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| After our 2 month journey through South Africa, I found much to say about medicine, politics, security and life as a local or a tourist in this beautiful country -- so there is plenty to see and read in the pages to follow. We hope you enjoy the stories and pictures. You can read along in order by just following the "Next" links at the end of each page, or you can skip to a section directly by clicking the images at right. |  SERIOUS STUFF |
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| . |  MEDICINE |
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| . |  TOURISTS IN CAPE TOWN |
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| . |  ROAD TRIP! |
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| . |  SAFARI! |
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| INTRODUCTION | ||
| Eager to broaden our minds, Diana and I sought a foreign elective during our residency training. Her internal medicine program offers an exchange with Uganda, but radiology training there would not be very useful. With the help of Dr. Ken Magnus and his counterparts abroad, Drs. Steve Beningfield, Bongani Mayosi and Dick Pitcher, and about a year of red tape, we arranged a joint elective in Cape Town, South Africa. A month of radiology in Groote Schuur hospital for me, and a month of internal medicine for Diana at nearby New Somerset Hospital. We were lucky to get the same 4-week block in the same city, and 4 weeks holiday each afterward, especially at the perfect time to travel in South Africa, February-April, when Christmas crowds have dwindled, the sun is a little cooler and the rains have not yet come. Not a bad couple of months to get out of Edmonton's winter cold and snow into a place nearly everyone told us is the most beautiful city in the world. | ||
 We weren't sorry to leave winter behind. |
 Frankfurt airport is a nice place to stop over |
 Except for the smokers! |
 Table View in Cape Town |
 Our route in South Africa |
 Cape Town and area |
Diana's supervisor was Dr. Roal van zyl Smit, Chief of Internal Medicine at the New Somerset Hospital. This was an imposing name and set of qualifications, but any fears of formality disappeared when Roal turned up at the airport Sunday 7 AM to greet us. After a 28 hour journey with 10 hour time change, arriving exhausted in a city we heard to be quite dangerous, it was a huge relief to be greeted so warmly. He and his wife Jean were the finest hosts imaginable, treating us to warm hospitality, a picnic basket for our room, support to enter a huge bike race which was a highlight of our visit, two cell phones, many happy nights of conversation and laughter over delicious dinners, and even a chance to spend the weekend with them at their Bettys Bay retreat. |  Dr. Roal Van Zyl Smit welcomes us |
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