10 things I know now after honeymooning in South Africa

10 things I know now after honeymooning in South Africa

1. We will always pack whatever size suitcase we have to the absolute exploding point… it must be some kind of immutable law of physics. 

Seriously, we went through our packing list a month in advance for this purpose. We laid out everything we planned to take and with every item we asked why we’re taking it and cut down the non-essentials. And we still packed heavy.

So what have I learned? Our children will be carrying their own things. Family motto: Every Benoit for themselves.

2. I need to learn another language. South Africa possesses a remarkably diverse population and given that diversity they made all 11 languages spoken in the country an official language. Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans (a language derived from Dutch), and English are of the most common. Every South Africans we asked spoke at least a handful of languages. I can read Hebrew. Does that count as 2? 

Dominant languages in South Africa.

Afrikaans   English   Northern Sotho   Sotho   Southern Ndebele   Swazi

Tsonga   Tswana   Venda   Xhosa   Zulu   None dominant

3. Johannesburg is, unfortunately, known for its crime rate. I read that if you are stopped at a red light and someone runs up to the car, be prepared to break a traffic law or two in order to get away. Say what! With that we listened carefully to advice on where to go and that meant we didn’t see much of Jo’burg. The day we arrived to South Africa we stayed overnight in Sandton City, in the northern part of greater Johannesburg. Interesting fact: Sandton is considered the “richest square mile in Africa,” the economic hub of the continent.

4. On the second day a private driver named Mmeli drove us five hours from Sandton to Jock Safari Lodge in Kruger National Park in the Mpumalanga Province. Mpumalanga literally means “the place where the sun rises” in Swazi, Xhosa and Zulu. I just love that…and those sunrises were stunning! But what I learned here …and continued to learn throughout the trip… was that I was mispronouncing some words. Did I miss the English class where we learned that there are rules about what letters are silent before or after certain letters? My new cheat sheet…

silent 'k' before 'n'	knee	know	knuckle	knock
silent 'w' before 'r'	write	wrist	wrong	wrap
silent 'g' before 'n'	gnash	gnat	gnaw	gnarl
silent 'p' before 's'	psalm	psychic	psychology	psychiatry

Not sure if we can add silent ‘m’ before ‘p’ but Mpumalanga is pronounced with a silent ‘m’. And Knysna is NOT pronounced ‘Kin-snah’. We will get to that later…

5.  AIDS is a real problem in South Africa, especially in hetero relationships. The numbers are unbelievably sad. The estimated HIV prevalence nationally is 30%. 30%!! Just for reference, compare that to the United States where it’s 0.37%.

The disease is leaving millions of children orphaned, and the number of child-headed families is a growing concern for the government. Unlike in North America, the people suffering from AIDS in South Africa often do not have access to the drugs that could enable them to live a relatively healthy, normal life. The pandemic continues to outpace efforts to control it, which is why foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the goal to significantly reduce the incidence of HIV infection and extend the lives of people living with HIV is critical.

6. Kruger National Park in the Mpumalanga Province is the world’s oldest game reserve with 7,000 square miles of unspoiled wilderness and 147 species of mammals (more than any other African game reserve)! It is still very nearly pristine. Here you feel the magic of Africa’s enigmatic stillness; and when you see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat you clearly understand the allure of them.

Besides the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino), the park is home to giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, hippos, impalas, hyenas, warthogs, kudu, springbok, wildebeest, baboons, vervet monkeys, helmeted guineafowl, yellow-billed hornbill, lilac-breasted rollers, crocodiles…the list goes on. We spotted all of the Big Five (which were famously nicknamed by early hunters because of their ferocity, power and courage) during our second drive!

Some things I learned about them…

Not surprisingly the African elephant is unmistakable and utterly majestic! You can’t help but be awed by the power and grace of these compassionate animals with their tight family ties. Herds consist of related females and their young. All decisions are made by the eldest of them, the matriarch. Reminds me of someone I know.

Lionesses raise cubs cooperatively, and cubs suckle from any placid lioness. In the wild, competition for food is fierce – more than 75% of all lion cubs die before reaching two years old. That was shocking.

The leopard is a stealthy, nocturnal predator who stalks their prey before grabbing them by the throat and suffocating them with their jaws. We watched a stalk, but I was hoping to see them leap up into a tree carrying their big dead snack.

The African or Cape buffalo is a powerful beast that is thought to be the most dangerous of the Big Five.

Two species of rhinoceros live in Africa; the black and the white. The names refer not to the color but to the width of the nose and mouth. Wyd (wide) in Afrikaans is pronounced vait. The white rhino has a wide mouth, hence its name. Both are similar in height, but the white rhino weighs twice as much as the black.

7. For five nights we stayed at Jock Safari Lodge, one of Kruger’s Private Lodges. This place gave me a glimpse of bygone days. We ate, slept and saw animals. It was glorious.

Our individual thatched room was an oasis. Napping on the outdoor day bed and awakening to the sound of elephants rubbing against bushes or giraffes eating the tops of the trees across the river was unforgettable. The space imparted this sense of aloneness and oneness with the landscape. OMG take me back!

The lodge is situated on 23 square miles of bushveld and for the exclusive use to the Jock guests. Our ranger Ben took us on daily morning and evening game drives where we saw breathtaking views of Kruger and spectacular game viewings. I loved spotting something unique in the wilderness (I hardly was the first one to spot the animals) while being equally entranced by the ever-changing colors of the sky. The beauty cannot be explained in words.

The chefs tempted us at every meal. Joey could not stop craving his first burger, and I was constantly looking for dishes with Danish feta. Every other night dinner was served boma style, under the stars in an outdoor dining area lit by the light of lanterns and a central fire. Here at the lodge we tried kudu loin, buffalo meat pie, springbok shank, warthog, peri-peri chicken and so much more. On our final evening we enjoyed a private dinner on our verandah, overlooking the river.  

8. We were sad to leave Jock, but happy to see Mmeli, our driver, again. This time instead of driving the most direct way back to Jo’burg we took the Panorama Route, which is said to be one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in South Africa. I really wanted to drive this route because of scenic landmarks with evocative names like God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes and the Three Rondawels. We stopped to see each of those and also saw part of the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest in the world, which is one of the great wonders of the African continent.

Besides the natural beauty of these vistas, I learned about forestry in South Africa. Who knew South Africa grew trees in an artificial man-made even-aged monoculture? Not me. Apparently, the introduction into South Africa of exotic forest tree species with much faster growth rates than indigenous species brought a major advantage to the timber industry and marked the first phase in domestication of forest species. I admit it doesn’t sound that interesting, especially compared to spotting wild animals on safari, but seeing miles upon miles upon miles of these precise tree farms is really something captivating.

9. We had an overnight in Johannesburg before flying south for a couple relaxing days along the Garden Route, so we spent it eating. (Surprise. Surprise.) We had a taste of the continent while eating a romantic dinner in a cozy alcove listening ~and dancing~ to a live African band playing soulful vibes.

The next day we were trying the world famous wild oysters of Knysna, a town in the Western Cape Province, and I was back to being schooled on pronunciation. Kind of like when I was calling La Jolla, “la joe-la” - for some reason I thought the town was pronounced “kin-snah kin-snah”. So not only was I completely butchering the word, but I duplicated it. Such an Amy thing to do… No wonder none of the locals knew where we were going! I finally figured it out after asking the receptionist where she recommended we try our first “kin-snah kin-snah oysters”.

For the record it’s pronounced “Nize-nah” and we agreed with the critics, Knysna oysters are some of the tastiest in the world. Joey continued to eat them at every meal for the rest of the trip.

So what we learned throughout our travels is that I need a guide to when not to pronounce silent letters. :) Or, that the food and drink are as varied as the country’s population. I’ve already thrown myself under the bus, so let’s stick with the latter.

We ate some quintessentially South African cuisine, where the cooking style is known as Cape Malay, which fused the cuisine of the Dutch at the Cape with that of the slaves they brought from Indonesia. We tried:

bobotie, similar to shepherd’s pie, curried minced meat topped with an egg custard

biltong, air-dried meat, flavored with salt and coriander and cut into long, thin strips

boerewors, sausage made from coarsely chopped meats and also spiced with coriander

crayfish, salty spiny lobster

melktert, or milk tart, milk-egg-sugar dessert custard prepped in a pastry shell

And Joey’s ALL-TIME FAVE --- Cape Dutch malva pudding, a kind of caramelized sponge cake, made with apricot jam, sometimes spiced with ginger, served hot and accompanied by custard. This will be the reason we return to South Africa one day. Who’s in? Zabe, I’m looking at you.

10. We left Knysna and headed to the southwesternmost tip of Africa, Cape Town, which was about six hours away. This time Joey was driving. On the opposite side of the car and road might I add. Rockstar rating earned.

As we approached the buzzing cosmopolitan seaport it felt like home. Set on a bay in the shadow of mountains Cape Town has some unmatched natural beauty. From the brightly colored Bo-Kaap quarter to the regality of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, from the cape to the monolithic Table Mountain, there is so much to see in such tight quarters. What I learned here is that we know how to make damn good use of our time. We tackled the whole peninsula in just a few days. Plus a trip to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, a couple museums, a dive with great whites, and at least a sunrise or sunset every day.

On one of our adventures we headed out before dawn to Cape Point, just 26 miles south, to catch sunrise and the dramatic views of crashing waves. WOW was it windy! Then we traveled up the east coast of the peninsula where we walked among penguins on Boulders Beach and grabbed yummy fish and chips (and watermelon and danish feta salad) at the Brass Bell in colorful Kalk Bay, a local fishing community.

And most of you know about our shark diving adventure. For those that don’t I’ll copy what I wrote on Facebook.

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((Key: 1 meter is 3.28 feet))

So our tour was originally scheduled for Thursday, but cancelled because of the large swells and strong easterly winds. I was nervous the tour would cancel on Friday too, but fortunately the weather cooperated.

We left from Kleinbaai, a small harbor town, part of Gansbaai in the Western Cape of South Africa. This area is known as a hotspot for the Great White Shark and the best place in the world to see and dive with these iconic creatures in their natural environment. South Africa boasts one of the largest concentrations of Great Whites and other shark species. It is believed that there are less than 5000 Great White Sharks left on the planet, and recent estimates suggest that 2000 of these are to be found in South African waters, emphasizing just how special their ecosystem is.

From the moment we headed out toward Joubertsdam the sun was out and it seemed to be a beautiful day. The 10-minute boat ride was bumpy. The swells were still very high. Once we made it to Joubertsdam we had the most difficult part to do...put on the super tight wet suit. That never gets easier and always looks ridiculous.

The first shark we spotted was quite small (1.9m). The biggest shark of the day was 4m and we also saw a familiar face to the area (dolphin fin) that they had not seen for some time. We saw between 9-11 sharks. Water temperature was high (16.4C or 61 degrees F) for this time of year. It's usually between 10-18C. Because of yesterday's weather visibility was poor under the water (0.5m).

We were the third group, out of 4, to dive. I don't care what they say the water was cold, but you kind of forget about it when you're clutching on to the handrail when sharks swim up to you. The cage is made out of a 25 mm galvanized mild steel frame and covered with 10 mm galvanized mild steel security mesh. You feel safe. There's a lid that covers the top of the cage. I didn't realize before we went, but the cage is always attached to the side of the boat. You can get out whenever you need to.

For me the adrenalin rush and exhilaration I got from being centimeters away from those apex predators with their powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth was crazy! As soon as I got out there was an open spot in the final group and I went right back in.

The truth is - it is 100% more likely for you to get killed by an object dropping from the sky than by a Great White Shark. Humans are not their chosen specie of prey. We are too large, bony, gory and sinewy compared to a soft, fatty and bite-size baby seal meal! Although... after the amount of food we've been devouring I feel more like a soft seal than a bony human.

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All that said, shark diving felt safer than scrambling up parts of Lion’s Head, a mountain between Table Mountain and Signal Hill.

On our last morning we were up and at ‘em before dawn (what I also learned: Joey may have converted to a morning person) for a private guided hike to the top of Lion’s Head. The pre-dawn sky was so clear and perfect for stargazing. At a couple points along the path we had to use our hands to ascend rocky ridges, or scramble up the mountain. Oh! and a series of chains and ladders to assist since this particular section was basically vertical. All I had to do was hop in a cage to see sharks. We hit the top minutes before sunrise for astoundingly dramatic views over both the city and the Atlantic Seaboard. What a magnificent perspective over the “Mother City”… on Mother’s Day. (I had to.)

We made it down just to go back up again. This time we ascended to the flat plateau of Table Mountain via cable car. Our legs were done. The coolest part of Table Mountain was the “tablecloth” of clouds that often cover the mountaintop due to rapid changes in the weather. Legend attributes this phenomenon to a smoking contest between the devil and a local pirate. Who knows? 

What I do know is this was a trip of a lifetime!!! So many unforgettable adventures with the love of my life, the malva pudding & oyster loving, left or right side driving, PHENOMENAL photographer Joey. Now go check out his photos! 

P.S. Videos to come.