Transcript A Trip to South Africa

A Trip to South Africa
We are 3 New York sisters of
Argentinian descent, going to South
Africa in order to support the
Arengentinian team. We are also
interested in nature, so we’ll enjoy visiting
natural parks, of course.
Here is the description of our soon
coming trip.
The round trip
The round trip NYC/Johannesburg
NYC/Johannesburg
For this journey, we will be travelling by British
Airways which is one of the safest companies, this
way we are sure to enjoy our trip, even though it’s a
long one. We will take the plane from Newark in New
York City,on June 5th at 6:25pm to London Heathrow,
where we will arrive at 6:30am on June 6th. After this
short stopover, we will take another plane at 9:20am
the same day to Johannesburg where we will finally
arrive at 9:10pm.
There, a taxi from the hotel will be waiting for us.
The Hotel (From the 8th of June to the 24th of June)
•
When in Johannesburg, we will stay at the African Pride
Melrose Arch Hotel. The design inside seems to be
wonderful, as we could see it on the pictures. There are
even chocolates and roses offered in each room! That's so
charming! And we are so fond of it that we will surely put on
weight. Every detail of this hostel seem to be luxurious, the
room in which we'll sleep contains everything we need, such
as a television with a DVD recorder, a desk, perfumed
candles, etc. A breakfast is served every morning. Moreover,
the hotel has several restaurants offering buffets, so we
have many choices. What pleases us in the African Pride
Hotel is its library of colonial style. That's quite original, we
are longing to see it. Every morning, and some afternoons
during which we'll stay at the hotel, we will take advantage of
the sunny weather, by going to the Swimming Pool, with a
cocktail (there is a bar next to it), of course. After each
evening's buffet, we will have a pleasant walk in the beautiful
gardens of the Hotel which seem to be quite romantic so we
feel sorry to be there without our boyfriends. Fortunately,
there are a lot of elegant shops and a gigantic mall next to
the African Pride Hotel, so, of course, we will spend whole
afternoons buying new clothes.
The
Match
The
Match
On Saturday 12th June, we will attend the
match between Argentina and Nigeria. Of
course, we will support Argentina, for it is
where we come from. The ticket costs around
1790 dollars. That's quite expensive, but we
have the best places, and since it's Argentina
first match, we want to enjoy it ! The match
takes place in Johannesburg in Ellis Park
Stadium, which is huge since it seats 62,000
fans. It is not so far from our hotel, so it'd be
easy to get there.
One excursion in Johannesburg
Not far from our hotel, there's a wide nature reserve which is called “Rietvlei nature
reserve”. It is very interesting, I could even say fundamental, to see such places
when we travel in a country such as South Africa, because we can discover
wonderful things that we couldn't see in the United States. In this nature reserve,
there are a lot of wild animals, like zebras, rhinoceros, hyena or mongooses. It would
certainly be an impressive excursion, particularly because we are fond of this kind of
animal, even if Lola, the youngest of us would surely be afraid of them. It will give us
a unique opportunity to view many species of animals. Therefore, we mustn't miss
such a chance. We will organise a picnic there, because it would be a pleasant place
to visit. I think we'll do this excursion after the match which will exhaust us, in order to
relax.
The Flight Johannesburg/Port Elizabeth
On the 24th, we will take off from Johannesburg, in
order to see another match in Port Elizabeth. The
flight will last aproximativly une hour and forty
minutes (from 11:10 an to 12:50 am). It will be another
safe trip, since we are travelling on the British airlines
again, but on the other hand, it is quite expensive:
7 038,64 rands or 904 $!
Again, there will be a car waiting for us at the airport.
The Hotel (from June 24th to July 1st)
During our stay in Port Elizabeth, we will stay at
Hitgeheim Country Lodge & EcoReserve.
Situated on a secluded eco-reserve, Hitgeheim
Country Lodge offers guests luxurious rooms with
bathrobes and complimentary toiletries. It features
an outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers. The
restaurant serves gourmet cuisine and wines on
the terrace overlooking the surrounding
countryside.
The hotel offers free Wi-Fi access in the business
centre. Guests can also make use of the library
and games room
The only negative aspect of this perfect place is
that it is quite far from Port Elizabeth: 75 minutes
away by car. But, we shall overcome that, and if
we really need to be in town fast, we’ll be able to
rent an helicopter anyway !
The Match
Assuming that Argentina would win its matches, we booked
places for the round of sixteen matches in Port Elizabeth. We
took the best places possible here too, because we wanted to
support our team the best we could. Plus, we are delighted at the
idea to be the « first » supporters to enjoy the Nelson Mandela
Bay Stadium, since it has been built for the World Cup. So we
happily paid the 6.999,75 rands ( approximativly 900 USD) for the
tickets.
One excursion in Port Elizabeth
In order to relax after the match, and
to discover new feeling, we will be
happy to join in “ Addo Elephant
Back Safari” an activity offered by
the hotel. Despite its name, this is
not a safari, but an elephant back
experience, which excites us a great
deal, since we are such nature
lovers! Anyway, this is a once in a
lifetime must do and the
combination of seeing and
experiencing the gentle wild herds
of Addo in the morning and then
have the opportunity to touch, feed,
walk with and ride the biggest land
mammal on earth for the afternoon
is something else.
The flight Port Elizabeth/Cape Town
Because we wanted to see more of South Africa, we
decided to go to Cape Town for a few days, because the
city is reputated for its natural beauty.
As for the round trip, we will travel by British Airways in
first class, as always.
We will leave Port Elizabeth on July 1st at 12:30pm and
will arrive the same day at 8:10pm in Cape Town.
The cost of this flight is ZAR 15 236,23.
And, as ever, there will be a car waiting for us there.
The hotel (from July 1st to July 8th)
We will have the best
suite which is at the top
of the hotel and
described as out of
reality
We will stay at the Twelve
Apostles, a five star hotel
and spa named after the
mountains at the foot of
which it lies.
Activities around Cape Town
We will discover
the beauties of
the Table
Mountain and
Cape Point.
We will also have the
chance to go whale
watching and visit the Karoo
National Park, which is the
largest ecosystem of South
Africa. We are so excited!
So much natural beauty in
one place!
The flight Capetown/Johannesburg
In order to reach Johannesburg before the last match we’re
attending, we will take a plane at 15:50 inCape Town and
arrive two hours later in Johannesburg. Again, we will travel
with British Airways.
In Johannesburg, we will stay in the same hotel as before.
The Match
We will, of course, attend the final !! That is maybe what we
are the most longing for. We hope and believe that Argentina
will make it to this match, but even if not, we will still enjoy a
great football moment. Plus, the stadium is beautiful and
regarded as « One of the most artistic and awe-inspiring
football venues on the African continent » , so we’ll just enjoy
being there, despite the price of the tickets, which are even more
expensive than the others: 6 300 rands each !!
The flight Johannesburg/NYC
It is sad, but we will have to leave this delightful country,
which I am sure we will enjoy, and go back to our
skyscrapers…
We will take the plane on July 16th at 9:15pm from
Johannesburg. As before, we will have a stopover in
London, where we will land at 7:20am on the 17th and will
leave three hours later for Newark where we will arrive at
1:00 pm. What a long and sad flight it will be! But we will
have all the joyful memories.
We will travel first class on British Airways and the total
price of this round trip between Newark and Johannesburg
is ZAR 308 716,06.