Durban to Johannesburg by Bus

Day 121: We were packed and just had to do a bit of final checking and a bit of breakfast this morning. We got up at 6:00 am but didn't order an Uber to take us to the Durban Bus Station until a quarter to eight. The day went smoothly.

 

We expected to travel the 570 km in the scheduled eight hours. It was mostly pretty routine. There was quite a climb as we travelled on Highway 3 through Pietermaritzburg. There was one stop for food and just several for passengers. 

The bus was comfortable but we hit a torrent of rain as we were approaching Johannesburg. Some of the windows leaked a bit but not much on Jay or me.   

We made our way out to the street from the bus station.  We got a really friendly Uber driver who got us from the bus station to the Rosebank area. We checked in at around 6:00 pm. The hotel is next to the Zone Mall and we went there for dinner.  I wish earlier in our months here, we'd used the South African restaurant chain called, Spur.  They use a native American Indian with feathers as a logo.  It provided plenty of food and service for a very reasonable price.

 

Trying to Say Goodbye

Day 120:  Oh my!  The number shows that today is the 120th of our winter away.  I checked back in this journal and confirmed that although we left a day earlier, we landed in Dubai on the evening of November 10, 2024.  Imagine that!  Here it is March 10, 2025 already and we're still on vacation. 

So it seems a little fitting that we have to pack this evening.  Tomorrow, we hope to be on an 8:30 am bus from Durban to Johannesburg, South Africa.  It is supposed to be an eight-hour trip.  We have reservations for four nights at the Holiday Inn in Rosebank.  

We will have a little time to check out the city before flying back towards Vancouver on the 15th.  First we fly 11.5 hours to Paris and after a four-hour layover, we hope to board another 10 hour flight directly to YVR.

So although the final day count will be over 120 days, this is our final day in Durban.  It feels like the beginning of the process of returning home. We've been in South Africa since getting off our cruise ship in Cape Town on January 17th.

This morning was windy and a bit overcast but as Mitchell Park Zoo is right in the neighbhourhood, we walked up to say goodbye to some of the animals we met on a previous visit.  As seniors we had to pay an entrance fee of US$0.50 per person.  We figured it was worth it to day goodbye to the cockatoo and parrots.  None seemed to know how to say goodbye, so we had to actually say hello to them. They replied with a hello, perhaps knowing we most likely will never come back.

Oh, and the marmoset screamed but the tortoises didn't say much of anything.  The latter remain rather stoic when parting.

The Aquarium at uShaka Marine World

Day 118:  What a great day to go to uShaka Marine World.  It was about 31C (88F) so I guess summer in Durban isn't in any rush to leave.  Our primarily goal was to visit the famous aquarium here in Durban.  However, it was a great Saturday for families to have water park access.  

The entertainment complex is at an interesting location at the Point and near the harbor.  The free public beach is right there too and one could walk the entire length of the city towards the stadium we see from our Airbnb.  The 40-acre complex has shopping, dining, and the various water features.

We paid around $US 6 each to visit just the aquarium.  It was extensive, educational, and fascinating.

We probably spent around an hour and a half inside.  The various thick glass viewing locations allowed us to see an enormous variety of marine life.  The inside areas were designed to appear as actual, local ship wrecks.  We watched a scheduled feeding as a employee explained the procedure.  Interestingly, the staff add garlic to their diet as it is a natural antiseptic for the fish.  We enjoyed the small exhibits and everything was labelled and self explanatory.

It really wasn't time for lunch when we exited but we walked to a McDonalds with premium seaside views.  We had milkshakes.  I really don't know how many years it's been since I had one of those!

By the time we had walked back out to the main entrance, Uber had peak pricing in effect.  Still, it cost less than $US 5 to ride back to our Airbnb.  We had lunch at two o'clock today.

Slow Day in Durban / Future Travel Planning

Day 117: We were knackered today. Outside the weather is humid and with a grey haze. We stayed mostly inside puttering around and in the back of our minds, we're aware we will be heading to Johannesburg next Tuesday. 

However, we keep adding future travel plans for 2025.  One graphic I can include is a few of the places we will see during Jay's birthday this year.  There are plenty more journeys before the fall though.  You'll be able to read about those as they happen.  Remember, this journal as been active since the fall of 2003.  That adds up to a whole lot of pictures and words!

 

Durban Botanic Gardens

Day 114:  Today was a fine day to finally visit the Durban Botanic Gardens.  It is between our Airbnb and downtown and took around 15 minutes in an Uber.

Established in 1849, the Durban Botanic Gardens holds the distinction of being Africa's oldest surviving botanical garden. Initially intended as an experimental agricultural station, it played a crucial role in introducing economically significant plants to the region. Over time, it evolved into a cherished public space, preserving a diverse collection of indigenous and exotic flora, including rare cycads and orchids. Beyond its horticultural significance, the gardens serve as a living historical record, reflecting Durban's colonial past and its ongoing commitment to botanical conservation and public enjoyment.

The Durban Botanic Gardens is home to a significant collection of cycads, including the rare Wood's Cycad. These ancient plants are often referred to as "living fossils" due to their long evolutionary history. The gardens provide a valuable environment for the conservation and study of these unique plants.

The Wood's Cycads in the Durban Botanic Gardens are clones of the original plant, which is now extinct in the wild.  The original plant was discovered in 1895, and some offshoots were taken to the Durban Botanic Gardens in 1903. The Durban Botanic Gardens cares for these clones, making it a significant location for the conservation of this species.  As this type of tree requires male and female plants for natural offspring, these bachelors will be the final examples of their species.

Double Ticketed

Day 113:  Our time in South Africa is dwindling.  We had to get a couple of different tickets today.  

First, we paid Shelldon for another trip.  Jay used his credit card online.  So, we will be heading for one, last, overnight trip while still based in Durban.  We decided to see the Sani Pass into Lesotho.  The last section is a strictly jeep trail and we will visit a Basotho village and then continue into the town of Mokhotlong for an overnight.  I plan on having a beer in the highest pub in Africa!  We leave on Wednesday morning at 6:00 am.

Also, this morning we bought future bus tickets  Next week on Tuesday, we will be leaving Durban.  We are flying back from Johannesburg and will have four nights there before our departure.  It was fairly easy to purchase our bus tickets downstairs in the Pick and Pay supermarket.  It is an eight-hour trip by bus and we should be able to see a lot of scenery in one of the huge motorcoaches that ply the highways.  This will be the last segment on our Winter 2024-25 travels.

Durban is Greener than Cape Town

 

Day 112: Today was mostly about rain. It rained much of the day. It was okay as we had time to recover from our recent overnight safari trip. We only popped down to the ground floor in the elevator once. We picked up a few items in the grocery store that is right in this building. 

I took a little 32-second video clip but this was at a time when it was not too heavy. There were times when it seemed as if it was coming down in buckets.  The Moses Mabhida Stadium is completely obscured by the falling rain.

 

Conversion for Blood Glucose Measurement

Day 111: Hey, I just looked at the calendar and remembered we'll be headed back to British Columbia this month!  Our winter has been varied, interesting, and life-changing. Any good vacation should be those things.

  I will be looking forward to receiving some annual medical lab results at home. I want to see my A1c level now.

I periodically test my blood glucose with one of those small meters and test strips. I have noticed a reduction during my occasional, random testing. This surely has to do with my weekly Ozempic injections.  I was pretty pleased with today's numbers taken in the middle of the afternoon.

In Canada, standard home glucose meters are in mmol/L. Some units can show both scales but if I want to see mg/dL I just use a quicky online calculator.  Today's graphic was from this website.

Plan, Click, and Explore

 

Day 108: Durban has been getting lots of rain. Last night, I bet more rain fell in a 12-hour period than I'd ever witnessed. It went on and on. This put tomorrow and Friday's safari trip into question. However after a morning Whatsapp messaging marathon, we agreed with our guide to be ready at 7:00 am in the lobby tomorrow morning.

We cannot be assured of the weather next week. More importantly, we will also arrange for a different overnight trip next week with the same tour company. We want to spend a night in the country of Lesotho too. We plan to see the Sani pass and spend a night in Mokhotlong.

So, we hope to see some animals in their natural environment which at the time happens to be fairly wet and muddy.  (I will not be taking along the laptop, so my daily updates here may be a bit late appearing online.)

 

We didn't accomplish a lot today and found ourselves sitting around a lot.  We did finalize some reservations for Jay's birthday week at the beginning of September.  We got air tickets to Barcelona the other day and yesterday got the 7-night MSC cruise we'd been eyeing.  Today, Jay added a one-night stay in Barcelona prior to our cruise departure.

When I first graduated from college, I thought a career as a travel agent would be interesting.  Little did I know that people would be able to arrange every detail of own their trips by the time I took early retirement.  We don't often stop to think how profoundly different the world is today than during the years when we were freshly-minted adults.

Moses Mabhida Stadium

 

Day 107:  Occasionally one of the hundreds of photos added to my Flickr account every month is flagged as a special image. That means it is shown on a special exploration page seen by other Flickr members. I took this photo on the 22nd, and it's been seen by over 1000 photographers per day since then. It is of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The image was taken from our Airbnb balcony at 262 Florida Road.

Travel Agenting for Ourselves

Day 106 - We're on load shedding again.  That means our power is on generator for the next two hours and excludes the use of large items such as the A/C, stove, and water heater.  It seems as though South Africa has an underdeveloped electrical grid and in order to meet capacity requirements, simply turns off sections of the country as per a special schedule.  We didn't run into the situation until yesterday.  Perhaps the heat is causing a lot of folks to use more power.  We will be running on the grid again in one hour and a half.

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Mainly, the thing I want to remember about today is the fact we finally decided to do something on Jay's birthday in September.  We went ahead and bought tickets on Air Canada today because they seemed relatively cheap. They almost felt pre-COVID kind of cheap.  I hope Expedia appreciates all our business!

After a little research in this journal, I learned the last time we were at this destination. The year of these two photos was 2010.  So, I guess going back to Barcelona, after fifteen years, won't be too soon.  We chose the dates to coincide with a cruise we saw online.  Even if we don't match up, finding ourselves with eight nights in this city and vacinity will be a welcome and suitable birthday gift.  It was one of the first cities that Jay visited before I met him in 1985.  We were both there in 2010 and plan on a repeat performance in less than seven months.

A Relaxing Dinner Out

Day 105:  We don't generally dine out because Jay is an excellent cook.  However, we thought we'd try the Sofra Istanbul Restaurant that is nearly across the street from our Airbnb apartment building.  

We ordered and they provided free tea while we waited.  I asked for a chicken shish and Jay ordered a doner burger.  We liked the food and were convinced by the waitress to share a piece of St. Sebastian cheesecake for desert.

The bill came to about CA$ 25 or less than US$ 18.  It costs more to eat out at home for sure.  In fact, just about every place we spend winters is, at least, this much cheaper than in Canada.  Some places are considerably less.  We definitely live better on less money when exploring the world.

By the time we finished it'd gotten dark.  It's summer here so that doesn't happen until after 7:00 pm.  We are in an apartment at 626 Florida Road in Durban.  There are a lot of restaurants nearby.

Travel and Trip Planning

Day 104: This morning a cleaning lady came to change the sheets and clean up. We are never messy and she didn't have a lot to do, but that didn't stop her from giving the place an industrial-strength once-over.

We mostly stayed put today as it was again a bit dark and wet.  Even now, at 5:34 pm there is a heavy mist over the area.  It was a good day to think about future travel plans.  

Jay and I are already set up with a mini trip at the beginning of May.  During the last couple of years that is the time when we grab one of the 3 or 4 day cruises on ships as they return to the Alaska cruise season but before they begin regular schedules.  We like getting out into the Georgia Strait or the Inside Passage as a reintroduction to the beauty of our wild natural surroundings.  This year we couldn't quite find any of those short journeys heading only down to Portland, OR or up to Prince George, BC.  So, several months ago we grabbed a cheap, low-season, short stay in Sin City.

We do also have the beginning of the June trip all set too.  Our flights to Venice and return from Bucharest are booked and a few hotel stays finalized.  We will do more on that as the time gets closer.

Still, since retirement we always try to do some trip or travel on our birthdays.  Mine is near the end of July and Jay's is at the beginning of September.  We didn't really choose anything for those dates yet but planning is half the joy of travelling.

Anyway, the trip that matters most is the next one.  That will occur on Thursday and Friday of this week.  We will be going overnight on a safari.  The screen capture shows a bit about it.  This will be our second ever safari as the first one was in Kenya exactly 31 years ago.

Mitchell Park and Its Zoo

Day 103:  It's Friday in Durban.  We arrived last Friday from Cape Town.

The weather was much nicer today than during the last few mornings.  It seems that the weather has been much rainier than usual, with even some minor flooding around the area.  So, Jay and I wondered what would be a nice little activity for the morning.

We noticed a feature on Google Maps that looked about 600 meters from our Airbnb.  During the week we'd travelled down Florida Road but we never walked up it.  The road was a bit steep but we found that Mitchell Park is not far at all!

We had read a bit of information about the Mitchell Park Zoo.  People commented that it was small and really more of an aviary.  A few complained about the state of the facilities.  Others said it was still worth the money.  

Jay and I walked to the gate and asked for two adults tickets.  We read the sign and expected to each pay SA R16 but the lady looked at us probingly and asked if we were seniors.  Indeed, we are.  I'm not exactly sure how I feel about being offered a senior discount without asking.  However, as we paid SA R9 (US$ 0.49) each, it seemed perfectly okay.

Indeed, some animal areas were closed and we saw mostly birds, turtles and a few mammals.  The area was quite lovely and as it is near the top of a hill there was a nice breeze.  It was more than nice exercise.  We saw some planning going on, so perhaps some renovations will soon be underway.  Jay and I really enjoyed walking around and talking to and even with the animals.

37-Second Clip

Time is Precious

 

Day 102: The weather cleared. The picture above is the Florida Road side of our Airbnb in Durban, South Africa. We walk up the stairs right over the Pic 'n Pay grocery store to get to the apartment lobby. Today's view from the balcony is below.  

Most human lives can be measured with fewer than 33,000 days. I'm happy to have been right here for this one.

   

Plans and an Activity

Day 101: This morning, we started to check on tours available from Durban. We set our sights on finding out about two, different, over-night trips. We have time enough to try to take an African safari. It has been a long time since Jay and I took a proper one.  We travelled to Kenya in February of 1994.  That happened 31 years ago.  Oh my!

   

We'd also like to spend a night in country of Lesotho. We want to arrange both when the weather looks better. So, at this point these are simply ideas. 

Our activity this morning included walking to the large supermarket down at the mall that we can see from the balcony. You can see the Checker's sign in this phone zoom shot. It's about a kilometer from this Airbnb. The distance isn't far but it is quite a change in elevation.