Send-Off Dinner and Drinks

We loved our time at the Springbok Bar & Grill so much that we want to share it all with you once before we leave. Please join us for some dinner and/or drinks on Thursday, July 1 at the Springbok in Van Nuys. We will be there from 6:00pm - around 10:00 (or later). They have a GREAT menu and full bar along with a pool table and darts. There is also an outdoor patio. It's a totally casual place and kids are welcome!! 

We will be leaving for our trip exactly one week later. So, before you all leave town for the holiday weekend, come have a night out with us and experience some South African culture. Come by at any time from 6-10 and we will be there.  Leave a comment below and let us know if you are planning to be there.

16153 Victory Blvd. 

Van Nuys, CA 91406

818-988-9786

www.thespringbok.com

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!!

Dena & Doug

A Taste of South Africa

We were told about an authentic South African restaurant in Van Nuys that we should try. It was started by 4 South African friends who missed their traditional foods and a place to watch Rugby. So far, we have been there twice and it is great! It's a sports bar who mostly shows the Rugby games from around the world, but right now they are opening early to show all of the 2010 FIFA World Cup games. 

For our first visit there, we wanted to be sure and try the most authentic food that we would also be able to find in South Africa. We had a really nice waitress who we told about our upcoming trip. She helped us make some good food choices. We started with the Beef Samosas. Doug ordered the Vasco Da Gama's Peri-Peri Chicken Livers - Chicken livers sautéed in Peri-Peri sauce, served with fresh baked bread roll. I ordered the Freestate Braai pack - The Springbok Signature Dish – Homemade boerewors (South African sausage), two succulent lamb chops and a 5 ounce Filet Mignon with Springbok Steak Fries and small side salad – a real treat for the meat lover. We ended up sharing everything. It was a lot of food!!! Everything was really good!

We also wanted to try some traditional drinks - Doug ordered the Springbok Ale. I am not a big beer drinker, so I asked the waitress about a South African cocktail. She walked away to ask about it and came back to say "The owner over there wants to buy you guys 2 Springbok shots." It was green and minty, made with Creme de Menthe, Amaretto, and Kahlua. 

Everyone there was so nice and we looked forward to going back again. We decided to return to watch the South African soccer team, Bafana Bafana, play against Uruguay. We got to the bar around 10:15 for the 11:30 game and we were lucky enough to get 2 seats at the bar since all of the tables were already taken. By the time the game started, the place was packed with South Africans and other local soccer fans. We met some really great people over the next 3 hours. Eugene, who is from Soweto, talked to us about some places we should be sure to visit (I loved his thick accent). We also met a different owner, Robin, who told us that we will be sure to "have a crack" while we are there. It is like saying that we will have an awesome time! Doug and I were saying that for the next few days!! After another round of Springbok Ales for Doug and another Springbok shot for me, I jokingly asked if they sell the shot glasses. I wanted to have one for my collection. To our surprise, he said that we could have them for free!! 

Even though Bafana Bafana lost to Uruguay 3 - 0, the people were still so proud to watch their team play in their home country. Everyone is so nice and really excited for us to be traveling there. 

Doug & Dena

30-Day Countdown

Hey Everybody!  We are officially leaving for Africa in 30 days.  We spent this morning at REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) buying camping supplies, clothes and bug repellant.  We have our safari hats and gear ready to go.  Since we've started preparing our luggage and supplies, we figured now would be a good time to start our blog and give you updates on the progress of our trip.

For those of you who aren't as familiar with the details of our trip, here is a little run-down of what we are expecting to do:

July 8-10:  We will be flying from Los Angeles to New York, then to Madrid, Spain, and finally to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Total travel time will be over 40 hours.

July 10-13:  We will be staying in Johannesburg, South Africa, before heading into Botswana for the Malaria Campaign.  The World Cup Soccer Final Match will be played during the second day of our stay in the city.  The hostel we are staying in is called the "Ball N Kicka", and was built specifically for the World Cup.  Although we are not actually attending the game, we are expecting that this event will make our first few days very exciting and fun.

July 13:  We will take a 7-hour bus ride from Johannesburg to Gaborone, Botswana, where we will be greeted by our host, Tommie Hamaluba.

July 14-18:  During our first few days in Botswana we hope to get used to our new surroundings and meet some of the people we will be working with.  On the 15th we will visit the Gaborone Secondary School where Tommie is a teacher. On the 16th, we will be meeting with Nkoloi Nkoloi, the Director of Foreign Affairs for the Americas and Europe, and also a representative from the Regional Health Office of the American Embassy.  On the 17th and 18th, we will be taken on a safari in the Mokolodi Game Reserve, which is apparently one of the best places in the world to do a safari. On the 18th we will have a tour of the city.

July 19:  This is a public holiday in Botswana so we will have a free day to hang out.

July 20:  This is the Malaria Campaign--the main purpose of our trip.  We will leave for the northern Chobe District around 5am and arrive around 6pm. We will spend the night in Kasane at the Lesoma camping site. We will travel through the northern districts of Botswana to deliver insecticide-treated malaria nets.  The name of the village is Parakarungu Village in the Chobe District--"Google it," as Tommie says.  Also, during this trip, we will have the opportunity to visit Victoria Falls.  We will see the falls from both sides--Zimbabwe and Zambia.

July 26-28:  When we return from the Malaria Campaign, we plan to rest for a few days in Gaborone, at Tommie's house.  Also, we will be meeting the mayor of Gaborone, as well as some other officials from the city.  Hopefully, Tommie will give us a little tour of the city and take us to visit the school where he works.

July 29-August 2:  ???   We have no definite plans for these dates.  We are hoping that people will suggest some local activities for us to do during this time.  Or maybe we will just want to relax and hang out in Gaborone.  Or maybe we will go back to Johannesburg for more fun in the big city.  Or maybe we'll go to Namibia to see their sand dunes.  Or maybe...I'm sure we'll find something to keep ourselves busy.  If anybody has suggestions for things we could do, please comment on the blog.

August 3-5:  We are staying at a very nice beachfront resort in Cape Town, South Africa.  This should be an amazingly fun and relaxing way to finish our trip.  Besides being on the beach, Cape Town has some very interesting historical sites, wineries and golf courses to keep us occupied.  It will be very difficult for us to leave at this point.

August 5-6:  Leave Cape Town, fly back to Johannesburg, then to Madrid, then Chicago, then L.A.  Total travel time will be 26 hours coming home.  Much shorter than the trip there, but it will probably feel longer because we will be so anxious to come home and tell everyone how great the trip was.

Wow!  Just typing this made us three times as excited to go!

We'll do our best to update this blog as often as we can during the trip.  At this point, we don't know how much internet access we will have.  But please check the blog site frequently to see if anything new has been posted.  We will also try to send emails when we update the blog.

Doug and Dena