“Life is a lot like tennis - The one who can serve best seldom loses”

Newsletter 56  |  May 2006

P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD, 9302          E-mail: info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500                    Fax: (051) 436 3793

To receive our monthly newsletter electronically please send an e-mail to info@etniquetravel.co.za

AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:  083 461 2561

Most frequent travellers are hopefully now aware of the huge crisis at, specifically Johannesburg International Airport, regarding the constant theft from passengers’ checked luggage. Despite various urgent meetings and direct communication between ASATA and ACSA (Airport’s Company), nobody seems to take responsibility for addressing the critical issue: neither ACSA, SAA, SA Police nor the private security firms, are prepared to take any firm stand on crime at the airports.

On the Carte Blanche programme of 7 May all role players concerned at JIA were reluctantly passing the buck. All important people on the program used linguistic jargon and long explanations, without giving any straight forward answer to a very simple question: What procedures are in place in addressing the ongoing huge dilemma?

What is even more alarming is the fact that passengers on the programme confirmed that, not only were valuable goods removed from their luggage, but on arrival in London, other passenger’s goods and broken locks were found in their suitcases: this can have a very serious outcome, should illegal items like drugs etcetera be placed in your luggage, and you are confronted at your international destination by customs control.

Since the TV broad cast, it was announced that biometric and fingerprint access cards will be introduced immediately to all employees at the baggage handling section. In the words of JIA gm: With all these security features and processing measures, there is no doubt that baggage pilfering will be reduced considerably.

We all trust these are not shallow promises!

 - Johann Beukes

Travel Stories:

Yosemite National Park (California)

“No temple made with hands can compare with the beauty of the Yosemite Valley. Every rock in its walls seems to glow with life. Some lean back in majestic repose; others, absolutely sheer or nearly so, for hundreds of metres, advance beyond their companions in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to storms and calms alike, seemingly aware, yet heedless, of everything going about them.”   - John Muir

(One of nature’s most eloquent advocates, who spent 10 years living in the Yosemite valley in the late 1870’s and campaigned incessantly for the preservation of the Valley)

The Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada range, some 4 hours drive east of San Francisco. During our recent visit to Las Vegas, while attending a convention, we flew into Merced, where Dan met us with his van. For the past 15 years he has been taking visitors through the park, and obviously knows all the special stopping points.

Although one sees only the central valley region on a day trip, it was still as inspiring and beautiful as the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia in southern Chile. Often called the incomparable Valley, Yosemite may be the world’s best known example of a glacier carved canyon. The dramatic scale of its waterfalls, rounded domes, massive monoliths, and towering cliffs has inspired painters, poets, photographers and millions of visitors.
 

El Capitan monolith is guarding the Yosemite Valley

Along the Valley’s narrow cleft you will find the densest concentration of breathtaking cliffs and waterfalls, with the face of El Capitan, the largest single monolith of granite in the world, rising majestically over the western entrance to the Valley. Half Dome, Yosemite’s most distinctive monument, dominates most valley views and looking imperiously on a couple of kilometres to the east. In between, Yosemite Falls plunges over the lip of the Valley rim in a double cascade said to comprise the highest fall in the USA. The base of the Lower Falls is an easy walk. Impressive views of both the upper and lower falls are seen on the path to the base. Interesting is the fact that this is the fifth highest falls in the world, with the Angel Falls in Venezuela the highest and the Tugela Falls locally second. Opposite El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls wafts down to the glossy rocks below, and during the spring snowmelt just about every other cliff spouts a waterfall for a few weeks.

The vast monolith of the El Capitan, jutting forward from the adjacent cliffs and looming almost 1100 meters above the valley floor and river bed, has long been the challenge of many a famous rock-climber and the Nose is probably the most famous route in the world. A very informative Visitor Centre, consisting of a museum, Indian village and art gallery with the photography of Ansel Adams, provides most of the necessary amenities to the visitor. - Johann Beukes

The Spirit of the puffing wind, where the wind swirls about the cliff and lifting the falling water in a spray of mist and snow

Travel Stories:

Amalfi:  Paradise Lost or a Serene Landscape?

Not all of Paradise is lost - a luxurious dollop of it lingers on in Southern Italy. Suspended between aquamarine sea, blue skies, and rugged peninsulas, you will find the Amalfi coastal route with twists and turns along the full length of this extraordinary coast line. It offers breathtaking views at fabled ruins, fantasy islands and sapphire-shaded lagoons. This coast, generally acclaimed to be the most beautiful stretch of scenery in the entire Mediterranean, has always attracted the serious traveller. Along the scenic route, where one mountain after another plunges sheer into the sea, there are a string of picturesque, brightly painted little towns.

DH Lawrence once called Capri “a two-humped chunk of limestone, that does heaven much credit, but mankind none at all.” 

Once you disembark the ferry from Sorrento, you take the funicular up from the harbour marina Grande, to the piazzetta Umberto, where it gets so crowded it’s rumoured the local police only give you 20 minutes to sip your campari, before encouraging you to move on. We stayed at the Gatto Bianco, located just a few metres from the piazzetto.
 

A friendly white cat greets you at the hotel’s entrance

There is much more to Capri, than only the grotta Azzurra, which owes its name to the blue colour of the water and result of light refraction. One should stay a day or two so as to have the opportunity to enjoy the Capriote architecture, flower-filled window boxes as well as the rugged limestone cliffs where herds of capre  (goats) once roamed, hence the name of the island. Positano is arguably, the most picturesque and photographed of the coastal towns. What however is not in question, is that you will need a sturdy set of knees, for where most towns have streets, Positano has steps. Lots of them! Make sure you have some comfortable walking shoes, and that your back and legs are strong enough to negotiate those picturesque, but daunting and ladder like scalinatelle. If not, ride the municipal bus, which frequently plies the one-and-only-one-way Via Pasitea, hair pinning from Positano’s central Piazza dei Mulini to the mountains and back, making a loop through the town every half hour.

The author John Steinbeck wrote about Positano: “The town bites deep; it is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoning real after you have gone.” In her book of memories, Happy Times, Lee Radziwill declares that when she thinks of paradise, it is Conca dei Marini, which first comes to mind. If you stay overnight at the Belvedere Hotel, you will surely agree. The must-do is a jaunt down the staircase to the left of the hotel: this leads past some gorgeous houses to the dollhouse-size harbour of Santa Maria delle Neve, one of the most idyllic sights along the entire coast. Closed because of a major landslide several years ago, its beach and marina have now reopened and the little chapel is also worth the many steps.

Buildings are stacked to the cliffs like swallow nests

Closer to the sky than the sea below the sloping vines

Just a few minutes west of Amalfi, perched atop a ridge and closer to the sky than the sea, the lovely town of Ravello gazes down on the Bay of Salerno below and the humble towns surrounding it. Positano may focus on pleasure, and Amalfi on history, but cool, serene Ravello revels in refinement. It is a small stylish town that is largely pedestrianised. A former playground of Jackie Kennedy, Ravello sits like a natural balcony overhanging Amalfi and the other smaller towns below. Ravello’s chief glories are its wonderful gardens. The Hotel Palumbo is without doubt, one of Italy’s most beautiful properties, although a bit on the expensive side for us ordinary travellers. Further south, along the Tyrrhenian coast, and bottom part of the heel of Italy, we visited our last stopover, Maratea. Clinging to the steep hillside above, it is a charming village of very old colourful houses and narrow cobbled streets.

We stayed in the La Locanda della Donne Monache, an old monastery completely refurbished to modern standards. Dinner was served on an open-air balcony, under the stars and overlooking the pool and covered by brightly coloured bougainvillea. This beautiful setting is carved into the rocky slope next to the tiny parish church of St Maria. From our bedroom, we had stunning views over the relief of clay tiled roofs and the blue ocean in the distance.

To our surprise we saw, on approaching the town along the winding coastal road, the huge figure of Christ, blessing the quiet town below with His arms spread out. Apparently it was donated by the Catholic church of Rio de Janeiro, where the famous Corcovado statue of Christ  the Redeemer has the same prominent location. We had to race sunset to reach the summit in time for a last photograph of this inspiring symbol. What a spiritual ending of a journey along one of the most scenic natural wonders on earth! - Johann Beukes

Travel Information:

Welcome Awards 2006 South African Tourism

SURE ETNIQUE TRAVEL has been honoured as one of the runner’s-up for this year’s national Welcome Awards as travel agency demonstrating exceptional qualities. It was announced at the recent INDABA in Durban. There were some 180 entrants.

The Welcome awards recognise businesses that are turning holidays into life-changing experiences; that are sending international tourists home as ambassadors and are meeting and exceeding the needs of the visitor.

It is about finding and showcasing companies who are raising the bar of visitor experiences.

 

Letters from our Customers:

Big Brag

• “Hi Tessa, just to let you know that we are back from a true life experience. We enjoyed every moment of it and did not even have one hiccup anywhere. London was great and the musical surely was an experience, my high point was the British Museum. The English countryside was wonderful and definitely something we would like to do again. Every day was a unique adventure and it is difficult to pick specific highlights. Although it was cold it did not hamper us in any way and the advantage is that no place was overrun by other tourists. Paris was probably the family favourite and a place where I can easily spend a few months. The character of the city is just unbelievable and something we will always remember. Thank you for helping us make all this possible, everything that was booked by you was absolutely perfect and we surely enjoyed every moment of it.”
  Theuns Jordaan & Family - Kroonstad
   

• “Beste Johann en Tessa, ons is terug van ‘n wonderlike reis en ervaring in Europa.Ons wil graag vir beide van julle bedank vir die fantastiese advies en hulp wat ons van julle ontvang  het. Daar het werklik NIKS verkeerd geloop met al ons reëlings nie.Ons het jul advies gevolg veral mbt die aanmelding by die lughawens en was nooit gedruk vir tyd of moes jaag om betyds te wees nie! - dit het sommer baie spanning van ons afgehaal. Selfs die reëlings met die motors in Skotland en Switserland was tops - en dit was beslis een van die hoogtepunte om met n motor te toer deur die lande.(sou dit nie op n ander manier wou gedoen het nie). Die roetes wat vir ons aangewys is was werklik die mooiste gedeeltes van die lande en het ons kort kort gestop om die natuurskoon te bewonder. Nogmaals baie dankie - ons besef werklik hoe belangrik is dit om mense soos julle te nader vir hulp en advies en wees verseker dat sonder dit sou ons werklik nie die reis geniet het nie. Baie sterkte met jul besigheid.Hoop om julle gou weer te besoek!!!”
  Helgard en Elsabe van Schalkwyk - Bloemfontein
   

• “Hello Tessa, thanks for your email!!  Words fail to describe just how wonderful it was!!!! We are home safely and it's great to be with our children again, but we miss the US already . . . Thank you for your effort in our wonderful holiday! Emirates is a 5-star airline and we don't want to fly anything else in future - their service is outstanding (even in the cattle class!). Take care and God bless!!”
  Lulu van Aswegen - Bloemfontein
   

• “Hi Maquida, baie dankie vir al jou reëlings. Alles het vlot verloop. Ons is veilig  terug en dit was 'n plesier om met BA te reis. Die motor was ook gereed en geen probleme is ondervind nie. Baie dankie.”
  Martin Oliver - UFS Bloemfontein
   

• “Tessa, thank you for your very professional and caring help! I had not a worry about where was what! I just read your detailed itinerary and headed in the right direction.”
  Naomie Mark - Bloemfontein
   

• “Dear Tessa, thank you for all you did for Marilyn and I. Everything went very smoothly. We are very GRATEFUL to you for all you advice and assistance. Western Australia is a vast country and our 3 daughters did so much to let us see as much as possible.  Ash is doing fine. She had an operation and then they had to do a repeat too make sure all was out. Thank you for your advice to her. She will come here in August 06 and we will have her checked again. Even Zim gets the results faster than the UK NHS.
  Alex Liggett - Zimbabwe