Thursday 16 May 2019
After an early
breakfast the group boarded the coach to reach the airport for the 1000 hrs
flight to Jo’burg. As we reached the airport by around 900 hrs, it was time to
say good bye to Charl & Riaard. These 2 gentlemen had become an integral
part of our life in the past 5 days. A major portion of our waking daytime
hours was spent with them. Whilst Charl, the encyclopaedia that he is, kept us informed about history, geography,
politics & several other topics, Riaard ensured that the group was able to stick
to the strict schedule set by Dev & Charl, by handling the wheels in an
absolutely professional manner.
The group
boarded the Kulula flight from George Airport.
After landing in Johannesburg Airport
one group of members consisting of all the Chartered Accountants participating
in the tour, except Rajesh, hired a private vehicle & left to visit the main
office of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants which was
located at a driving distance of around half an hour from the airport.
The interaction
the Indian CAs had in the office of the SAICA was very fruitful. The
representative of the SAICA gave a short presentation about the accountancy
& audit profession in South Africa; about how the CA profession is growing
in that country & the role the SA CAs played in the overall nation
building. From the Indian side the CAs present in the room participated in the ensuing
discussion & educated the SAICA’s representatives about how several aspects
of the Indian accountancy & audit profession & mainly how the Indian CA
system was different, as the Indian CA Act was enacted by an act of the Indian
parliament unlike its South African counterpart.
After this short
interaction with SAICA, the CAs left the SAICA office to join their family
members who had directly reached the Classic Indian restaurant from the airport.
After a gastronomic treat at the restaurant, the group boarded the coach for a
4 hour long drive to Sun City. Most passengers used the time to catch up with
their sleep, having got up early in the morning so as to reach the airport in
time. Around 1900 hrs the coach reached the hotel.
The first
impression we had of The Palace of the lost City is one of its sheer size, grandeur
& beauty. One tends to compare the architectural and the internal theme one
noticed through out the hotel to one of
an ancient African tribe. Bright colours, bronze statues, faux life size palm
trees, stone carvings, mosaic illustrations, fresco ceilings – these are the
sights which one sees on entering the reception area of the hotel.
As we reached
the suites allotted to us we felt that we have entered a dream land where luxury
reigned supreme. The suites had handcrafted heavy wooden furniture. The bathrooms
& washrooms had gold plated faucets & other fittings. The luxury soap
provided in the bathrooms were moulded in shape of the African continent. The full
sized windows opened into balcony from which one got an amazing view of the
dense jungle like surrounding outside. The tourists were given strict instructions
to keep the windows always closed when no one is in the room, as monkeys were
reported to have entered the room. The hotel rooms, lobbies, restaurants both
indoor & outside portion & the near by area were a photographers paradise.
After settling
into their respective rooms, the members proceeded to their earmarked separate dining
area where the in house Maharaj had made available chaat varieties as dinner starters.
A full course dinner followed with ice cream for dessert!
After a hectic
schedule, and a fulfilling dinner, most would have preferred to retire for the
day. But with no early morning getting up scheduled for the next day, a
majority of group members preferred to take the complimentary pick up &
drop in a black Mercedes van to try their luck at the casino.
However after a short
while, members started returning back to their respective rooms in groups of 2s
and 3s to a much deserved night rest without an alarm set to wake them up next
morning.
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