Day 1 Cadet 150 Lands in South Africa

Tuesday 27th July 2010

Approximately 08.30 (local time), our plane lands in Johannesburg, we eventually clear customs and collect our baggage and head through the arrivals wide eyed and ready for adventure.



Following Customs clearance and passport checks we assemble in our groups and wait to meet our South African host Reggie Purbrick. Reggie is a retired British army Colonel who confesses to living the life of a king in South Africa.

We clamber onto the coach and mini bus that Reggie has organised to transport us to what we will soon consider to be our South African home Emsani.

We safely arrive at Em’semi following an interesting 4 hour bus journey from Johannesburg which includes several tolls and police checks. Our driver has aptly nicknamed himself Jensen Button? We engage Jensen with small talk in an attempt to get him to slow down or consider our fears. Jensen introduces us to a new term which will feature throughout our trip “TIA” (This is Africa) Throughout the journey we were all engrossed with the vast and ever changing landscape.

Em’semi is a pleasant surprise; we were all expecting makeshift accommodation, whereas we found ourselves moving into pleasant huts complete with beds and pillars. Even more surprising was our first African meal, fish cake, chips and salad (Lunch) Evening meal was Sheppard’s pie and rice.

The temperature is a balmy 26 by day, however as soon as the sun disappears (18.00)the temperature rapidly drops to around + 8

We participate in sporting activities in the evening until we lose the light, unfortunately a cadet from group 4 becomes the first causality, pulling a hamstring whist playing touch rugby, and unfortunately he will be spending most of the tour hobbling around on crutches.