7. Cape Town, South Africa
With the 2010 World Cup bringing a global audience to South Africa, the partying will only get harder as travelers converge on a city already well known for nightlife. Luxuriate on some of the world’s best beaches by day and kick back under the moonlight at suave cocktail bars by night. Two hours east, in the Indian Ocean, lies the elegant beach village of Mossel Bay, with more great beaches and chic flair. Visitors must try some of the wines crafted by South Africa’s world-renowned vintners, either at a Cape Town bar or at one of several wineries nearby.

I have combined this newsletter, as time has run away with me, as thankfully I have been busy with tours for the last couple of months. I am truly grateful to those of you who have sent me business in this climate of fiscal fallout.

I love classical music and am currently listening to Vivaldi’s Four Season’s, which is pertinent due the heading of my newsletter. This will be followed by my favourite – Tchaikovsky! This gives me inspiration to write and love life. Some exciting things, besides the weather heading to “my season” I like it hot, I cannot take cold. I grew up in the town which has the second best weather in the world – Mossel Bay – with sunshine 350 days a year, so I am a sunshine person.

So what are the new tour all about – new tours included in our line-up in the new season – more animals and more people! What is this woman going on about I am sure you are asking yourself.

ANIMALS – Tenikwa in the Crags on the Garden Route of South Africa, where Len & Mandy opened their arms to animals in need of help, love and rescued some that would otherwise have died. They have many of the small cats we never see on a “safari” as they often nocturnal, shy or both. They have some never even heard of generally – Black Footed Cats, Caracal, Wild Cats, Serval and off course the most endangered of all the Cheetah. They also have birds – our national bird the Blue Crane and Malibu Storks – the undertakers. This is really worth a visit to support their amazing work. They also do pro-deo work with the local communities animals where possible and where funds allow. A worthy cause and wonderful place to visit, they also go the extra mile to ensure that my special guests get the most out of the experience.

PEOPLE – Meet the People – in Mossel Bay, a young man by the name of Jackie Viljoen, had a vision to help people with hidden talent to promote themselves with a tour with a difference, not a township tour, but a tour where these people could be exposed to visitors to the town who could be a source of “spreading the word” about their talents and how they are trying to help themselves rather than rely on help from government etc; I have written before about Janneman who has now sadly passed away. He did leather work in the form of hand stitched bags etc; he was in a wheelchair after a motor vehicle accident. I was very upset by his untimely death, as he was about my age – far too young to die. I still want to be a granny and enjoy many years of grandchildren. I will now also never get to buy that special pink ostrich leather bag he was going to make me when he could get the leather – sad indeed.

BUT on a brighter note, there are still others who we meet:
Cecile, who makes a foot balm and face crème from herbs she grows in her garden in Grootbrak and also serves a tea made from ingredients in her garden – refreshing hot or cold – she explains how herbs can relax and pamper you.

Then Hein Munroe, whose family have been diving for Oysters for 7+ generations. The beach where I used to dive for oysters as a child – Munroes beach – named after his family who lived there in the Cape Dutch style cottages, now part of the Dias Museum complex. Hein explain how this is done and how oysters are rich in calcium. Between the oysters and my mothers daily calcium pills fed to me, I have very hard and VERY heavy bones for which I am grateful no osteoporosis, so living in Mossel Bay did me a world of good as a child.

We continue the tour to a coffee roastary in Voorbaai where we meet Barruch who also explain the process. Then to the “township” area to meet a few other people, we met Patrick this past weekend. He is a man who is also a wheelchair user that works with leather like Janneman did, he also is a cobbler of sorts, in that he repairs shoes. His story is a real one of dragging himself up from the depths of despair, to be what he is today, a person with conviction to make the best of his life and push his boundaries in sport. Beside the leather work he is participating in various sports, such as wheelchair racing, shot-put, discus and more, for this he needs specialised wheelchairs. He has got old ones handed down from other competitors, but needs new to be the best he can be for getting his times to qualify for the Olympics – his dream – in London in 2012.

Any one who has contacts or can sponsor this, please contact me, whether you are in South Africa or overseas, we will make a plan to get any chairs donated to him and get publicity for you in this regard.

So all these people we meet all have a story to tell and worthwhile a stop and listen, engage with them and come away with a happy feeling of having met very special people. The tourism ad for Mossel Bay is – “no hurry – no worries.” A ‘must-do” stop!

Pam Taylor
Flamingo Tours

Another visit – Tenikwa and Meet the People tour – also excellent service and the animal encounters are excellent and meeting the people in Mossel Bay also a unique experience.

Cango wildlife ranch also a favourite with service above the usual standard from their excellent guides there.

Spring Flowers – off to see the wild flowers that “decorate” the West Coast of SA at this time of the year. Wait for the next blog to see these fantastic photos. Talk with you all next week.

Janneman was a wheelchair user that was such a success story of achievement through gaining self worth and understanding his ability rather than his disability. Janneman made hand stitched leather handbags.

It all started about 5 years ago, when Jackie Viljoen met this sad, shy man who did not understand he had talent to make his future more comfortable and find his self esteem and his pride. With a lot of encouragement he found all of this and I became very fond of this gentle-man – emphasis on gentle. From first meeting him where he would not look in the eye, because his disability literally got in the way. He thought that because he was in a wheelchair he was useless, no one in a wheelchair is useless, but it takes time to find that wealth within that strong essense of life that when found spring out and brings joy to all who meet the person. Janneman came out of this shell so much I could not wait to see how he had “grown” each time we visited with overseas guests. Most said he was the highlight of the tour.

So now what?? His passing has left this huge chasm that will never be filled in the way Janneman made eveyone feel so humbled. He will be sorely missed by all knew him. Our condolences to his family and friends. Pam Taylor – Flamingo Tours.

- JANNEMAN – THE STAR OF THE SHOW!