Yesterday was spent travelling the whole day (game vehicle, small bus, 2 separate flights, then a car). Tiring day. Yet another border crossing From Botswana to Zimbabwe - unfortunately just after a bus load of tourists congested the Immigration/Customs building.
Port Elizabeth is an attractive city on the southern coast of SA with a very pleasant climate. It has an important vehicle industry for export which provides employment (unlike Australia!!).
Our excellent guide took us for a half-day tour of the city from which we gained much knowledge.
There are about 52 mill people in SA, with 25% unemployed (mostly the younger people). We viewed a shanty town from a distance, where locals manage to scratch out a living.
Medical care is free, but there are insufficient doctors because after training they leave for UK, NZ, Canada or Aust where they can earn more.
Anyone can buy land in SA.
The "big 5" are named thus because they are the most dangerous for man to hunt on foot.
Impala are known as the "McDonalds of Africa" because from behind they appear to have the large M symbol.
Private game parks sell some of their animals to National Parks each year to keep the balance of the big 5 across Africa.
Poachers ( controlled by Asian Syndicates ) use poison darts to kill the animals, which are then eaten by vultures who in turn are poisoned. The vulture population is being dramatically reduced.
Port Elizabeth was named after the wife of an original settler. She died of fever, he married again but soon after he missed his first wife so much that he committed suicide. The pyramid in the photo below is a memorial to Elizabeth.
The mosaic pathway in front of the pyramid was created by school children in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. It has an intricate design and is very attractive.
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