southafricanotes

media type="custom" key="23872072" align="right"Ron's working notes from South Africa Trip: May 2011
related: events, indaba, south africa links blog: [|south africa road trip] editing: [|South Africa]

//These are my rough working notes from the 2011 trip to South Africa and the Responsible Tourism in Cities Conference. Editors are welcome to add info//

Lessons from South Africa
- Batteries - History and heritage - Early humans - Organic wine - Cycling

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Video Index

Leonard leads the cycling tour/walk in the Biodiversity Garden in Cape Town 

A walk with Jethro Loww in Cape Town 

Njongo's Language Lesson in Cape Town 

Durban Market Walk with Doung 

The Backpack @ Cape Town 

Kirstenbosch Gardens 

We Suck @ Collaboration (Responsible Tourism in Cities Conference) 

Benchmark
In my book the May 2011 Responsible Tourism in Cities Conference set a new benchmark for tourism events. The event was engaging with presentations followed by lived Q&A discussions and a guided walk through the Durban city market. Best of all is that the conference started a much-needed conversation. Rarely do we talk about responsible tourism and cities in the same breath. The conference included live-streaming video with questions solicited from those following in real-time on Twitter. Videos and presentations are archived online the Responsible Cape Town site -- http://www.responsiblecapetown.co.za/get-involved/rt-in-cities-2011-conference/

Essay
We might travel to challenge our perceptions of the world or to confirm our suspicions of what lies beyond the immediate horizon.

When visiting South Africa I was asked repeatedly if what I saw was different than what I imagined. To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. Few of my friends have visited South Africa, so I have depended on media accounts and frankly, I'm not that keen on main stream coverage of place. That said, I based my expectations on two wonderful sources of information: the AfrikaT blog and the Cape Town Flickr group. They provided some key insights in the diversity of the city.

What surprised me were the candor I heard in various circles -- never content with 'stale' products and willing to be innovative. Warts and all

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Wiki Places
capetown durban - rtcities

Wiki Essays
Slang Links Wine xatlantic rtweek2011

itinerary

 * Tuesday, 3 May**

Ron arrives in Cape Town (8 or 10am arrival) – Met by Sheryl and Kurt

Tour to Cape Point on the Hop on Hop off City Sightseeing bus – The Blue Route

Dinner open

Overnight at [|The Backpack]


 * Wednesday, 4 May**

10h00 – 12h00 Walking Tour with Terri of [|Cape Town Partnership]

12h00 – 13h30 Lunch at Slave Lodge with the City of Cape Town Tourism Department (Nombulelo, Theuns, Sharon, Sisa, others tbc)

14h00 – 16h00 Cape Malay Cooking Safari ([|Andulela])

Dinner with Mariette at Dash Restaurant, of the new Queen Victoria Hotel (tbc with Mariette’s diary)

Overnight at [|The Backpack]


 * Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 May**

Tourism Indaba in Durban http://www.belairesuites.co.za

Durban-Cape Town Flight
 * Monday, 9 May**

19h00 – 21h00 Dinner with Kurt and Nicole Biondi at San Julian Taco & Tequila (Ron loves Mexican food!)

Overnight at the [|Vineyard Hotel] http://twitter.com/#!/Roy_Davies http://www.rhinoafrica.com/blog/2011/09/28/wining-dining-at-the-vineyard-hotel/


 * Tuesday, 10 May**

09h00 – 12h00 Cycle Tour of Green Point Urban Park/Biodiversity Garden and walking tour of Stadium with Leonard from AWOL Tours AWOL Tours offers nature experiences, genuine cultural exchange and adventures by hiking and cycling in Cape Town. http://www.flickr.com/photos/awoltours

12h00 – 13h00 Lunch, [|Bizerca Bistro, Jetty Road, Foreshore]

13h00 – 17h00 Visit to Table Mountain with Khoisan guide (with Nicole, Andrew and Glen)

18h00 Picnic dinner basket by [|African Relish] for a twilight dinner

Silverleaf with Kurt, Nicole Biondi and Glen from [|Urban Sprout]

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 * Wednesday, 11 May**

09h00 – 17h00 Accelerated Workshop on Social Media / Web 2.0 and photo safari with [|Cape Craft and Design Institute] http://www.flickr.com/photos/venjacrafts http://www.flickr.com/photos/27437014@N05

19h00 – 21h00 Dinner with Rick from the Vineyard Hotel

Overnight at the [|Vineyard Hotel]


 * Thursday, 12 May**

a stop at [|False Bay Ecology Park]

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[|Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum] in Somerset West,

Klein Constantia for a wine tasting, facilitated by [|The Greencab]

**[|The Green Cab] **

18h00 – 22h00 Jazz Safari with [|Coffeebeans Routes], accompanied by Thomas and Deidre Luzmore (Includes dinner)

Overnight at [|Kopanong B&B] in [|Khayelitsha]


 * Friday, 13 May**

Leave with [|Deidre Luzmore] for the West Coast and Saldanha Bay – check with Nicole Biondi re: overnight in WCNP. Visit to [|!Khwa ttu] Joanne's Cottage, West Coast National Park

Saturday, 14 May
http://www.bushmanskloof.co.za

Sunday, 15 May
West Coast National Park

Translating
Worts and all - Verrugas y todo http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/warts+and+all - if you describe or show someone or something warts and all, you do not try to hide the bad things about them

Misc
Photos from May 2011 http://www.flickr.com/photos/planeta/archives/date-taken/2011/05/01/

Brand New - I am very pleased to announce the debut of a collective blog -- http://southafricaroadtrip.posterous.com -- in which I can edit from a computer or smartphone!

Tip: If you are trying to keep track of the trip in progress, keep an eye on [|my twitter], [|flickr] and [|ipadio] accounts.

Follow Up http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/cape-town-tourism-goes-global-1.1115752

South African National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism (NMSRT) Official launch of the South African National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism (NMSRT) on 12 September 2011 at the Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna.

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