Monday, September 11, 2023
I arose around 6:30 feeling refreshed with no signs of jet lag. Fikret, after he had a quick shower, made us coffee and we enjoyed chatting before he and Paula left together for their respective appointments. I watched from the patio as their car left the garage below and exited the automatic gate in the fence that surrounds the Future Africa campus. Jane was sleeping soundly so I had a bowl of cereal with fruit and although I was in a new country on a new continent, started my morning as usual; I headed out for a walk.
Future Africa is a rather small gated and fenced-off island campus about three miles from the main University of Pretoria campus (~70k students). I began my walk by exploring this campus mingling with students and conference attendees before exiting through a gate and beginning a walk that Fikret had recommended. I proceeded on a red dusty path between two agricultural research fields making a turn at the end to continue along its perimeter and passed the newly constructed engineering building. My route took me along an outdoor hockey “rink”, a large competitive swimming arena and lots and lots of soccer fields. After retracing my route and returning to the apartment, I had covered over four miles.
During my walk, I encountered, two of South Africa’s aggressive attack birds, the crowned lapwing and the blacksmith lapwing. The former, scolded me as I walked passed and made a land-based surge at me with its wings spread. I raised my arms in reply and it backed off a safe distance but continued its scolding. It’s early spring and mating season here and I observed its mate nearby. My next encounter wax with blacksmith lapwings and it was a more aggressive aerial assault by several birds. Whenever they swooped down cawing loudly at me, I raised my arms to divert their attack. I managed to escape unscathed but learned later that people do sometimes get peaked on the noggin by these aggressive birds.
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| Future Africa Hub Building |
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| Student Housing at the Future Africa Campus |
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| A Crowned Lapwing |
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| Lots & Lots of Soccer Fields |
Jane was out of bed when I returned but was suffering from jet lag and had only slept a couple of hours during the night. Nevertheless, when Fikret and Paula returned, Fikret escorted Jane & I around to see some of the sites in Pretoria.
We started at Freedom Park, a museum and memorial to the struggles of the South African people. The museum started with a film of the human origin story and proceeded through European colonization, and eventually freedom from Apartheid. We then drove from the museum up a hill to the outdoor memorial. As we walked from the car park to the memorial, we were afforded views of Pretoria from a boardwalk with overlooks. The memorial includes an amphitheater, an eternal flame, a wall of names and a sanctuary honoring South Africans who had given their lives in eight of the country’s struggles, including, of course the anti-Apartheid movement. As we approached the amphitheater by foot, an employee was waiting for us parked in a four-wheeler in the shade. He provided us with a detailed account of the meaning and symbologies of the memorial. During our visit to the museum and memorial we were the only people around except for employees which seemed a shame to me since this represents such an important tribute to the country’s past turmoils.
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| Freedom Park Car Park |
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| View of Pretoria from an Overlook at Freedom Park |
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| Freedom Park Amphitheater |
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| Sanctuary and Eternal Flame |
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| Wall of Hero Names |
From Freedom Park, Fikret drove us to the Union Buildings and Gardens. The South African government is situated in three cities, Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. The Union Buildings support the president and executive branch. These sandstone buildings were erected during colonial times and have a distinct architecture reflecting that period. Large terraced gardens ornament the slope going down the hillside from the the Union Buildings. People were enjoying the nice weather and atmosphere that the gardens provided. Also, birds that Fikret called “spaghetti birds” were extracting earthworms from the soft grass on the terraces. In the center of the gardens was a large (9m tall) stature of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first democratically elected president facing his citizens with open arms.
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| In the Shadow of a Great Man |
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| “Spaghetti” Bird Slurping Worms from the Grassy Landscape |
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| Union Buildings |
After visiting the Union Buildings and Gardens, we drove to main campus of the University of Pretoria and had coffee (a passionfruit crush for Jane) and walked around campus for awhile before heading back to the apartment. Then, the four of us drove to the trendy Lynnwood Bridge Shopping Center and had an excellent meal. Food here is relatively cheap. I paid the bill (a bottle of wine, two appetizers four entrees and tip) which only totaled about $US 55. We shared a bottle of an excellent South African wine, Beyerskloof pinotage, with our meal. Back at the apartment, we socialized for awhile before heading to bed.
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| Our Dinner Venue |
Sounds great so far! Hope the safari at Kruger is all you hope it to be.
Looks like you’re having a good time except perhaps for the bird encounters.