I was born in Vereeniging, where is that? An industrial town in South Africa. I spent the first part of my life on the “Reef” Gold Mining jargon for the chain of city’s that helped support South Africa.
I had a great introduction to life, NO TV, spent my time in the fields and storm drains of the community. I boxed quite successfully till my folks decided that the headaches I suffered meant the end of the ring. We tried dropping stones into funnels of steam engines from the bridge at Discovery station, we put pennies(larger than a US quarter) on the track at the crossing to the dam, bottom of Kliprandt. I think I may still have a squashed one in my “stuff”.
We were kids, fished at the dam, had a bicycle gang, played havoc with pedestrian traffic at night with “slangetjie”( a bicycle inner tube cut, the length of it dragged across the street, snake, scared the bejeezers out of most folk, enough that one person returned blew the tube away with his gun.) other than that, we had no distractions of the “modern” child. I can go on…
I loved being a kid, probably still one at heart.
Okay, we moved to Cape Town, I love this City.
I would challenge any one to compare Cape Town to what they have now.
Unfair if you have not had the chance to experience it. The challenge is there!
I went to Milnerton High in Cape Town, had a ball, some, mainly my parents would comment on the amount of experience gained from school. It was fun, healthy, car stealing(my folks), under age drinking. I was active in the sports, extra mural activities, played Rugby(loved), school prefect, participated in school play while supporting the local waiters at the Cambridge, an off limit drinking facility for us school kids. A few kids were into drugs back then, to my limited knowledge it was “grass”. I learnt very qickly once I reached the States that there was much more to be had. I never took part for fear of “liking” it, so here I am a juice junky simping my beer. All the time I spent in the Caribbean I have yet have to taste a Daquery or a Marguarita.
I participated as a volunteer lifesaver, represented my club at the National life saving championships in Durban, sailed at the local club in multiple races, local and off shore. Eventually I was hired to crew a converted fishing boat to ST Lucia where I lived for a year Marigot Bay.
Sailed back home via Tristan Da Cuhna, then on to the Comoros, we struck a reef off Europa, got rescued by the French Navy, spent the year running a dive/sail charter boat. I have seen turtles come ashore lay eggs on the beach, been there when the eggs hatched weeks later, witnessed the unbelievable scramble of tiny turtles into the water while being dive bombed by seagulls. AMAZING.Back across to the Carribean.
Swam with whales in the middle of the Atlantic, I am fortunate to have seen Hayleys(once every 75 years) Comet, (Mark Twain was born/died on the passing of the comet), while in the middle of the Atlantic, mass dolphin migration, Volcano eruption on the island of ST Vincent.Spent four years on the Doubloon before moving to the States.
I kept busy, and …
This could continue…
These past experiences keep me motivated and one day … more adventures.
traveling.
cycle through the States and then Europe……….and on.
things end, others go into remission and resurface, years later.
Hope springs eternal.