I have to admit, as much as I was looking forward to our train adventure on the Shongololo Express which we were about to embark on, I was really sad to leave the wonderful palace that is the Orient.  We managed to wake up early (6:00am) even after our decadent and leisurely dinner at the Mosaic.  As we were getting dressed and our final packing done, we could hear Surprise setting our table on the balcony outside our bedroom.  At precisely 7:00am our lavish “continental” breakfast, was waiting for us to enjoy.  We lingered over coffee and tea as long as we could as we admired the rising sun over the backdrop of mountains before reluctantly leaving for our 7:30am pick-up that was taking us to Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria. 

​The 30-minute ride from the Orient to Pretoria took us from the foothills of the Conservation area into flatlands where the countryside is dotted with plantations and agricultural communities.  As we approached Pretoria the landscape became more urban with mostly industrial and strip malls.  What was of peculiar interest to me were the large number of used car part dealers and scrap yards, old BMW’s, Mercedes and Volkswagens, some dating more than 20 years, were lined up in lots next to the road.  Dealers offering to buy and sell used suspensions, drive trains, bumpers and engines were all along the main road. 

We eventually turned into the Rovos Rail entrance and drove up to a well maintained Colonial Railway Building with its adjoining rail yard.   Our driver pulled up to the front of the grand building where a kiosk was set up just outside the main entrance and a concierge was checking people in.  We gathered our luggage from the van and went through the brief check-in process, dropped off our bags and were led into the main room of the rail house where we were offered a glass of champagne.  We had arrived just after 8:00am, and were scheduled to board a bus for an excursion to Soweto and Johannesburg at 9:00 am, so we milled about the rail house and the expansive patio on the rail side where we enjoyed tea and biscuits in the brilliant sunshine.  We watched as an old steam engine idled on the tracks and occasionally blasted out its sharp whistle.  

​At precisely 9:00am, we were informed that our bus was ready to board and we shuffled out the front door and on to one of the 2 luxury coaches for our tour to Soweto.  Each coach held approximately 40 people so there was plenty of room for the 60 or so passengers that were booked on this edition of the Shongololo Express.  Our tour guide, PJ, introduced himself and informed us that over the next 12 days, as we trekked across Southern Africa en route to Victoria Falls aboard the Shogololo Express, the two coaches would follow along and be used to transport us from the train to the various destinations along the way.  Each day we would board the same coach.  PJ and the other tour guide for the trip, Wilhelm, would alternate buses every other day.

​After the brief introductions, the buses pulled out of the station and started the 1 hour drive southwest towards Johannesburg.  It was a short drive through the streets of Pretoria to the main highway to Johannesburg and then on to Soweto.  As we were passing through Johannesburg, PJ informed us that the downtown area, once a vibrant business hub, was now nearly 90% unoccupied.  Most of the office buildings and condos have no residents above the ground floor.   A short distance from the highway we could see a thick cloud of black smoke enveloping an area around 2 tall office buildings.  Orange flames shot out the broken windows near the top of the buildings. PJ told us that the fire had broken out in one of the buildings and spread to the other the day before. There was no attempt to douse the burning buildings - they would be left to burn themselves out.  PJ explained that during the mid-1980s most of the wealthy whites who controlled the businesses in Johannesburg left South Africa as Apartheid was coming to an end.  As a result many of the businesses collapsed and have not recovered.

​Soon after passing through Johannesburg, we arrived at Soweto.  Soweto is a township of the city of Johannesburg comprising of approximately 2.5 million people, making it the largest black urban settlement in Africa. The name itself is an acronym derived from (So)uth (We)st (To)wnship.  It was initially settled in the 1930’s when Africans, who came to Johannesburg to work in the gold mines, were forced to live in the township to be kept separate from the whites living in Johannesburg.  Today it is a sprawling, vibrant community made up of patchwork shacks and dwellings.  Like much of South Africa, the economy in Soweto is suffering.  The unemployment rate is said to be at 60%.  During our visit, the township was in the middle of a garbage strike and rubbish was stacked everywhere along the streets.  On one of our stops at a large street market there was a boulevard at a busy intersection that had a large mound of garbage which had been set aflame and was still smoldering.  All around it street vendors had barbeque pits set up and were selling food to the passersby.  The street market was several blocks in length and ran along a pedestrian street that was parallel to the main road we had driven in on the bus.  The bus had dropped us at one end of the market and we walked to the other end where it picked us up.  In between there were dozens and dozens of vendors selling every kind of ware and food item.  

​Leaving the market, we boarded the bus and travelled a short distance to Vilakazi Street - the only street in the world that was the home to 2 different Nobel Peace Prize winners - Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.  Their houses are only a few blocks apart and while Nelson Mandela spent a few nights at his house (now a museum) after his release from prison in 1990, Archbishop Tutu still resides here.  The area around the Nelson Mandela museum is a thriving tourist spot with restaurants and shops, a sharp contrast to much of the rest of Soweto.  

​Not far from Vilakazi Street we arrived at the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum which commemorates the boy who was shot and killed at the age of 13 by police during the student uprising on June 16, 1976.  I remember vividly, as a University student in Canada watching the news clips of heavily armed police shooting into crowds of high school students who were staging a peaceful protest against the mandatory use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in black secondary schools.  PJ, our guide, who was 7 years old at the time, was present during the protests.  The museum is a modern building consisting mostly of black and white photographs, news reels and artillery that provides a stark journal of the horrific events that occurred that day.  

​Every Thursday throughout 2018, the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela, there is free admission for kids to all museums in South Africa.  As our visit to the Hector Pieterson Memorial was on a Thursday, the venue was packed with students all proudly wearing their school uniforms and colours.  Despite the large number of students who were laughing and rambunctious on the grounds outside the museum, once they entered, their behaviour became sombre and respectful.  After leaving the museum to board our bus and head back to Pretoria, we too succumbed to silence and retrospection that lasted for some time into our trip.  

Our first stop was the Voortrekker Monument which commemorates the Pioneer history of Southern Africa along with the history of the Afrikaner and is situated on a hilltop just south of Pretoria proper in a nature reserve.   We had a quick lunch at the cafeteria style restaurant at the monument and then explored the inside of the massive monument. 

​Once at the station, we were served champagne and escorted to seats that had been set up in rows facing a podium at one end of the great room.  After everyone was seated, each passenger was called by name and Mr. Vos, the owner of Rovos Rail, welcomed each person individually.  Once all of the introductions were done, we were invited aboard the Shongololo Express which was waiting for us on the platform. We were taken to the car where we found our cabin and then given some time to unpack and freshen up.  A short time later, our hostess, Merica, knocked on our door to introduce herself and let us know that she would be taking care of us until the end of our trip.  After settling into our cabin, we proceeded to the end of the train and found the lounge car where we each had a drink as we waited for our call to dinner.  I was surprised at how reasonably priced the cocktails were.  I had a vodka martini and Kim had a gin and tonic each for R60 (less than $1 CDN).  

The train had expected to leave the station at 6:00pm, but because Rovos uses the national rail system, they are subject to delays based on congestion.  We left just after 9:00pm and travelled until 1:00am.  Our first night was a little unrestful because of the many starts and stops which resulted in rattling and jolting from time. Once the train stopped for the night we were able to finally get some sleep and prepare ourselves for our next excursion.

​Continue to Day 7 - click here

Having spent 4 fabulous days in and around Cape Town, it was now time to head off on our next adventure in South Africa.  Our destination was an exotic boutique hotel just outside of Pretoria where we were planning a day of relaxation before our 12 day train trek to Victoria Falls.  We left our apartment in downtown Cape Town at 5:00 am, taking an Uber (approximately $22 CAD) to the airport and arrived at 5:25 for our 6:30 flight.  There is only 1 terminal at Cape Town airport and at this time of the morning there was little traffic and no crowds.  We checked in at a kiosk upon entering the terminal then dropped our bags off at the Mango Airlines counter (owned by South African Airways).   We proceeded to Security where we stood in a long line which was a bit worrisome until we realized that Security was not yet open.  Once it did open, the line progressed quite quickly.  We had no issues taking our 4 bottles of unopened wine through security which we found out is the norm for South African domestic flights.  We had a short wait in the gate area and then when boarding commenced, we loaded into buses which drove us to our bright orange Mango plane, a Boeing 737.  
 
The flight was very quiet, mostly because the majority of passengers were business people who slept on the flight.  There was a cash snack service that was offered mid-flight, and to our pleasant surprise, we had both been given a 750 Rand ($7.50 CAD) food voucher as part of our boarding pass which we were able to use to offset the meal.  Our flight had left right on time at 6:30 am, and was scheduled to land at 8:30, but we ended up arriving 15 minutes early. We deplaned on the tarmac of Lansaria Airport and walked into the tiny terminal where we collected our bags after a short wait of about 15 minutes.   We had chosen Lansaria airport over the much larger and more popular Johannesburg airport because it was slightly closer to where we were staying near Pretoria and because it was a smaller airport.   I have to say that this was a remarkably stress-free flight experience from start to finish which served to confirm that our choice of Lansaria was indeed the right one. 

We were met outside the baggage area by our driver Corato who drove us from Lansaria to our hotel through mostly rural countryside which took about 30 minutes.  We turned off the main road onto a local road and drove another 2 kilometers then turned into the Francolin Conservancy where we drove about 500 metres and then turned into the grand main entrance of our destination - the Orient hotel - an exotic boutique hotel set on a sprawling property in the Francolin Conservancy.   The whole property is surrounded by a brick wall approximately 8 feet high with razor wire on the top.  After passing the main gate, we continued on the interlocking brick lane that winds towards the hotel for about 1 kilometer.  We drove through another gate into the front courtyard and parked at the hotel entrance.  ​

We were met by 2 porters who unloaded our bags and then as we were about to enter the hotel, the manager met us at the entrance, introduced herself and welcomed us to the Orient.  We had previously arranged to arrive early because we needed to leave the hotel early following morning and wanted as much time as we could to enjoy the wonderful facilities the hotel had to offer.  Our intention was to drop off our bags and spend the day just lounging around until our room was ready at 3:00pm.  To our surprise, we were told our room was ready and we were welcome to freshen up and have breakfast.  

​The manager took us to our room(s), the Marrakesh Suite, which is one of the nicest suites in the hotel.  She introduced us to Surprise, who was our personal concierge for the day. Surprise asked us what time we would like to have our breakfast which would be set for us on our balcony which overlooked the mountains in the background.  We indicated that we would need about 15 minutes.  In the meantime, the manager continued to show us around the suite which included a separate day-room immediately beside the balcony and had a sitting area, a separate room with day bed and its own ensuite.  Our main suite had a king size bed, writing desk, minibar and antique armoire.  Being a corner suite it also had 4 large windows overlooking the mountains on one side and the valley on the other.  Our large ensuite had two sinks, a free standing roman tub, padded bench, bidet, large shower with rainfall shower head and a separate room with a toilet.

​After our quick tour of the room, we took about 10 minutes to get organized and were called to breakfast on the balcony.  As we were seated we were presented with a delicious and floral herbal tea.  Our breakfast consisted of 4 courses including bread, meat with fruit pieces and a selection of mousse custard and yogourts.  There was a choice of 2 entrees.  I chose the salmon and poached eggs served with Hollandaise sauce.  Kim chose the poached egg.  To top off this fabulous brunch, we were able to enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and valley from our private balcony.  The patio pool was situated just outside our suite and below our balcony.

​After breakfast, we changed into our shorts as the day was beginning to warm up.  There are 2 walking trails that wind through the expansive property - one is approximately 1.5 kilometers and the other is approximately 2 kilometers.  We decided to do both, although by the time we were part way through the second it was approaching noon and the temperature was in the 30s.  Along the trails are several marked stopping points that represent areas of interest. The property is lush in vegetation and wildlife.  There are beautiful gardens spread across the property amongst the natural habitation and landscape.  Along one part of the trail is a large, magnificent Buddhist meditation garden and temple with streams, waterfalls and small ponds filled with coy.  The valley, mountains and natural beauty that surrounds this well-kept garden add to the calming experience.

​After our lengthy walk, we arrived back at the hotel, changed into our bathing suits and went down to the pool.  Upon our arrival, Surprise had brought us each a large, cold Gin and Tonic to quench our thirst and cool us down.  We spent most of the afternoon in and around the pool and enjoyed another gin and tonic.

Towards the late afternoon (5:00pm) we decided to go up and get ready for dinner which was being served at 7:30 sharp.  Kim opted to relax and take advantage of the Roman tub and a luxuriating bath.  I took a short stroll in the garden at the front of the hotel and watched as a small herd of impala were browsing in the trees nearby.  After a few minutes I returned to our room, had a shower and got dressed for dinner.  As it was approaching sunset, I ordered a couple of glasses of champagne to be delivered to our balcony so we could watch the sun set over the mountains.  ​

​The sun set just around 6:30 which was perfect timing to proceed to the main lobby for the pre-dinner cocktails and canapes.  We sat next to a couple (he was from Pretoria and she was from Switzerland) who have an interesting long-distance relationship. They meet up in different cities around the world several times a year to travel together.  At 7:30 we were called to dinner and escorted to our table in the Mosaic Restaurant.  Mari, the hotel owner brought us the menu and gave us an overview of the options which consisted of 3 main menus - vegetarian, regular and grand.  We chose the Grand Degustation which was an 8 course meal accompanied by the Connoisseur Collection of wines for pairing with each course.  Chantel, Mari's daughter, and the head chef of the Mosaic Restaurant, also came by and provided more detail on the evenings offerings.  The menu included specialities such as scallop, mackerel, rabbit, risotto, suckling pig, capretto, and sea bass.  Each course was beautifully seasoned with complementary flavoured bread tastes that matched the upcoming course. It is difficult to describe in words what it is like to spend an evening at the Mosaic because it is an experience that involves all of the senses. Each dish is a work of art enhanced with tiny colourful edible flowers and prepared with painstaking intricate detail.   It is not surprising that the Mosaic is one of South Africa’s top restaurants and Chantel, one of the preeminent chefs.  This was truly one of the best dinner experiences we have ever had.  

​We finished off our day of relaxation and pampering at the Orient with a final glass of wine as we chit chatted and looked out at the stars from our balcony. When we entered our bedroom, our bed had been turned down, there were 2 Ferraro Rocher chocolates sitting on an open book, along with a sprig of lavender.  A beautiful poem was written on the open pages of the book by Chantel. A plush teddy bear sat between the pillows and was a gift to us from the hotel.   I can’t say enough about the quality of service and attention to detail that we enjoyed while staying at the Orient.  It was the perfect way to spend a relaxing day prior to the hectic pace we were about to embark on over the next 12 days.

​Continue to Day 6 - click here