Travel 2020 - Postponed

TRAVEL 2020 – POSTPONED

Today 8^th May 2020 was the day we should have been landing in Naples, Italy for our annual vacation. Covid-19 has put paid to those plans and the world is in turmoil due to this unseen and violent virus. Economies are in dire straits, so many innocent people have died a horrendous death, and jobs losses are reaching all sectors of the population. At times, it just seems to be so over-whelming that one has to turn off all news channels and just burrow under the duvet with 5* novel. Even a soppy, pathetically written, trashy story will suffice until reality kicks in again.

8th May 2020 also marked Sir David Attenborough's 94th birthday! A man greatly admired by so many. Sir David has inspired generations as a broadcaster, naturalist and writer. And this includes the current very young generation who are in awe of his feats and incredible journeys. It's such a blessing to know that his amazing documentaries have inspired so many and will continue to do so.

So, my thoughts turned to both the sadder and happier times and the history of travel.

From bygone days it seems that travel (or exploration) is truly in our DNA. The sailors of old risked their lives to explore the world even when it was felt that it was flat and the ships could vanish, never to be seen again. Many sailors lost their lives in these adventures or perhaps more like crazy mis-adventures. But they were not deterred.

The Potato Famine in Ireland caused many to leave their beloved country – not for the pleasure of travel, but out of a desperation to survive after the famine of 1845 – 1852. This famine left more than a million Irish dead. This history was brought home to us very vividly when we travelled to Ireland

http://www.travelsnippets.co.za/2011/11/my-ireland-dream-land-of-leprechauns.html

Many of us would be of different nationalities had our ancestors decided to play safe and not venture out into the unknown. There are so many Americans who have Irish ancestors. My family are from Kent, UK and Holland, Europe. Who knows what my life would have been like in either UK or Holland? Very different to growing up in sunny South Africa!!

Whilst it was certainly far more onerous getting from one place to another in years gone by, there were no border controls and people could take their chances – whether with wild animals or wild tribes in far flung destinations. Today we are no longer so free – we have to contend with borders, visa’s and many other issues if we wish to settle n (or even travel to) another country.

So, with the passing of time perhaps travel became something to be enjoyed rather than a totally life-changing experience?

“One of the earliest known records of taking pleasure in travel, of travelling for the sake of travel and writing about it, is Petrarch's (1304–1374) ascent of Mount Ventoux in 1336. He states that he went to the mountaintop for the pleasure of seeing the top of the famous height”

It seems that mountains are meant to be climbed - the huge amounts paid to summit Mount Everest are testimony to this human need to conquer nature.
  

Adventure travellers will always find a way – there are so many persons featured on TV programs. 

For me, the couch is sometimes the best option to enjoy those crazy, daring, and insanely brave activities.

My earliest memories are of my mother telling her stories of how they travelled to Mossel Bay by ox wagon for their summer holidays. They had to outspan a few times to get from Oudtshoorn to Mossel Bay across the mountains and then they set up camp at De Bakke.

Despite the lack of facilities, those holidays must have been totally carefree.

My mother’s love for the town of Mossel Bay, meant that we had a bungalow at “The Bakke” for many years until the Mossel Bay Council decided that they could use the land for a more lucrative holiday cottage venue and our bungalows had to be broken down! it was a sad day when this happened.

In those early years the community had to share a communal toilet – one toilet for many bungalows!! We had no running water and no electricity. Eventually, my mom decided that she would prefer her own “long drop” toilet in the yard so that was dug and covered by asbestos walls. I hated that toilet – my worst fear was falling down the hole, especially at night! And the spiders…. oh my word, they loved that outhouse! But we loved our holidays and could not bear the thought of crossing back over the mountain to the searing heat of summer in Oudtshoorn.

Travellers today are in various classes of expectations - some are still happy to "rough" it in the wilderness whilst others expect 5* treatment from arrival until departure. 
John Varty's favourite saying of "Tread lightly on the earth" does not always work well when expecting 5* treatment. However, there are many establishments who have mastered this - Singita is one company that comes to mind.

The days of “slow” travel, such as 2 weeks to reach UK from South Africa on the Union Castle ships, have long gone. We are perhaps all guilty of wanting to get to our destination as quickly as possible, despite the damage to our skies and the air that we breathe. The modern ocean liners are floating, luxury hotels and so enjoyed by many. However, the damage caused by thousands of tourists descending into ports around the globe has already been documented with cities like Venice wanting to restrict the number of ships and tourists.

Travel does certainly broaden our horizons and I do not think that we will stop travelling. It is so uplifting to learn about so many different cultures, food is often very specific to a region and this makes for incredible, culinary experiences that we cannot enjoy at home. (maybe because we are not very good in the kitchen!!) 

Travel experiences live on forever whilst many other memories become buried and forgotten. 

I wrote the quote below many years ago.....

" Travel is food for the soul, restores our balance, links us to our global community and allows us to be witness to various cultures,climates,languages and foods. We come to realise our small part in the global nature of our earth,which is part of the greater Universe" (Judelle Drake)

Tourism is also the life-blood of many countries and my own business relies heavily on this.

However, perhaps we will all look at the world differently now after Covid-19??

Our skies are now clear, animals are roaming more freely, the grass is still growing, the tides are never ceasing, the moon rises and the sun sets. Our earth has continued without our assistance. 

Will we ever feel safe again? Will we still want to go to places that are so over-crowded?  

Or will we seek out quieter spots and thank our lucky stars that we are still alive to enjoy our earth??

It is anybody’s guess……which way will be the best - left or right?

Stay safe and well

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Ramblings from Cape Town, South Africa

Can we travel soon?

PLEASE??

Can we travel yet???
Photo Credit: James Williams

Cape Town (and the world) under Lockdown Covid-19 is something most of us will never forget.
This period in world history will be something that our children/grand-children will most probably find quite boring to read about unless they are currently experiencing life at home with no formal schooling. All those folk who are already living "the dream" on islands, or hidden in forests or mountains the world over, may not even realise that the rest of the world is now also in isolation!!

For those who follow Ben Fogle's TV documentaries about people living "In the Wild" perhaps  isolation on a tropical island or hidden amongst the clouds in the Himalayas now seems much more appealing?

Having said that, this city girl is truly missing the beauty of Cape Town and further afield with my camera slung around my neck.  Our planned trip to Southern Italy was due to start 7th May 2020.
This will now, most probably, remain a dream.

For most of us in the Hospitality Industry life is currently pretty tough but we hope to survive this crisis with not too many scars.  Most of us in this industry also love to travel as and when time permits. One has to wonder if international travel will ever reach the highs of recent years?
Or will many planes land up in scrap yards? We hope not.

Having said all that, we hope that Cape Town will once again be on the bucket list of both local and international travellers. South Africa has incredible beauty and Cape Town is a city like none other.

Kalk Bay remains a village that can be visited over and over again. The harbour is always interesting, the locals even more so, the restaurants are varied, the fishing boats draw photographers and the seals are always on the look out for scraps off the boats.

Kirstenbosch is Cape Town's pride and joy - this Botanical Garden is one of the best in the world and attracts both locals and tourists. Take time out to enjoy a picnic on the wide expanses of lawn, enjoy the summer concerts, enjoy the bird life, marvel at the stunning flora, hike up into the mountain or just sit on a bench and enjoy the mountain views.

Art and Sculpture are part and parcel of the Cape Town scene - visit the Norval Foundation for interesting exhibits and a slow wander around their gardens. The onsite restaurant offers a huge deck for summer breakfasts or lunches.

Norval Foundation

Art lovers can also enjoy the modern Zeitz Museum in the V&A.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum is a classic car lovers delight and also brings you to the Winelands for a long, lazy lunch!

Franschhoek Motor Museum

Capetonians love to exercise and we have all the facilities - indoors or outdoors!

In the ocean, on the beaches, in the mountains, or biking along Sea Point Promenade.

So please, don't be in Lockdown forever - we would love to see you as soon as possible!!

Penguins in Simonstown, Cape Town, South Africa 

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Table Mountain from Blouberg

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Cape Town and the Spanish Flu

CAPE TOWN  AND THE SPANISH FLU 1918

Cape Town had been no stranger to epidemics.  In 1713 nearly 25 percent of Cape Town residents died from smallpox and another 2 000 died when it broke out again 42 years later. In 1881 another 1 000 died from smallpox.  The bubonic plague claimed 395 victims in 1901.

The Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918, however, claimed a conservative estimate 50 million lives worldwide,  with  India having the highest number of recorded deaths at 17 million.  South African deaths are estimated to have been between 280 000 and 300 000 deaths.  In Cape Town the figure is approximately  6342 deaths  while a further 116 378 non-fatal cases were reported.  The total population was only 199 570 which meant that two out of every three residents in Cape Town were affected.

The strain of Flu was called “Spanish Flu, as the Spanish newspapers  were  the first to report it.  Spain was neutral in World War 1 and there was no military censorship in this regard. They could report how the Flu was killing both Allied and German troops in their trenches. It is claimed that 43% of American troops that died in the War, died from the Spanish Flu. There was no antidote for the Flu at the time.

The origin of the Flu is  unknown but it  was first observed in Europe, America and areas of Asia.   One unusual aspect of the flu was that it struck down many previously healthy, young people. 

According to author Catherine Arnold, Cape Town had a mild form of the Spanish Flu in July 1918 which gave the population some sort of immunity against the lethal strain which followed. This mild strain was later  found in Durban in early September 1918, resulting in one death. 

The first case of the lethal strain of Spanish Flu in Cape Town was on 13th September 1918.  It had broken out among the 1300 troops returning from a one  year  active duty in France and Belgium. The troop ship had stopped for coal in Free Town in Sierra Leone, where the Spanish Flu was rampant.  On arriving at Cape Town Harbour, the Infected soldiers  were placed in the military hospital where they infected the medical staff.  The  remainder of the troops were sent to the military camp at the Rosebank Showgrounds where  the Baxter Theatre and the College of Music now stand. The staff at the Military camp, the transport drivers, the stevedores and fisherman at the harbour nearly all  contracted the Spanish Flu .

The first civilian death appears to be that of John Smith, a 20 year old brush maker from District Six on 30^th September.   By the  6th of  October,  160 people were being  buried each day.  By October 9,  this had increased to 250 per day and by the 13^th the figure  was 300 per day. After 4 weeks, 4% of Cape Town’s population had died.

Unlike many other viruses, the majority of the victims were young men and women,  leaving behind almost  2000 children. Ellerslie High School became a temporary hospital  while the City hall became the center for relief food and medicine. Canon Lavis ( later Bishop Lavis ) opened up St Pauls in Bree Street for victims. 

Death itself could come fast, often quicker than 12 hours. Charles  Lewis bordered a streetcar in Cape Town for a three hour journey.  First the conductor collapsed and died and soon after  the driver and 6 passengers died.  Charles  walked home.

Every morning carts went through the streets of Cape Town,  manned by convicts,  picking up the dead who had dropped dead on the streets and ringing a bell calling people to bring out their dead. At the  Maitland cemetery a minister was on permanent duty while carts and wheelbarrows piled with bodies, lined Voortrekker Road.   Coffins were in short supply and bodies were being buried in blankets in mass graves. When morgues were filled to capacity, bodies  were taken to Woodstock Beach and buried in trenches.   Some   survivors  later  developed  a condition which caused them to go into a coma and appeared to be  dead. Of these many failed to recover totally and were unable to move.

Most shops and offices closed.  Public transport and postal services barely operated.  Schools and places of public entertainment were closed down and churches were requested not to hold services. Streets were almost deserted during the day.  According to the Cape Times, Cape Town was like a City in mourning.  

By the end of October the number of cases was rapidly decreasing and the Town started to revive.  On the 30^th of October, theatres and cinemas were opened after being fumigated .  Over the following  months the authorities  kept a close  watch on ships entering Cape Town harbour. Worldwide the pandemic was declared over only in 1928. 

Cape Town had been  experiencing a boom period which had led to gross overcrowding.  The Great War had also resulted in an influx of military personnel which had worsened the overcrowding. It was commonly conceded that the overcrowding and poor housing had been a major factor in the spread of the epidemic.

As a result, two housing companies were established.   Garden Cities in 1919  and the Citizen’s Housing League a few years later.  A further outcome was that  the City  developed   Maitland Garden Village in 1921, Garden Cities developed  Pinelands in 1922 and Langa was established in 1925. After the second World War, the Citizens Housing League (now known as Communicare) developed Thornton in 1947.   At the time the Citizens Housing League  lobbied for improved housing legislation. A new Housing Act and an improved Public Health Bill came before Parliament

Worldwide, a flu surveillance network was developed to deal with  flu pandemics.  This network  was able to reduce the impact of the 1957 Asian Flu, 1968 Hong Kong flu, 1991 Hong Kong Bird Flu and the 2004 Asian Bird Flu.  It is too early to tell if it has made an impact on the current pandemic.

Article Courtesy:
Brian Watkyns  1987  updated 2020.

Footnote : Klasie van  Rensburg, living in Wolermaranstad had predicted a number of events and was regarded as a sieneer (seer). He accurately  predicted that  at the beginning of 1918,   a great plague would sweep the world and South Africa. But that’s a story for another time……

Walking along the Elsies River Canal in  Pinelands

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