rainbow nation

i almost didn't make it to south africa. i was not fit to go. i had a terrible flu the day before we flew. i went to the doctor and she recommended that i postpone my flight because the flu will only worsen, and i have to be considerate to the other passengers. i said i could not postpone it. we got our itinerary and appointments that it is too late to back out now. im really a walking jinx. in my 1 year in hk, i never got sick. and i caught a flu just when i was about to make my first business trip. damn.

i also had a huge pimple at the center of my nose. darn. first time in hk as well.

this is how sick and ugly i looked like when we landed at jburg. never mind the smile.



anyway, we stayed at rosebank hotel in johannesburg. not good. no ref, bar, microwave, slippers. good thing the people are nice.


and i sort of witnessed a history in johannesburg. it snowed on our second day and the locals claim that the last time it happened was twenty five years ago. so much for welcoming us. my first time to see snow.

we stayed in johannesburg for two nights and then we're off to cape town. cape town is more pleasant and it seems more homey than jburg.



the table mountain is the most prominent feature of cape town. it's overwhelmingly located at the heart of the city. you can see it anywhere you drive, and it will never fail to amaze you wherever you are.

table mountain during the day:






it looks even more majestic at night:



we stayed at the commodore hotel. a much better hotel than rosebank. and dig this, i got to stay in one twin room for one night due to booking problem. a nice twist of fate to refrain from staying with my boss for at least a night and regain sanity.




here are the things that i learned in south africa:

1. even though our clients are all white people, it is still a land of blacks. and they don't make a fuss about it.


2. it is a beautiful country.
one of 'em suburbs


the grace hotel





3. the crime rate is so alarming. the people do not use public transportation because they fear for their lives, thus the overcrowding of parking areas. the government is acting on it. you can hear in the radio how they try their best to convince south africans to report crimes no matter how petty they are. but it just wouldn't stop. such a pity for a beautiful country.

4. when you order for water, specify if you want still or sparkling.

5. food servings are really generous.

6. always watch out for what you eat or what you do. this is still a land of AIDS, and you have to be cautious at all times.

7. people are generally nice. just forget the high crime rate for a while.