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Gap Year Experiences
Updates and info from on the ground during our 11 week and 5 week Experiences in South Africa
Pepper Endurance Tour
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Test day bottleSaturday 27th June 2009
After slingshotting round the gated community of Pretoria, the troops arrived noonish for Test Day 2 – the rematch. Fancy dress had been replaced with more patriotic attire, with some exceptions. The pre-match hospitality, indoor this time, served the frosty pints by the plenty, with concrete biltong and other salty snacks to aid the salivation/anticipation for the day ahead and a vodka and passion fruit concoction which strangely seemed to be a shot of each. Lamb chops and chicken didn’t quite meet the standards of the First Test but a great start all the same.
After a warm up of bear / man / gun and a few shots with the splendid attendants, the rabble began the ascent to the inside of Loftus Versveld.
Stadiums are something South Africa doesn’t do well. Atmosphere brilliant. Toilet placement, the stands – no Joost, you simply haven’t thought this one through have you. An ocean of red, occasionally covered by flitting South African flags seemed more visible than Durban. The intensity of the crunch game of the series was palpable, perhaps most so for young Luke Fitzgerald who experienced it at first hand. A big, thick Dutch hand at that. The game was the epitome of what one would call a Test Match. A raw, aggressive rollercoaster with an unbelievable finish. The faces of the Pepper crew at the final whistle was of incredulity and astonishment at witnessing such an epic. Pretty gutted really. The verbal aggression in the stands dissolved to handshakes of acknowledgement, with a few chirps from the less understanding as we walked back to the buses. Team Pepper put on some coolers and beers which helped the realisation soak in and take that time out to try and consume what had just happened. Moods lifted on the 3 disco buses as they rolled back to Jo’burg.
From the hostel to dinner, the diminishing rate of brain capacity had dropped further and the troops were gauged in at operation levels of 20%. A perfect selection of pizzas (bar the avocado. Why on pizza?!) Chinchila and Princey took the rare opportunity to say a few words to everyone as a group. It was a great summation from two understated guys who have obviously put in a lot to make this 2 week trip of a lifetime all possible. Pips and Doug have been tireless in their job to make this happen and the Upper Sixth would like to express their huge thanks for everything, mainly dealing with our horrific behaviour and cliquey chats. Prizes were handed out with a hint at the stories to support their awards and the troops set sail for the last time as a group into Movida nightclub. The table booked was left empty as the dance floor filled with waving arms, lawnmowers and beaming smiles. Just another cracking night to close the curtains on what will forever remain in the minds of 30odd young men, the experience of a lifetime.
It’s been a trip of two halves. Both immensely rewarding in very different ways. Enormous gratitude to Reyniers and Cartwright for pushing their respective groups to buy into this and a massive congratulations to everyone on being amazing; uniting in such a way with that much ego could be a reality TV experiment. Thankfully it wasn’t.
This two-week hallucination has been simply phenomenal.
Finally, thanks to Team Pepper. Dominated it.
I love the lips!
Final Destination Approaching
Friday 26th June 2009
It’s ‘Day Zero’ of the Lions Tour. Friday 26 June. Time is not of the essence here in Africa and so much has happened since the last entry that a run-down in the style of some confused hallucination/dream would be more appropriate than anything chronological, because that was what this adventure has been and is continuing to be.
Writing from the Upper Sixth bus from Hluhluwe to Jo’burg. Driver Pips and co-pilot Roachy (not allowed behind the wheel) have been knocked off the iPod and a few Jimi Hendrix tracks are keeping the passengers twitching enough to ensure that sleep is kept strictly prohibited – another common theme throughout the trip due to Pepper’s early wake-up calls and overzealous male inclination to crowbar as many activities of varying extremity as possible into a 14 day tour.
An early morning start….surely not, after planning to leave at 7am, the pace of African cooking ensured that we were not on time. With a couple petrol stops, plus a couple of mandatory dance stops the mood within the buses started to improve as the Pepper Endurance team got closer to the final destination, helped by many power ballads and sing a-longs.
Ten hours later the realisation that we were in possibly the most dangerous city on the planet hit us, many questions such as ‘are we safe to get out here?’ followed with seemingly reassuring answers from the Pepper tour guides. Arriving at the ‘Ritz’ we were pretty excited by the 20 man dorm that we were placed in. A quick change and a few beers in the strangest bar ever known to man and we were ready to embrace the Jo’burg nightlife. What followed was the slickest steak restaurant south of the equator, more reminiscent of WC1 than the danger promised to us by Ross Kemp on Monday nights at 9pm, Puddle would have been proud. Tender portions of red meat were served with fine wine and the banter was flowing as the realisation that impressionable women surrounded us once again. Vincent ‘Chase’ Dickson got a little over excited and proceeded to order the most disgusting 80% proof shots for one table, much to the disgust of Matt Peel whose body did not agree with the fluid. By this point KP and Mr Cooke were firmly in the zone with two blonde ladies from Pretoria, dirty looks from Cookie were present whenever anyone came within 5 yards of him, 10 minutes later they found themselves on route to Pretoria.
Once again the Pepper tour party was setting out in their primary goal of drinking South Africa out of Jagermeister and had relative success. By around 5am the lights were switched on and a lot of ropey looking boys set out in trying to navigate the infamous taxi system home ready for the big second test kicking off in about ten hours time. Somehow all of Pepper made it home safely proving that the apparent lack of competence shown over the past two weeks was not a true indication of our personalities when faced with, according to Ross, probable death when venturing out after dark…….welcome to Joburg!
It’s ‘Day Zero’ of the Lions Tour. Friday 26 June. Time is not of the essence here in Africa and so much has happened since the last entry that a run-down in the style of some confused hallucination/dream would be more appropriate than anything chronological, because that was what this adventure has been and is continuing to be.
Writing from the Upper Sixth bus from Hluhluwe to Jo’burg. Driver Pips and co-pilot Roachy (not allowed behind the wheel) have been knocked off the iPod and a few Jimi Hendrix tracks are keeping the passengers twitching enough to ensure that sleep is kept strictly prohibited – another common theme throughout the trip due to Pepper’s early wake-up calls and overzealous male inclination to crowbar as many activities of varying extremity as possible into a 14 day tour.
An early morning start….surely not, after planning to leave at 7am, the pace of African cooking ensured that we were not on time. With a couple petrol stops, plus a couple of mandatory dance stops the mood within the buses started to improve as the Pepper Endurance team got closer to the final destination, helped by many power ballads and sing a-longs.
Ten hours later the realisation that we were in possibly the most dangerous city on the planet hit us, many questions such as ‘are we safe to get out here?’ followed with seemingly reassuring answers from the Pepper tour guides. Arriving at the ‘Ritz’ we were pretty excited by the 20 man dorm that we were placed in. A quick change and a few beers in the strangest bar ever known to man and we were ready to embrace the Jo’burg nightlife. What followed was the slickest steak restaurant south of the equator, more reminiscent of WC1 than the danger promised to us by Ross Kemp on Monday nights at 9pm, Puddle would have been proud. Tender portions of red meat were served with fine wine and the banter was flowing as the realisation that impressionable women surrounded us once again. Vincent ‘Chase’ Dickson got a little over excited and proceeded to order the most disgusting 80% proof shots for one table, much to the disgust of Matt Peel whose body did not agree with the fluid. By this point KP and Mr Cooke were firmly in the zone with two blonde ladies from Pretoria, dirty looks from Cookie were present whenever anyone came within 5 yards of him, 10 minutes later they found themselves on route to Pretoria.
Once again the Pepper tour party was setting out in their primary goal of drinking South Africa out of Jagermeister and had relative success. By around 5am the lights were switched on and a lot of ropey looking boys set out in trying to navigate the infamous taxi system home ready for the big second test kicking off in about ten hours time. Somehow all of Pepper made it home safely proving that the apparent lack of competence shown over the past two weeks was not a true indication of our personalities when faced with, according to Ross, probable death when venturing out after dark…….welcome to Joburg!
Another Day in the Wild
Thursday 25th June 2009
“Has a hangover ever been worse...Shane McGowen would have been proud!” – Quote from Brown-Eye who was missing in action of day 2 Safari.
The rest of the lads bundled into the landies in the dark hours of 5am and after a brutally refreshing sunrise drive to the southern end of the park and some thawing out dance moves, we were quickly rewarded with a leopard trotting along the road ahead of us. We hadn’t even got to the breakfast spot and guys had already started to forget about their aching heads and sink into the day spent relaxing on the open air vehicles spotiing the game. Lunch stop was particularly entertaining as the lads managed to get involved in sing-off with some girls from a near by local school. The sounds of Nkosi Sikeleli Africa followed by the Welsh National Anthem got both parties eagerly excited and once again allowed for an opportunity for Stumpy to show off his extremely impressive dance moves. With a couple of lagers and a pretty sluggish group we once again continued on through the park and were treated to a siting of a pride of lions with a couple of cubs. Even though it was a fair distance it definitely counted as an extra tick on the list. With sun blazing and incredible scenery surrounding us, the time spent “in the wild” proved to be extremely enjoyable and relaxing.
Some groups headed up to Hilltop Camp for an afternoon with sneaky drinks over looking an incredible view across the reserve. With some vehicles more enthusiastic than others when it came to spotting, the two days of game drive treated most of us to the Big 5, as well as plenty zebra, giraffe, impala, warthog, vultures, nyala as well as one particularly inspiring tree for one group vehicle.
“Has a hangover ever been worse...Shane McGowen would have been proud!” – Quote from Brown-Eye who was missing in action of day 2 Safari.
The rest of the lads bundled into the landies in the dark hours of 5am and after a brutally refreshing sunrise drive to the southern end of the park and some thawing out dance moves, we were quickly rewarded with a leopard trotting along the road ahead of us. We hadn’t even got to the breakfast spot and guys had already started to forget about their aching heads and sink into the day spent relaxing on the open air vehicles spotiing the game. Lunch stop was particularly entertaining as the lads managed to get involved in sing-off with some girls from a near by local school. The sounds of Nkosi Sikeleli Africa followed by the Welsh National Anthem got both parties eagerly excited and once again allowed for an opportunity for Stumpy to show off his extremely impressive dance moves. With a couple of lagers and a pretty sluggish group we once again continued on through the park and were treated to a siting of a pride of lions with a couple of cubs. Even though it was a fair distance it definitely counted as an extra tick on the list. With sun blazing and incredible scenery surrounding us, the time spent “in the wild” proved to be extremely enjoyable and relaxing.
Some groups headed up to Hilltop Camp for an afternoon with sneaky drinks over looking an incredible view across the reserve. With some vehicles more enthusiastic than others when it came to spotting, the two days of game drive treated most of us to the Big 5, as well as plenty zebra, giraffe, impala, warthog, vultures, nyala as well as one particularly inspiring tree for one group vehicle.
Safari Day – had finally arrived!
Wednesday 24th June 2009
This was another day which, alongside the bungy jump and the 1st test had featured highly on many of the boys’ ‘to do lists’. Sadly, the initial 15 minutes excitement was dampened slightly, as Peppers’ bedraggled cohorts crawled out of their quarters for yet another early start – a eye watering 6am - this was becoming a bit of habit, but one which was embraced in good spirits by all. The promise of the ‘big five’ at The Hluhluwe/Umflozi game reserve was enough for most! Finally there was a chance that Cartwright (aka Stumpy), would get a glimpse at a precious Giraffe he had wished-for all tour! Thankfully the bus journey was not quite the usual 10 hour marathon, and after the pre-requisite whiner (Heymann!!) had exorcised his demons, and a mere 3 ½ hours later, the troops (now 32 strong) were ready to do battle with the wilderness.
We arrived in blistering sunshine, and after some brief flirtation with the sun around the pool, we were introduced to our guides Helen, Alex, Greg and Mbungo, and it was time ship out for lunch and afternoon’s game drive. Turns out – Lions are hard to spot. Whether this was just because the midday sun was strong enough to fry and egg, or because of the somewhat terrifying rendition of Hakuna Matata being serenaded by Messieurs Cook, Kilpatrick and Heymann. Nonetheless the troops powered on and got-in some solid sightings – Elephants, Impala’s, Buffalo, Wilderbeest…and apparently a Hippo, although general consensus was that the team was trying a little hard for that particular scalp, and it was, in fact – a large, motionless rock!
This was another day which, alongside the bungy jump and the 1st test had featured highly on many of the boys’ ‘to do lists’. Sadly, the initial 15 minutes excitement was dampened slightly, as Peppers’ bedraggled cohorts crawled out of their quarters for yet another early start – a eye watering 6am - this was becoming a bit of habit, but one which was embraced in good spirits by all. The promise of the ‘big five’ at The Hluhluwe/Umflozi game reserve was enough for most! Finally there was a chance that Cartwright (aka Stumpy), would get a glimpse at a precious Giraffe he had wished-for all tour! Thankfully the bus journey was not quite the usual 10 hour marathon, and after the pre-requisite whiner (Heymann!!) had exorcised his demons, and a mere 3 ½ hours later, the troops (now 32 strong) were ready to do battle with the wilderness.
We arrived in blistering sunshine, and after some brief flirtation with the sun around the pool, we were introduced to our guides Helen, Alex, Greg and Mbungo, and it was time ship out for lunch and afternoon’s game drive. Turns out – Lions are hard to spot. Whether this was just because the midday sun was strong enough to fry and egg, or because of the somewhat terrifying rendition of Hakuna Matata being serenaded by Messieurs Cook, Kilpatrick and Heymann. Nonetheless the troops powered on and got-in some solid sightings – Elephants, Impala’s, Buffalo, Wilderbeest…and apparently a Hippo, although general consensus was that the team was trying a little hard for that particular scalp, and it was, in fact – a large, motionless rock!
The day was enjoyed by all, some more than others as Kiethy’s comrades experienced first-hand. After a long day we headed back to the bush camp. What later ensued can only be described as one of the most barbarous drinking displays on tour. With a distinct lack of entertainment options, the boys did well and created one of the most outrageous drinking efforts revolving around darts and the infamous all-spark. Some were battered by the (un)lucky fortunes on the all-spark, more than others – none less so that the our resident ginger/landlord, Colesy, who received some incredibly unfavourable punishments. The night would have not been the same without some pea-cocking from Stumpy and Ulphy – much to Heymann’s disappointment (FYI - Heymann loves PR!). What a day, and what a night – just what we needed as a prelude to our earliest start on tour the following day…..very brutal!
Who Needs a Cage? Tuesday 23rd June 2009
Day 11 of the Lions tour witnessed the absolute ridiculousness of juicy British lads jumping in the warm clear waters of Durban to swim with sharks. Some loved it, some not so much….It cleared up into an extremely perfect day on the south coast and moods were very mixed as the guys got into the wetsuits and boats to go and face the mighty Tiger shark eye to eye. Although a Tiger wasn’t spotted the 2-3m Black Tip Sharks were out in full force and the experience of 30-40 of them staring you in the face and brushing past you to grab the bait a few metres away sent some into a panic, while others braved off the sarcastic instructors chirps had an unbelievable brush with nature.
Day 11 of the Lions tour witnessed the absolute ridiculousness of juicy British lads jumping in the warm clear waters of Durban to swim with sharks. Some loved it, some not so much….It cleared up into an extremely perfect day on the south coast and moods were very mixed as the guys got into the wetsuits and boats to go and face the mighty Tiger shark eye to eye. Although a Tiger wasn’t spotted the 2-3m Black Tip Sharks were out in full force and the experience of 30-40 of them staring you in the face and brushing past you to grab the bait a few metres away sent some into a panic, while others braved off the sarcastic instructors chirps had an unbelievable brush with nature.
Golf Day Monday 22nd June 2009
Golf Day, and an early tee off for some on a spectacular day at one of South Africa’s finest courses. Unfortunately neither the standard of our golfing fashion or our golf itself lived up to that of the course.
Golf Day, and an early tee off for some on a spectacular day at one of South Africa’s finest courses. Unfortunately neither the standard of our golfing fashion or our golf itself lived up to that of the course.
“I’m definitely Adolf Hitler”
Golf day was a splendid affair. Kicking off at 11am for us, after the presentation of the personalised Lions baggy caps (best stash award definitely), a bacon and egg sarmie and a delightful coffee. Everyone had forgotten what breakfast was. From 11am, the team managed to lose an average of 8 balls for their round – poor display. Snakes, woodies, moles, dolphins, hitlers were in play – all nice additions to the overall competition. FYI – they are punishments based around the last person to 3-putt, be in trees, sand, water and 2 shots in the bunker. Quote of the day “I’m definitely Adolf Hitler.”
A fantastic day was had by all and we returned to the clubhouse for refreshment overlooking the rolling hills with the Pacific Ocean in the distance – a stunning setting.
The afternoon saw the sad departure of three of the touring party – the two chimps and Puddle (aka “the rat catcher”). All three had performed admirably on tour, remained in good humour throughout and will be missed. We will, however, now be able to eat at restaurants and leave some food for other diners to consume, and the fathers of South Africa’s young women can now rest easy knowing that the catcher is a safe (ish) 7000km away!
The evening saw the touring party put their culinary skills to the test as 50 or so pizzas were prepared and cooked in the wood oven beside the secret surf spot pool. The elder members of the party “enjoyed” a fairly aggressive half-term court session, South African style, under the watchful eye of Judge Cam whilst others took things a little easier with much reflection on the previous ten days fun and anticipation about the coming few days activities.
Changing gears and Lions with bazookas...
Sunday 21st June 2009
Picking up the pieces was a general theme for Sunday. Picking up our aching bodies, picking up our array of fancy dress from across the dorm and picking ourselves up to leave Durban and ready for the next stage. On a 2 week trip, the change in scenery can bring out a bit of nostalgia for the good times that have to be left behind and the doubt of whether it can be matched. Durban was full of frolicks, fun, sun, beach, braai’s, beautiful people, and an inspiring test match. What next? Much like the Lions I imagine, the trip to Ballito was in fact a welcome opportunity to retreat from the front lines and a chance for a bigger group to come together, pool resources, compare stories and share some fancy dress accessories. Some very bleary eyed tourists today as we drove the 30 minutes or so north of central Durban to the sleepy seaside town of Ballito and the quaint surrounds of The Secret Spot.
A table for 35 was booked and was good to trade the red meat for some fish. Linefish and prawns are definitely a winner in these parts. After the excitement of the first reunion of troops, a more relaxed affair with some slow beers, gradual introductions and Lions conversations provided a nice transition for the tour.
Test Day, Star Wars and Furry Animals joining forces and Durban just getting it...
Saturday 20th June 2009
The weather gods were on our side today, it was an absolute stonker, and we arrived at our hospitality tent by late morning. Back in our customary fancy dress (drag, superheroes, animals, gimps etc), we attracted more than our fair share of attention from both locals and lions of yesteryear, Robinson and Mcbride. The Reyniers group arrived shortly after in what I can only describe as the most spectacular dress up costumes I have ever seen with 10 Star Wars characters arriving to gazes of bemusement and amazement.
Picking up the pieces was a general theme for Sunday. Picking up our aching bodies, picking up our array of fancy dress from across the dorm and picking ourselves up to leave Durban and ready for the next stage. On a 2 week trip, the change in scenery can bring out a bit of nostalgia for the good times that have to be left behind and the doubt of whether it can be matched. Durban was full of frolicks, fun, sun, beach, braai’s, beautiful people, and an inspiring test match. What next? Much like the Lions I imagine, the trip to Ballito was in fact a welcome opportunity to retreat from the front lines and a chance for a bigger group to come together, pool resources, compare stories and share some fancy dress accessories. Some very bleary eyed tourists today as we drove the 30 minutes or so north of central Durban to the sleepy seaside town of Ballito and the quaint surrounds of The Secret Spot.
A table for 35 was booked and was good to trade the red meat for some fish. Linefish and prawns are definitely a winner in these parts. After the excitement of the first reunion of troops, a more relaxed affair with some slow beers, gradual introductions and Lions conversations provided a nice transition for the tour.
Test Day, Star Wars and Furry Animals joining forces and Durban just getting it...
Saturday 20th June 2009
The weather gods were on our side today, it was an absolute stonker, and we arrived at our hospitality tent by late morning. Back in our customary fancy dress (drag, superheroes, animals, gimps etc), we attracted more than our fair share of attention from both locals and lions of yesteryear, Robinson and Mcbride. The Reyniers group arrived shortly after in what I can only describe as the most spectacular dress up costumes I have ever seen with 10 Star Wars characters arriving to gazes of bemusement and amazement.
Australia vs France on big screen, blazing sunshine, fantastic spread, meat-dominated clearly, Although there was a sighting of a cucumber. After a few hours, the engine was well and truly oiled and we filed into our seats buzzing with excitement. Unfortunately, due to some bad luck and even worse refereeing, the first half was somewhat of a letdown and the tourists went in trailing after 40 minutes.
The human or animal pyramid, shall we say, on the corner of the pitch at half-time deserved something. The dedication from Lions Darth Vader and Lions Storm Trooper deserved a certain reward beyond the number of photos they were asked to pose for. A fantastic figure of 8 was run half naked on the pitch with 2 sidesteps to stewards was also commendable.
A spirited second half fight-back was not sufficient to prevent a narrow first test loss. We were dominated in the forwards though, second best at the breakdown and not helped by the southern hemisphere referees interpretation of some of the laws. We were not too disheartened though as the Lions played by far and away the best rugby and dominated for long periods which gave us hope for the tests to come.
Some headed back to the hospitality tent for a few more beverages and dinner and then we returned to Nomads to change into more appropriate attire for another night out on the town. Mr. Kilpatrick kindly invited some of the opposition supporters to join him for the evening and a thoroughly good time was had by all (I have heard!!) at various nightspots around Durban.
The Star Wars group remained to truly make the most of the ABSA Stadium tradition with the braai in the car park that was an example of something that this country really knows how to do, and perhaps particularly those from Durban. Having spent much time of the first 3 days with a friend from these parts, there is a certain calmness and chilled perspective on life to Durbaners. They get it. They know what life is about. Clear skies, tender meat in plentiful supply, beers on tap, relaxed chats and meeting some new people. Big stage with live music nearby and a great setting for level 2 for the day’s shenanigans. Twickenham, whatever. The evening signalled a return to the Harvey Wallbangers – the venue for our Funky Neon Chocolate Candy Night. Aching bones in the morning from serious boogy time. Other Pepper members threw themselves around Clapham and Joe Cools with equal vigour and honour. Morale of the story –Lions should have executed game plan better and won, Monye should be able to finish, referees need to understand scrums better, Durban rocks.
South Africa Journalism and The Arrogance of Tom Croft
In the build up to the Test, the tour party have been trying to catch up on as much Lions’ journalism as possible. Rolling Maul emails from Sunday Times journalist Stephen Jones have provided some useful opinion and analysis; in spite of a personal tribute to Simon Shaw post his selection for this 2nd Test, which was bordering on a stalker’s love letter. (On that note, one of the party has a slight trickle of joy that the Lions second-row’s pesting efforts came up short compared to one of the many superior specimens of the Pepper party who was chosen to escort the young lady to her residence that evening for a latte, rather than the 10 foot Lion.)
BBC Sport provided some impartial words on the Vickery scrum fiasco, which was disappointing, and then there is the South African press. Oh dear. The coverage is surprisingly absent, in keeping with the attendance at the provincial games, and the rugby columns are taking back seat to the Confederations cup, which is disappointing. On the nature of the editorial content, it is just mind-boggling what gets published. Not insightful, not grammatically correct, totally bemusing.
A cutting from an interview with Tom Croft left the group astonished, mystified, hysterical at the line of questioning but more so by the young Leicester man’s incredible arrogance.
Q – Do you have a fear of turbulence when flying?A – No not anymore. I used to. Now I control it and use it to my advantage.
Firstly, why has the interview chosen to ask this question in his only 30 seconds with the young star who in his first season as an international, joined the Lions squad due to injury and holds a secure spot in the back row. Secondly, we are confused as to whether Tom is arrogant enough to think he can somehow control turbulence itself. Sorry Tom but you are as fast as a gazelle and you are nimble in the lineout, but I don’t think controlling turbulence is within your armoury. Thirdly, you say you can control it but then use it to your advantage. Since there was only 30seconds for this interview, I assume you were unable to expand, but to what advantage do you use turbulence Tom? This is what left us hysterical, mystified and in awe of the arrogance of Tom Croft. We are eager to catch up with him on Saturday night for an explanation.
The Amulgamation of Two Groups
Friday 19th June 2009
Friday 19th June 2009
Yet another early start to day 7 as the lads further down the South African coast rose rejuvenated after a fine few days chillaxing at the coffee shack, full of excitement and expectation as the Pepper buses headed off back over the heavily potholed track and onto our favourite highway, the N2.
Morale was high with the thought of joining up with the other half of our touring party, a further 12 Tonbridge inbreds from the year above who had spent the last few days taking in the sights and sounds of Africa’s premier surf coast. Some interesting conversations were had over dinner with Messers Puddle and Moses having much to discuss. After a slice of pizza or two and a few shots of the local finest we were off to the unfortunately named Clapham Grand nightclub. To our relief, the Durban arm of this entertainment chain was far superior to its London counterpart, and a fantastic night was had by all (Cook / Cartright more than most) and we danced the night away under the watchful eyes of Shaw/Powell/Hook and others from the lions not selected for the following days test.
Papa Joe, Muhammed Ali and Skydive Elation
Thursday 18th June 2009
5.30am alarm. Slow wipe of dribbled lips. 1 berroca, with ½ litre of water. Smattering of clothes, most likely neon-coloured. A tie is an absolute must! Ready for deep-sea fishing. Skipper was an interesting old man - Joe or Papa Joe to us. An Irishman by blood, hybrid accent and hands like frying pans. Thankfully some caught a fish early so dozed and chatted as the sun came up over Durban whilst few others battled with their rods. 2 of the crew enjoyed the most expensive sleep of their lives deciding to spend the entire time face down in the cabin below. 1 opted for the ‘the most expensive toilet trip’ instead.
5.30am alarm. Slow wipe of dribbled lips. 1 berroca, with ½ litre of water. Smattering of clothes, most likely neon-coloured. A tie is an absolute must! Ready for deep-sea fishing. Skipper was an interesting old man - Joe or Papa Joe to us. An Irishman by blood, hybrid accent and hands like frying pans. Thankfully some caught a fish early so dozed and chatted as the sun came up over Durban whilst few others battled with their rods. 2 of the crew enjoyed the most expensive sleep of their lives deciding to spend the entire time face down in the cabin below. 1 opted for the ‘the most expensive toilet trip’ instead.
5 hours later - Skydiving in the mountains around Durban for the Tonbridge 12. Red jump suits on, a very cavalier approach to instruction, several typical sarcastic stories of the dangers of this impending activity. Meanwhile, Cammo helpfully kept to himself that a friend had recently died doing this skydive. Three in a plane, gradual ascent to 9,000 feet, no. 1 jump, no. 2 jump, no. 3 jump. Thirty second freefall felt like 5, “awwweeeesoooommmeeeee!!!” Whumph of the parachute, shock to the loins, float and fly with the parachute. Feet up, bum scrape the floor. Beaming, beaming smile for the rest of the day. Simply epic. What an experience and one that has stuck as a definite highlight of the tour for many of the group.
Lions Tour Diary - Cape Town to Durban (Days 5-6)
Thursday 25 June 2009
Day 5After another day that ran right into the late hours we were up early again, this time at 7am, to embark on a journey the length of which was being kept just as secret as our destination would appear. Our drive took us through yet more of the breathtaking scenery this beautiful country has to offer as we wound our way through the never ending hills and horizons of the Transkei on our way to the Coffee Bay Shack – a supposed haven for backpackers. Hopes and expectations of the 23 strong group of 25 year old ‘lads’ that this remote hostel on the beach would be teeming with young impressionable members of the opposite sex were tempered by the ever increasing length this journey was inevitably going to take. It did not help that the weather was once again glorious for a day spent on the Pepper bus – obviously the Mule and Chinchilla had planned the trip terribly in relation to weather patterns. Hopes were once again restored, however, as we turned off the N2 onto a local road leading to our final destination and what we expected to be a couple of nights much needed relaxation. By this stage even the Mule was ready for a quick end to this long journey and did not remember the harrowing nature of this final leg as the standard of the road dropped considerably leaving our valiant drivers to negotiate potholes the size of desks, much to the amusement of his now semi-broken charges. Such an aggressive end to a long journey, punctuated by regular stops to reattach parts of the van and to play a little rugby with the local school kids, meant that the waning light was all that stood between us and certain van failure; so when the final shale bank was scaled and we arrived at our secluded destination the team was ready to reward their tour leaders/drivers with their own tour indoctrination. With shots at 60p (R8), long Banana & Brandy Mudslides at £1.70 (R20), tabs set up, and left handed “buffalo” drinking rules put in place by the shack’s somewhat mental and scary manager, Zuki, the Mule and Chinchilla took some punishment. Alas, the team’s previous desires for R&R were shelved for another day.
Day 6
Our first sleep past sunrise of the tour was interrupted by a bleary eyed Mule taking our breakfast orders as a genuine day of relaxation and recovery got under way on the South coast of South Africa. The opening few days of this tour had been aggressively enjoyed by all involved and with 2 full days and nigh on 2000 kilometres of travel achieved in the midst of two games of Lions rugby, the highest bungee jump in the world, every night lash and near endless “dishonest” banter, tour members and organisers alike were ready for a day spent sunning, beaching, surfing, 5-a-siding, and chilling. Four out of five would have to do, however, as the wonderful weather of our travel days eluded Coffee Bay on this day of rest, meaning the Pepper Experience was once again blamed for frankly unacceptable weather conditions. They vowed to try harder. Despite this minor cloudy setback the Mule and Chinchilla got to show off their questionable surfing skills as some exceptionably well organised games of “Lions touch” were played out on the shore, resulting in many fatigued team members and one Chimp with a semi-dislocated shoulder. Words cannot describe the pleasure with which we relished NOT having to get on the Pepper buses on this day and as people pottered about with rugby balls, the odd beer and a strangely high stakes game of blackjack, the “lads” started to look forward to Saturday and the 1st Lions test vs the South African Springboks. With the team announced, varying levels of optimism surrounded the camp as Macca rued the exclusion of Martin Williams, which thus far had cost him £250, most others agreed with the selections made and everyone’s excitement levels raised exponentially as the day which we had all been planning and paying for since 18 months previous, was finally only 48 hours and roughly 600km away!
cheers for now,
Ben Coles
Lions Tour Diary - Cape Town to Durban (Days 5-6)
Thursday 25 June 2009
Day 5After another day that ran right into the late hours we were up early again, this time at 7am, to embark on a journey the length of which was being kept just as secret as our destination would appear. Our drive took us through yet more of the breathtaking scenery this beautiful country has to offer as we wound our way through the never ending hills and horizons of the Transkei on our way to the Coffee Bay Shack – a supposed haven for backpackers. Hopes and expectations of the 23 strong group of 25 year old ‘lads’ that this remote hostel on the beach would be teeming with young impressionable members of the opposite sex were tempered by the ever increasing length this journey was inevitably going to take. It did not help that the weather was once again glorious for a day spent on the Pepper bus – obviously the Mule and Chinchilla had planned the trip terribly in relation to weather patterns. Hopes were once again restored, however, as we turned off the N2 onto a local road leading to our final destination and what we expected to be a couple of nights much needed relaxation. By this stage even the Mule was ready for a quick end to this long journey and did not remember the harrowing nature of this final leg as the standard of the road dropped considerably leaving our valiant drivers to negotiate potholes the size of desks, much to the amusement of his now semi-broken charges. Such an aggressive end to a long journey, punctuated by regular stops to reattach parts of the van and to play a little rugby with the local school kids, meant that the waning light was all that stood between us and certain van failure; so when the final shale bank was scaled and we arrived at our secluded destination the team was ready to reward their tour leaders/drivers with their own tour indoctrination. With shots at 60p (R8), long Banana & Brandy Mudslides at £1.70 (R20), tabs set up, and left handed “buffalo” drinking rules put in place by the shack’s somewhat mental and scary manager, Zuki, the Mule and Chinchilla took some punishment. Alas, the team’s previous desires for R&R were shelved for another day.
Day 6
Our first sleep past sunrise of the tour was interrupted by a bleary eyed Mule taking our breakfast orders as a genuine day of relaxation and recovery got under way on the South coast of South Africa. The opening few days of this tour had been aggressively enjoyed by all involved and with 2 full days and nigh on 2000 kilometres of travel achieved in the midst of two games of Lions rugby, the highest bungee jump in the world, every night lash and near endless “dishonest” banter, tour members and organisers alike were ready for a day spent sunning, beaching, surfing, 5-a-siding, and chilling. Four out of five would have to do, however, as the wonderful weather of our travel days eluded Coffee Bay on this day of rest, meaning the Pepper Experience was once again blamed for frankly unacceptable weather conditions. They vowed to try harder. Despite this minor cloudy setback the Mule and Chinchilla got to show off their questionable surfing skills as some exceptionably well organised games of “Lions touch” were played out on the shore, resulting in many fatigued team members and one Chimp with a semi-dislocated shoulder. Words cannot describe the pleasure with which we relished NOT having to get on the Pepper buses on this day and as people pottered about with rugby balls, the odd beer and a strangely high stakes game of blackjack, the “lads” started to look forward to Saturday and the 1st Lions test vs the South African Springboks. With the team announced, varying levels of optimism surrounded the camp as Macca rued the exclusion of Martin Williams, which thus far had cost him £250, most others agreed with the selections made and everyone’s excitement levels raised exponentially as the day which we had all been planning and paying for since 18 months previous, was finally only 48 hours and roughly 600km away!
cheers for now,
Ben Coles
Lions Tour Diary - Cape Town to Durban Group (Days 1-4)
Friday 19 June 2009
Day 1:
After months of admin and irrelevant office procrastinated emails the dream finally became a reality when flight BA 613604 touched down into a damp Cape Town at circa 7:00am. Sixteen rather dishevelled young men traipsed into South Africa with the ‘Living with the Lions’ (video documenting that famous 1997 tour) ringing in their ears and for Messrs Wright, Coles, Groome, Cook, and Kilpatrick a creased pair of salmon chinos to boot.
Our hosts for 16 days Johnny, Vince, Doug, and Pippa picked us up onto the rather snazzy branded ‘Pepper Buses’ – our second home – and immediately took us straight up to the rather appropriately hill dubbed ‘Lions Hill’ for an early morning welcome speech/chilli shot all part of the acclimatisation process for this bunch of finely tuned gladiators. After checking into the African Travel Centre, which overlooked a dismally foggy Table Mountain, it was time to pick up our ‘Tour’ Hoodies from Brad at the rather hip urban ‘street’ store ‘Finger’. After assuring Ben Coles that ‘Man-Crushes’ were acceptable but that Brad was hopelessly out of his league it was onto bruncheon and lagers ahead of the 3pm KO at Newlands, where the Lions were fronting up against Western Province.
Reaching the ground a couple of us managed to shelter the showers and head in for some pre-game halfs and a sneaky photo opportunity with Lions legend of yesteryear Jason Robinson! The game was a fairly turgid affair with the conditions not exactly conducive for free flowing rugby but a healthy dose of singing cleared our pipes and more importnaly the Lions got the necessary ‘W’ to remain unbeaten in 09. A couple of rounds of Jaeger Bombs – a drink hugely advocated by Macca – were duely dispatched in the Springbok Bar and it was onto Barristers for a quality feed at for supper . Steak/beer/wine/Jaeger/singsong again appeared to be the order of the day and a gruelling pace was set for the rest of the evening. With collars and school shoes at the ready club ‘91’ was hit, a new establishment to the Mother City oozing chic cool with its white leather interior, curvy blondes, and the vodka, champagne overflowing it was the perfect day to a incredible first day on tour. As were to learn the beauty of a Lions tour is that players and former pros are likely to be out partying themselves immersing themselves amongst the jubilant red army. Ed Groome went walkabout from the group but ended up bantering with a Celtic contingent that included Hook, D’Arcy, Phillips, Jones, whilst some of the other gang bumped into a highly lubricated Will Greenwood in another club Tiger Tiger - a cracking student cheesefest…
Day 2
No rest for the wicked as Princey (Mule) and Vince (Chinchilla) woke us early and drove us down to Kalk Bay for some brunch and some Bloody Marys to revitalise an already floundering party. Nigel ‘Stumpy’ Cartwright had the misfortune to announce that it was his birthday with him receiving various mini-cakes/shots of some quite frankly rancid chilli flavoured vodka throughout the day. Chris ‘Browneye’ Brown turned a few heads in the Brass Bell restuarant as the first victim of Dick of the Day – his prize a audible buffalo/donkey thong! Our next spot was Cape Point the most south-westerly point in Africa, which frankly took the boy’s breath away with some outrageous views – so much so that we saw one chap get down on one knee to propose. Next on the ‘to do’ list was a vineyard at Grot Constantia to peruse the local Semillong and Shiraz before heading down the beach at Llandudno to stretch our legs with some Touch Rugby. Anyone who has been to a ‘Sunday Sesh’ at Caprice in Camp’s Bay will tell you what a purler it is as a venue as this chilled cocktail beach bar hangout transforms itself into another one of the Mother City’s best loved fiestas. It also provided the perfect platform for the always immaculately brylcreamed Ben Puddle to provide an intensive example of how to shark innocent ladies in a bar with absolute no shame and seemingly no remorse, a marker had been sent out to SA’s female species. The piece de résistance for me was looking round at my old and new found mates on Tour, with a glass of bubbly in one hand with platters of steak and prawns in the other- another memorable Pepper evening!
Day 3
Bit of a reality check on Day 3 as the party hats had to be put away with a long drive ahead to Plettenberg Bay to eat into. The sensational scenery and banging Ipods certainly numbed the pain of being cooped up in a bus as we passed the rolling mountains along the Garden Route passing the likes of Knysna, a fishing town with a stunning lagoon. After checking in to Albergo we hit the beach to catch the last of the days sun before tucking into some fish at the Lookout Deck. The battled hardened amongst the group were keen to make it a hat-trick of nights out, citing the valid point that often the most memorable times on tour stem from random little towns like Plet. Needless to say ‘Flashbacks’ were rammed with other Lions fans keen for a singsong. For the others some needed shut eye was had, with a monster day ahead of us!
Day 4
The day a lot of the boys had been dreading. It was time to face up to our fears an tackle the biggest bungy jump in the world. The Bloukrans Bridge played host a 216 drop that has to be seen to be believed. Draw dropping stuff. So in perhaps true British style we decided to use humour as a mechanism to tackle this pant-wetter, as the majority of the group performed the jump dressed in drag, much to the amusement of the Face Adrenalin staff. With each member of the party jumping off a bridge with the rest of the group bellowing ‘LIONS, LIONS,LIONS’ this was stirring stuff indeed. Onto Port Elizabeth we went with a 15:00 kick off time to meet for the Lions v Southern Kings game. On arrival to Hippo Hostel there was time for the costume changes of all costume changes. With the likes of Batman, Bannanman, Flash Gordon, A Parrot, Buzz Lightyear, Friar Tuck,Park Ranger and a Golden Gimp Suit in our ranks it would be fair to say the 35,000 strong crowd at the brand new Nelson Mandela stadium weren’t prepared!
Until next time,
Robin Heymann
Lions in Durban
Thursday 18 June 2009
A long but by all accounts entertaining flight saw 9 new lions on tour land in Durban on Tuesday afternoon. After a surprisingly even fight between a fancy dressed lion and zebra in the arrivals hall we managed to pile everyone into the Pepper fun bus and head straight for a local friend of the team's house on the beach in Durban North for a welcome braai and a look at the Southern Kings vs. Lions match.
The rugby was tight (with the Lions edging it in the end to maintain their unbeaten Tour leading up to the 1st Test on Saturday) but the beers were free-flowing. The hours passed fast and by morning there were reports of some fairly outrageous, whilst fair, behaviour and incidents that are better dealt with here by people who were there. So here follows some initial thoughts on the first 48 hours by one of the Lions Tourists themselves, Alistair "Gizzard" Firth:
Where to start? This is our T-O-R blog of 2009 Lions Tour written from a venue outside Durban as team 'bridge prepare to jump out of a plane on their skydives. This is Day 2 and so far the trip is exceeding all expectations, with deep-sea fishing, braaing, water parking, freestyling and general dominance. Although unfair to name names here the bar was set high on the first night and shows no signs of dropping.
Phenomenal work from Pips and Doug to keep the team together and with great activities to keep our little brains occupied. Assuming all survive this skydive business we can look forward to the launch of our one-time-only new Durban night; "FUNKY, NEON, CHOCOLATE CANDY" at Harvey's. Hopefully further updates to follow...