We are currently on an overnight train from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth on the southeast coast of Africa. We decided to splurge a little and book premiere class which we'd read on "The Man in Seat 61" was outstanding value for the price. The price is not at all bad. About $150 per person which includes two lovely cabins, meals and our transport across the country. Park Station is in one of the rougher parts of downtown Jo'burg so we hired a driver from our guesthouse to take us there. The Premier Class train shares the same welcome lounge as the famed luxury Blue Train to Cape Town. We were relieved of our bags upon arrival and ensured that we would see them again in our cabins after we boarded. We were then treated to champaign and orange juice, fresh fruit, Pringles and fresh carrot cake while we waited. I was reluctant to have a second glass of bubbly because there were only yet two other people waiting with us in the lounge. As it turns out, there are only six people occupying the premier class car and its private lounge and dining cars. It's like a private train.
The other couple on the train are lovely people from Johannesburg. He is a retired airline pilot and she a retired flight attendant. We shared some more champaign and a few beers in the lounge car as we slowly made our way out of the City in the hot afternoon sunshine. They know their country well and have given us some fine advice on what to do on the Cape for the next few weeks. More evidence that you shouldn't pre plan too much.
A problem soon came to light. The train, as we quickly discovered, was carrying only red wines. None of this country's sumptuous whites or roses were on board. This simply would not do. After a little back and forth, the South African convinced the train manager to have the wine cellar topped up when we made a quick stop a few hours before dinner. Crisis averted! Just in time for afternoon tea, a shower and a nap in the spacious and well appointed cabins. As the afternoon progressed, the train was delayed several times by unrelated problems down track. No matter, we were happy to stay on board as long as possible! However, it soon became apparent that we would not make our wine rendezvous in time for dinner scheduled at 7:00 pm. "Shall we delay to 8:30 pm?" suggested our travel companions? Normally this would not be a problem for us. Other than champaign, crisps and carrot cake, we hadn't had lunch. Tired kids combined with hunger was not a recipe for an enjoyable meal. Just then the dining car manager walked by. "Hello," I called out. "Do you think you might be able to arrange a bowl of soup and some cheese and crackers for the children." "Certainly Mr. Mercer," he replied as I looked over my shoulder for my Dad, "could I interest you in a glass of Irish Whisky while dinner awaits?" A double Jameison's arrived shortly after with a lovely plate of camembert, danish blue, edam and cheddar. We turned on a movie for the kids, grabbed a few fistfuls of cheese for ourselves, and headed to the dining car to watch the sunset with our new friends as we steamed on down the track towards our rendezvous with Mssrs. Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc. Crises averted.
This train journey is the latest in a long list of reasons why South Africa is giving Vietnam a solid run for our favorite country so far. We've taken our share of train trips in the last seven months, some of which have described themselves as luxury or first class. This is the first one, VIA included, that truly fits the bill. In addition to the welcome previously described, the cabins are splendid. The beds, which are seats during the day, are comfortable and immaculate. The windows are clean and slide open easily to improve the incredible view. The cabins are stocked with thick, fresh towels, bath robes, slippers and toiletries. The showers and toilets are clean and functional. When you open the lid on the toilet, you see clean, flushable water, not the track as was the case in India. The staff are polite and efficient. We have spent a very relaxing afternoon and early evening playing cards, sipping beer and whisky, reading, and making our way right down through the middle of this great land. This is all about the journey, which is what we expected from train travel. We will likely arrive in Port Elizabeth 4 or 5 hours late. I wish it could last another week!
Our stay in Johannesburg was short but enjoyable. It started out with a $500 repair bill on our rental car due to a big scratch I put in the paint when paying more attention to fornicating zebras or something as opposed to a pointy branch sticking out into the road. Oh well, let's see how good that credit card insurance really is! We had delightful conversation with our taxi driver as he drove us from the airport to the trendy, Chelsea-like suburb of Melville in the rain. After checking into an awesome room at the Sleeping Gecko Guesthouse, complete with big claw foot tub, we strolled out into the warm evening air in search of a decent restaurant. We weren't disappointed. After negotiating our way past colourful street hawkers and sidewalk vendors, we came upon Popeyes, a dark little open air restaurant with lots of locals, black and white, enjoying the lively atmosphere. We ordered a bottle of wine and enjoyed fabulous steaks and seafood, coffees and desserts for a ridiculously affordable price. This has been our experience everywhere in Africa thus far.
On day two we hired a car to show us around. Mike, a Chech ex-pat, picked us up in his BMW around 10:00 am. The first thing I noticed was the Winnipeg Jets hat in the back window. Turns out he's a big NHL fan and follows the season and the olympics closely. We chatted hockey all day long to the extent that my limited knowledge would allow. Mike was a great guide and, after taking us to a Boer War memorial, asked us to roll up the windows and lock the doors as we entered the rougher parts of downtown Jo'burg. He pointed out where he'd been the victim of two attempted car jackings in recent years, but did admit that is wasn't as bad as it used to be. Despite all the bad press, we didn't find it that bad (from the confines of our beamer fortress.) It's poor to be certain, but the people seem happy on the streets and the city seems to be functioning at least with basic infrastructure in tact and operational.
Next Mike dropped us off at the Apartheid Museum - the one Jo'burg must see. We could have spent the whole three hours in the recently added Mandela exhibit, and just about did. I was struck by how balanced and thorough the displays were in tracing the complicated history of this complicated country from prehistoric times, through European contact, white on white, black on black, black on white and white on black conflict, and the introduction and demise of apartheid. This place pulls no punches and tells both sides of the story including the taboo topic of Mandella's shortcomings as a leader and a human being. We could have spent the whole day here.
After a light lunch in the museum cafe, we met Mike outside and headed for Soweto - the infamous black townships on the outskirts of the City. The name is actually short for SOuth WEstern TOwnship and is a collection of ethnically distinct black neighborhoods. This is where the anti-apartheid movement gained momentum with student protests in the 1960s following an attempt by the white government to have Afrikaans used for the instruction of certain subjects in black schools. We visited the home where Mandela lived when he was arrested and the nearby homes where his ex-wife Winnie and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu still live. A lot of Nobel Laureates for one small place! Mike was insistent that we get home before dark, but we managed to slip in a visit to the Oppenheimer Tower which gave us a great view down onto the match box houses and neighborhoods designed and funded by the DeBeers founder. It made us realize how massive Soweto is (three time as many people as Jo'burg and many times larger in size.) Our guide, Ledo, was born and rasied in Soweto and gave us a great first hand account of what life is like here. He wouldn't live anywhere else and has a dream of Soweto becoming its own nation one day! We made it back to the Sleepy Gecko just before dark and enjoyed a final fabulous meal on Melville's 7th street before hitting the sack.
Tomorrow morning the train will pull into Port Elizabeth after breakfast and we'll start the Cape/Garden portion of our South African visit. I need to keep busy in the next few weeks as I know spring is coming soon to the north. March and early April is my absolute favorite time up there and when I'm most worried about homesickness. In the meantime, the train has just stopped and I think I can hear the clink clink of chilled wine bottles up in the dining car. That should help!