2018 was definitely a bucket list year!  On May 21 Guns N’ Roses announced their Fall 2018 Asian tour.  Two weeks later, they added South Africa. Initially, I was only thinking about going to Hong Kong. In addition to the obvious allure of such an exotic and beautiful location, my finance brain was eager to take advantage of the very favorable foreign exchange rate for Hong Kong Dollar to USD.  I then looked at GN’R’s tour schedule.  Following two performances in Hong Kong, they were scheduled to go to Abu Dhabi and then conclude in Johannesburg.  I’ve always wanted to go to South Africa.  It’s a long journey from either New York or Los Angeles, but not quite so far from Hong Kong!  And the foreign exchange rate for South African Rand to USD is twice as favorable as HKG to USD!  This would be Guns N’ Roses very first concert appearance in South Africa, and it was being held at a world cup soccer stadium! I was able to get a non-stop flight from Hong Kong to Johannesburg on South African Airways.  By skipping Abu Dhabi, this gave me plenty of tourist time in both Hong Kong and South Africa.  The final selling point was a non-stop flight from Johannesburg to JFK, with a four hour layover in New York, before a non-stop flight back to Los Angeles! How could you pass that up?  Everything about this trip made sense.  I treated myself to flatbed business class for the 13 hour flight from HKG to Johannesburg, and the 17 hour flight from Johannesburg to JFK.  It was still a great deal because of the exchange rate. You have to seize opportunity when it presents!

And as luck would have it, in the 15 ½ hour flight from LAX to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, for which I purchased a premium economy ticket, I was upgraded to flatbed business!  I should note this was my very first time flying on Cathay Pacific, a member of the One World Alliance, as is American Airlines.  I have been an American Airlines Advantage Member for many years.  Recently, American added a non-stop route LAX to HKG, competing with Cathay Pacific.  I can tell you that in all the years I have flown with American, never once was I upgraded to first or business class, and certainly not for an overseas flight in a flatbed pod.  About the most I can expect from American Airlines these days is a miserable travel experience with delays, missed connections, and rude unprofessional behavior. Some travelers will put up with that for dirt cheap airfares, with an airline that has the most travel routes in the world.  I will not. Cathay Pacific has certainly had their share of challenges recently, but where they distinguish themselves, is in their ability to provide far superior service!

If you have an opportunity to visit Hong Kong, I highly recommend visiting the Island of Lantau, where most of my time was spent.  The airport is located there, in close proximity to the concert venue, the Asia World Expo, and the conveniently connected Hong Kong Sky City Marriott. After flying 15 ½ hours to a destination 17 hours ahead in time, it was great to stay at a very nice hotel close by, and all right on the shore of the South China Sea!  The island of Lantau is far less crowded than the main Hong Kong island, and is home to some pretty amazing tourist attractions.

I hit the ground running and met a few members of GN’R’s tour management at the hotel bar that first night and scored a couple of Slash picks!  The next day was the first of two performances at this intimate arena, with very organized and disciplined security that made the process of lining up and getting into the pit area stress free.  This is no small feat let me tell you.  I should note that the crowd in the pit was very young, primarily college age students.  I met one group of fans, all college students from mainland China, who traveled seven hours by train and boat to reach the Asia World Expo.  Streaming music is big in China, and these young kids, who weren’t even born when GN’R’s debut album “Appetite for Destruction” was released, were turned on to this iconic 80’s Rock&Roll Band by Tencent Music, which is the equivalent of Spotify in China.

Guns N’ Roses powered through all the classics, and the energy in the arena was electric! The second night was even better.  Axl Rose is the consummate Rock&Roll frontman!  At 56 years of age, his three hour + performances, running back and forth across a very large stage, would be challenging for most.  Slash is the ultimate shredder, with rivers of sweat pouring down his arms, hands, and fingers, never missing a beat.  I should note that at the Johannesburg performance, one of his guitar strings broke during the Rocket Queen solo.  With top hat and sunglasses in place, and masses of curly hair all around his face, he made it through this incredibly long solo in brilliant fashion, before a final required guitar change.  The members of Guns N’ Roses have a work ethic second to none!  The final point I’d like to make, is that traveling to faraway places to see Guns N’ Roses, is a wonderful network of friends, highly devoted to this band, and always encouraging, strategic, and adventurous!

It was then on to a magnificent day of sightseeing that began with a ride on the  Tung Chung Cable Car up to the Po Lin Monastery and the Giant Buddha.  Yes I like action vacations and opportunities to overcome my incredible fear of heights!  Perhaps next visit I will choose the cable car with the glass bottom, but for now I’ll give myself some credit for being able to stand up hands free in the regular cable car. We had lunch at the Po Lin Monastery and then scaled 286 steps to the Giant Buddha!  We then traveled down the other side of the hill to the Tai O Fishing Village where we embarked on a boat ride into the harbor and out into the South China Sea! 

The adventure continued the following night, leaving Hong Kong International Airport at 9:45PM and arriving early Saturday morning to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.  My driver from the Protea Marriott Hotel was there to meet me and we actually stopped at a local Shop Rite to fetch my Golden Circle Early Entry ticket for the concert, before arriving at the hotel.  This was very efficient, which I most appreciated!

I settled in over the weekend and relaxed at the rooftop pool on the 24^thfloor.  I struck up a conversation with a woman who divides her time between San Diego and Washington DC, who works for an NGO that is filming a documentary about the Rising Star Cave System, part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.  In 2013, a historic fossil discovery of Homo naledi, one of the largest hominin finds in history, was made in the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star Cave. This discovery has challenged scientists to reconsider what it means to be human! And yes this was on my tourist schedule for the upcoming week!

Before we get to that adventure, my week began at 5:45AM on Monday when a tour van picked me up at my hotel to bring a small group of us to the Pilanesberg National Park, the fourth largest game reserve in South Africa, about a 2 ½ hour drive from Johannesburg. If you’re looking for the best one day safari adventure centered around Johannesburg, this is it! It should be noted that all the animals in this reserve, which include the Big Five, live free with no human intervention, other than patrols to safeguard animals from poachers.  This strategy is clearly working as we saw many species of animals with both adults and babies.  As an animal lover it was a delightful expedition!  We went out in the morning on a three hour ride in an open air vehicle. After lunch by the Hippo pool, we went out again in the open air vehicle for about two and half hours.  I hope you enjoy the many photos below.  We stopped at a market and did some shopping in our return to Johannesburg, returning to the hotel around 7PM.  It was a long day but well worth it!

The next day we traveled to the Sterkfontein Caves and the Cradle of Humankind, which thankfully started with the tour van picking me up at 9:30AM. Sleep is highly overrated when you’re a person of action and adventure!  The Sterkfontein Caves, loaded with limestone and other precious minerals, are home to some highly acclaimed fossils, including Mrs. Ples and Little Foot, the lat­ter being an almost com­plete Aus­tralo­p­ithe­cus skele­ton dat­ing back more than three mil­lion years!  The tour took us deep into the cave, which requires you to wear a hard hat.  I was a little worried about being claustrophobic, but I can assure you it was fine.  Next it was on to the Cradle of Humankind, a very interesting museum where we learned all about Homo naledi and the significance South Africa plays in the evolution of our history.  I highly recommend taking this tour and please check out the photos below!

On my final day of sightseeing, we made a number of stops, beginning at the 50 story Carlton Centre, which is the tallest building on the African continent!  Next it was on to Constitution Hill, home to the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the highest court in the land, and the prison where Nelson Mandela began his 27 year sentence for being a political activist.  The court chamber was designed with windows that allow you to see the former prison, now a museum, with the guiding principle that transparency will be a prevailing force within their justice system.  Next we went to the Apartheid Museum in Gold Reef City, which does not permit photos.  When we entered and tickets were distributed, I received one that read “NIE-BLANKES, NON-WHITES”.  The creators of this museum try to replicate, as best as possible, what it was like to live under Apartheid rule.  We concluded the day in Soweto, at the home Nelson Mandela lived in before and after he was sent to prison.  We then walked down Orlando West street, where merchants are eager to sell you their handmade fare, and where you will find the Tutu House, home to 87 year old Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah.  What an incredible day!

Later that evening, I organized a Guns N’ Roses fan meet up on the rooftop bar at my hotel.  My friend Toshie, an avid world traveler and highly devoted GN’R fan from Tokyo, had arrived on Tuesday from the Abu Dhabi performance. Joining us were Rabea, Nadine, and Rabea’s husband, who were staying at a hotel down the block.  I first met Rabea and Nadine, who hail from Frankfurt, Germany, at a horror movie screening with Slash in February 2016 at the iconic London Hotel in West Hollywood! The world is a small place when you’re a Guns N’ Roses fan and you make smart use of social media to stay connected. We had a terrific time, and the bar piped Guns N’ Roses music through their speakers, connected through WIFI from my iPhone!

Now we were all set for the big day, Thursday November 29!  Our golden circle early entry ticket instructions advised that VIP check in would begin at 4PM.  We had arranged through the hotel to be dropped off around 1PM, nervous that there would be a long line of VIP people arriving early, and determined to be in the first row, “on the rail”.  This is what it’s like to be a devoted Guns N’ Roses fan.  It’s not for the faint of heart, let me tell you! Security at the FNB Stadium was outstanding, even better than in Hong Kong.  They had an army of large security men walk all of the VIP ticketholders slowly and calmly into the pit and we basically walked to the rail. Outstanding!

And there I was, with some terrific friends old and new, hailing from Germany, Japan, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa, in a world cup soccer stadium, half way around the world, “on the rail” to see one of the greatest Rock&Roll bands of all time!  I don’t think it gets much better than that!  And our beloved rockers of course delivered once again.  I should note that Axl Rose apparently suffered with food poisoning in Abu Dhabi and had to cut that concert performance short at two hours, which is laughable to say the least, as most bands that age don’t even play that long. Guns N’ Roses performs for a minimum of three hours, and once was on the stage four hours! Yes the band has come a long way since the early days of their meteoric rise to fame in the late 1980’s, characterized by well noted debauchery, mayhem, and tardiness.  The musical brilliance that arises from such personality and behavior is still there thank goodness, and combined with a mature and very responsible work ethic today, is the formula for success that made this #NotInThisLifetime tour one for the record books!  Thank you Axl, Slash, Duff, Richard, Dizzy, Frank, and Melissa!

Let’s see, what should I take you out with?  You can’t argue with tradition!  Paradise City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to August 2015, the furthest distance I traveled to see a live musical event, or to meet a musical legend, was about 300 miles.  With a group of friends, we drove from the Long Island suburb of Huntington to the Carrier Dome in upstate Syracuse, to see the Rolling Stones in concert on November 27, 1981.  I was in high school and my friend’s older boyfriend drove.  As we drove north, it began to snow.  I remember this vividly because one of the people in our group was from Australia and he had never seen snow before.  It was quite the adventure and I must say we had pretty good seats! It was the 80’s and iconic bands sold out quickly, so we were only able to get tickets in Syracuse!

I should note that I did consider traveling to London’s Wembley Stadium a few years later to see Robert Plant and Jimmy Page perform.  My nana was going to give me the money for the trip, but none of my friends could come up with the money needed, so the trip was scrapped.

Fast forward to 2015. I decided to travel to Seattle, Washington for a free concert on the roof at The Pike Place Market, followed by a private fundraising party with some Rock&Roll legends including Guns N’ Roses Bass Player Duff McKagan.  Since then, I traveled three times from New York to Los Angeles in 2016 to attend a horror movie screening with Slash, the lead guitarist in Guns N’ Roses.  In 2016 and 2017, I saw GN’R ten times in concert venues across the Unites States, including major stadiums in New Jersey and Seattle, Washington, many arenas including the debut arena reunion performance at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, to the breathtakingly beautiful amphitheater The Gorge, just over the mountains from Seattle, considered one of the most scenic concert locations in the world!

In 2018, I took this to the next level and decided to travel to Laugardalsvollur football stadium in Reykjavik, Iceland at the end of July to see my beloved GN’R Rockers.  It was the final tour performance of the 2018 European leg and was the largest concert to date to ever be held in Iceland!  I had many friends in the U.S. and U.K. who were attending, and I actually kept it secret until I arrived at the departure gate at the airport.  The only person who knew was a good friend in the U.K., also attending.  Yes I will create adventure any way I can!  I took a photo of the screen with the flight information and posted it on Facebook, tagging all my friends who were already there, “Surprise see you all soon!”

Although it was a very short trip, I had a great time!  I arrived on a Monday morning and booked the full day Golden Circle Classic Tour, which first brought us to Pingvellir National Park, where the tectonic plates of North America and Europe meet!  Next, we stopped in Blaskogabyggo to feed some Iceland horses.  Did you know that Iceland horses are a rare breed?   They have a special gait, called the 4^thgait tolt, which is a very smooth gait.  You can ride this horse and carry buckets filled with water and you will never have to worry about spilling them.  When an Iceland horse leaves Iceland, it is not allowed to return.  No horses are permitted to enter Iceland as the people of Iceland wish to safeguard this breed.  As we traveled throughout the country side, we saw many fields of wild Iceland horses.  Next we went to the Gullfoss waterfalls, a simply breathtaking sight, where we were able to walk on the rocks, alongside the edge of the falls.  Our final visit was to the Geysir region where multiple hot springs erupt regularly.  Check out the photos below.  There was an opportunity for the adventurous ones in the group to climb to the highest elevation of a rocky hill that rivals my Runyan Canyon Friday morning hikes! If there is one thing I have learned in life, exercise is the key to staying young and fit!

Later that evening it was on to the Hard Rock Café in downtown Reykjavik to meet up with my friends who hail from the U.S., Finland, Japan, and the U.K.!  The Guns N’ Roses fan contingent is global!  For the single fan, this makes building adventurous vacations around global tour dates ideal!  For most GN’R trips, I typically make some new friendships and strengthen existing ones.  Huge thank you to my friend Julia from London who kept my secret about the trip!  It was great to get to know you and Lyn a lot better!  I also met new friends Natalia and Daniel from Helsinki, Finland.  The nicest couple you ever want to meet!  The next morning we arrived to the stadium early to line up for the GA pit.  This is an experience unto itself that builds the camaraderie of this devoted fan group.  Our goal of course, is to be on the rail at the stage.  A major Iceland news organization interviewed us, fascinated with our early arrival and queuing strategy.  Guns N’ Roses at Laugardalsvollur Stadium  The photo of the person on the right wearing a leather jacket with the Guns N Roses logo on the back is yours truly! If any of you are fluent in Icelandic, I would love a translation of this article.

We made it to the rail and our band of wildly talented Rock&Roll musicians powered through 33 timeless classics before the night was over, over 3 hours of epic musical masterpiece by legends in their mid 50’s!  The set list included Velvet Revolver’s “Slither”, the first time I heard a reunited GN’R perform a song by Slash’s band Velvet Revolver.  Why is this significant?  Slash formed Velvet Revolver after he left Guns N’ Roses in the mid 1990’s.  It was a bad breakup that lasted 23 years with Axl Rose and Slash not speaking with each other until late 2015.  Another favorite of mine, recently added to the setlist, is “Madagascar” from the 2008 Chinese Democracy album release.

Remember life is short and precious.  Make the most of it! Go see Guns N’ Roses!

Cover Photo Credits: Cynthia Drew at the Geysir in Reykjavik, Iceland