South Africa Getting Around

Sihle Khumalo: Dark continent, My black arse :)

This new release and first book by South African author Sihle Khumalo, details his travels from Cape to Cairo by public transport.

‘I had always wanted to write a book but I had never known what type of a book I would write. As my 30th birthday was getting closer I thought, why don’t I do the Cape to Cairo – which I had always wanted to do - and then after the trip attempt to write a book based on my travels and thus kill two birds with one stone. As they say, the rest is history.’

Read Pete “the meat” ’s review below:

From Cape to Cairo - that’s the intention, and that’s the span of the book. Shades of Kingsley Holgate and extended family, with Land Rover engines rumbling and belching, and loads of red rum around camp-fires at night! Maybe a lion roaring, or some hyenas yelping in the distance!

Well - not so, when Sihle Khumalo describes his real-life encounters. Same route, by and large, that many have traversed over the “dark continent”, but somewhat unusual, and a great deal more stamina required by the writer! Because, when the perspectives are flowing from an obviously suave, worldly-wise African graduate of Uni and sometimes life, choosing to get down and dirty on the roads and buses that span this large and complex continent we call home, this make for excellent reading, as well as some good laughs

So, sit back and travel tightly with our friend Sihle, as he buses through most of southern and eastern Africa’s states, backpacks through some very odd places, joins queues for hours at border crossings, gets mildly irritated at fruit and food vendors, becomes furious when he isn’t offered a lift in an air-conditioned 4×4 (with a license plate not far from where he started, two months prior!)………..and you find that he has crept right under your skin, whether it’s superficially black or white! Recall as you read, the personal resolutions he vows to keep, on his return to normality in SA (be worth finding out how our friend is doing on those, I suspect!). Chuckle at the ladies he tries half-heartedly to hook up with, en route, more out of curiosity, it seems, than serious intent

Date: October 16th, 2007 | 1 comment

Johannesburg International Airport (OR Tambo International Airport)

SA Logue’s handy guide to Johannesburg International Airport.

Date: April 25th, 2007 | 11 comments

Car Rental in Cape Town: Rent-A-Merc !

I have been seeing more and more of these “Rent a Mercedes Benz” cars driving around, that I thought it must be a good deal and sought to find out more.

Series 123 Mercedes are a firm favourite of long-stay visitors, students, surfers and motor mechanics. Basically they run forever and require little or no maintenance (I own one). They cruise along in stately comfort like a land Yacht and fear nothing in the way of crunchy Japanese cars that may get stuck in the grill.

Date: February 27th, 2007 | 2 comments

Operation Mozambique #3, By hook or by crook.

So we decided today to throw caution to the wind and make our way up to Mozambique regardless of all the obvious obstacles that have been throwing up red flags at every juncture. Ridiculous airfares, no seats, no ground transport, no accommodation and leaving my business flying solo nolo. (That should be a word)

Date: December 29th, 2006 | No Comments

When Heading to Cape Point, Take the Scenic Route

If ever there was a reason to take the long route, Boyes Drive is it. The road cuts a path on the mountainside above the towns of Muizenberg, St. James and Kalk Bay, affording spectacular views of False Bay, and providing trailheads for treks up into the Silvermine Nature Reserve. Heading south, it comes to an end at the foot of Kalk Bay Harbor, where it joins up with the Main Road (M4) on its way down to Cape Point.

Maps: Boyes Drive (north end) | Boyes Drive (south end)

A few illustrative snaps:

Date: July 30th, 2006 | No Comments