Today we went to see this floating-on-the-water wonder and all we could say too was “Oooh.” Here are some pictures. What do you say?

Then on Tuesday I took the ride again and there it was, the scenic of scenics. From rolling green hills to ice capped mountains- and water- lots of water every where. Yes, I agree with the guide books, this is a truly beautiful train journey.

There is a place called Finse along the journey. It is 1222 metres above sea level. In winter it’s a popular skiing destination. In summer- as in now- you can rent bicycles and cycle to Flåm, 80 km away, which is 2 meters above sea level! It is a two beautiful downhill ride- and yes you leave the bicycles at Flåm (the train brings them back up).

Someone behind me is talking about problems with his wife and asking for advice from a woman he has just met. Someone else is saying proudly, “I played at HIFA last week. At the 7 Arts. Nice place. I am on my way back to Oslo.”

The clouds are all of a sudden moving really fast in a direction opposite to ours. Flying by in wisps that envelope us. Then we break through them and I see their shadow on the ground far below and I notice that they are stationery. The shadows are not moving. That means the clouds are not moving either. It is us- in our impatience to make the next landing, to make the next connection, to get to the next destination- that are screaming through the atmosphere.

When we land three buses promptly arrive and ferry us to the terminal building.

Wow. O.R. Tambo is looking brand spanking new. Not as I remember it. Shining tiles and clear flatscreen signboards everywhere. Carousel one to six in this section. Brand new rubber for the luggage to ride on.  Fifteen minutes of waiting and then the bags start to come.

The South Africans have outdone themselves here. This is awesome. I am taken. This place is many times magnified in every single way.

I just wish they wouldn’t open so many suitcases and take stuff without people’s permission. That is so not nice JZ.

The one thing left is that…

And while all the hustle and bustle of South Africa was happening around us, wherever we went we met some Zimbos and wherever we met them, they were shopping inordinately.

Where South Africans were buying one pair of jeans in Jet and Edgars, the Zimbo in the queue had five.

In Makro and Game and Kit Kat, where the South Africans pushed one small trolley, the Zimbo families were pushing three to five huge ones- full to the brim.In KFC, Nandos and Wimpy, the South Africans munched slowly on their chips, chicken and burgers- but the Zimbos wolved the food down with gusto, having last had a decent burger who knows when. Hey, and the Hawaiian Pizza from Romans actually had pineapple and TWO layers of mozzarella! In your face Pizza Inn!

And those South Africans that crossed our boarder, came in small groups to see our beautiful country. We in return crossed theirs in busloads and carloads to buy everything our forsaken shops had denied us.

I can testify to this. I am one of them. I am a Zimbo too.

^ A Biker at Boogaloos Park, Pretoria, does a boogie in the sky.

^ Boogaloos is a stunt park inside Menlyn Mall.

^ And we did see some stunts alright.

^ More bike stunts from Boogaloos.

Boogaloos. Boogaloos? I wonder what that word means…

- All photos taken 20 to 23 June 2008

Menlyn Mall had me dropping my jaw to the floor. Shops upon shops upon shops upon more shops- and all this upon shops.

This place is a Monstrosity. And when I use that word I mean it in the nicest way possible. In no way do I insinuate that it’s ugly- far from it. It’s just so huge. One visitor called it “an icon to consumerism” on Yahoo Travel.

A beautiful monstrosity As I was dragging my jaw around the different shops, the business side of me was just wondering: “Who on earth owns such a huge building?” So I found out. Menlyn Mall (officially known as Menlyn Park) is owned by Old Mutual Properties.  Figures.

Old Mutual’s portfolio of South African Properties includes:

• Bayside - Cape Town
• Cascades - Pietermaritzburg
• Cavendish Square - Cape Town
• Gateway Theatre of Shopping - Durban
• Menlyn Park - Pretoria
• Riverside Mall - Nelspruit
• The Zone @ Rosebank - Johannesburg
• Vincent Park - East London

Gateway is said to be the biggest shopping mall in South Africa.

:: Visit the Menlyn Mall Website

- All photos taken 20 to 23 June 2008

I suppose wherever you go in the world there will be young people flexing to hip hop beats and giving their own energetic interpretations of Beyoncé, Chris Brown and Usher dance moves.

^ A young dancer does her thing at the Menlyn Arena, Pretoria

^ The event was the KFC Taste of Fame Competition and young people in their hundreds came to watch and participate.

^ I’m not sure if this was a prize, but this Hummer with the KFC Taste of Fame branding was parked close buy.

Talking about cars, it seems South Africans have thrown away all their old vehicles. The streets of Pretoria are full of gleaming brand spanking new Audis, BMWs, Mercedes Benzes, Isuzus, VWs, Peugoets, Renaults, the works.

- All photos taken 20 to 23 June 2008

Pretoria took my breath away. It is such a pretty place. It’s not an imposing metropolis like its neighbour Johannesburg and yet it tells a story just as powerful, just as intriguing- in it’s rolling streets and endless restaurants, in it’s hugeoungous shopping malls and its busy down town stalls.

^ Pictured at Muckleneuk Park in Pretoria. Can someone tell me if this is a crane or a stork?

^ A high income walled community, Pretoria. When I saw this I thought of Borrowdale Brooke.

^ Union Buildings which house the office of the President of South Africa

^ Another View of Union Buildings

^ Borewors roll à la Pretoria

^ University of Pretoria Admin Building. The University of Pretoria campus is really beautiful. Green lawns, cafeterias, restaurants, impressively equipped lecture theatres and well maintained buildings.  Besides the physical, it is also a major social and economic landmark in this city.

^ It seems that there is construction happening everywhere in this town. Houses, sports venues, churches. It’s awe inspiring to see so much development.  If this is all inspired by the World Cup in 2010, then a soccer fan I am!

^ Atterbury Shopping Mall. I took this one photograph before a security guard approached me and said: “Sorry, no photos allowed here.”

- All photos taken 20 to 23 June 2008

A friend of mine had a wedding in Nyanga on Friday last. Now, one of the first things I thought when I heard that the wedding would be in Nyanga was hey that’s a great way to limit the numbers. Have the wedding far away from Harare (Over 270 kilometres away!) and only those who really love you (close relatives & friends), those who feel obliged to be there (other close relatives and friends) and those who you pay to be there (photographers, decorators, planners, etc) will come.

Boy, was I wrong. Didn’t the whole of Harare just decide there was one place to be that day.

Ok, I exaggerate a bit- it wasn’t the whole of Harare, but it was a LOT of people. Over 400 people in a hotel meant for 150. It was tight tell you- but we are Zimbabweans and we so love being together at functions like this so no one felt the tightness. Amid the cheerful greetings, over excited aunties (these are present at EVERY wedding) and proud parents who would notice that the poor facility was bursting at the seams?

Instead, against a backdrop of rolling hills and cool calm lakes, two people were joined together in holy matrimony while the 400 sang and danced and ululated.

The hotel staff did an amazing job feeding lunch, supper AND breakfast the next morning to so many people (a few people found their way to other nearby hotels for the night)- and somehow everyone got a place to sleep- don’t ask me for details.