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!