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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-07-09, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015. Bob Trick called last week’s mystery item a “third hand”. It looked to me to be a small version of the clamps used by quilters to keep their quilt layers tight in the frames for quilting. Unlike larger quilt clamps, this one has two bent sections at the top which squeeze together, I guess to hold fabric. School’s out and I’m hearing reports of children enjoying a variety of sports, heading off to Vacation Bible School and camping experiences and soaking up the sun around backyard pools now that the heat is finally here. Let’s be aware of their presence on village streets as they do what children should do, enjoy being young and active. The village has a new resident we will be looking out for in years ahead. Andrew Gerald Neeb celebrated with a party on Canada’s birthday, only he called it his birthday. Welcome to Andrew and congratulations to parents Michael and Andrea. Latest mystery item named ‘third hand’ By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296 PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO NEWS FROM LONDESBORO Hullett school’s Watt prepares to return to S. Africa By Morag Watt As I sit here in the airport waiting to board the plane for my fifth trip to South Africa, it occurs to me that I have told you about the people, the food, the politics… but I have not told you about all the wonderful things to see and do there as a visitor. So, for my final installment, I thought you might enjoy hearing about some of the sights to see and things to do if you visit this amazing country. Cape Town is the absolute jewel of South Africa. An amazingly cosmopolitan city, it is clean and offers some of the best restaurants in the world along with world class theatre and entertainment. This was the original Dutch colony in South Africa as is evidenced by the plethora of Dutch colonial architecture found in this beautiful city. The Victoria and Albert Waterfront is an amazing mixture of outdoor market, tourist attraction, cultural and entertainment centre and the city is rich with cultural and historical landmarks. High on the must-do list is the Robbin Island tour. A short boat ride takes you to this very small island which was originally used as a leper colony but was later converted to a prison. It is here in a cell approximately 4'x6', that Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for much of his 27-year sentence. The tours are conducted by ex- inmates (most of them political prisoners) which adds a whole other dimension of realism to it. Seeing the lime pits where Mandela toiled day in and day out without any kind of equipment to protect against the corrosive lime, makes the fact that he lived to the age of 94 a testament to the strength and fortitude of the man. In this area of South Africa, there is a complete floral kingdom known as the “Cape Floral Kingdom”. The world is made up of only six floral kingdoms and this tiny one at the southern tip of Africa is by far the smallest but it is extremely diverse and contains all of the world’s Fynbos vegetation. It is here in Cape Town that you will find the spectacular Kirstenbosch Gardens. This botanical garden displays amazing examples of sub-Saharan vegetation and is immaculately maintained. Absolutely beautiful. Their new “Boomslang” skywalk (named for a type of snake) is an absolute must do! This human catwalk through the treetops is shaped like a serpent and moves and sways to give an absolutely unique experience. Perfectly camouflaged in the treetops, it is a marvel of both art and architecture. Before you leave the Cape Town area, you will want to do the cable car ride up to the top of Table Mountain. This distinctive, flat- topped mountain is South Africa’s most famous landmark. It is very unique. It is not particularly high, but distinctive in shape. A cable car will take you to the top (or you can hike up if you are so inclined) where you can enjoy a meal or a hike while taking in panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside. Well … at least on a clear day you can. Table Mountain is famous for its unique fog which often shrouds the top of the mountain. It is really spectacular to see. It is extremely thick and it appear to blanket the flat top of the mountain and roll off of it in great billows. It is appropriately known as the “table cloth”. A tour of the many fantastic wineries in the area proves a relaxing prelude to the beautiful drive down to the Cape of Good Hope. Here’s some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in the world. This southern tip (although not the most southerly) of Africa is notorious for shipwrecks and is an absolute diver’s paradise, despite the Great White Sharks. Oh yes. For the nature lover in you it is along the Garden Route and the southern coast that you will see penguin colonies up close and personal and see whale migrations off the coast. North of Cape Town you will find the beautiful Cederberg Mountains, a rugged, hiker’s paradise where I spend the bulk of my time. Remote and isolated, life is hard and unforgiving and the heightening of your senses contributes, I think, to the energy one feels while you are there – the feeling that you have to survive by your wits brings out the resourcefulness of people and makes you stretch yourself to the limit. People are amazingly resourceful here and extremely hardworking. They think little of the everyday hardships they face and simply have a “get it done” attitude. On the east coast, there are many beautiful beaches and tourist destinations. It is there that you will find Kruger National Park, a mecca of the wild animals we think of as being synonymous with Africa: lions, giraffe, eland, kudu, hippos, zebra, wildebeest, springbok, warthogs, meerkats… the list goes on and on. It is a world class conservation area and famous for its wild animal safaris. Also on the east is Addo Elephant Park. What an amazing sight to see herds of 30 or 40 elephants roaming freely in their natural environment. Other than baboons (which are similar to our racoons or coyotes in that they have adapted a little too well to human co- habitation) most wild animals in South Africa are contained to the parks or private game preserves. You don’t find them wandering around the countryside which is probably a good thing. There is no shortage of things to do and see in South Africa. Tourism is a major industry and I would encourage each of you to put South Africa on your bucket list. You are well advised to go through one of the many excellent tour companies available as the distances you must cover are vast and you don’t want to waste your time fumbling around. You need to have a highly organized plan with people who know how to get things done there. It is not like getting things done in North America. While each person will take away their own experiences from this country on the other side of the world, there is one thing that I guarantee will be common to everyone: it will change your life! Whether it is making you appreciate what we have at home, awakening some primal being within you or just experiencing another culture so vastly different from our own, there is one thing for certain… you will come back a different person and you will never look at things the same way again. And after all… isn’t that what travel is all about? Continued from page 8 patiently at Braemar for her recovery. We send get well wishes to Ken White who is suffering from gall bladder issues. He is in Stratford Hospital at this time. You may have seen the familiar face of Brandon McGavin and his girlfriend Sam around the area last week. They have been in Ontario for five days and will soon be returning home to Alberta. Congratulations to Barry and Karen Hoegy on the birth of a new grandson. The proud parents are Sherry and Dr. Eric Delay of Russelsville, Tennessee, and they have welcomed a son, Fletcher Gardner to their lives. Fletcher will be welcomed home by the other family member, Dawson the dog. Congrats to everyone. Returning from school on the east coast is Jacob McGavin. His sister, Mackenzie McGavin flew to Moncton, to keep him company on his drive home. Welcome back Jacob. Congratulations to Tim Lee and Ronna Shaw on their marriage the last weekend in June. The wedding was held at the home of the bride’s parents, Brian and Mary Shaw, in Bluevale. The property was beautifully decorated with barn board backdrops, fences and extra touches. Unfortunately, rain dampened the day, but not the spirit of the occasion. The bride and groom exchanged their vows in the rain and then pictures were taken at the mill in Bluevale. A lovely tent held the reception at the parents’ home. The couple will live in Brussels. Congrats to the newlyweds! Births, weddings celebrated in area North St. West, Wingham Mac & Donna Anderson 519-357-1910 A cemetery is a history of people, a perpetual record of yesterday and a sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always Distinctive Memorials of Lasting Satisfaction BOX 158 WINGHAM ONT NOG 2W0 Do you have fond memories that you’d like to share of someone whose obituary has been published recently in The Citizen. Send us a few lines or paragraphs with your story. E-mail editor@northhuron.on.ca, Fax 519-523-9140 or mail to: The Citizen, P.O. Box 429, Blyth, N0M 1H0 or P.O. Box 152, Brussels, N0G 1H0. There is no charge for comments we choose to publish. Lives Remembered See histories and historic photographs on the Huron History section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca The Citizen Thanks for coming Rev. Terry Fletcher, left, conducted the Ball’s Cemetery annual decoration service on Sunday, welcoming dozens of families to the chapel for the annual occasion to remember. He is seen here at the end of the service, wishing those who attended well for the rest of their Sunday. (Jim Brown photo)