The InnFORCEers Tour - Force v Cheetahs (10th May) & v Stormers (17th May)

[Sheikh]

Got to the Captain's Run, thanks. Got the message whilst on the bus to the Shark Cage diving! Met up with a few from Bloemfontein, some others and the sponsors group. Then went to The Butcherman (recommendation from Cheese) where you choose your own steak and they cook it for you. The team went last week and the owner didn't get a team picture so he wants them to go back!

Yesterday we added a few more pubs (count is 45ish) and would have made it more but went to the Slug & Lettuce in Newlands and met the owners (Alan & Seb?) so stayed for a few. He eventually put us in a taxi and told the driver to take us to Mavericks (look it up!)

Now watching the Tahs-Lions as I wake up - very civilised

[jono]

Got to the Captain's Run, thanks. Got the message whilst on the bus to the Shark Cage diving! Met up with a few from Bloemfontein, some others and the sponsors group. Then went to The Butcherman (recommendation from Cheese) where you choose your own steak and they cook it for you. The team went last week and the owner didn't get a team picture so he wants them to go back!

Yesterday we added a few more pubs (count is 45ish) and would have made it more but went to the Slug & Lettuce in Newlands and met the owners (Alan & Seb?) so stayed for a few. He eventually put us in a taxi and told the driver to take us to Mavericks (look it up!)

Now watching the Tahs-Lions as I wake up - very civilised

Did mum & dad say hello @ captains run? Apryl & Justin?

[Sheikh]

Yep. We both got there early and chatted. Stadium manager was great. Not sure I saw them at the match.

[Sheikh]

End of tour approaching; not sure what the record is, but we're nearing 70 bars in 5 countries.

[Alison]

5 countries???

[AndyS]

Recovery sessions, etc, etc...

[Sheikh]

Right, the tour's over; AndyS and PintofWhisky are still away, but as it's just the two of them it's no longer an official InnForcers tour and no more pubs count. I haven't been able to do a final count (I came back, my bags are still on holiday somewhere!) but it's something in the mid 70s, I think.

For 5 weeks away, that's only 2 pubs a day, but the actual South African leg (10 days) had half the pubs in. Zambia and Madagascar were more difficult to go out drinking in.

Zambia is excellent - certainly recommend it for a safari (although it's a bit expensive) as we saw loads of animals and four of the big five (including seeing a leopard (nearly) making a kill) and stuff like hyenas and wild dogs despite it not being the best time of year.

Bloemfontein is a bit like Canberra, in a way; really very little to do and not many pubs, either; the B&B owners' son (and others) said the place to go was Second Avenue - which contained a total of 4 pubs!

Cape Town is excellent, too. Table Mountain was a bit cloudy when we went up, but Robben Island, the Two Oceans Aquarium, and the shark diving were highlights, as was the captain's run (well, the game itself wasn't!) The food isn't bad, either!

Madagascar was mixed. The national parks and guides are great but they've cut down over 90% of the primary forest which is the lemur's habitats (mainly for farming - they have a population approximately equal to Australia) and the politicians are all corrupt and uninterested in maintaining the roads and infrastructure, especially if that infrastructure was built by the last lot deposed in a coup.

[Alison]

Sounds like you had a great time Sheikh :-) And you have a second job as a travel writer waiting for you :-) If you need a bag carrier, give me a hoy! ;-D

[Sheikh]

If you need a bag carrier, give me a hoy! ;-D

Well, not right now, as I don't know if it's in Antananarivo, Jo'burg, or anywhere else. I don't know the stats, and I do travel a fair amount, but this is the third time I've had luggage missing; previously, when I went to Munich and luggage went to Rome, and when I went to Kuala Lumpur and my luggage didn't make the transfer at Singapore (and that one contained all my offshore gear!)

[Alison]

Yikes!! The baggage handlers seem to have it in for you! Lol

Hope you get it back very soon :-)

[jono]

Yikes!! The baggage handlers seem to have it in for you! Lol

Hope you get it back very soon :-)

go replace it, the airline will cover it.
had it happen to me when I was in Singapore for a work meeting.
the baggage staff advised me to replace it all after the first 24 hours.
got a new suit and shoes courtesy of one of the airlines.
got an email saying my stuff was found as i was walking into my meeting. they still covered the stuff i purchased.

[Herbasimplex]

looked up mavericks as suggested from my work pc - oops!

looks like you had all recreational activities covered then

[Sheikh]

looked up mavericks as suggested from my work pc - oops!

looks like you had all recreational activities covered then

[Sheikh]

go replace it, the airline will cover it.
had it happen to me when I was in Singapore for a work meeting.
the baggage staff advised me to replace it all after the first 24 hours.
got a new suit and shoes courtesy of one of the airlines.
got an email saying my stuff was found as i was walking into my meeting. they still covered the stuff i purchased.

Not really needed when the luggage is lost flying home - I always carry a change of shirt and underwear in my carry-on bag anyway. The only things which were in the hold luggage which I missed today were the razor and malaria pills. The bag has turned up - didn't get transferred at Jo'burg (well, I was only at the airport for 5 hours - but I did get a seat at Mugg & Bean and watched both games Sunday night while annoying the waiters!)

[Sheikh]

Pubs list for the tour, known as the Mafia-Yeti Alliance Tour, aka the Vicky and Barbs Absence Appreciation Society.

List to be checked by AndyS and PoW.

Australia
1. Perth Airport, international terminal

Zambia
2. Sindabezi Camp
3. Tongabezi Lodge

Botswana
4. Chobe Safari Lodge

Zambia again
5. Livingstone Airport
6. Lusaka Airport, domestic terminal
7. Mfuwe Lodge
8. Kapamba Bushcamp
9. Zungulila Bushcamp
10. Lusaka Airport, international terminal

South Africa
11. Jo’burg Airport, domestic terminal
12. Franklin View Guest House
13. Cappello
14. Free State Stadium
15. Southern Sun Hotel bar
16. The Cheetah Experience bar
17. Kalahari Fish
18. Alabama Spur
19. The Block & Cellar
20. Bloemfontein Airport
21. Mitchell’s Scottish Ale House
22. Karibu
23. The Lawhill
24. Table Mountain Café
25. The Forester’s Arms
26. The Springbok Pub
27. The Provencal Arms
28. Ferryman’s Tavern
29. Tasca be Belim
30. Robben Island Ferry
31. Quay Four Tavern
32. Union Bar, Table Bay Hotel
33. San Marco
34. The Alba Lounge
35. The Harbour House
36. Gibsons
37. Tsogo Sun, Newlands
38. The Butcherman
39. Vista
40. The Slug & Lettuce, Green Point
41. Big Route
42. Extrablatt
43. The Slug & Lettuce, Newlands
44. The Toad & Josephine
45. Newlands Stadium
46. Anat
47. Baia
48. Belthazar

Madagascar
49. Supermarket, Antananarivo
50. Grace Lodge
51. Vakona Forest Lodge
52. Bar One, Andasibe
53. Coin de Foie Gras, Behenjy
54. Safoka Madagascar
55. Chambres des Voyageurs bar
56. L’Artisan
57. Le Grenat
58. Hotel Manja
59. Centrest
60. D’Anja Community Park
61. Isalo Ranch
62. Hotel Le Zebu Grille
63. Isalo National Park
64. Le Jardin de Giancarlo
65. Hotel de la Plage
66. Pirogue
67. Tulear Airport
68. KuDeTa
69. La Bouselle
70. Lemur Park
71. Rossini
72. La Ville
73. Antananarivo Airport

South Africa, again
74. Jo’burg Airport, international terminal