South Africa: The Land of Gandhi, Big Five, Cricket, Indians & Sunshine

I came to South Africa not knowing what to expect. But, surprisingly all my unknown expectations were fulfilled beyond my imagination! I managed to taste and enjoy most of the colors of the Rainbow Nation. Although just a three week visit and riveted around Durban, I managed to get a feel of Suid-Afrika.

Durban Airport and the Indian Girl

King Shaka Airport, Durban, SA

I landed in Durban on a bright sunny evening in mid-November. Just near the immigration counters was a big poster of a smiling Nelson Mandela; welcoming us with a big smile and the 2010 football world cup trophy clutched tightly in his big hands. I knew I was in South Africa, a country I would never had thought of visiting if not for my job. The diversity was quite evident from the people at the counters. I had an African guy, a white guy and a girl of Indian origin wearily looking at the long line of people that had just landed from a flight from Dubai. I ended up with the girl; who gave me a nice smile and took my passport. Here were two Indians face to face in a country neither of us originally belonged. But her South African accent confirmed the legacy of her forefathers who came to South Africa ages before me. I later came to know that Indians are celebrating 150 years in South Africa this year. She stamped my passport and handed it back to me with a smile.

The Roads of South Africa and my Indian accent

Highway to Pietermaritzburg

I and my colleague hopped into a taxi. But I must say explaining the destination was a tough job. Both of us spoke English but I had my Indian accent and he his South African. In the end the written letters ensured we were on the same page, literally! As I hopped into the taxi I had no idea I was up for a big surprise. The taxi came out of the airport and cruised into a highway at almost 120 kmph! The highway was like any highway I had seen in US and unlike any highway I have seen in India. For a moment I felt I wasn't in South Africa, a developing nation like India. Everybody was driving in lane and highway was sans of any cows or buffaloes wandering onto it! On both the sides it was surrounded by lush green hills, evident of the beautiful nation. This particular stretch of road reminded me of driving in Michigan (driving around at 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and waving to cops as they just stare at you!). Had I just stayed on roads I wouldn't have made out the difference between South Africa and USA. I remember Aravind (oops that's the colleague I was talking about earlier) crabbing, "Why can't we have roads like this in India?" Of course I had no answer to this puzzle.

We moved through highways surrounded by green hills for almost an hour. We passed from rich suburbia to townships to distribution centers (pardon me as I am an industrial engineer) on our way to the hotel. The stark contrast between the poor and the rich was quite evident. The rich seemed to be enjoying a life in a gated community, far away from the poverty & crime of townships. There was a lot of hoopla around crime rates in Durban; all I can say is that it's safe enough and maybe it has its share of crime in negligent areas. Soon the hilly landscape with high-rises emerged as we approached the city of Durban. It was almost getting dark as the last light of the day tried its best to subdue the bright city lights lighting up the sky. After the initial excitement of landing in Durban I badly wanted to just go to sleep now. The taxi finally made its way into the parking for the hotel (I stayed at Coastlands on the Ridge, on Ridge Rd). It turned out later the hotel is run by a South African Indian. The hotel looked good enough from outside, but more about this later. And wow! I had another beautiful "Indian" girl smiling at the corner. This was just the beginning. I and Aravind were too tired to do anything that evening so we just crashed for the night after a dinner. A side note here; the restaurant had only two vegetarian dishes in the menu. I was wondering if I would have to alternate them for the next three weeks!

The Balcony and the First View of the City of Durban

Durban Harbour from balcony

The next day was a bright and sunny Sunday with clear skies. I forgot to rewind my watch by three and a half hours. So I stupidly rang up Aravind; waking him up at five in the morning! We decided we would meet for the imminent breakfast in about three hours. Mea culpa! Later in the morning we had our usual photo session on the balcony. These were the biggest balconies I had ever seen in any hotel; almost as big as the room. The view from the balcony gave a panoramic view of the entire city. There was a huge white dome-like structure that later turned out to be Moses Mabhida Stadium. The football enthusiasts would remember this as the place where Germany was knocked out of the FIFA 2010 World Cup by Spain; who then went on to win the World Cup. On the other side I could see the Durban Harbour. The sun was shining brightly with no clouds, I could clearly make out the huge cranes glimmering in the sunlight. A ship was slowly making its way into the harbour. I watched it move into the harbour sailing gracefully on the rough waves of the Indian Ocean. The balcony turned out to be the best place in the hotel during the evenings. I was staying on the third floor, the cool sea breeze in the evenings and the bright sun in the morning made the balcony a haven of serenity, away from all the hustle-bustle of the city. 

Indian Market, Wet Shoes and the Marine World

Victoria Market

The rest of the team from JDA was yet to arrive, literally from all around the world. So we had a long Sunday in our hands. I asked at the front desk about a good way to see the city, just a few months out of hosting the football World Cup extravaganza. I had heard about a bus service that was started during the games. What she said next was expected but the answer still was somewhat of a shocker. The girl cautioned me against going outside on a bus by myself. It wasn’t that something would happen it’s more about something could happen. I stuck with her advice and booked a cab. I can’t help but say I am used to going anywhere in India without a concern for my safety. India does have its own share of troubles like any other country trying to balance heritage with modernism. Well, that’s something that Africa has to work on. It turned out the driver was of Indian origin as well but he was born in South Africa. On the way he chatted about his trip to India a few years back. He laughingly told about the overzealous honking on Indian roads. I had a few places in my mind to visit, such as Victoria Market, City Hall, Durban harbour and Ushaka Marine World.

Victoria Market is the oldest shopping mall in Durban. It is a major center for buying “Indian” stuff ranging from idols, garlands, Bollywood movies etc. Being a Sunday most of the shops were closed. But just outside the market I saw signboards with Indian names. It was almost like walking in a market in India but just take out the thousands of the people (maybe empty the market in India and voila! you have a Durban Indian market)! A few kilometers from it is the City Hall; completed in 1910 it holds the Natural Science Museum and an art museum inside. The museums introduce you to the oldness of civilization in Africa; with its rich flora and fauna. The next stop was a closer view of the harbour and the Golden Mile. Now that’s where I got my shoes wet. The Golden Mile is the hot spot in Durban with the Indian Ocean on one side and restaurants on the other. It runs roughly from uShaka Marine World to Suncoast Casino. The Indian Ocean looked enticing enough for a closer view, so we decided to brave the impending showers and take a closer look. I thought of taking a picture of the waves. But I guess the Indian Ocean was in a playful mood that day. As I was taking a picture a wave came jumping around and before I could move I was knee deep in the cold water. So for the rest of the day I was feeling like Niel Armstrong walking on moon during my stay at uShaka Marine world (trivia: the place is located on Mahatma Gandhi Road). 


2/5, Fashion Food, Bunny Chow and How I Chickened Out

Lazy Rhinos @ Tala

If you’re in South Africa you have to go on a safari. Well, I didn’t but I did go on a game drive, you can call it a mini-safari. Some of the folks at the client recommended a game drive. Build on a farmland Tala Reserve gives you a close-up view of two of the “Big Five”. No cats or elephants but you can envy the buffaloes and rhinos having a good time on a lazy afternoon. That was the extent of my “safari” experience.

Far away from everything you have a place called “Florida Road”. If you want to mix food with "view" this is the place to be. Less than a kilometer long stretch of road with bars, cafes, restaurants, boutiques on either side, this is definitely the hang out place of Durban. We tried various cuisines such as Thai, Cuban, and Italian and then we tried "Fashion" cuisine. According to reviews it was all about young, beautiful and rich. Well, it turned out to be bit of a bummer. It wasn't entirely their fault but food wasn't great. All of us decided to sit in the open but trust me eating next to a car (even if the car is a BMW) isn't an elegant experience. However two things definitely stood out as far as food was concerned. I got to taste a dish called "Bunny Chow". There are lot of theories floating around this "Indian" dish you'll find only in South Africa. If you're into history you should definitely check out the history of Bunny Chow here. Also I have a confession to make, I am a vegetarian but I had chicken. Although not my fault! I ordered a "vegetarian" tramezinni but the waitress served a chicken tramezinni. The chicken was so finely grated that I couldn't tell between the chicken and the cheese. So that's how I chickened out, which the waitress laughingly told to me next day. 

Pietermaritzburg, Gandhi "Recalled"and Thousand Hills 

The moment the trip to South Africa was finalized I wanted to go to Pietermaritzburg Train Station. I didn't know it would be so close to Durban. The motivation was to see the place of Gandhi's second birth. "When Gandhi was evicted from the train, an Indian visiting South Africa fell but when Gandhi rose, an Indian South African rose." so eloquently put by Gopalkrishna Gandhi. 

Valley of Thousand Hills

But before I jump to history I have to tell you about the drive through the "Valley of Thousand Hills". The plan was to see the sunrise atop a mountain. But we got lost a bit (even with the GPS). So we decided to stop near a ridge and watched as the sun turned from tranquil orange to energizing yellow. From then on for about 20 kilometers we drove around the valley, passing from dense fog to bright sun-lit roads. As we came back on the highway on our way to Pietermaritzburg the sun came out in full majestic form. As if guiding us towards the place where Gandhi's consciousness rose beyond human biases and transcended into the land of peace & equality. However a bigger surprise was awaiting us that somehow managed to tarnish the beauty of the day.

Pietermaritzburg Train Station

As we neared the train station the scenery changed from a suburb to an area stricken with desolation and poverty. The train station itself was under construction and closed. Inside the station a plaque said "Gandhi Recalled"; biggest disappointment. Through the iron gates I took a peek at the platform where M. K. Gandhi might have taken a fall. A sense of sadness engulfed me as I walked out from the station for our journey back to the hotel. I took a few photographs of the place of great importance to the history of India.

Hare Krishna Temple and Farewell

Hare Krishna Temple

Probably the best part of the trip was saved for the last. About half hour drive from Durban lies a large township, Chatsworth. It is mostly comprised of Indian community as you can make out from all the hoardings adorned with Indian models and names. Just a piece of trivia; Chatsworth was deliberately built to act as buffer between white residential areas and the large African township of Umlazi. But it is home to one of the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. A breathtaking sight with its marble floors, gold tinted windows and gold plated rooftops. The chance to visit a Radha Krishna temple in South Africa was in itself a blessing. A devotee reminded me I was graced with supreme blessing of Radha Krishna as I have already visited the source of love & peace; Vrindavan, India. 

City of Durban, SA

Just to remind you guys I was on an official trip! So I was on the  client site for most part of the weekdays. Some of the best memories you make are invariably around people. I have to add I made quite a lot of new friends in Durban. I got a chance to have a dinner with a South African family and made some "Indian" friends as well. I have promised them I would share some snapshots of India, a land their forefathers left a long time back. But as one of my colleague said, "You can take a man out of India but not India out of a man". A memorable trip to South Africa, in the 150th year of Indians in South Africa, ended on a beautiful sunny afternoon. We came back to King Shaka airport to make our long journey back to India via Dubai. As the plane moved on tarmac I wished I had got a chance to walk on the platform where an insignificant thump reverberated more than fifty years later in India! 

Thank you for reading this post. This is my first attempt to write a travelogue. So readers beware! I have to add there were a lot of things I wanted to talk about. Cricket, Rugby, Nelson Mandela, Retail 101 (this is an inside joke!), my first Afrikaans movie (Liefling, die movie) and of course the city of Durban with its beautiful beaches around Umhlanga. But maybe in another post. Thanks again! Cheers!