Author: Mark Upfold

Let the adventure begin. Wednesday 12th, with Fly Safair, Durban 13 degrees. Arrival in Joburg at 9 degrees. Qatar airways to Doha arriving at 11pm, 35 degrees and this morning arrival in Birmingham to a UK summers day at 7 degrees. What a less than 24 hours temperature swing.

Supper on Qatar was a type of sweet and sour chicken with extras, and breakfast the normal egg type quiche(scrambled egg). Tasty but not as exotic as Emirates.

In Birmingham, there to meet us was the ex South African long term friend Gayle.

This is the first of many a blogs to come out of England, Ireland and Scotland over the next month, with much more to follow from Malta, until the end of September.

Last weekend in Durban harbour. A visit to the LOGOS HOPE, an INTERNATIONAL SHIP sharing knowledge and LITERATURE and much more:

LOGOS HOPE STATS: From 2004

10m VISITORS – 11m BOOKS SOLD – 238 Ports of call – 82 Countries visited(Logos Hope stats as presented).

Second point of the story is— see where the Logos Hope is registered. VALLETTA in MALTA, where I shall be in a months time.

Many posts to follow during the next 4 months.

Saturday the 30th March 2024, a venture to our favourite breakfast venue On Point at the entrance to the Durban harbour. Johannesburg and PE guests enjoyed not only the breakfast of 2 eggs, extra bacon, mushrooms, tomato and chips with a roll for only R69.00 or Euro3.39 or Pound 2.90.

Besides the breakfast and the view, the following 3 ships departed/ entered the harbour.

Happy days, plus to add to the excitement a local fisherman landed 2 Grunter within 5 minutes of each other. Too quick for a camera shot.

What a place to celebrate the end of 2023. The Drakensberg Gardens hotel complex. Members Gary(ex UK) and name sake Mark from Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) made up a refined 3 ball. Plenty rain during December has made the course very lush and green and very challenging. Many a ball found the water traps and Gary had no option but to buy a new pack at halfway. I seem to have forgotten just how much water is on most of the 18 holes.

A great morning of golf, fun and much chirping.

Friday night in the marque at Westville country club, with Barry Thompson and The Reals.

The show ” You asked for it”- a collection of music requested by regular patrons prior to last months Rodriguez tribute. The band had the unenviable task of choosing playable songs from over 400 requests. Jennie and I had heard our request some years back at the now closed Heritage theatre. A Procol Harum instrumental classic. When Dawn started with a few bars of “Whiter Shade..” the crowd went wild, but Dawn stopped. Barry then announced that this next song, an organ introduction, followed by ‘Bach” piano prelude and the heavy guitar work had had only 1 request- ours and Repent Walpurgus was played to great satisfaction of all present.

A great evening of memorable classics, much singing along with the band and dancing in the aisles and outside the tent.

Golfari S A supports Local talent.

After a week of golf, time to indulge in something special- High Tea at The Oyster Box

Now the treats.

Sweet choices.

Outside Indian Ocean view and the famous Umhlanga Lighthouse.

Day 1 of a 4 day challenge, starting at the re-opened Beachwood golf course.

Only the original first 10 holes of the Sub Tropical Mangrove swamp area playable. The other 8 holes towards the Virginia airport, are up for re-development at some stage.

Jason , Larry and Mark. On the 4th hole, a result of the April floods. Some guys swimming pool on the edge of the fairway. The wind blew all game.

Day 2 – Port Shepstone golf course.

Joined by the chaps of the Badgers social golf club for the next 3 days, as part of their long weekend.

Scenes at Port Shepstone- the wind blew all day, making golf and scores very challenging.

The last photo is of the Friday night dinner at the “Tom, Dick and Harry”, a British pub in Ramsgate. Great inexpensive and tasty food, with rather cheap beers, compared to other establishments, back in Durban for example.

Day 3 – Southbroom Golf course.

Great fun at Southbroom, with the first 6-8 holes in overcast and windy weather. Did clear later in the morning.

Day 4 – Seaborne golf club

Great disappointment in trying to complete the 4 day challenge. Rain, rain and more rain.

The only thing to do, was a lovely breakfast at the club before all departing back to Durban.

A great 4 days of golf and friendship, with good food, much laughter, many, many drinks and 2 world cup rugby games to watch. Photos courtesy of Mark(Golfari) and Adrian, Manny and others from the Badger group. Thank you.

The past weekend in Mtunzini to celebrate a birthday and to participate in a Round Table night golf event, a first for many. To say fun was had by all was a understatement.

3 teams of 2 each, one male one female per team hitting alternate shots- freshe’s galore.

Saturday – Participation to celebrate Mtunzini’s 1st birthday of their Park run, and my birthday.

A great time spent with our Zini family. Photos courtesy of Gary, Sharon, Jennie, Dawn.

Saturday down the South Coast in Pennington. Visit to brother Jeff and sister in law Linda along with sisters Belinda and Angela.

Purpose to have lunch and join in watching the photos and videos of Jeff/Linda’s 7 week tour on the Sinfonia, Durban to Venice. Second part of the viewing, Italy tour and Istanbul in Turkey. Fun times, food, drink and laughter.

Sunday- Fathers day, this time north of Durban, to visit son, daughter in law and grand daughter, in Mtunzini. Tour of the Umlalazi mangroves, a game of putt put and then lunch.

Great weekend with family.

One of the Queens of the sea, the Queen Mary 2 docked in Durban yesterday Monday 3rd March 2023. A 7pm departure, delayed by more than an hour, did not deter the large crowd at On Point, to watch the departure.

Exactly 3 weeks ago I wrote about my brother leaving Durban on the MSC Sinfonia. below courtesy of “Cruise mapper” is 2 photos of the Sinfonia travelling through the Suez canal.

The Suez canal completed in 1869 (154 years ago) and altered and strengthen many times since, is 193.30kms long. The canal separates Africa form Asia. The Sinfonia running from south to north into the Red sea along to the Gulf of Suez, holding at the Great Bitter lake before proceeding in convoy north to Port Said and the Mediterranean. (detail Britannica.com).