Travel Diary

It's here..our world cup trip kicks off!

Thursday 10 June 2010

So we have arrived in the absolutely electric Johannesburg in time for Africa’s first ever World Cup. The atmosphere and excitement here is just unbelievable and is definitely setting the scene for an obscenely good few weeks of soccer.

We were quite lucky to be at the airport on Wednesday for the national Vuvuzela moment. At twelve o’clock everyone stopped what they were doing and went ballistic on their by blowing their Vuvuzela’s pretty much for the rest for the afternoon. Vuvuzela’s are the iconic South African trait for this world cup. It’s basically a long horn which makes an obscene amount of noise, if you watch any of the games you will know straight away what I am talking about.

Today was spent just soaking up the atmosphere. Johannesburg is packed with supporters from all over the world, everywhere you drive, walk or look there are flags flying, TV crews, team shirts and Vuvuzela’s blowing away. Our day started off on an amazingly exciting note as we all headed down to collect our tickets for the games. After that it really became real! We then headed to Nelson Mandela Square to collect the last minute essentials – hats, flags, shirts, soccer sunglasses and some extra Vuvuzela’s! Mark and Nick are adamant on trying to get in as many TV interviews as possible as this proved pretty successful in Nelson Mandela Square as they got filmed for a two on two game against a couple of crazy Mexican supporters. With a crowd around them cheering them on, they were pretty devastated when they lost – not a promising start for England. We then headed into the manic traffic around Sandton to make our way down towards Soccer City in Soweto. Pretty perfect time on our behalf as the Bafana Bafana bus drove right next to us and we got our first glimpse of the national players on their way to final training session. Luckily it wasn’t the England bus as I fear Nick might have exploded with excitement.

Soccer city is just unbelievable! There was still some last minute preparation going on and Bafana was having the last training session inside so we couldn’t get too close but we did manage a quick game of Hackey and caught the attention of another film crew. We wondered around the area and like to think we were pretty close to blagging our way to getting media passes, but to honest it was awesome just to check out the scene for what is going o be an incredible opening tomorrow.

So all in all was a pretty awesome build up day for us and we absolutely cannot wait for 2 o’clock Friday afternoon! Its going to be utter madness and I have a pretty good feeling deep down in my bones that SA are going to make the country proud in the opening game against Mexico! It’s then off to Rustenburg on Saturday for England’s first game against USA. What an amazing weekend ahead!

Hope wherever you are that you turn on your telly and see South Africa come to life!!!

Till next time,

Pip.

Pip and Doug preparing

Vuvuzela moment at the airport

Nick and Mark take on the Mexicans

Soccer City Joburg!

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Welcome to the world!

Monday 7 June 2010

With the first World Cup on African soil just days away, the Pepper team in South Africa are itching to get blowing their vuvuzellas and welcome the world to the rainbow nation.

 

England’s first match on Saturday is against the USA in Rustenburg and with 25,000 england fans expected to be at the stadium, it promises to be a noisy affair. And Pepper will be there! Despite the curse of England pre-World Cup injury woe striking again, the mood of English fans in Cape Town is the usual impossibly positive.

 

As for the vibe in general, we are pleased to report that the country has gone absolutely world cup crazy! Cars all over the city are decked out in Bafana Bafana flags, paint and banners, bars are totally covered in national flags and advertising fan park-style atmospheres and you don’t get five minutes without hearing a vuvuzella being blown.

 

We’re off to Jo’burg tomorrow for the start of the Pepper World Cup Experience on Wednesday and I for one cannot wait. Keep checking this blog for updates soon...

 

Can you feel it?

 

It is here!

 

Love Doug

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Cape Town from above the clouds

Tuesday 25 May 2010

We had an incredibly toasty weekend in Cape Town this weekend with temperatures of 28 degrees teasing us. I went out to The Old Biscuit Mill for breakfast on Saturday Morning and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Amongst the stalls of organic seared tuna, free range sirloin burgers and buckets of hummus were boardshorts, summer dresses, sunglasses, mid-morning cocktails...was like the middle of February down in Cape Town. In winter though as amazing as these days are they can be pretty short lived. A trip up Lion’s Head from yesterday shows the cold front slowly embracing the city and mountains like Cape Town is being wrapped in a down duvet on a wintery night.

-Pip

Photo by Jedd Luke McNeilage

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A few Peppers on the move

Tuesday 18 May 2010

A quick catch up on what a few of our January 2010 Gap Year group has been up to since leaving the wonderful world of South Africa:

Abigail Salsbury:

So I’m back to normality and the UK way of things, back at my old job to earn more pennies. Getting very jealous of the increasing world cup fever and images of SA on the TV, wish I was still there, missing it a LOT!! Once you've been there I guess it never leaves you! Also super jealous of the exciting trips around the globe the rest of the Pepper crew are having and hope they are all having a wicked time, can't wait for the reunion. However, I can't complain too much, with my supremo sailing skills gained in Cape Town I’ve now been lucky enough to get sailing properly in the UK, and am looking forward to racing to Holland this weekend...I’m hoping not to fall off the boat as only Bridget Jones could do...so for now, this has been a Bridget Jones Report, Back to the Studio....xx

Joshua Rosenstein:

After being told I’m relatively useless in the Western world i have decided to return to the dark continent where I will spread love and laughs with infinite ability. Some just don’t appreciate my utility... 
The plan: Visit hippie farms and be jovial. see the world descend on cape town and pretend I’m not with them. Annoy Pip with endless lists and lists of questions. Climb table mountain, and speed down table mountain on a bike. Do Knoxvilles over and over again like Empire State play on Five Radio replay. Eat meat (examples: boerie roll, biltong (of all sorts of furry creatures), karoo lamb, steaks big and small). Try sail whenever I can. Stop and move, Cape Town over for now. Get in a 4x4 vehicle and go north until I get to the biggest hill in Africa. Climb it if can afford. Then find more hills. Climb them. Observe and take in as much as i can. then turn around. Summer over. 
Next move: unknown, but will be spreading love and laughs.
Yo to all. Those on the road, enjoy and get in trouble (moderate). Those not out and about, dont stay still too long. 
Jungle love,
Josh

Jake Leyland:

Am currently in the northern jungles of Laos. It seems absurd to be able to keep in touch with people all over the planet when there are jungle kids dressed in rags swimming for fish and hence survival in a river not 100 metres from my current cyber hub.
Anyway, having an absolute blast. Having lost a tooth in the alcohol haven that is Vang Vieng thanks to a 10 metre high trapeze and an over zealous attitude to my own acrobatic ability, I am really soaking up the culture in the north, with the intention of moving swiftly on to Vietnam where I will find a cheap motorbike and cruise down the coast. 
Still cannot stop thinking about SA, and sometimes I feel gutted that I didn't stay for the whole trip but I had a sweet time and am looking forward to getting back to Cape Town ASAP.
Much love x

Freddie and Georgie are also currently gallivanting around the jungles and beaches of the East, I hear there is a possibility of a mini Pepper reunion with old Jacob. Good luck team, hope it’s an amazing time.

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Thank you!!!

Tuesday 11 May 2010

As I'm sure many of you would have noticed, we have been entered into the Barcalys One Small Step competition. This is a competition for UK businesses where you can win £50k for your business. An amount that would go a long way in allowing us to move Pepper forward. if you haven't checked out our entry yet, please have a look, and back our idea! But punting our entry isn't what this blog is about today. It is about some of the comments that we have been getting by all of you out there! Reading some of this stuff is really inspiring and makes us really stoked to be doign what we are doing. Thank you to everyone!! A few of them are below for your reading pleasure:

Amazing vibes coming from the unbelievably inspiring website!

Pepper is making the African travel experience easier than ever before!Local knowledge is unbounded so you get to see parts of the country no 'run of the mill' travel company or traveller see.

hardworking,dedicated and friendly folk Pepper is a serious force in the market place offering a niche experience

Pepper Experience is a unique take on the current, staid travel undustry. Congratulations on a wonderful idea and business model!!!

What more could you want? Pepper is perfection!!

You guys were the latest force for change in my life. Rock on.

Exceptional service, exceptional management, exceptional experience! Wishing you guys the very best of luck

The best company ever!!!

Pepper truly shows off South Africa's talent and beauty. If only everyday was a holiday to travel with them!

Unbelievable tour company,run by truely unbelievable fun loving people!!!!

go pepppperrrrrrrr!!!!!!!! this is sooooo exiten!!!!!!!u better win!!!!!!! xxxx

Pepper is the best travel company I have ever come accross, their attitude towards south africa and life in general is inspiring!

AMAZING!

Pepper is just the best - my favourite travel company. Kind regards, Spuds

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