September
We had breakfast in Waffle House, then we stopped(arrested) to make a karting: by the way congratulation to Martin Franke who was faster than me by finishing the first one with the best time !
We then visited Beaver Creek, a domain of production of coffee. We discover it the origin of the coffee as well as the stages of the production of coffee.
After lunch, we went to the Crocodile Farm to Riverbend. It is in these places public (zoo or museum) where we find very often big groups of school children as here or previously in the Apartheid Museum.
PORT SHEPSTONE - 4th September
Direction Port Shepstone !
We had time to visit Lake Eland and his impressive suspension bridge seen by the top and even more impressive once above !
We will be staying to sleep one night in Port Shepstone because the next day we left for Port Edward, place where is held this year the meeting of the 41ers of South Africa.
KARKLOOF Canopy Tour & Waterfalls - 3rd September
PIETERMARITZBURG - 2nd September
This day was globally a day trip by bus from Bethlehem to Pietermaritzburg so not much special things except the things we've seen along the way, like the small (very small) chapel, or even this incredible view (required break).
Arrived in Pietermaritzburg, we could see a reproduction to Mandela in 3D, previously seen in the museum of apartheid except that this time the representation was much bigger, before settling in host families out for 2 nights.
CLARENS/BETHLEHEM - 31th August / 1st September
We left in the morning from Bloemfontein to arrive in Clarens for lunch for a beer tasting before meeting hosts in Bethlehem
The next day we went to the Malutis Mountains for horse riding
Luckily we had a great weather with much warmer temperatures than Bloemfontein. a great landscape throughout the ride!
We have, back to Bethlehem, discovered th Bethlehem Project run by the Bethlehem Roundtable.
The project aims, thanks to the South African flag lapel pins sold all over the world, to offer access to knowledge to children from poor families with a welcoming 70 children infrastructure
Congratulations for this great initiative myself and the other yappers were pleased to see this
(I hope to have summarized the project properly)
To finish this big day, a wildlife park !
Kimberley - 30th August
We woke up early to go to Kimberley, a former mining town. Indeed, it was originally a diamond rush
We visited the museum Mcgregor, where we was lucky, quite by chance, to see a celebration of traditional South African wedding
Then we went to Kimberley Hole or the Big Hole, an old mine which contained the richest diamond deposit ever discovered. She was active from 1871 to 1914.