On the platform after switching engines
Coming into Pretoria Station
Flamingos everywhere
The Rovos train was a real pleasure. We enjoyed the slow ride through the landscape and dining in fine Victorian style. Taking a shower while the train was moving was a bit of an experience but all and all the trip was most enjoyable.
The stop at Kimberley was interesting and the whole history of Diamond mining in the world is interesting. John Rhodes was one smart man when he created the DeBeers company, who still today controls the grading and pricing of 65% of the worlds diamonds. The history was interesting but the exhibit was so so.
Back on the train and shortly after Kimberley, only ten more minutes, we reached a lake area where there are claimed to be over 23,000 Flamingos. We didn’t count every one, but there were a lot of Flamingos. The sun was also going down and we were facing into it, I caught several shots right into the sunset as we passed along. One of those chance in a lifetime shots. The one I posted is an example; I have about 10 more just as interesting, I took 303 shots of the Flamingos. Total I just past the 3,000 mark for the trip.
20 kilometers outside of Pretoria we changed from an electric engine to a 1854 steam locomotive. We had a chance to climb all over the engine before pulling out. We made our grand entrance into Pretoria station under full steam power.
At the station we were met by another representative who helped transfer us to a beautiful hotel in Johannesburg for the night before we head to the airport tomorrow. We fly from Johannesburg to Mann, Botswana where we take a bush plane into the Okavango delta for one of our first of two camps.
The stop at Kimberley was interesting and the whole history of Diamond mining in the world is interesting. John Rhodes was one smart man when he created the DeBeers company, who still today controls the grading and pricing of 65% of the worlds diamonds. The history was interesting but the exhibit was so so.
Back on the train and shortly after Kimberley, only ten more minutes, we reached a lake area where there are claimed to be over 23,000 Flamingos. We didn’t count every one, but there were a lot of Flamingos. The sun was also going down and we were facing into it, I caught several shots right into the sunset as we passed along. One of those chance in a lifetime shots. The one I posted is an example; I have about 10 more just as interesting, I took 303 shots of the Flamingos. Total I just past the 3,000 mark for the trip.
20 kilometers outside of Pretoria we changed from an electric engine to a 1854 steam locomotive. We had a chance to climb all over the engine before pulling out. We made our grand entrance into Pretoria station under full steam power.
At the station we were met by another representative who helped transfer us to a beautiful hotel in Johannesburg for the night before we head to the airport tomorrow. We fly from Johannesburg to Mann, Botswana where we take a bush plane into the Okavango delta for one of our first of two camps.
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