Day 3

Day three 

Sunday 19th January 2020

Current position
Durban View Guesthouse
16 Holstead Gardens
Essenwood
Berea
W4001
South Africa
29°50'16.4"S 31°00'34.4"E

Ros' itinerary started to kick in this morning as we got an Uber to Moses Mabhida Stadium. The Stadium was built especially for the Football World Cup in 2010. Our guide showed us round the majestic although now tired looking Stadium taking us to the Presidential Suite the changing rooms and finally through the tunnel onto the hallowed turf which we could touch but not walk upon. The grass was not a patch on that of the English stadiums in fact our lawn at home is in better repair.

The roof of the stadium is supported by a huge steel structure in the shape of a 'Y' which is one of the symbols on the National South African Flag. While we were looking upward a man hooked to a rope jumped high up from a platform as he did his 'Big Swing'. Ros and I on the otherhand have opted for the more sedate 'Adventure Walk' along the roof which we will do tomorrow as our crocs were not considered proper footware.

In our quest to use public transport we caught the Peoples Mover bus from the Stadium to the Golden Mile Promenade so we could catch the afternoon 'Ricksha' to do the open top bus tour of the City. We arrived on time at one o'clock having grabbed a tray of chips at the Sunday Flea Market. Fortunately the light drizzle was not considered bad enough to cancel the tour so the few passengers that there were huddled together under the canopy of the top deck as the guide started his commentary over the intercom.

Like all big cities Durban has its good and bad areas. The guide gave an interesting commentary as we passed by the Harbour, City Hall, the Old Court House and an endless array of bustling street markets.

At the halfway stage we stopped at a Shopping Centre where Ros and I used the time profitably to visit a pharmacy discovering that we can buy antimalarial tablets without a prescription for our visit to Kruger Park.

Back on the bus it wasn't long before we briefly stopped again to admire the 180° view of the City from its highest point.

Following the tour we caught the Peoples Mover to the end of the Golden mile where we sat and watched the rain as we drank our coffee. It felt like a wet summer's day in Swanage.

Back in another Uber we made our way to Florida Road for a bite to eat. There were plenty of places to chose from ranging from fast food to posh restaurants. We chose a trendy bar called Next Chapter where we whiled away a good part of the evening. Then yet another Uber took us back to the Guesthouse where we arrived in the nick of time just before it started to pour with rain.

Ros spent the rest of the evening booking a flight to Port Elizabeth which takes just an hour and a half a good saving on the fourteen hour mini bus ride and surprisingly at little extra cost. I spent the time booking an hotel for tomorrow night as our time is up at our current Guesthouse. Then it was off to bed as the rain thundered down on the old tin roof.

'When travelling some of the best things happen by chance not design'