The Rovos Railway to the Northeast

I'm writing this from the grandest Hotel in Johanessburg, De 'Oreale or Emperor's Palace.
It truly lives up to its name. A vast complex of hotel, casino and upscale restaurants. We
just had lunch in a Chinese restaurant filled with, of all things, Chinese. They say that
China is making great inroads in Africa.

It was Valentine's day and Jack fetched us promptly to Cape Town just before rush hour. On
the way we passed miles of shanty town shacks where most of the black South Africans live
in pretty harsh conditions, somewhat like the slums you see in areas of Rio. This is one
situation that the SA gov't better improve but quickly. The Rovos Rail terminal was a far
cry from the metal clad shacks we passed.
A violinist and guitarist combo were playing classic selections while the 32 passengers assembled
were served tea and crumpets, etc.. Just before boarding time, Rohan Rovos, who is the owner
and CEO, spoke to the group and informed us that due to a derailment about 250 Km up the
line we will have to be driven by bus to the train. It would be waiting at a small town of
Matjiesfontein. We were to have lunch and be entertained there and then board the train.
This town was the center of the battlefield during the Boer war at the end of the 19th century.
You history buffs will have to check this war out. All seemed reasonable enough until after
lunch we were informed that the train would be ready at another spot, Beaufortport. A
revolting development since the trip by bus, although a comfortable carrier turned out to be
more than 8 hours. Needless to say there were alot of unhappy campers including, moi.
Mr. Voss had slipped us a fast one and it was the first glitch in our travel thus far.

However, we did embark the Rovos train, which was a delightful experience and we were
soon able to forgive and forget. It is a luxurious group of rail cars that probably were used
in the early 1900s, wood panelled walls, carpeted floors, ensuite bathroom (quite ample)
with a 21th century shower. Of course there were service staff aplenty. The dining car
was beautiful and the food, first class. We ate high off the hog, ostrich and lobster with
different wines and brandy between courses.

We eased into our accommodations and began to enjoy the ride. It was late before we
retired for the night. Our room attendant gave us instructions on how to operate the
electrical systems etc. Sleeping on a train in motion isn't easy and getting around during
the night is more of a challenge for us oldsters but we persisted and managed to get
a few hours shuteye. Breakfast the morning after was excellent, offering a wide variety of
dishes and it was interesting to view the SA scenery fly by as we sipped our morning coffee. (decaf, of course)

We stopped at Kimberely, where we toured the town, looked into the "Big Hole"where
diamonds were first mined in SA and were taken to the mine museum. We also watched
a massive flock of pink flamingos, about 15ooo they say, that spend winter in SA.
The local guide was a wealth of knowledge about every "facet" of the diamond industry
presented with a touch of SA humor. Did you know how the "carat" came to be the universal
measure of weight for precious stones?

Tomorrow, we take a small plane over to the Kruger Nat'l Park and the Kings Camp to
start the long awaited safari. Grandma is getting ready to run with the lions.