“. . . all any of us need
is a very light suitcase!”
Newsletter 73 | November 2007
P.O. Box 13600, NOORDSTAD, 9302 E-mail:
info@etniquetravel.co.za
Tel: (051) 406 2500
Fax: (051) 436 3793
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER:
083 461 2561
You might have
already over slept …
An experience last
Friday was a traveller’s worst nightmare: after waiting in a queue
for 45 minutes, prior to receiving my boarding pass at the counters
of SA Express at ORT International Airport, I was informed that the
16h25 return flight is delayed. Eventually, after frequent
announcements that the flight is yet again delayed for another hour,
due to airport operational reasons, I was informed at 21h45 that the
flight is cancelled, and that we have to report at a particular
counter. This was after our early morning flight of 06h20 was also
delayed by almost two hours!
At the counter,
travellers on flights to East London, Bloemfontein and Kimberley
were told by a spokesperson of SAX that we have to arrange our own
accommodation or sit up for the night at the airport; no alternative
solution was offered to the disgruntled and tired travellers; for a
moment I wondered whether I was in Dakar, Dar Es Salaam or
Johannesburg. The absolute and total poor public relations of the
official, not knowing how to deal with customers, who were already
irritated by the appalling way they were treated, and the lack of
professional communication by a national airline, led the question
to be raised: does SAX understand the most basic principle of
customer service?
After receiving my
boarding pass for the 08h00 flight the next morning, and supplying
them with my contact number, I left the airport; I could see that
the group of frustrated customers might lose control of their
tempers.
The next morning I
arrived at 07h00 at the Business Lounge; the place was in chaos,
because the group of almost 200 stranded travellers all slept there.
I was informed by the tired, but friendly Elize at reception that
they all had left earlier the morning on special flights to their
destinations, and that I had been bumped off the scheduled flight
because I was not present. However, her professional and service
orientated attitude assisted me in being confirmed on the only plane
home on a Saturday morning.
Having just returned
from Europe with the RWC experience still freshly imprinted, one can
just wonder how are we going to deal with the influx of 2010 inbound
spectators. Heathrow, presently handling 100 million travellers per
annum, could almost not deal with the congestion the weekend prior
to the RWC in Paris!
My suggestion to all
South Africans who normally travel at least once a week on business:
start planning an extended family holiday abroad during the 2010
world cup period!
- Johann Beukes
|
|
SPECIAL PLACES 3:
The New 7 Manmade Wonders of
the World |
|
We all know about the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World, remarkable manmade creations of antiquity: the
Great Pyramid of Giza,
Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue
of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes,
and the Lighthouse of
Alexandria.
Only the pyramid still exists today. In 2001 a contemporary
initiative was started to choose the New Seven Wonders of the
World. In January 2006 twenty-one finalists were selected from
some 200 that were suggested, later to be reduced to 10. More than
100 million votes were cast by telephone or through the internet. On
07-07-07 the winners were announced, with the Great Pyramid of
Giza as an honorary
(eighth) member.
This announcement set me dreaming -
of a world tour including all of them! Where would one start, what
would be the best route to take? After doing some research, I think
the following could be a feasible itinerary:
Departing from Johannesburg, the
first stop could be Cairo in Egypt, where the majestic Great
Pyramid can be visited. The next flight will be to Amman, in
Jordan, from where a coach service transports you to a hotel near
the first wonder for a stay of two nights, so that one will have a
whole day to explore:
Petra
|
This
fascinating remnant of the past with its more than 800
magnificent treasures is a magical place! Hewn out of the bare
rock, this city is situated in a dry watercourse in the
Valley of Wadi Mousa (named after Moses), and was
established sometime around the 6th century BC by a
former Bedouin tribe, the Nabataeans. After the Crusades it was
abandoned and forgotten to the outside world for 700 years, but
discovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig
Burckhardt.
Surrounded
by towering hills of rust-coloured sandstone, the entrance to
the city is surely one of the most intimidating and dramatic you
will find. You enter through what is called a Siq (the
Arabic for Pass) for about 2 km., sometimes barely 2 m.
wide in places, with precipitous cliffs sometimes reaching
hundreds of meters above your head. Then, suddenly, through a
cleft in a rock, a most amazing sight awaits you - the Classical
carved façade of the El Khaznah el Faraoun (the Pharaoh’s
Treasury). Behind this 40 m. high façade a large square room has
been carved out of the rock. From inside you have a marvelous
view of the Siq. Surrounding the open space in front of
the Khaznah are tombs and halls carved out of the rock.
Continuing with the path brings you to more beautiful facades
and monuments beckoning you on until the ancient city gradually
unfolds. |
|
From Amman I
will fly to Rome (Italy), where the next wonder is to be found in
the city itself:
The Colosseum
Rome’s greatest
amphitheater is famous the world over. Built in the form of an
ellips between AD 72 and AD 80 in the grounds of Nero’s palace as a
practical place where the most popular spectacles of Roman times
such as combats between gladiators and beasts could be held, it also
became a building of great beauty.
|
 |
Unfortunately earthquakes and centuries of stripping the
structure for stones to build chapels or palaces has stripped
most of the lower levels to a skeleton, but seeing this naked
and brilliant structure creates a sense of wonder at what was
achieved more than 2 000 years ago, and that purely for the sake
of entertainment! The lowest, underground level with numerous
passages held cages which were winched upwards whereby up to 100
animals could be released in the arena after walking along a
corridor. Radial ramps, ramparts, passageways and stairways and
the 80 arched entrances holds testimony to the efficiency of the
design whereby 55 000 spectators could gain easy access in less
than 15 minutes after the starting trumpet was blown. On the top
and fourth level a huge awning, supported on poles, was hoisted
into position to shade spectators from the sun. The emperor and
other wealthy citizens were seated in the Podium on the first
level, from where the “thumbs up ” or the “thumbs down ” sign
could be shown, indicating whether a combatant should live or
die. |
From Rome the
itinerary will take you to Cuncún Airport at the coast of the
Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. From Cancún a regular bus services
transports you to:
Chichén Itzá
|
One of the
most extraordinary civilizations of the ancient world, the
Mayas, inhabited a large part of Central America, with its main
centre at Chichén Itzá, midway between Mérida and Cancún. These
majestic 1 500 year old ruins is undoubtedly one of the most
attractive ancient cities to be visited in the world. The
remains of people as well as ancient treasures thrown in the
nearby sacred cenote (natural well or sinkhole) as sacrifices,
bear testimony to the origin of the name, which literally means
“in the mouth of Itza’s well” (Chi = mouth, chen =
mouth, Itza = the Itza tribe)
Chichén Itzá
was a large city, its buildings spread out over an area of about
3 x 1½ km. The most awe-inspiring structure is the pyramid
called El Castillo (The Castle) in the great plaza. This
pyramid architecturally represents the Mayan calendar: The
perfect astronomical design has 4 stairways with 91 steps each.
Together with the temple at the top the total is 365, the number
of the days in a year. Twice yearly, during the spring and
autumn equinoxes, a fascinating optical illusion of a series of
triangles mimicking the creep of a serpent occurs on the north
staircase. At the top a magnificent view of the entire site and
the enormous plain stretching to the horizon awaits you. Inside
El Castillo there is another pyramid, with a slippery stairway
leading up to an altar and a beautiful, bright-red throne carved
as a jaguar.
|
|
Amongst the
other fascinating buildings are the large Ball Court, the
Temple of the Warriors with its Thousand Columns, the
Temple of the Jaguar, the Nunnery, the El Caracol,
a circular structure built on two superimposed, rectangular
platforms, the Observatory with its spiral staircase, the
Casa Colorado (the Red House). The Sacret Cenote is
reached along a 300m specially built causeway.
Gazing down the
vertical sides, and seeing the deep tranquil water awaiting the
sacrifice, visions of long forgotten rituals come to mind.
The next flight
will be to Lima in Peru, from where a domestic flight of about an
hour will take me to Cusco. Here a tourist train carries you to the
next wonder:
Machu Picchu
|
 |
Whilst
Chichén Itzá is the famous city of the long-gone Maya
civilization, Machu Picchu is that of the Incas. Why it was
abandoned by the Incas, remains a mystery, but like Petra, it
was lost for centuries from the outside world. Nestled on an
almost inaccessible saddle 457 m above the Urubamba river in the
Peruvian Andes it fortunately also remained hidden by the jungle
from the Spanish conquistadors, but in 1911 Hiram Bingham from
Yale University stumbled upon it.
The
stonework of this city continuous to amaze; the huge white
granite blocks are shaped to fit perfectly into one another
without the use of mortar, forming a sort of three-dimensional
jigsaw puzzle. The
Marshall
Travel Atlas of Mysterious Places
describes this enigmatic place as follows: “The citadel is a
stupendous achievement - in urban planning, civil engineering,
architecture and stonemasonry. Who built this symphony of stone
…?.” |
The best view of
the entire site is from the nearby hilltop Intipunku, from where the
grandiose ceremonial buildings laid out on different terraces, of
gardens, fountains and aqua ducts, all connected to one another by
hundreds of steps can be seen. It is today regarded as a ceremonial
city, devoted to the worship of the sun, from which the Inca rulers
claimed descent.
After returning
to Lima, you can fly to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, to admire the next
wonder, towering over the city:
Christ the Redeemer
|
This statue
of Christ with welcoming, outstretched arms, standing 39.6 m
tall and weighing 700 tons, is located at the peak of the 700 m
tall Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park
overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. It has become an icon of
Rio, and a symbol of Christianity.
A long
history of religious connotation led to the erecting of the
statue. Already in the 16th century the Portuguese
named the mountain The Pinnacle of Temptation, referring
to the Biblical Mountain. Later on it was renamed
Corcovado
(Hunchback), due to its form. During the 19th century
a Catholic priest came up with the idea of building a large
religious monument on the mountain, but it was only during the
1920’s that a competition was held to choose a suitable design.
The winner was a local engineer, Heitor da Silva Costa, whose
design was then sculpted by a Frenchman Paul Landowski.
Construction lasted from 1926 - 1931. Stone was even imported
from Malmö, in Sweden. It was finally opened in October 1931.
Over the years several reforms were added, like lighting, a
panoramic elevator, and even a motorized staircase. In 2006 a
chapel was consecrated under the statue. |
 |
The superb view
from the top over the city, by day or by night, will undoubtedly be
one of the highlights of this visit. But one of the challenges of
compiling this itinerary will be to ensure that my stay in Rio de
Janeiro will coincide with the world-renowned Carnival, also not to
be missed!
From Rio a long
flight will take me to Beijing in China, from where daily tour buses
takes you to this overwhelming example of mankind’s greatest
achievements:
The Great Wall of China
|
 |
Not only is
the Wall in central China the longest man-made structure, but
also the largest. Built between the 5th century BC -
16th century, it was some 5 000 km. long, about 26
ft. tall and 23 ft. at its base. It was intended as a defensive
rampart against enemies, also enabling soldiers as well as their
equipment to be transported over mountainous terrain. Sometimes
a workforce of up to a million workers toiled on this line of
defense.
Today
lengthy sections have crumbled, but due to the tourist industry
large sections of it have been rebuilt, or are in the process of
renovation. It can be visited at various places, but the most
popular are: the restored section at Badaling, about 70 km
northwest of Beijing, at Mutianyu, also a restored section, 90
km. northeast of Beijing, and at Simatai, also northeast of
Beijing, but about 125 km. away. |
Of the three
sites, the Great Wall at Badaling, with its stairs, gateway arches
and watchtowers meticulously restored to reflect the grandeur of the
Ming Dynasty of its origin, is the most popular section, but almost
always overcrowded by tourists. However, the view of the wall
winding its way over the forested, hilly terrain is breathtaking.
The Great Wall
at Mutianyu is also dramatically set in a hilly terrain. It is a
little bit more rugged and rough, and less crowded. If you have
enough time available, and want to avoid the crowds, the Great Wall
at Simatai is more remote and peaceful and mostly
unreconstructed.The dramatic setting provides superb views over the
endless mountain chains to the north. J D Brown, in Frommer’s
China, the
Most Memorable Trips
says the Great Wall is “magical, where beauty transcends ordinary
reality wherever one walks today.”
The next leg of
the journey will be from Beijing to Delhi in India, from where a
domestic flight will take you to Agra, for a visit to the most
romantic of all the wonders:
The Taj Mahal
This monument
for love in Agra is perhaps the world’s most romantic and famous
building: erected by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as an enduring
memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, from partly translucent
white marble, which subtly changes its hue through the day
contributing to an ethereal luminance. It is said that Jahan was so
moved when he saw the end result that he ordered the chief mason’s
right thumb to be cut off, to prevent him from again building such a
sublime masterpiece!
|
The first
impression of the wonderful proportions, the perfect symmetry
and sheer scale of this immense building overwhelms you as you
pass through the arch of the entrance gateway. Decorative
patterns through the art of pietra dura cover every inch
of the marble in exquisite detail. Small slivers of different
coloured precious stones are inlayed in the into the interior
and exterior marble base. The beautiful calligraphy of the
lettering of the gateway, inlaid with black marble, whereby the
engravers skillfully enlarged and lengthened the letters as
their distance from ground level increased, creates the illusion
that they are of the same size whichever angle you look. In this
beautiful building grandeur and subtlety are blended with one
another, whilst the massive overall design is matched with
intricate designs immaculately executed. Its choice as one of
the wonder of the world is undoubtedly justified. |
 |
I have not tried
to calculate how long this tour will take, or what the cost will be,
but I’m sure that this will be an experience of a life-time, if you
are able to afford it. But being a realist, I think the best will be
just to visit the wonders one-by-one, when touring abroad.
Fortunately I’ve already had the opportunity of visiting some of
them, so that my dream may just be fulfilled!
- Manie Wolvaardt
|
Letters from our Customers: |
We’re listening to what YOU have
to say
-
“Johann, Tessa & Lizelle, ek en
my man het op die nippertjie besluit om langer in Italië agter te
bly, met baie min tyd om te reël en net net 5 dae tot ons
beskikking, wou ons natuurlik die beste van dit maak. Johann se
ongelooflike kennis van Italië het alles moontlik gemaak.Lizelle
het my binne ‘n week teruggebel, vlugte was verander en ‘n
reisplan klaar uiteengesit. Ons het in Rome in ‘n motor geklim en
in Venesië geindig, vanwaar ons teruggevlieg het. Alles was tot in
die fynste detail gereël, saamgevat en gebind, met ‘n reisplan,
kaarte, “vouchers” en hotelbevestigings. ‘n Oproep op ‘n
Saterdagaand aan Johann en Tessa vanuit Italië was ook geen moeite.
Hulle het my binne ‘n halfuur teruggebel met antwoorde, en is ook
die volgende dag oorval met sms’e om seker te maak ons het
reggekom. Ongelooflik!! Van die begin af was die diens absoluut
fantasties. Dit waarvoor jy betaal, kry jy dubbel terug. Daar was
geen weggesteekte kostes en ek is telefonies op hoogte gehou van
alle vordering met die reëlings. Ek sal enige iemand aanraai om
met die grootste vrymoedigheid by Etnique in te stap.”
Karin Burger - Bloemfontein
-
“Hallo Nerina, na die naelbytery
oor die Visum, is alles nou weer wel. Baie dankie vir die reëlings
- alles het goed verloop en nêrens was daar haakplekke.. Baie
dankie vir die goeie en professionele optrede. Dit is lekker om
met so 'n vriendelike mens besigheid te doen. Groete”.
Prof Kobus Lazenby - Dept
Ondernemingsbestuur, UFS
-
“Beste Johann, graag bedank ek
jou en jou personeel vir die uitstekende toer wat jy vir ons
toergroep na Frankryk, Italië en Engeland gereël het. Die
reisreëlings, hotelle en aanduidings was puik en ons het werklik
'n wonderlike tyd beleef, danksy julle ondersteuning, besprekings,
toerprogram en inligting.”
Prof Basie Verster - Dept
Bourekenkunde, UFS
-
“Hi Melanie, all the travelling
went very well, in contrast to the delays on the Quebec trip at
the end of April!! The change over in Munich on the way there, and
the day in Frankfurt on the return journey all slotted into place
neatly. I stayed at the Hotel Excelsior in Frankfurt, directly
across the road from the main station. This was convenient for the
trip in from the airport, and well located for one to stroll to
the “old“ part of the city. Pleasant squares with old facades
surrounding them, the weather overcast but not wet, and the German
beer as tasty as always. Djerba was interesting with a
considerable amount of history going back many, many centuries to
Roman times. Thank you for all your assistance in ensuring that
the travels went smoothly, obviously including a whisper in the
airlines’ ears that I was not to be subjected to the delays of my
previous trip!!”
Mark Webber - Bloemfontein
-
“Johann, graag wil ek ook jou en
jou personeel bedank vir die professionele wyse waarop julle ons
toer gereel het. Die gids met ons reisplanne was werklik uniek en
die beste wat ek nog ooit ontvang het.”
Willem Venter - Worcester
-
“Melanie, weereens wil ek baie
dankie sê vir die moeite wat jy gedoen het na die kansellasie van
my vlug vanaf London Gatwick na Dallas, veral na die baie kort
kennisgewing. Dit word opreg waardeer. Met beste wense”.
P J van der Merwe, SA Doping
Control Laboratory, UFS
|
