South Africa 2019

Friday, 2nd.August 2019

Umhlanga, (pronounced "Oomshlanger") Durban, South Africa

Arrived at the crack of dawn at King Shaka Airport after a restless flight from the UK...

I hate flying. It's only a means to an end. Sat with my knees up under my chin, a numbness permeating the bum-cheeks, and the person in front's chair-back up against my nose, I wondered when this Hell-in-the-Air was going to end!

A blanket is supposed to help you sleep for part of the eleven hours you are in the air - sleep! You must be joking! Anyone who sleeps on an aeroplane must be suffering from terminal narcolepsy! To even grab forty winks demands a state of medical unconsciousness! But here we are, alive and in reasonably good shape, and ready for the wedding (and other stuff). Jane and Chris have sorted out a really good apartment for our stay overlooking the beach from which we have fantastic views.

All mod cons, a balcony from which we watched the dolphins playing in the surf, sometimes not a hundred yards off the shore. This was a terrific base from which we travelled out to the Game Reserves we visited.

The apartment housed all seven of us - Dan and Candice staying with her parents in Durban. It was one of the best accommodations we've ever had on holiday although we did have an issue with the Internet connection which went down. Apparently, we'd used 100Gb in one day! Might be something to do with all the live streaming that certain individuals had been doing!

The magnificent view out across the Indian Ocean from our balcony. From here we could see the pods of dolphins which swam up the coast very early in the mornings.

This evening however we took a walk along the beach to stretch our legs having been cooped up for so long.

The Murray Clan

I absolutely love this picture of Merle! It sums up her and the fun we all had on the beach that evening.

Ben and Merle.
We had a great time on the beach, unwinding after the very long and uncomfortable flight.
As ever, Alfie is in the water, larking about and giving us apoplexy as his little body is thrown around in the crashing breakers! He just loves it however and it's a real job to get him to come out and have his photograph taken with us.

There was just no keeping him out of the water! If he came anywhere within 100m of the surf he was straight in there - whether in his bathers or not!

Footprints in the sand... the only evidence left of the fun we had that evening!

Whilst taking photos, I advanced into the surf to get a shot of Alfie playing in the water and getting soaking wet, and lost my footing in the shifting sands! I fell headlong into the breakers! Thinking only of my precious camera I bravely held it aloft to protect it as the surf rolled over me! Soaked to the skin, it made an interesting start to the holiday!

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