We departed from Singapore Changi Airport at 1.25 a.m. on Sunday, 26 May 2013, and after nearly eleven hours of non-stop flying, touched down in Johannesburg at 6.10 a.m. local time. With only an hour’s stopover, we boarded our connecting flight at 7.10 a.m., finally arriving in Cape Town at 9.25 a.m.
There was no time wasted - the adventure began right away. Our very first stop was an ostrich farm, where we were immediately struck by how different South Africa was from what we had imagined. The vast landscapes and rolling terrains along the highways bore a striking resemblance to those in Australia. Even the crisp, cool weather felt familiar, which made sense given that South Africa lies along latitudes comparable to the middle regions of the Australian continent.
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At the farm, we came across a tree filled with the nests of weaver bird. Our local guide explained the fascinating behavior of this species: the males meticulously build nests to attract females, but the females have the final say. If a nest is deemed unattractive, the female will not only reject it but also tear it apart, ensuring that no other female will settle in such an unsatisfactory home. A curious and rather ruthless ritual of courtship in the bird world!
An olive tree in the farm
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The highlight, of course, was the ostriches themselves. Ostrich farming is a significant industry in South Africa, and seeing these magnificent birds up close was a treat. African ostriches are enormous - an adult averages around 110 kilograms in weight and stands at least two meters tall. Naturally, our first meal in South Africa featured ostrich meat, marking a fitting and memorable start to our journey.
African ostrich has 2 toes instead of 3 as found in some other ostrich species of smaller size.
Not many of our tour members opted to ride an ostrich but we did.
Every souvenir shop, along with the street peddlers, seemed to offer ostrich eggshells - some beautifully painted, others intricately crafted into decorative pieces.
Each of us was given a painted ostrich egg shell by the South African tour company as souvenir.
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