You want me to do what...go watch a choir?

While most of you woke up this morning to the sound of alarms, hairdryers and traffic, we were treated to a thick cloud of mist drifting through the valley surrounding our hotel. Yesterday’s after dark arrival yet again proved to be a blessing in disguise. When the cloak of darkness finally lifted off the mountains we were treated to the Drakensberg in all its glory. It was as if the mountain was boasting with its snow capped peaks.

Day two of our trip through the Drakensberg had officially begun and, to be honest, breakfast couldn’t have come a second too soon. After all the travelling, we finally had our legs back and were looking forward to a day of activities. For some, however, it took a bit longer to find our feet. A condition that’s brought about by consuming generous quantities carefully fermented liquids – or combinations thereof. One such combination, considered a local delicacy, is called a Springbokkie. It’s a mixture of peppermint liqueur and Amarula Cream and, even though it goes down like honey, it attacks you like an angry badger. Isn’t that right, Jess?

After breakfast, our only task was to select our activities for the day. One such activity, scheduled for later in the afternoon (I’ll get back to the other ones later) was a visit to the Drakensberg Boys Choir. Yes, I know what you’re thinking...a choir!? Especially if you keep in mind that other things to do include quad biking through the mountains and helicopter rides. Some of us were rather cynical about the idea of watching a bunch of boys in their early teens singing. Including me.

I guess it’s best to say that I was wrong then, very wrong. The Drakensberg Boys Choir is world renowned for their vocal prowess and has entertained audiences all over the globe. But to see them perform on their home pitch – so to speak – was downright unbelievable. From classics by Queen and The Beatles to indigenous South African songs, they caused goose bumps with every note. After their performance, each and every one of us was in concurrence that this was the best thing we could have done. I suppose the moral of the story is that overseas travelling has many twists and turns. And the only way to get to the end of that road is to explore every possible avenue. It’s the only way to discover the unexpected.

But enough of that, back to the rest of the day. The fun started with quad biking and as our guide said, “The wetter the better.” We had a bit of rain last night, which meant that the trail was a rather muddy affair. Add to that a bunch of people who have never ridden a quad bike and, well, you can imagine. Once person in particular, Kerry Anne, volunteered herself as the day’s laughing stock. Her first detour through the bushes could have been excused if it wasn’t for the fact that there weren’t really bushes around. However, her second excursion off the path was a gem. Coming down a steep hill she had to take a sharp bend to the right. Problem is, she didn’t turn, and in a complete malfunction of her motoring skills, neglected to brake too. Without warning our convoy had been reduced to six bikes. Luckily, apart from a bruised ego and two guides wrestling her bike from the bushes everything turned out just fine.

While all this was going on, another part of our group visited the Didima Rock Art Centre. It’s a cultural centre dedicated to the San people’s (Bushmen) rock art. It takes a close look at their 4000-year history and relationship with the local wildlife, especially the Eland (large African antelope). It’s a world class facility and Jan, our resident history buff, was particularly impressed with the way it’s all presented.

One thing that seems to be true about all these activities is that they make you hungry. And here’s where an old adage couldn’t be more relevant – when in Rome do like the Romans do. Our eyes set upon the menus like ravenous dogs and for many of us the temptation of a cheeseburger proved too much. It was only once the ostrich steaks (very local) wrapped in bacon and grilled in a red wine reduction arrived, that Daniel and Hannah’s burgers didn’t look, or taste, very Roman.

After that we headed off to the choir performance and then back to the hotel. And what did I say about these activities? They make you hungry. Right now there’s a buffet with my name written all over it, just sitting there, waiting. Who knows, maybe I’ll something I’ve never had before. It could make for an interesting South African story.
Until tomorrow.

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za/

An Englishman, an Irishman and a South African walk into an airport.

What do you get when sixteen Brits who don’t know each other from a bar of soap arrive in South Africa? It’s easy: sixteen people who stand around awkwardly trying to suss out who they’re most likely to strike up a conversation with.

That was the scenario that greeted us as we touched down at O.R. Tambo International Airport this morning, 5 May. But our 12-hour flight from Heathrow wasn’t the last of today’s travelling. Awaiting us was a 5-hour bus ride to our eventual destination, the Drakensberg (translated as Dragon Mountain). However, the travel bogey struck an early blow.

On route to our bus, one of our party, Daniel, had the ill fortune of having his bank card swallowed by a cash machine. Thanks Dan, and welcome to Africa. This lead to a 4-hour delay and, as a result, much of the day’s planning went down the drain.

Yet, all was not lost. If fact, Dan’s ill fortune was more like a stroke of serendipity. While waiting for the bank to sort out the card, the rest of our touring party headed for the nearby Emperor’s Palace, a casino and hotel complex near the airport. The good thing about it was that everybody had the chance to stretch their legs and do some shopping before settling down around a majestic outdoor fountain for a drink or two. It also gave us the opportunity to get to know our fellow travellers.

We eventually hit the road and once we cleared Johannesburg were treated to some breathtaking countryside views and fresh air. Everyone’s moods lifted and conversations were soon flying in all directions. Yet, something was missing. We were in South Africa – for heaven’s sake – but it didn’t seem to settle in.

Enter biltong, an experience that some of us will come to love, and others would rather forget. Biltong is a traditional South African delicacy – best compared with the American beef jerky. It’s cured or dried meat, usually beef or venison, spiced with anything from coriander, salt, chilli, pepper and so on. Where it failed the ‘swallow test’ for many of us is the fact that it’s raw meat. I’ll say that again, raw meat. And it comes in pieces (some) as big as your forearm.

At sunset we were still on the road and I think it was then that most of us realised we were in Africa, never mind South Africa. The road to our hotel makes countless twists and turns. Add a few donkey carts (donkey driven wagons) and tractors without headlights, and you feel like you’ve just been beamed onto another planet. But barring the occasional moment of panic, it was an adventure, and somehow signalled the start of our journey in South Africa.

Between the biltong and the dark, twisty road I had a thought. Seeing that I don’t have much in terms of activities to tell you about, I’ll share it with you. We don’t come to South Africa expecting a perfect first world country. If that’s what you’re looking for I suggest you put on your earphones and hop a tube in London. The reason we come to South Africa is because it’s Africa. It’s because in this beautiful, unpredictable place with its myriad of cultures and unmatched natural beauty anything is possible. South Africa has a way of quietly whispering to our sense of adventure. The promise that we’ll leave here with a story to tell.

Hopefully tomorrow will deliver a tale or two of its own. So as they say here, “Tot môre.” (Until tomorrow).

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za

The feast!

Today is the big day! All the training of the past week will be tested at tonight’s big dinner and boy, are we nervous!

We had done most of our preparatory work the day before and we confident that we could rise to the occasion. Having said this, it was wonderful to have Prue Leith herself offer a few words of encouragement. It really helped get us into the right frame of mind.

By late afternoon the front of house team had began polishing cutlery and laying crockery. They made sure each table settings were absolutely perfect. The table clothes were pressed, candles lit and we were all but ready to serve the starters. All the while the backs of house team were making last minute adjustments in the kitchen. Both the front of house and back of house teams were looking forward to representing Hoxton’s and we really wanted to show off a little of what we had learnt in South Africa.

The guests began arriving and we were all at the ready. Wine was served and the guests began to take their seats. Now was our time to impress!

Bobotie starters were followed by a Springbok main and then Melba pudding and a deconstructed milk tart for desert. The guests seemed to appreciate our efforts and their satisfaction with their meal made our day completely!

Although we were totally exhausted we had a warm feeling of satisfaction in our hearts. Not only had we successfully managed to entertain and delight our guests but we had learnt so much about South Africa and ourselves. We have so many wonderful stories to take back with us from this trip and they will remain dear to us for a long time to come.

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za

So much wine, so little time …

When your subject is wine, it’s best to start with anything that requires concentration early in the morning. The Cape Wine Academy at Nietvoorbij near Stellenbosch is a very good place to find out more about wine and how to drink it to enhance your experience of eating and socialising with friends.

Our morning was well spent scratching the surface of the wine culture: The effect on the nature of wine of the different climates of the coastal, mountain and inland regions of the Boland and adjacent areas, of vineyards planted on northern or southern slopes or in different soil types, and how different wines complement and are complemented by different types of food, etc.

You can immediately ask: How will this make a wine taste better? It may not, but it is amazing when you know a little bit more how you seem to understand the wine – like making a friend – why it is like it is, how it got to be like that and what is likely to happen if you meet it again a year later.

Delheim Wine Estate near Stellenbosch was a perfect start for our wine and dine experience. This must be one of the few places where you can have a Springbok Carpaccio starter and a ‘waterblommetjiebredie’ (waterflowerstew) or a Kudu (venison) pie with homemade quince jelly main course for lunch on the same day.

In addition to tasting some lovely wines, the highlight was when ‘Spatz’ Sperling, the patriarch of the current owner family joined us and told us how he started in the business in 1951 and the story behind the Spatzendreck label which is now only on bottles sold at the estate. We had to leave without viewing their projects to uplift the community and preserve the environment. (A pity, because this happened at each of the wine establishments we visited.)

Our next stop was at the Rustenburg Cellars, also close to Stellenbosch. We were wondering what could be different, but it was soon clear that each wine farm had a unique character and it was understandable why Prince Harry and some friends spent some time there.

Elrede Hugo showed us how to fill the hollow stems of their Reidel crystal tasting glasses; put them on their sides on the countertop and gently roll them before smelling the fragrant wines, instead of the usual swirling of the wine in the glass. It may be imagination or their wines may have stronger bouquets, but the fragrance of the wines seemed to be more clearly defined!

Then we drove up Helshoogte (‘Hell’s Height’) requiring quite good driving skills and followed the excellent winding road through beautiful mountains and valleys, passing through green vineyards and the small village of Pniel to the Graham Beck Estate on the road to Franschhoek (French Corner) where many French immigrants started a new life in the early part of South Africa’s modern history.

The reception area is classy and modern and so is the process of first sniffing various fragrant items – fruit, wood, spices, etc – before sitting at the long table with six glasses filled with tasting amounts of sparkling wine – difficult not to call it champagne – a couple of white wines and three glorious reds, with names like Pheasants’ Run, The Ridge Syrah and Gamekeeper’s Reserve, each boasting its own story.

After the tasting, small bits of dark chocolate, salmon and fancy bacon were served so that everyone could decide individually which complemented which wine and was complemented by the wines best.

Much too soon the first three days of our trip was over and everyone's final comments are a perfect summary:

Haley – memorable, and breathtaking scenery.
Sophia – amazing.
Andrew – learning curve.
Charlie – very hospitable.
Annabelle – brilliant!

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za

A very busy day in the kitchen

After the sightseeing over the weekend our whole group was simply itching to get busy in the kitchen! The day started early when we were picked up from the hotel and dropped off at the Prue Leith Academy in nearby Pretoria.

The Academy itself is picture perfect and the red geraniums in the window boxes were a clear sign that spring was definitely on the way. South Africa is well known for its amazing weather and year round sunny skies and the locals were happy to see us enjoying the wonderful weather.

We were briefed on the local dishes we would be preparing and by this time not only were we aching to get started but our mouths were watering in anticipation and the chance to try new and different foods. The principal chef gave us a rundown of what was expected of us and to be honest we were a little nervous and apprehensive. The kitchen is bigger than what we were used too and things new and strange. However the enthusiasm and passion of the staff soon put us at ease and we found our feet very quickly.

We were introduced to a myriad of different flavour combinations and although unusual, they were absolutely heavenly. We were soon to realize that pinning a definitive label on what constitutes a typical South African dish is not possible. The diversity of culture and language has become so intermingled that favours from around the world create a truly unique ‘African fusion’ of tastes.

Next came the best part of the day were we sampled some of the local cheeses and Olive oils. As the day progressed we become more confident in our pronunciation of the local names. Still we all had a good laugh as we got horribly tongue tied trying to say some of the more exotic names for some of the dishes. With a hard days work behind us we returned to the hotel, ready for the main event the following day...

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za

Run... Feast... Run... Feast...

The day started with a rush. The ferry to Robben Island waits for nobody and fifty yards from the terminal building our guide got a call to say we had three minutes to board. We sprinted and made it in time for the start of an exceptional experience.

The weather was fine with just enough waves to remind you that you are on a ferry on the sea and to listen to the safety instructions, and be thankful that the crew was professional and the trip uneventful.

After disembarkation, the passengers, who came from all over the world, were directed to buses where we met our guide and went for a drive round the island before the prison tour. The first thing we saw was the rabbits and the African penguins, which excited some of our group as much as anything else. There are thousands of rabbits all over the island and as cute as they are, they’re a big problem with no solution in sight yet.

Robben Island is famous for being the island prison where Nelson Mandela spent twelve of his 28 years as a political prisoner, but it has been an integral part of Cape Town life since the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck. According to our guide, the blue stone used to build the Castle, the oldest building still standing in South Africa, was quarried on the island.

In its early years of occupation, the island was also used as a leper colony. At that time the doctors thought leprosy was contagious and that babies may be borne with it. So people were separated according to sex and race. However, this did not stop 41 babies, who al turned out to be healthy, from being borne on the island. They were all adopted and found good homes with families on the main land.

The guides really knew their stuff – all the guides who take tourists through the jail itself, was political prisoners who had spent time there themselves. They included a lot of personal details – e.g. that there was some friction between the younger and older generations of political prisoners and how it was resolved – in the many decades of history which they covered in the three hours we were on the island.

We had to rush back to the ferry again, but we could have stayed much longer. It was a fascinating experience and we were impressed by the friendliness of everybody, which contrasted the obvious bleakness of the Mandela’s and the other cells, and the harsh life the prisoners experienced.

The ferry ride back to the main land was perfect. Most of us went upstairs and stood outside in the warm sun and light breeze and felt at peace and happy to be alive and free as we watched the waves pass and the white clouds in the blue sky.

Our lunch at Primi Piatti in the Waterfront had to be very quick – we had to get to the helicopter ride – but they did an exceptional job to prepare and serve fantastic food in a very short time. It’s a pity that we couldn’t spend more time there.

For most of us the helicopter ride was a first. The people at Makana Aviation were professional and helpful to make us feel comfortable and safe. From the first piercing whistle and the noise of the engine and rotor, it was exciting and exhilarating. It was not at all what (rough and testing my nerves) I had expected.

The earphones muffled the noise effectively and the communication over the intercom was clear and easy. There was a little vibration, but the lift off was nice and easy like floating in a bubble higher and higher until you can’t make out people on the ground anymore. The view of Cape Town, Table Mountain, Twelve Apostles, sea and beaches, was spectacular and the sensation was like flying in a dream.

It was over too soon and we had to unstrap our shoulder harnesses and say goodbye to our (female!) pilot Kim. In Andrew’s words: “It was wicked!”

For once we could take our time to get to the Two Oceans Aquarium for something completely different. We had been on the sea, flew over it and now we were going to see what goes on inside it.

Yvonne Benwell, Floo Manager, was there to meet us. We were actually earlier than planned and just in time for the weekly feeding of the sharks.

It was surreal to be a couple of meters away from two to three meter long predators –the most efficient in the sea – feasting on headless fish dished out by the divers, Herbie and Pierre, with only 26 centimetres of transparent plexi-something to protect us.

Later, Sophia and Charlie just had to crawl into the bubble in the middle of the tank of the colourful clown fish and become part of the display.

Watching the giant spider crabs, it was easy to imagine encountering one of them which grows up to one meter high with a leg span of four(!) meters and having to flee to avoid becoming its meal.

Near the touch pool where the brave can experience the silky smoothness of various types of anemones, was a microscope connected to television screen and we could see clearly the segments of a tiny worm, each with its own lung: If it breaks into five pieces, each segment stays alive!

We were enthralled past the display of penguins on the beach right up to the end when there was time for a quick coffee before moving onto the final adventure of the day, the sunset cruise.

The Tigresse is a beautiful white catamaran and the captain used the engine to navigate out of the harbour while the crew served champagne and handed out bright red blankets, which were very welcome when we left the harbour behind. A safe distance out, the sails were hoisted and the engine switched of.

Sitting outside in front of the main deck on the body of the boat in the glow of the setting sun, wrapped in the blankets, with just the sound of waves, it was easy to understand the attraction of such a trip. When we turned around, Table Mountain had a dollop of white cloud on it and there was a wall of cloud in amazing shades of white, grey and blue stretching all the way to the Hottentot Hollands Mountains.

We were very happy and relaxed when we returned to the Mandela Rhodes Hotel and very pleasantly surprised by an amazing desert on a feast of a day: An unsurpassable dinner, including for one of us, the best prawn curry ever.

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za

On History, Insights and Sumptuous Feasts

Bright and early we began the day with a tour of the kitchen facilities of the Palace of the Lost City hotel. It is amazing to witness the hive of activity that occurs behind the scenes in this well organised and expertly run kitchen. After seeing first hand how a busy hotel of this calibre handles so many orders with such ease is was a pleasure to sit down to a full buffet breakfast and enjoy the serene setting of the restaurant.

From there a trip to Johannesburg and a tour of the city was planned and we all sat in eager anticipation awaiting the sights and sounds of the urban metropolis and economic hub of Southern Africa. Upon arrival we were not disappointed as Johannesburg is a bustle of activity and despite the fact that people are zipping by on a variety of errands they still take the time to greet or wave.

A trip to the Apartheid museum gave us an insight into the history and more importantly the political development of the country. And although the subject matter was particularly emotional, it must be said that South Africa is a healing nation that is clearly focused on building a democratic future for all her citizens. Having this insight, a stop at the Hector Peterson memorial in Soweto was made even more poignant.

Soweto itself is alive with colour and the sense of community is strong and permeates everything. From street vendors to the children on the street, everyone shares the sense of belonging that makes this a unique urban experience. In fact, it is so strong that local leaders and celebrities have chosen to remain here and live right around the corner from the childhood homes of international political leaders such as former president Nelson Mandela and the Nobel Prize winner, Desmond Tutu.

Our minds whirling with the colours and energy of the city we ended the evening with a feast of epic proportions. A traditional African culinary experience had us trying new tastes and smells that delighted the senses. The sheer variety of dishes presented had our mouths watering. Much, much later after an evening of talk and relaxation we returned, full, happy and amazed to our hotels to await another day of adventure in Africa.

For more information please go to http://www.pandemonium.co.za