Day 2 at Chobe National Park, Baobab Lodge

Our drumbeat at 5:30 a.m. called us to breakfast. We were told to prepare for a long day out in the bush. We would be having a picnic lunch. The chef was there to prepare an omelet to order along with cereal, fruit, etc. We switched guides and had Onys, a huge Botswanan. Monty who had shown me my room when I arrived went along to prepare "Botswanan peanut and butter sandwiches" which turned out to be chicken, pasta, cornbread, salad and the usual beer, wine, sodas, etc.!







As we headed in, Steve from Kansas were on the atop row this time as we also switch a levels. There are 3, lower in front and moving back. We stopped to talk to another guide who apparently told Onys about some lions he had seen. So we held on tightly as we hauled ass through the bush. Onys drove off the road a bit as the lions weighing an "African salute" meaning we saw only their rears as they were headed away from us. We pulled up alongside and were breathless as a handsome male and his harem of four lionesses lay around in front of us. Two of them began to mate and it was "slam bam, thank you, ma'am" I read where they will mate 3 or 4 times in an hour. It didn't look like much exertion or reaction on either part! Just then our other vehicle showed up and were able to get some shots. Very exciting start to the morning!







This was followed by Cape Buffalo close up sitting on the trail side, rare Roan antelope with beautifully marked faces that are shy and kept running away, four hippos bathing in the river (we will get a closer view at our next c amp).







Next were two crocodiles (new learning - when their mouth is closed, their teeth are on the outside - not so on an alligator who has also a more rounded snout.







A small tortoise stopped us in the middle of the path as he was crossing. A dead carcass of a Cape buffalo was at the roadside. A mama warthog guided her four babies down to the water. Two water monitor lizards sunned themselves on the bank. We saw a lot of giraffes but not up close enough.







At lunch we had a real bathroom and picnic tables! We also had a vervet monkey who proceeded to jump my plate and in seconds make off with a leg and cornbread! I finished my lunch holding a long stick and chased him off a couple of times when he came near, back up into the tree!







On our way back to camp we slowed down to see the Cori Bustard, a heavy bird who can fly but usually doesn't. The male and female are pretty identical. Lots of kudu and impalas were seen.







A cool dip in the pool was refreshing and then we dashed for our cabins as the storm started. Tonight we were told to wear "our dancing shoes". Think the staff will sing and perform for us on our last night..



Leaving Chobe and flying to Okavango Delta. Terrific!

AT CAPETOWN AIRPORT

I'm waiting at Capetown airport for our Flight to Johannesburg (J'burg). Yesterday we left Montagu where we had a lovely lunch with Shirley our hostess from the UK. She and her husband Paul had lived there for 7 years running Koo Karoo Guest Lodge. We had a lovely two bedroom place with lovely gardens around just behind the church and main streets, Bath and Long streets. It was a very picturesque town up in the mountains with hot thermal springs. I spent yesterday soaking in the indoor pool all by myself relaxing and doing some yoga for about an hour. Then I had scheduled a lovely massage for another hour. It was pouring rain so it was a good choice. Pat and Randy tried to see some birds but they were huddled in the bird tree and not moving whenever they went by. The day before we had stopped at the dried fruit plant and bought some dried peaches and cashews (to add to our gift bags for our family visit later on the trip and the rest to bring home), some figs for Doug's Christmas/birthday box) and some roll up of fruit for the kids. This area is known for their wines (had that at dinner) and fruit trees.



































I hadn't realized before that S. Africa was such a breadbasket area with rich farmland but I should have known as it was originally settled by the Dutch seafarers to grow gardens to resupply their ships going to the Far East. Yesterday we also stopped in Franschoek (meaning French corner) where French Huguenots, fleeing from murder and persecution in Catholic France (they had followed Luther into Protestantism). They settled up in this mountainous and rich valley region, brining their grape vines. Franschoek was a lovely small town, very touristy but in a tasteful way. We had a lovely lunch/dinner at the French Connection, and visited the Huguenots Museum and beautiful monument with a woman holding a Bible in one hand and broken chain in the other to represent religious freedom.



















We then over the mountains again to Stellenbosch where the oldest university in Capetown. We then had a frustrating time finding our last Airbnb reservation that was supposed to be bucolic. After two frustrating phone calls to Elaine, the owner who talked so fast I finally gave the phone to Randy who didn't have much better luck. We finally found Stanley, the Black caretaker who showed us the apartment. It had 3 bedrooms but had a hook on the door to the outside (Stanley said he was the security and Elaine was elsewhere). It also had a really odd smell and flies buzzing around. We all agreed to give Stanley a tip and tell him to tell Elaine we were leaving and it wasn't as advertised and wouldn't do.













We then drove on to the airport to find the Eurocar rental (Randy was really anxious about getting rid of that Hyundai). They told us they open at 5 a.m.. So we found loading right at the airport and got two rooms for the night. Randy had bumped into a gas pump island on the left hubcap (said it was really hard to judge distance from the right side over on the left) so he ended up being charged an extra R200 (about $20) and turned in the car at Eurocar While Pat and I checked in and got our seats.









Some Chinese tourists just asked us to take a round of pictures with them to show folks at home the freaky Americans! shades of China travels!

PEBBLE BEACH

We have just left PETA and Chris, Friend Lynn's sister and her husband, who run the Pebble Beach B & B pear the most southern tip of Africa. Our rooms had lovely water views of waves from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans crashing on the rocks. The biggest town is called Cape Agulhas, meaning needles because a compass needle points straight north here. Today we stopped in Bredesdorp to visit the only shipwreck museum in the world, as so many ships were wrecked going around Cape of Good Hope here.































Chris is from SA near J'burg and PETA from Capetown but they met in London 40 or so years ago. They have two daughters, one of whom just had their first grandchild, a little girl. They are trying to sell the B& B and will live in another house they built nearby so they can travel more. They were delightful hosts to us and the two German guests from Nuremberg.











We spent the day, after a delicious huge breakfast reading and relaxing in our rooms. Then we headed for a bird sanctuary, stopping many times along the way to spot and identify birds. Randy and Pat are serious birders. me not so much. We saw lots of guinea fowl, crows, quail type and white flamingos. By the time we got to the De Monday Reserve by the shore, it was after 5 and they were closed. We stopped for dinner of fish for me and Ostrich again for Randy. Chris had wine and lots of animals-in-the bush stories when we got back.

Bus tour around Capetown

One of the things I haven't written about yet was our tour of the township in Capetown. It was an add on to the hop on/hop off bus. We spent a couple of hours, just the 3 of us, walking through an area (there are many of them) on the edge of Capetown where the Africans live, as in the poor, blacks. Our guide lived in this community and has traveled to Ireland and several places getting additional community support. An Irish group came over and in 12 days they built a whole bunch of houses. The houses otherwise are like Bruce's garden shed across the street from me in Wellfleet. They are patched together, tiny, with corrugate aluminum roofs, wood slats, etc. whatever they could find to slap on. We went in one that had one bedroom and a living room/kitchen, all of which would have fit in my living room. Two women were in there, one just getting out of bed and the other watching TV. Unemployment in this area for blacks is around 40-50%. So there were packs of young men in the middle of the day just wandering around. Crime is rampant. Chester said he and his wife had moved out of a nearby area because of the crime. Everything is fenced in, locked in, glass topping the walls, and home security is definitely the business to be in in Capetown. This last sentence all refers to the white or more upscale residential areas. Chester said he has blacks in his neighborhood that have good jobs. so people can move if they have the means.



Our guide took us to a preschool with two groups of kids with one young teacher. They sang us a song, and were doing some crafts. But pretty sparse materials around the room. The shelf for "books" didn't have a one! Kids all looked happy and seemed healthy.



We walked by a beautiful new school the Germans had built. An old firehouse/warehouse was slated as a sports center. But they seemingly are dependent on foreign help rather than any improvement by their own government. Our guide seemed to pull away from any political activity, he said, because of the corruption. It seemed so discouraging and depressing!!



After talking with a few people who live here, I've come to accept that they have only gotten rid of apartheid 17 years ago. And things move very slowly! I just think Nelson Mandela and some of the other leaders who sacrificed so much and worked so hard, would be discouraged and depressed as well!! Change takes a long time. I've heard and read the education system is horrific! Kids are passed through grades without qualifying, and there are lots of jobs but for skilled workers. And the blacks aren't getting the skills! There was a beautiful computer room, all well equipped, in the community center - and it was all locked up in the middle of the day. No instruction going on!



As we drove around the country we passed many "townships" on the edges of small towns where they were all clustered together and streams of people would be going home at the end of the day or in the morning coming to work - many trying to hitch a ride, holding out some money to get someone to stop. And we didn't even get into Jo'burg where I heard it's dangerous to go out at night and crime is rampant.



It still has been an enlightening, informational and wonderful visit and more to come as we leave for Zimbabwe and Botswana with our Ultimate Africa trip!

Sunday to Cape Point andHermanus

I'm doing this a bit out of order.


Yesterday we left our apartment in Capetown in our rented Hyundai. We stuck to the highway heading down Cape to give Randy some time to adjust to left-side of the road driving. He kept turning on the windshield wipers when he meant the indicator. I was navigating in the front seat. We passed along the scenic coastline of False Bay to Simon's Town where we had see the South African penguins the day before with Chester. We continued upland to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope which some people argue is where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The Atlantic side of the Cape is supposed to have freezing water. We didn't get near the water there.

 

We passed an ostrich farm on the way where we stopped to take pictures. there was a pair in each pen. I read today that an ostrich egg is comparable to 24 chicken eggs! I have seen ostrich on a menu but haven't tried it yet.

Just before the most southeasterly point on Africa, we passed a monument no one side to Bartholomew Dias, the Portuguese sailor who first rounded Africa in 1488; he named it Cape of Storms. The king of Portugal renamed it Cape of Good Hope. There is also a cross for Vasco Da Gama the first to travel a water route to the Indies a bit later. We are headed tomorrow to Cape Agulhas (means needles) which is the actual southernmost tip of Africa. Somewhere in between these two points is where the two oceans actually meet.

We rode the funicular car up to the lighthouse on a high point that was replaced in the 1930s because it was usually above the clouds or fog and couldn't be seen by ships. Some great views and pictures!

After a long traffic clogged drive back along the coast, we finally had smooth sailing on the N2 highway around False Bay to Hermanus. It was a Sunday and so far S. Africans haven't had good beach weather this year so people were out in these coastal towns en masse.

Hermanus is a medium sized town known for its right and humpback whales that cruise right near the 12 km long Cliff Walk. Our Host Douglas showed us around our bungalow on Mitchell St.  I told him it was inevitable that we should stay here as my son's name is Douglas Mitchell! He laughed!


The house is called "Quainton" meaning quaint and his house-next-door is Nook. We're the only guests here at the moment. he and his wife retired and bought and renovated cottages that they rent out. They also do exchanges on home

 

stay.org. They have stayed all over the world and have 5 exchanges lined up in Australia and New Zealand coming up. I've got to check that out!

We have a soaking pool in the tiny backyard, a grill and outside eating area, 2 comfy bedrooms upstairs, full kitchen, laundry (we've already done a load each. Clean underwear day!)

Wifi, TV, two bathrooms! The only strange (to us) is there are metal gates at front-and-back doors as well as locked doors, a sliding gate to get off the property. Andrew panic buttons in each of the bathrooms that will promptly bring security. They have serious crime issues, probably the result of the high unemployment rate (40 percent) among blacks here in South Africa. Pat and I went for a walk last evening to look around. Randy could not have gotten out of the house (bars on the window) in case of a fire! Doug was going to bring us a second set of keys today. Otherwise it's absolutely perfect and in a close to downtown location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally have some time!

We have arrived at our little cottage called "Quainton" in Hermanus on the east side of False Bay, because the explorers thought it was Table Bay when they came around the horn from India, only to find a dead end!

Pat and Randy went off to get his morning coffee so I have some time. We are spending ten days in Capetown, SA, before we join our OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) group in Johannesburg next Saturday. We will be flying to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana (check out OAT's website for Ultimate Africa for trip details)

I booked all our reservations on Airbnb.com website. We had an adequate, if sparse, apartment on the 5th floor near the waterfront downtown area of Capetown for 4 nights. The waterfront is where all the restaurants, shops, etc. are so the location was great. On arrival we walked down a and ate a wonderful fish dinner ata Seviga's on the waterfront. We went back on our last night as well, this time with Chester, Pat's distant cousin. His wife Rosemary is in the hospital getting cancer treatment so we didn't get to meet her. Chester was a font of information as he had a lived in SA most of his life. His  father who was much, much older than his mother led a long and adventurous life, making his fortune    Managing copper mines up in Messina near the then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe border. He bought thousands of acres along the Limpopo River bordering the two countries (it is now a game reserve bordering Kruger National Park).

Chester gave us a copy of a book his mother Margaret Emery had written on her life in this weekend getaway camp where they stayed in framed little rooms covered only in mosquito netting scattered around the area. Lions and elephants would sometimes come right up to the rooms! One story told of Gus, the father, taking his bath outside and leaving the water in the tub for a morning wash. during the night he thought it was raining as water drops were coming through the netting. Turns out an elephant was sharing his tub and spraying himself with the water! I don't want to get THAT close to wild elephants. Anyway it has made for fascinating reading!

We were warned we might not get to visit the two major sites in Capetown if winds were high or weather was bad. so we spent the first day up on Table Mountain via cable car for gorgeous views off the area. We spotted a family of daisies up there, related to the elephant with the same bone structures but small like a badger.

We cabbed down to the waterfront for lunch and our 3 pm boat ride out to Robbens Island about 20 minutes ride. This is where

Hello from down under - no, I mean South Africa!

  I'm off on another adventure, this time toCapetown, South Africa and then an OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) tour called Ultimate Africa. (You cancheck out their website for details of where we're going)

I'm traveling with Pat Bartlett (see China trip blog) and her husband Randy. We decided to spend ten days first inCapetown. We left Wellfleet on Monday after Tom and Rosemary, Larry and Hope, Rod, and Kerry et. Al. Left after a wonderful Oysterfest weekend.  Oh, I forgot Jackie and Paul were there, too.  FUn! 

Randy drove us down to Fairfield, CT, to friend Judi's house for the night and to leave the car there. After a lovely catchup for Judi and I (we used to work together in my last job), she drove us all to catch the 5 a.m. Train to Grand Central and then a bus to Kennedy. Our 11 a.m. Flight on SAA went pretty smoothly after a few air bumps that I didn't like got us to Johannesburg at 8:30 a.m. And then on another flight to Capetown by noon.

Our taxi driver to town was a tour guide so pointed out a lot of stuff along the way to picking up the key to our apartment. Hospital where Christian Barnard performed first heart transplant in 1967, two of the townships (read slums) where blacks live (many are being replaced by stucco real buildings by the government, Habitat projects by foreigners, other philanthropic groups). He went with us to find the office and then drove us to our apartment high rise in central city, only several blocks from the Victoria & Albert Waterfront district, the top attraction here for tourists.

I made the accommodations reservations for this trip through Airbnb.com (check it out) Go to Cape Town and find "Waterfront View 1bdrm apt501". We have 1bdrm and sleeper sofa, full kitchen for breakfast and lunch or whatever in a great location for about $30/person per night.

After "nesting" we headed down to the waterfront to book tickets for Robben Island where political prisoners (Mandela for 18 years) lepers, and murderers were held during apartheid period. Think Alcatraz - 7 kms off shore.  We got tickets for boat at 3 pm next day. We went up cable car to Table Mountain the next morning as both these sites are weather dependent and people hadn't been able to go for quite a few days before this. We got in both visits the next day!

Tired so will continue later!