Tale of three cities, S.A.
Johannesburg, City of Gold. The last time I was here was in 1991, just after the apartheid regime ended. The travel warnings were the same as before: "Leave your valuables in the safe ( there is a statement that says that the hotel is not liable for the lost of any valuables) ; Do not wander alone; Do not wear flashy jewellery".. the list goes on. For people who carry arms, there are signs that say " Leave your firearms outside of establishment " and "Management reserves the right of admission". Enough to make one wary even before you leave your hotel room. S.A never fails to give you a feeling of stepping back in time. We stayed at the Monte Casino complex and each morning, music from the fountain transported me back to the 80's.
One of the "must see" in Jo'burg is the Apartheid Museum. It is well documented and presented in a "matter of fact" manner. The exhibit reminded me of the fragility of mankind and howit takes just some looney leaders to inflict immeasurable miseries.
Packing for the two week trip, I had assumed that there was little to buy in S.A. except for the usual touristy souvenirs and African wood carvings. I was very mistaken! There are loads to buy: impala fur goods, handpainted ceramics, Ostrich leather bags, sports/safari wear, camping gear, locally designed t-shirts and lots more. People who love the great outdoors will find Jo'burg a shopper's paradise because camping equipments like tents, sleeping bags, outdoor wear are widely available and best of all : at unbeatable prices. Souvenir shopping is best done in Jo'burg for its sheer diversity and variety of choices. 
Satisfied with my shopping expedition in Jo'burg, we flew to Cape Town. The cape will always remain one of the most beautiful places on earth. With its scenic coastline that breaks into lagoons and inlets, blue expanse of sea and mountain ranges looming behind, the cape continues to attract foreign property buyers. Real estate prices has skyrocketed many times over! We drove to the nearby wine estates of Stellenbosch and Franshoek. S.A wine is divine and even the cheapest are very drinkable. I ordered one glass for lunch and they gave me a big wine glass filled to the brim. We lunched at Hout Bay's Fisherman Wharf before driving along Chapman's Drive to 
watch the magnificient sunset. 
Cape architecture, route to Franshoek
Food and wine were incredibly inexpensive and good. We ate at some of the top restaurants in Cape Town that would have cost us an arm and a leg back home. Fresh seafood topped my list. I dined on lobsters every evening during my 4-day stay in Cape Town and i was told that the Kingklip in Lemon butter sauce is very good too. I love taking afternoon tea because of the choice of cakes and to top it off, coffee for 4 people cost barely 5 euros!
The climax of my S.A trip must be encountering the apex predators of the sea. On a chilly morning, I travelled for 2 hours from Cape town to Gaansbai to go cage diving with the Great Whites. It was grrrrrrreat! I would not have missed it for anything! The encounter was exciting and I was more terrified of the freezing waters than the sharks. Sure, it is different from any of my diving experiences, but being that close to the Great Whites, you'll want to stay behind steel bars. We got into 8mm thick wetsuits and into 10 degrees cold waters. I was shaking from the cold than from fear.. 
Ta dum, ta dum.
Not catch of the day...
Seal colony-shark fodder
The last city was Pretoria. This administrative capital is like a provincial suburb compared to Jo'burg, the commercial and financial nerve centre. Pretoria's streets are lined with Jacaranda trees, when in bloom shroud the city in lilac, so I am told. We stayed in a delightful country-style bed and breakfast. B&B in Pretoria is one of the best accomodation for travellers in search of some privacy and the"home away from home" feeling. Prices range from budget to the high end. What I enjoyed at our B&B were the home-made muesli and coffee/tea plus cookies that were available all day. Bed and Breakfast
Things to look out for all kinds of leather goods: Ostrich skin handbags ( a la Hermes), spectacle cases, wallets etc.., Sports wear and equipments at Cape Union Store. Local handicraft markets are worth a visit. Hand printed Tee-shirts.
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