Victoria's Voyage

DAY 1

And so it began, a simple train journey to dear old London. For that night I would embark upon a new international adventure – this time to the wilds of South Africa and beyond….

The journey to the airport and getting through the airport are always the parts I tend to get most nervous about on a trip – moreso even than coordinating the arrival at my end destination. I struggle to really settle until I’m through to the lounge awaiting departure, so when I slumped down on that seat I released a huge sigh of relief I forgot I’d been holding in and allowed my mind to wander idle to Cape Town.

17 hours later I finally arrived at my hotel after the most horrendously backed up drive from Cape Town’s airport. Whatever the event, it was clearly a big one for the Springboks, creating a wonderfully chaotic and seemingly endless sea of green and yellow rugby shirts around the entire V&A Waterfront area. A nightmare for the roads and slightly problematic for my need of a good lunch as all the pubs and restaurants were already rammed full, but such a buzzy, positive and vibrant atmosphere at the same time. The Waterfront is just a genuinely lovely area to walk around, with eateries aplenty, a huge shopping centre, artsy sculptures, street drum music. I even saw a pop-up dog rescue in one of the squares filled with a whole pack of pups available for adoption. That was cute as hell.

After my wander around the harbour I stumbled upon the Time Out Market – just in the nick of time to quench my growing thirst. The Time Out Market offers all kinds of world quisine as well as a couple of bars in a food court style arrangement, and I felt completely at home there. Sitting with my vodka and lemonade I took the opportunity to put down my phone and soak in all the joy, excitement and bonding happening around me. Before leaving, I made a mental note to go back there before my time in Cape Town is through. Next door to this is the Watershed Market where I could honestly have spent A LOT of money. Wandering the stalls of various trinkets and handicrafts it took everything within me not to get too spend happy too quickly. There were a myriad of beautiful wares, but I had to remind myself that this was just day one of a 12 day trip and that there was still plenty of time left to shop around. Didn’t stop me leaving with a new photo frame and a Christmas tree decoration though! It would have been rude to leave completely empty-handed, after all.

Which left a swift return to the hotel and a major crash. Fuelled by very little sleep and just snack food, I was more than content to forgo a little activity time to catch up with myself. This is an important lesson everyone who travels needs to learn. Yes, you want to cram in as much as possible, but sometimes the best thing you do can do is rest and recover. And, it meant I was just energised enough to meet five of my tour mates early over a few drinks later that evening. All in all, day well spent.

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DAY 2

Waking to the sound of squalking seagulls, Day 2 was the day – the day my group tour up the country of South Africa and through to Botswana would officially begin.

First though, there was one more little thing I wanted to tick off. I took a quick shower, then straight down to the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which offered an impressive selection of tasty hot and cold bites, from English breakfast classics to pastries to all the fruits and cheeses you could ever wish for. That would set me up very well for my amble back down to the harbour – far less crazy than the same walk had been the day before. Here, I approached the dock and boarded a small boat. The question was, would I see any of the marine life I’d been hoping to?

Well, it’s safe to say things didn’t go exactly to plan, but I certainly cannot fault the crew, who were fantastic throughout. We’ll start with the positives. As I said, the crew were great – very attentive and informative and just generally friendly. And we did see three of our five animal targets. The boat was also well equipped with everything – including drinks and muffins – and felt very safe. It’s just a shame about the high winds and rain that broke out halfway through the cruise, and the fact the wildlife was a little scarce. And, to top it all off? I got a little seasick!

My biggest travesty once aboard though wasn’t the rain or the rocky waters. It was my camera, which was stuck with the lens out on an error screen. The horror I felt in that moment was very real. Firstly was the fact that I wouldn’t be able to get any even half decent shots of the few animals that did pop up in our line of vision to say hello, but more than that was all the actual safaris I have coming up. For now we will have to settle on just the one photo of the lounging seals worth sharing, the penguins and dolphins nothing more than specks amongst an endless sea of waves. But this wouldn’t do going forward.

And so came an impromptu Google of nearby camera shops (most of which it turns out are typically closed on Sundays). Once back on solid ground though, I headed straight for the closest one that seemed open, in the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre just minutes away. The guys in there really reaffirmed what I have already quickly realised about this place. The people could not be more friendly and helpful. They took turns to fiddle with it a little bit, initially stumped and genuinely sorry such an error had happened to such a ‘really nice piece of kit’. Until one of them shrugged and suggested the camera equivalent of ‘turning it on and off again’. He removed the battery for a few minutes before reinserting it and trying again. The relief came in tidal waves far bigger than those I’d just sailed through when it took a successful first photo (a rather unflattering off-guard snap of myself). Things would be alright after all.

Lunch followed at a gorgeous seafood restaurant by the harbourside – Quay Four – where I upheld a tradition started several years and locations prior. For those who don’t know, I like to try each country’s version of ‘fish and chips’, interested in their own unique interpretations in contrast to how it is served in the UK. This one, served in a large pan no less, was pretty damn good. And finally the gentle heat of sunshine broke through the cloud cover and caressed my back, warming me through nicely – a welcome relief from the earlier rains. A fitting end to my solo chapter as I prepare to meet my travel group for real. Watch this space for my continued adventures in this great country.