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WJCB President's Newsletter - February 2004
RHEENENDAL JERSEYS
P.O.BOX 421, SWELLENDAM 6740, SOUTH AFRICA
TEL+FAX:+27(0)28 5142511 CELL:+27(0)824491644 E-MAIL:silage@dorea.co.za
Dear friends,
Good morning from Rheenendal and another beautiful sunny Swellendam day here at the southern tip of Africa. We are having a
splendid summer, not to dry and yes perfect for the thousands of tourist that are swamping us at this time of the year.
(Tourist numbers for the last few years are incredible, in 2002 the growth was 11%, in 2003 4% and they expect a 7% growth
for 2004! Just in the Western Cape 20 000 new beds were added in 2003). Jacobus and myself had a fantastic festive season,
spend 10 days over Christmas and New Year at San Sebastian – our piece of heaven on the southern coast, where we were
joined by some of our friends and just relaxed (with some excellent wines and cheese of course).
2003 had been a very hectic, but exciting year. Jacobus finished his first year at the University of Stellenbosch
successfully. He is studying for a degree in International Studies and enjoying the course (as well as the after hour
activities) tremendously. I visited some very exciting places during the course of the year, firstly in March/April it
was off to California where my brother Sam (who lives in Montana) joined me for a nice time. Then I visited the Jersey
breeders in Costa Rica, judged Jerseys in Guatemala, together with Anne Perchard from Jersey Island and afterwards spend a
wonderful time in Bolivia. What a splendid time in La Paz, Lake Titicaca with the beautiful Isla Del Sol, the old capital
Sucre, the silver mines of Potosi and the very enthusiastic Jersey breeders of Cochabamba. Then on for a quick visit to
Alexander and Alexandra Kauffman in Santiago, Chile before another visit to Buenos Aires (every time I discover something
new). I crossed the Rio de la Plata on invitation of some breeders in Uruguay (oldest Jersey breeding country of South
America) and visited the exciting developments of Princess Leatitia D’Aremberg on her beautiful Estancia Las Rosas. That
was the end of seven wonderful weeks in the Americas.
In May I was off to Argentina again, this time to San Francisco in the north of the country to judge their National Show.
The professional way in which everything was presented really impressed me. I had enough asado’s, Alfajores, chorizo and
dulce de leche to last me for a long time! In July I visited Uruguay and traveled all the way from the old colonial city
Colonia, across the Rio de la Plata, to the border with Brazil – what a great little country with wonderful people.
In September we had some 100 plus visitors here in South Africa for the World Jersey Cattle Bureau (WJCB) meetings and
tour. We made some great friends and everybody was very surprised at the unbelievable pace of developments here at the
southern tip of Africa. In November it was back once again to the central parts of Uruguay and I saw the gauchos (cowboys)
at work, tasted the real food of the rural areas and met some good people. Farming has been good during the last year, the
cows are milking above average and hopefully Parmalat will be sorted out in the not too distant future, so that honest
farmers can get on with their lives (didn’t we all suspected something all these years?).
So what’s up for 2004? In March I will join the WJCB for our meetings and tour in Argentina and Chile. Then there is
Uruguay, Ecuador and Colombia, as well as Europe (England, Holland, Belgium, France) via New York, Boston and Philadelphia
on the menu.
Last but not the least – Africa!!! In the beginning of October I plan a cross country trip starting in Cape Town up the
west coast, through the Namib dessert, the Etosha National Park, the West and East Caprivi and into Zambia. Then on to the
Victoria Falls (Zambia side) and across to Malawi where I will follow the shores of Lake Malawi to the Eastern Tanzania
area. Up on the western side of Lake Victoria to Kigali in Rwanda, then on to Entebbe in Uganda and across border to
Nairobi in Kenya. From here strait to the north coast of Kenya and following the coast visit Lamu, Malindi, Mombassa and on
to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. I will follow the coast all the time south into Mozamique visiting places like Beira, and
Maputo, then into Swaziland, Zululand and the Kingdom of Lesotho.Then the wild coast of South Africa and back to
Swellendam(see attached map). I am still looking for friends to join me on parts of the trip. We will see and experience
Africa at its best – the wildlife, parks, lakes, coast, peoples and their cultures as well as visit some friends and see
Jersey breeders along the way. We will drive past the following cities with airports where friends can join or depart for
home: Cape Town, Walvis Bay (Namibia), Livingstone and Lusaka (Zambia), Lilongwe (Malawi), Kigali (Rwanda), Kampala
(Uganda), Nairobi, Lamu, Malindi and Mombassa (Kenya), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Beira and Maputo (Mozambique), Durban and
Port Elizabeth in South Africa. So if you are interested in joining any part of this very exciting trip you are most
welcome to contact me. We will travel with a Double cab Toyota Landcruiser (see attachment) fitted with a rooftop tent and
an off road trailer fitted as a kitchen, also fitted with a rooftop tent. At any given time we can be 4 people. The cost of
fuel and food will be shared.
Well I Hope that all of you had a wonderful 2003 and that 2004 will be exciting!
Regards,
Johannes van Eeden
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