My Trip to ZA: Part 2

This is part 2 of my travel in South Africa posts.

My travel to ZA was mostly for work. I am working on several rivers and wetlands there for a research project through a university in Wales. Travelling for vacation or holiday is really unlike other types of travel. Vacation travel gives you a different sense of place than travel for other reasons. On vacation travel the objective is enjoyment. Most other types of travel involve some other kind of purpose and require that more specific objectives be met and tasks be accomplished.

My objective was to collect wetland sediment (really sticky mud) and rock samples from my study rivers: The Klip, Schoonspruit, Mooi, Blood, Pienaars, and Vaal and mail them back to the UK to analyze at labs there. I also hoped to make some new contacts to work with in the future. I met several people working in the fantastic geology department at The University of the Witswatersrand (Wits, pronounced “vits,” for short). Through connections with a colleague from the UK who was traveling and working with me, we were able to borrow tools to use in the field and rent a research vehicle at little expense. The Toyota had a straight front axle and leaf springs that combined with miles of bumpy dirt roads would be the source of a lot of back aches during the four weeks of research.

Getting access to the private property along rivers is a challenge in a lot of places. In ZA, many landowners don’t live on-site and have resident operators that don’t always feel comfortable giving permission to trespass. Many are Afrikaans and don’t speak English well. Fortunately, I gained access to most the sites I needed with a little friendly conversation. One site I failed to get access to involved dealing with a local chief, Moratele. Gaining access to the site would involve going through his gate. The advice given by colleagues at Wits was to buy scotch, tea, and cigarettes and tell him how wonderful he would be for granting my group access through his gate. I was looking forward to this cultural experience more than some others in my group and we decided to drive some extra distance to go around the gate.

Sampling in wetlands is never ideal, but particular environmental challenges were burned reed swamps and high winds. At the Blood River site, I sank up past my knees in mud while trying to avoid being stabbed by sharp burned reed ends and keep my equipment in the dry. We augured at least 20 feet down before giving up on reaching bedrock below the wetland. At the Mooi River we stayed at a farm adjacent to the Kamberg KZN wildlife nature reserve. A fire at an adjacent farm spread to the one where we stayed and obscured the valley in smoke, making us wait to perform some measurements. Extremely high winds kept us in another day. All in all, we were lucky not to have more setbacks due to Mother Nature. Another setback was a flat tire that occurred on a Saturday afternoon in the rural town of Vrede. Nothing is open on the weekends in Vrede (and most other rural towns). We took the opportunity to watch South Africa play rugby on television and relax on Sunday. We got the flat fixed relatively quickly on Monday morning.

The final feat was mailing the samples back to the UK. It took about half a day to organize shipment through a courier (I’ve been advised not to use the South African postal service). The forms were numerous and lengthy and I was still charged VAT in the UK for my rocks and dirt. Shipping from ZA is quite expensive, but all arrived on time and intact. The key to being successful and happy working in international locations is to remember that things don’t operate on the same schedule or in the same way as in the States. Patience and a laid back attitude are your best defense against aggravation. Scheduling some extra time for mishaps and uncooperative weather helps too. I plan to post more detailed physiographic and geologic information on my research blog and will link to this post when I do. Click here for more photos from field work.

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.