My Trip to ZA: Part 1

Stepping out of Johannesburg International Airport (recently renamed O.R. Tambo), it's not hard to know what is on the minds of Guatangers and South Africans everywhere. The World Cup in 2010 is bringing new roads and a sense of international recognition to the country. I was there for four weeks of field work and for a nine-day holiday to Krueger Park afterwards. My next few posts will be about my trip to ZA. If you are headed off to the World Cup, be sure to do some research about South Africa before you go. Most things are inexpensive, especially outside of Johannesburg. In my experience, few places outside of the cities accepted American credit cards. ATM machines are available, but often don't have any money in them, so take advantage and get cash when you can. There is often a 2,000 Rand limit, but you can swipe your card more than once. Don't expect speedy service anywhere. At restaurants, if you use a card to pay, you must indicate your tip amount before they run the card. Tips are not requisite, but remember that most folks in the service industry are supporting several others—so don’t be stingy like the Brits; tip like you would in the U.S. Negotiating prices is commonplace in South Africa, so don’t be afraid to ask for lower prices on arts and crafts in the markets. I didn’t try to negotiate too much because the initial cost is not high and the wages in South Africa are low for many artisans. Part of the philosophy of bargaining is that by participating in the discussion the buyer gives time and therefore importance to the seller, rather than throwing down some cash and walking away with the goods. Instead of negotiating price, I prefer to talk to the artisan or seller about their life and take their picture. Usually, people are more than happy to talk about themselves and accept full price. There are several outdoor markets and you will see many of the same kinds of things at most of them, so be sure to look around before settling on the quality and price at the first stall. Common arts and crafts are beaded wire animals, batik, bamboo leaf art, embroidery, wood carvings and metal arts.

I managed to get a rental car without a reservation, but don't recommend it. Try to get a rate that gives you lots of mileage per day. Don't forget that even though they refer to "mileage," distance is measured in kilometers. Two hundred kilometers doesn't stretch too far outside of the city. Rental cars will be manual unless you specify automatic transmission and reserve well in advance. Not one gas station I used in five weeks accepted cards other than “garage cards,” a gas card for that particular company. Even if you have a BP card from the U.S. and it is a BP station, American cards are not accepted. Driving is a bit chaotic. I learned how to drive on the wrong side of the road amidst droves of pedestrians and speeding bus taxis packed past capacity. Drivers pass where there is any opening in oncoming traffic, obscuring hills and curves or not. The N4 outside of Krueger is marked as a two lane road but turns into four lanes with use of the shoulders and passing in the middle. Breath deeply and avoid pedestrians.

Cellular phone coverage is fantastic and fairly inexpensive. The few places I visited that had no service were very remote. Getting a SIM card in ZA is easy. Ensure that your phone can use a SIM card; some U.S. phones do not. Another option is to buy an inexpensive phone there. There are several companies that supply cellular phone service. You can buy extra time to top up your phone at several outlets in gas stations and service centers.

Buy an up-to-date map. Several place names are being reassigned to a new non-imperialistic name e.g.: What was Warm Baths in English or Warmbad in Afrikaans is now Bela-Bela to all. Also, be aware that even though some locations have been renamed, there is still signage with the old name. The renaming makes online booking a bit challenging. Places may have both an English and Afrikaans name as well as a new name. Guides such as Lonely Planet are helpful, but many businesses change hands frequently, so be sure to ask for the correct phone number and name of the place if you call and get an unexpected connection. Each province has a Tourism Authority Information Office and these are fantastic sources of information. Just ring up and ask for recommendations.

Just like anywhere else in the world, the differences between the city and rural areas are vast. Dining out in Johannesburg, there are several options in variety and price. In rural areas, it is quite limited. Many places allow you to self-cater and the most popular way to do that is to braai. A braai is an outdoor bbq of any of several designs, but most have an open fire area and a grill that can swing over the coals. I got to have a proper braai with a few colleagues from The Witswatersrand University while doing field work on the Blood River (Bloed Rivier). Like the US, a lot of corn is grown in South Africa and it is a staple. Grits, cooked until just a bit dry, covered in a canned tomato sauce is essential to the braai menu. Of course in ZA you would ask for mealy pap with sheshebo. Other essentials on the braai menu are lamb chops and boervors. Vors means sausage. Boers are the Dutch farmers who settled the region after the East India Company figured out that they couldn’t trade with the Africans and needed people to supply ships coming into port. Boervors is farmers’ sausage. It is very popular and found in most stores and butchers’ shops (slaghouis). It is beef sausage with a distinct hint of coriander and other seasonings. Be choosy when buying meat from stores in rural areas. The slaghouis is often your best bet, but be sure to ask someone where the best meat is found. Other treats to try out on the road are biltong and droevors. Biltong is dried sliced meat, similar to jerky and is made of several different game meats and beef. Droevors is dried sausage, similar to summer sausage, but softer. It is basically dried boervors. Another outdoor cooking treat is a potjie. It is a large cast iron pot with a lid and legs that stands over an open fire simmering a stew of meat and vegetables inside and similar to what we call Dutch Oven cooking in the U.S. We were treated to a poitjie by the lovely folks at Otters' Haunt at the Vaal River in the Vredefort Dome. Graeme and Karen are long time whitewater and outdoor enthusiasts and we had a great time rafting, kayaking, hiking, and talking about river conservation. You can book whitewater, biking and walking tours of the Vredefort Dome through Graeme's Riverman website or just hang out at the Otters' Haunt for fly fishing, birdwatching and a stay in a bush camp for the authentic African experience. It was a highlight of the trip.

Despite the lack of convenience, bad air quality, and risk of theft, traveling in ZA is a great experience. The people are some of the friendliest anywhere and they like Americans. There are several parks operated by the government that are home to the best in scenery and wildlife. If traveling there, or anywhere, just relax, don’t be in a hurry, and talk to people with a smile. Most things are negotiable in South Africa. The next posts will be about field work in ZA and saving the best for last, Krueger National Park. Until then, a few of my favorite Afrikaans/ZA words:

Lekker: pronounced similar to “liquor” or "like-ah", means really, really good. A lekker jol is a great party.

Gutvol: pronounced like "hut full" but with a guttural h, means fed up, literally a gut full. As in I’m gutvol of the UK.

Yebo: “yeah bo” means hi, what’s up?!!

Dankie: “donkey” means thanks.

For all the lack of convenience Traveling in ZA If you're headed to ZA for the World Cup or anything else

P.S. I’ve been asked why I abbreviate South Africa “ZA.” South Africa was settled by the Dutch who spell it Zuid-Afrika so the official postal abbreviation and domain ending is ZA. Also, SA is the abbreviation for Saudi Arabia. I don't know why Australia is called OZ. Their postal abbreviation and domain is AU and OZ doesn't make any sense at all. I think it is just word play.

Dairy Cottage

After only one day of really searching, we found a flat through ALP letting agency. The operators, Adrian and Anthony, were helpful and nice. The process was a lot easier than we expected. The only oddity is a charge for deposit protection. The Welsh government regulates rental deposits and there is a mandatory 35GBP fee that goes to theregulatory agency. This has apparently reduced the grief caused rogue letting agents. Dairy Cottage is the name of our flat; it’s written just above the blue door. It has front and rear gardens, space for a car we don’t have, and the rent (600GBP) is inclusive of council tax and utilities. Council tax is levied locally to pay for roads, schools, parks, and the like. It is based on the value of property and analogous to property tax in the US, though not necessarily based on ownership. I don’t know whether it is passed on to the renter by the owner or is based on occupancy. If you’re moving to Wales, it is well worth the time to investigate because it can be quite pricey. We are looking forward to moving from the trailer on the hill outside of town (photos previous post) to this cozy spot.

Arriving in Aberystwyth

After 24 hours of travel from Fayetteville, Arkansas, we’ve arrived in Aberystwyth. The trailer arranged for us by my host here is not as small as I expected. The décor is as hodge-podge of patterns and materials that might have been fashionable in different times and places. The boiler won’t light, so there is no hot water, but luckily, there is a shower building in the caravan park. It is cool and damp in the way that makes me glad I hauled my goose down comforter. I can’t remember who wrote about this place that it is the perfect place for the unambitious man. My only motivation this morning is the left over coffee I still had in my travel cup, reheated in the microwave.

Packing my stuff

I found this clip on World Hum's Travel website and laughed as I'm looking at my stuff and trying to decide what stuff to take, what stuff to store, and what stuff to get rid of. After all, it's all just a bunch of stuff.

The visa arrives, looking for accommodation

It is surprising to me that after waiting 2 months, my visa has actually arrived early. It is a small document with an embossed seal plastered in a page in my passport. Given the prior frustrations, I am pleased that it took less than a week for it to arrive, correct, with all of the documents I sent in returned undamaged. Of course, I already made my travel plans for the first week in July not counting on bureaucratic efficiency or expedience. The new challenge is to find a place to stay when we arrive in Aberystwyth. From my research online, the town is small and is a tourist destination in the summer with the high season starting just about the time we will step off the train from Birmingham International. The university I am working with initially gave me hopes of providing accommodation. That hope has been dashed. The hotels and hostels that have a website all seem to be booked from their online reservation systems. Several list only phone numbers, but I prefer not to use the phone at all, let alone internationally and we will likely wing it on the shoe leather express until we find a place to sleep. Once we find a hostel the next feat will be to an apartment, hopefully with high-speed internet.

Getting a UK work permit and visa part 2

If you are viewing this post to get info on how to go through the process of getting a UK work permit and visa, be sure to read part 1 on the previous post first. Last week I went to Memphis to submit biometric data. The office is the Dept of Homeland Security and the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) office. You cannot enter the building without going through security and having the printed appointment confirmation that includes a bar code at the end. From there, you put your appointment confirmation in a slot and wait for your name to be called. We arrived an hour early for our appointments. While it seems unnecessary to arrive early, we were able to get in about 10 minutes after we arrived. The staff at the Memphis USCIS was really friendly. To have your data collected, you show your passport and then have your fingerprints scanned and your photos taken, then they send you on your way. The process took about 10 minutes. They stamp your appointment confirmation that you then mail to the British Consulate along with the rest of your visa paperwork. The required supporting documents you submit for a visa vary with each application. When you fill out the online application and biometric data appointment, they will send you a confirmation email that includes a list of the supporting documents they require for your visa application. As the work permit holder, I was required to submit passport, and a passport photo, bank statements for the past 3 months, the original work permit, stamped biometric appointment confirmation. I also included a letter from NSF explaining the grant program and my funding. Konah, as the work holder dependent, was required to submit birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate, and a passport photo. We sent this overnight mail in separate packages to the consulate. We received a confirmation email that they had opened our application packages two days later and a week after mailing them, received email notification that our applications had been approved and are being mailed via UPS. My work permit application was submitted on 27th of April, so all in all, and with the mistake on the first permit, the process has taken about 2 months. No, I decided not to eat in Memphis, and instead headed back to Northwest Arkansas, stopping off at Pedestal Rocks for some hiking on the way back.

Getting a UK work permit and visa part 1

For the past several months, I have been waiting to get my work permit and visa for my move to the UK to begin my NSF IRFP post-doc. I am writing in the hopes to help anyone out there trying to muddle their way through this frustrating process. I haven't included all of the details and requirements; be sure to read the forms and instructions carefully. One note of caution, you can't pay to speed this up unlike in the States where you can spend a few bucks to grease the wheel. To visit for less than a year, a US citizen can travel on their passport. If visiting, working, etc., for more than a year, you need a entry clearance or visa. Because I will be working in the UK, even though my funding is from the US, I am required to get a work permit. To obtain a work permit, your employer, or in my case my host scientist, must submit the paperwork on your behalf. There are different work permit applications for different types of positions. For example, my job falls into the category of sponsored research. Each type of permit has different requirements in the way of supporting documents. The time for processing a work permit is about 18 days. The British Border Agency sends the work permit to the employer and they send it to you. You need it for the visa application. The next step is the online visa application or VAF. This system requires the input of information verifying your identity etc. You can save the online form and return to it for 7 days. You enter your work permit number this detail requires you to wait to have the work permit in hand, or the number sent to you before filling out the form. You must also make an appointment to submit biometric data. The issue about scheduling an appointment to submit biometric data is a bit tricky. Don't bother trying to call any of the immigration offices that are listed as optional places to make the appointment. Their numbers are unlisted and they don't know anything about it anyway since they handle US Immigration. I also tried the $12 flat rate phone call to world bridge and info service for UK Immigration and they weren't much help either. Although it isn't mentioned until you complete the online application and pay, the available dates to schedule an appointment pop up at the end of the application process. I filled out my application on Thursday and my appointment is Monday, so at least in my case, there is no long delay in getting an appointment. The problem for me is that living in Northwest Arkansas, my closest centers are KC, OK City and Memphis, all of which are relatively long drive. I really wanted to find out how long until I could get an appointment and choose the fastest one, but it is not possible. I don't yet know what submitting biometric data entails, but will post about it and the rest of the process after my appointment. I chose Memphis because I can stay overnight in Little Rock with friends and family and I like their BBQ the best.

Fight Jetlag with Food

Some new research mentioned on NPR Science Friday this week describes a second bodily clock in mammals, similar to the circadian clock that is based on enzymes produced in accordance with food availability. The best news for travelers is that we may be able to shorten the time necessary to adjust to new time zones based on regulating our food consumption. There is a link in my shared items on the right hand side of this page.

Fishing on the King's River

This Saturday, despite warnings from the National Weather Service, friends, and family about the approaching rainstorm, Konah, a couple of friends, and I loaded our canoes and went for a fishing trip on the King's River in Northwest Arkansas. The river flows from near Fallsville north where it empties into Table Rock Lake. The river is class I downstream of SH 74 and is a gentle ride with the only hazard being a lot of down trees from the recent flooding and root wads that have been there for a longer time.

We floated and fished the section from Rockhouse to Trigger Gap after stopping at King's River Outfitters to look at the radar with Ernie. We waited for an hour under the bridge to let the rain pass, knowing that another storm was developing in Eastern Oklahoma that had a nastier reputation than the present burst of showers. But we had a window. We paid Ernie to drop us, our gear, and our boats off at Rockhouse and headed downstream for the 7.7 mile trip to Trigger Gap. There are a few large obstacles on this float. The minor one is a large rootwad that diverts flow at a right angle just downstream of Rockhouse. The second is about 7 miles down, just about a mile upstream of Trigger Gap. Here, a large tree has fallen into the river and there is no safe way to maneuver through it in a canoe. There is a gravel bar on river right provides an easy portage.

The sun was out and the fishing was good. My buddies had fished this section the weekend before and had a lot of luck with watermelon and pumpkin colored worms, so we rigged up different configurations of green plastic wigglies and caught several small fish. Had we just been cruising through and not taking out time to fish, we might have missed the storm. We sat through a little rain during the day, but nothing serious enough to pull out the rain gear. Just as we came around the bend with the must-portage-tree, only a mile from the take out, the thunder cracked and lightening started to flash. The rain came down in sheets making visibility difficult. Knowing we were close, we started to paddle hard until we saw large splashes of hail dropping into the water all around us. We pulled up under the trees on the bank and waited a few short minutes. As quickly as it started, the rain cleared and we had blue skies again. We eased through the last quarter mile down to Trigger Gap. My friend caught a pretty two pound small mouth, the nicest fish of the day, and we pulled off the river just before sunset. We were happy about the fish we caught and that it wasn't ten degrees colder.

Spring in Northwest Arkansas

Spring in Northwest Arkansas is truly a love/hate season for me. I'm not a cold weather person. Every winter I try not to stray too far from the fire. When spring begins to show itself, I am always eager with anticipation of shedding my winter coat. Each bud and flower is an invitation to reawaken the fun and adventure I've been sitting out on all winter. Heavy rains swell the rivers with the promise of views of the river usually unavailable from a canoe or kayak.

As I gear up, it's still a little chilly in the morning and I start sneezing. I never understood, or really believed in allergies until I my eyes started watering one spring. I load my pack or canoe as I try to detach my shoulders from my ears. Out on the trail, the wildflowers and waterfalls are even more beautiful than last year. Getting brave, I take my boots off and stick a toe in the water, only to retract it with a flinch. Spring is such lovely aggravation.

Hiking the Buffalo River Trail

Konah and I just finished a two and a half day, 26.2 mi hike on the Buffalo River Trail from Ponca to Pruitt. When we paid the folks at Lost Valley Canoe $35 to shuttle our truck, they were surprised we were hiking. Most are taking advantage of the recent influx of flow in the river since it's possible to float the Upper Buffalo without dragging your boat across every gravel bar. Despite the raised eyebrows, we really wanted to hike the trail before the ticks poison ivy takes over and we were just in time. The dwarf irises are blooming and the leaves on the trees are just beginning to obscure the view of the river from the trail.

The BRT, which currently connects Boxley to Pruitt, runs along the south side of the river and unlike the Old River Trail, has no river crossings. The two trails cross and frequently follow the same path. Currently, the BRT uses white blazes and the Old River Trail, primitive, or horse trail uses yellow ones. Before heading out, be sure to get and study the Trails Illustrated (topographic) Map of the Buffalo National River West Half, published by National Geographic. Other useful resources are Tim Ernst's Buffalo River Hiking Trails that includes a detailed, albeit rustic, description of the trail and an elevation profile. A brief description is also included in Ernst's Arkansas Hiking Trails. Ken Smith's Buffalo River Handbook is by far my favorite reading resource for Buffalo River information. It includes geology, vegetation, settlement, and historic information about the park, as well as detailed descriptions of the river and trails. It is also coordinated with the Trails Illustrated topographic maps.

The first day we hiked 10.2 miles from Ponca at the low water bridge to Kyle's Landing and camped there. The elevation changes are greatest in this section, and the views of the valley are the grandest. The overlook above Steel Creek is well worth the 30 minute climb from the campground. The second day we hiked 13.4 miles from Kyle's to Ozark Campground. The campground, like most in the Buffalo National River, has recently been improved with flush toilets and trash service. The fee for staying in campgrounds is $10.
I especially enjoyed the tributaries and their waterfalls. The tributaries vary from bedrock steps to large rounded boulder streams to a combination of the two. I also enjoyed the wildflowers, glimpses of the river, and quiet. People are relatively sparse on the trail during the week. We ran into one other hiker, headed the other direction, and a trail maintenance crew.

The third day we hiked the short 2.6 miles from Ozark to Pruitt where our truck had been delivered by Lost Valley Canoe. I enjoyed reminiscing about my childhood summers spent swimming at Pruitt. The water looked refreshing, but I could only stick my feet in the frigid water for a few minutes.
Before heading back to Fayetteville, we drove south on Arkansas Highway 7 past Jasper to the Cliff House Inn for some home style food and more great views. Their southern style meatloaf and homemade angel flake biscuits were a delicious end to the trip.

I am looking forward to hiking the 11 mile trail from Boxley to Ponca when it is a bit drier and the new sections farther east as they are completed.

Recipe: Slow Cooked Pork Tacos

I've added a food and recipes page to my website, so recipes won't be posted anymore, but writing about the recipes and comments on food will. For the slow cooked pork tacos, go to my website!! Maybe you'll find something else you like too.
http://amandakeenzebert.googlepages.com/food

Bienvenidos

Welcome friends,
I have created this site to share my adventures and ideas. In my thinking about how to organize my virtual life, I have contemplated how to divide up entries. At first, I thought about setting up all kinds of accounts or categories for things I write about: Travel, food, science, nature, and healthy living. But I realize that these topics overlap in my life and are likely to in my writing. So, the topic of this blog is likely to evolve over its lifetime and mine. See my research site, linked on this page for my work in geomorphology.