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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Monday, November 20, 2017

Part I - Johannesburg, South Africa

As always, our life has been oh so hectic! Pieter had a busy day at his office and on Thursday, November 14, 1985 he got off in the afternoon. That meant not being free but working hard in the garden. Unfortunately a wooden log fell on his foot; it hurt! He did attend a supper at a Lake House and after that I had to go with him to the hospital. X-rays got made and luckily nothing was broken. Packed with ice and his foot elevated onto a pillow, he made it through the night with some Tylenol 3, from the hospital. 
On Friday, November 15 at 18:10 we departed from Atlanta airport for Johannesburg, South Africa. 
A long journey on a 747 with Sabena Airlines, via Boston to Brussels, Belgium...
We got onto the airport train and in 15 minutes we reached the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels north, where we tried to use our pre-paid voucher for November 28. If we only could shower and find a bed to stretch out.
But NOPE - nothing! Very poor customer service...
Johannesburg
Saturday, November 16, we landed in Brussels at 10:00 and only at 16:35 on our way in a 747 to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo where we landed at 1:00 in the morning, after good 8 hours flying time.
Sunday, November 17, we landed at 6:00 in the morning in Johannesburg after another 3.5 hours in the air.
Approaching Johannesburg...
Johannesburg - postcard
JOHANNESBURG "The Hub of GOLD"
The railway station and high-rise buildings of the centre of the sprawling metropolis - with symbolic distant mine dumps of "The Golden City."

By 7:15 we were through customs and we had retrieved our suitcases. 
A very long journey without a BED! We had been 42 hours on the road since we left our home in Dublin, GA!
Colin Jacobson did pick us up and dropped us off at the Holiday Inn in Sandton.
On the way we did pass a huge Termitomyces, a termite mount. Pieter would have loved to stop and make a photo...
We took a bath and went to bed for about 2 hours... BIG MISTAKE!
It took a lot of cold water splashes for WAKING UP...
Our host Colin, came to pick us up by 12:30 for a barbecue and for meeting the other speakers for the Congress.
The barbecue was held in the private garden of one of our hosts.
I was in HEAVEN - JACARANDA HEAVEN THAT IS!
Seldom I'd seen such beautiful lanes of blooming Jacarandas, when driving to our hotel.
One lilac splendor and even the roads got covered by the fallen off blossoms.
Here I proudly stand next to these beautiful Jacarandas!
A sheep was being roasted...
Such a lovely garden for having an outdoor barbecue event in late spring, yes the southern hemisphere has opposite seasons.
While the sheep roasted to perfection, we mingled and got to know the group.
Such a lovely spot for entertaining!
We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and even went home with another couple for a coffee.
They erroneously dropped us off at the Sandton Sun hotel, instead of at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Sandton, so we took a taxi and were in our room by 20:15 and FINALLY went to bed for a real night sleep! 

Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part II

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13 comments:

  1. Good afertoon with every body and after this dificult travel !
    Bye Mariette

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  2. Dearest Mariette,
    thank you for sharing those memories with us!
    hope, you both are well and you have a good time!
    Sending Love and hugs and blessings,
    Claudia xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Mariette, I am glad your exhausting trip ended up in such a lovely spot. I am quite envious of your and Pieter's travel adventures. I can see that you were treated royally in South Africa once you arrived. Except for one trip to England I rarely got away from Cleveland, where my job as a systems analyst kept me pinned to one spot.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
  4. It looks like a lovely place to enjoy a barbecue, dear Mariette. So very much like our own barbecue's in a neighborhood here, without the beautiful Jacaranda trees! (And whole roasted sheep!) Such wonderful memories for you both, and don't you look sweet in your pretty blouse and skirt. A long trip, indeed. Sending hugs xo Karen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Liebe Mariette,

    ich freue mich über deinen schönen Post.

    Alles Liebe
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alles groot en wijd denk heel vaak wat is het hier maar klein ..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ihr habt viel von der Welt gesehen, liebe Mariette! Es ist aber auch alles sehr anstrengend, wenn ich das mit den 2 Stunden Schlaf lese nach der Anstrengung des langen Fluges und allem! Das ist nicht jedermanns Sache! Aber solange man jung und gesund genug ist ...

    Der lila blühende baum ist wunderbar, Jacaranda kenne ich, wollte ich gerade fragen. Die sind ganz herrlich!

    Liebe Grüße
    Sara

    ReplyDelete
  8. My goodness, what a long trip! My longest has been 24 hours or so. Can't imagine how exhausting it was!
    The garden is really beautiful, so colorful with all the blossoms. I once visited town which was having jacaranda festival. There were lot of blossoms all over the town, but not as glorious as ones in your photo!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Mariette - I too was lucky enough to see the Jacaranda Trees linning the streets, filling the parks and gardens in Pretoria too. The magnificent clouds of purple flowers are so memorable - once seen, never forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello dear Mariette!
    Fantastic to see Joburg as I knew it! We could have met... We settled there in 1983!
    You're bringing back incredible memories to surface, for you and me!!!
    Many thanks for you sweet visits, much appreciated, at long last I am reconnected to the net as from this morning... amazing how isolated you feel now without a connection!
    No abroad trips in the pipe line in the near future??
    Warm hugs and keep well :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello,Mariette,
    You had a wonderful memory with your husband Pieter. I liked to see all of your photos.You are a wonderful couple and I think that Pieter is always proud of you!! Thank you for your comment and the translation to Japanese. I think of you and Pieter. Have a good day.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mariette quanto amo l’Africa. Ho passato del bel tempo in Kenya, circondata da profumi di jacaranda e frutti maturi. Bello, oggi però avrei paura a tornare in quelle terre.
    Un abbraccio e vrazie per questo bel post.
    Buon w.e. Lorena

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good evening Mariette, my goodness what a long journey you had, but what a wonderful treat at your journeys end.... to see so many flowering jacaranda trees must have been a wonderful sight.
    When I lived in Cyprus we looked forward to the jacaranda blooming as their colour was so beautiful.
    Thank you so much for sharing your fascinating travelling adventures.
    With warmest wishes.
    Daphne

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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