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The word 'indaba' is a Zulu one for a meeting of elders.
According to tradition, they would gather, often under
an indaba tree, to discuss matters of common interest,
from legal judgements to marriages and treaties. These
days, it has been adopted by South Africans of all hues
as a general term for meetings, exhibitions and
conferences. And then there is Indaba, with a capital I.
Selling Tourism
Indaba is South Africa's great tourism showcase to the
world, the largest incoming travel trade exhibition in
Africa, held annually at the Albert
Luthuli Convention Centre (Durban ICC). In 2014, the
dates are from 10-13 May.
Now in its 34th year, it attracts nearly 1,900
exhibitors and 13,000 delegates. People flock in from
across the world to do talk about tourism in southern
Africa and do the deals that will power the tourism
industry for the next 12 months. Many thousands of
dollars worth of deals are negotiated on the exhibition
floor, in backrooms, over drinks and the inevitable
South African braais. Most go on to do post-fam tours of
South Africa.
The Conference Centre
The ICC was built in 1997, since when it has won the
World Travel Awards title as Africa's Leading Conference
Centre eight times. It can house up to 10,000 delegates.
It is named after South Africa's first black Nobel prize
winner, iNkosi
Albert Luthuli, president of the African National
Congress from December 1952 until he died in 1967.
Directly across the road, and also used during Indaba is
the Durban Exhibition Centre. Both are in central
Durban, a few minutes' drive from the beachfront Golden
Mile and only about 15 minutes' drive from Durban
airport. Jurassic
Park in South Africa?
Our destination for day two of the Cape Country
Tour was "Kagga Kamma," a private game reserve. Not
expecting anything too far beyond the ordinary,
after a rugged 3 hour motor trip from Cape Town,
our group of five was little prepared for the
amazing 'moonscape' of this spectacular hideout in
the rugged Cedarburg Mountains. It was a site (and
sight) that could easily be the movie set for
"Jurassic Park" or "Planet of the Apes." As
twilight
approached, many of the odd rock shapes near the
camp cast weird shadows. Continued |
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Penguins
at High Noon.
Did you know that there were penguins in South
Africa? Now you do! I saw my first South African
penguin while visiting Robben Island prison in Cape
Town's scenic and historic harbor. This little
fellow came around the corner from his hiding place
behind a clump of bush and we met face to face. It
reminded me of a scene from the movie "High Noon"
as two strangers eyeballed each other on the main
street. Later that week I would encounter dozens
more of his gang frolicking on the beach. Visitors
to the area will discover an entire colony of
Jackass penguins lounging and fraternizing (with
each other, not the tourists) at a local community
called Boulders, not far from Cape Town. Photo by
Muguette Goufrani.
Blue
Train! White Glove
Service!
INDABA