'Survivor' speaks out
2006-08-18 08:57
Johannesburg - Restaurant owner Nico Hinis entered Survivor: South Africa, but he never thought he would be chosen as a contestant.
Hinis, 43, owner of the Espresso Restaurant in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, told Beeld how he had to dodge questions from clients, acquaintances, friends and family members after he had been selected as one of the 14 finalists who had to spend 28 days on Panama's Pearl Islands.
"When I told some people that I had entered, they thought I would be perfect for the show.
"When I was chosen I said I was going to visit my brother in Cyprus and go on a trip to buy coffee beans in Italy to explain my long absence."
He said it was difficult to keep the news to himself because once he was selected, he felt as if he had won the show already.
He was only allowed to confide in his immediate family members - his wife and three children.
To celebrate the series Hinis will be hosting Survivor evenings at his restaurant.
Hinis said the islands were a "brilliant destination".
"The fact that M-Net filmed the series there rather than at the Hartbeespoort Dam made it more authentic."
His biggest complaint is that there was just not enough to eat on the island and that there are too many creepy crawlies on the beach.
One thing that he was not prepared for, was how the poor diet on the island would affect him later on.
"For the first three weeks after coming home I simply could not get enough to eat!"
Asked whether he was tired after returning from the island, he said he was totally relaxed.
"I also have a new appreciation for the small things in life - when you're on that island and you manage to get hold of a little bit of salt - you're simply ecstatic."
View a clip of Nico ahead of his departure to Panama here
Survivor: South Africa will be screened on M-Net at 18:00 from September 3.