On July 1st I begin another travel adventure. My heart is pulling me back to Cape Town where I will spend at least three months – their winter / spring – enjoying the beautiful area. Longing to see flat-topped Table Mountain again!
I discovered Cape Town in the late 1980s as one of several Bechtel Corporation employees sent on assignment to Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. Our client was Eskom (Electricity Supply Commission of South Africa). Eskom generates most of the electricity used in South Africa.
Koeberg is the only nuclear power station on the African continent but with an ever-rising demand for electricity the South African government plans to build more stations in the future. Construction of the Koeberg station began in 1976 with unit two completed in July 1985. Alstom, a large French multinational conglomerate with interests in the power generation and transport markets, built the power station. Koeberg has a pressurized water reactor (PWR) design and the largest turbine generator in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the most southerly situated nuclear power station in the world.
As a technical writer my job was re-writing and editing operating procedures for the plant to meet Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements. During my stay in South Africa I explored as much as possible and fell in love with Cape Town and the surrounding areas.
In October or November, it’s on to New Zealand and Australia followed by Cambodia, and finally Vietnam in January 2012. I’m traveling alone but have a few local contacts through Servas International and organizations that help arrange volunteer projects unique to their country and culture.
More to follow – ciao for now!
Sue,
Good luck on your long trip! We hope you have many exciting and rewarding adventures.
Please note that when we move into our house in June, my e-mail address will be changing.
John & Vicki
Thanks John & Vicki – hope everything goes smoothly with your move and looking forward to our picnic!