Executive Touring

Because of the information overload in respect of The Argus Cycle Tour, I am posting edited information received from www.cycletour.co.za

"The Provincial Government of the Western Cape has reaffirmed its support for the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour through a number of valuable contributions and commitments, the most important being new innovations with regard to emergency medical services, renewed efforts to ensure road safety for cyclists, and boosting the development of promising young cyclists from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Cycle Tour participants will be the first sportspeople to have access to the Western Cape's brand-new mobile ICU clinic. The unit is the first of its kind to operate in South Africa and was designed and built locally in the Western Cape for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The increasing number of people getting killed on Western Cape roads has again stressed the importance of road safety for vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. When the Minister of Transport and Public Works Robin Carlisle assumed office he identified road safety as one of his key goals. To this end, he established the Safely Home (province's road safety) campaign which aims to halve road fatalities in the province by 2014. The long-term objective is to expand dedicated cycling lanes on all identified major roads in line with international best-practice. The Minister has also instructed his legal advisors to examine the prospect of changing traffic laws to oblige motorists to keep a distance of 1.5 metres between themselves and cyclists.

The province wants to promote cycling as one of the many ways to reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment and promote healthy living."

A few celebs to be on the look out for include Lance Armstrong,Gabriella Sabatini, Bob Skinstad, Francois Pienaar and Hugo Porta.

Every country has its rules and regulations regarding entry into it's borders by visitors. Lance Armstrong tweeted that he did not have two blank pages in his passport and was thus unwelcome and that he had "encountered this kind of official before". What kind is that? The kind that do their job?

Lance, we are not a banana republic, and yes we know you are the world's most famous person and that we should be happy that you have come to our tracks, but rules are rules. The least you can do, is to adhere to the SAME rules (and worse!)that the USA require from THEIR visitors.

No doubt your embassy rushed to your aid because of who you are, but in the case of every other ORDINARY citizen, that person would have to adhere to the rules and be sent back home at their own expense.

The recent media hype in respect of possible mining
in the most fertile agricultural land in the Western Cape need addressing:

The fact of the matter is that there are no economically viable deposits of tin or other minerals over the area for which AEMFC (African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation)are applying.

What AEMFC are applying for is a prospecting permit and not a permit to mine.
(This implies at most , even if a right was granted, only trenching would be done,but more likely just drilling)

The fact that an application has been accepted by the Dept Mineral Resources (DMR) means very little. A full EMP (Environmental Management Plan) and EIA ( Environmental Impact Assessment) process has to be followed whereby public participation forms a major part.

The huge backlash by Interested and Affected Parties will certainly have a BIG waiting factor against the approval of any right.

This is a very costly exercise so any organisation would basically know that they are throwing money into a black hole,by persuing such an application.

Photo:www.phoenicia.org.uk/photogallery

I read with interest the arrival of a most unusual ship in Table Bay Harbour yesterday.

"In 2008 a replica Phoenician sailing ship, all of 70ft long, was built in a Syrian port using ancient building methods and with a volunteer crew on board.
Under the leadership of Philip Beale and with a crew of 20 (since reduced to 11), they set off for Egypt, passed through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, ran the gauntlet of Somali pirates and headed off into southern climes.
That they have so far been successful can be seen from the fact that on New Year's Day the expedition was safely approaching the port of Beira where they arrived the following day to a warm welcome."
The expedition headed for South Africa and arrived in Cape Town on the 3rd of March . The crew plan on staying here for about 10 days.

Now just how cool is that!

A frosty Castle on the grass banks of the Blue Peter Hotel at Blouberg Strand,watching the sun set behind Robben Island, life does not get any better than this!
The most awesome view of Table Mountain , the salty smell of the sea just meters away is a local experience that we Capetonians take all too often for granted.

The new developments at Big Bay, which I find really too cheap for my liking,includes a large shopping mall and for some reason this has become a tourist attraction.

To me it is a pointless exercise to shop at the beach front. There is something weird about being inside a shopping mall at the best beach in Cape Town. Sure people can now sit at little tables and chairs and drink their cocktails while pretending that they are interacting with nature.

What happened to getting home after a long day at work, packing a picnic and heading off with family and dogs in tow, enjoying the wide open space of the white sandy beach, the coolness of the breeze of the cold Atlantic and shedding all the stress and strain of making yet another buck.

While I am on a 2010 Fifa World Cup soccer mission,I thought it was great that South Africans got into the spirit of it today-100 days to kick-off- by wearing their soccer shirts, filling the stadiums around the country and singing the national anthem that was broadcast on radio and television stations at excatly 12 noon!

Your absolute essential fan kit for the Soccer World Cup in South Africa this year consists of 6 items:
You cannot be seen anywhere without your makarapa and vuvuzela.
A makarapa is a modified miner's hat that sports your teams colours, logo or team mascot. It is not so much for protection, but decoration.

A vuvuzela is an african trumpet-a descendant of a kudu horn perhaps-and one sounds like a trumpetting elephant..many of them sound like, well, an elephant war and although the hearer has much less fun than the blower (and there is an art to blowing it!)get one! Also buy earplugs to go with it-tiny soccer balls with tiny vuvuzelas attached to form an earplug on sale now.

Next get a video to learn the moves of the diski dance,you cannot support your team with make shift macarena moves..get withit.....

Support your team Bafana Bafana!Show your solidarity and loyalty to your LOCAL team..no matter how they play..there are bigger issues here.

Wave that beautiful flag! Remember the red goes at the top
and it was a long hard road to get that flag. Be proud! Be South African!

Last but by no means least, get zakumi, the sweetest mascot. He is a dreadlocked leopard, full of energy and enthusiasm. His name is made up of za-south africa's international code and kumi -a word meaning 10

Last week we were invited to visit this exciting Safari Lodge near Ceres in the Klein Karoo.
Although it was a suggested 2hr. drive, I would recommend 3hrs. be allowed for travel.A pretty drive and good roads except for the last section where you experience about 10km. of gravel/dusty road. Don't expect to come home with a clean car.
We were welcomed with a warm morning coffee/tea or cold drink with delicious home-baked cookies.Went down well after the long trip.
A half-hour later we were on our Landrover together with a full load of guests for a 3-hr. Safari drive.
It is quite a large farm +_ 5000 hectare, and although one would expect the area to be completely dry and barren, to our surprise we found quite a lot of vegetation around comfortable dams and waterholes, as well as a beautiful small and large 'lake'.
Hippos,Rhino, Buffaloe and plenty of Zebra, Giraffe and buck (including larger Kudu and Eland) in nice size herds made this encounter more pleasing than the other 'one-day' Game safaris that I have visited in this region. Also, he Lion were in an extended open area, as were the Cheetah that were part of a breeding programme that intends letting the new cubs out into the 'wild'.

The Lodge and rooms were very well appointed, as suited their 4 star rating, and the meal we enjoyed was very satisfactory.

It was overall a very enjoyable days outing and I can highly recommend a visit.

For further information and a booking including transport if required, contact clive@executivetouring.co.za

The Cape Royale Luxury Hotel and Residence, Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa, is proud to announce that it has been selected as the Overall Winner of the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice award for Best Luxury Hotel in Africa.

The Cape Royale is thrilled with the achievement, having only opened in 2008. Boasting 95 luxury suites right in the heart of Green Point.


Source: www.caperoyale.co.za