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November 1st
We had left home the previous day and had an uneventful flight on Turkish Airways business class to Istanbul. There we had a an eight hour wait in the lounge before our flight onwards to Johannesburg. The food in the lounge was really interesting, however the seating was not quite so exciting, but adequate. Just after midnight we boarded the flight onwards to Johannesburg. Arriving there before 11 am the next morning.
There there was a bit of a hiccup as our chauffeured car that had been ordered via "E Life Limos" did not turn up. And with no WiFi available in the airport, it took a long time to sort out but eventually we were reunited with this car and an elderly South African who drove us to Pretoria: he was not happy with the present government of South Africa. It transpired that E-life Limos was a sort of internet con. It was a company in China, the punter pays them, and they pay the driver when he does the pick up. Simple, well not quite. The Chinese company has no contact address so cannot be contacted if thee is a problem. Our driver was not there, and it took over an hour to get hold of him. E-life Limos have airport pickups all over the world, they do not correspond with customers, but pay the driver when he sends a photo to show that he turned up at the airport - so thee is a temptation for drivers to just send the photo and never pick up the customer - reading tripadvisor, it would appear that this happens a lot of the time
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We were delighted with our room at the Apogee Boutique Hotel . But it did not have a balcony which we had booked. The staff were slightly poncey. I had a swim in the pool after getting the management to remove the cleaning vacuum from it. It was cold but really pleasant. Back in the room we enjoyed a hot bath and a cup of coffee and then had a sleep for an hour or so. We went down to dinner early, soon after seven. Food was good, but unfortunately the restaurant was cold and subject to icy draughts, we also disagreed with the fact that we had to pay for the meal there and then and we’re not allowed to put it on the hotel bill.
We had a great chat with a South African lady who had fallen in love with the boys, then back to the room for another coffee, dictating this diary and catching up on emails.
November 2nd At leisure in Pretoria.
Apart from arguments with the hotel, this was an uneventful day spent in the Apogee hotel. We went down to breakfast and asked about changing our room to one with a terrace which was what it stated on our confirmation and about which I had spoken to the assistant manager the previous evening Very reluctantly, he decided that he did in fact have a room with a terrace that he could move us to.
I have booked a massage the previous night for 10 am that it transpires that I could not have this without paying for it in advance, the sum required was 990 rands. This stupid man wanted 1000 and we decided that we were best of canceling it and ditto with breakfast. They would not put our breakfasts on the bill, so we declined breakfast. It was a peculiar way to run a hotel.
So we had a full day without any meals, surviving with coffee and little cakes that were in their pantry with some cereal as well . We had a couple of walks around the garden, not trusting ourselves to walk in the streets of South Africa and I also had a swim which was good. There was a 40th birthday party in the evening: : they were all wearing black and white.
We also had a gin and tonic and half a bottle of wine during the course of the day, and David signed up to the Uber app as the hotel seemed unable to get us a taxi early the next morning.