Cape Town

The morning of the 28th, we had to grab breakfast and take a picture of a road sign before we caught our flight to Cape Town. After landing, we waited for a minibus to come and collect us and drive us to our fantastic backpackers on Long Street in central Cape Town. Upon arrival, we had more errands to deal with as we managed to drop off our dirty laundry, buy a new headlamp, eat dinner and pick up some groceries. While we were completing these necessary tasks, it was nice to see a little bit of the city and to notice the plateau (Table Mountain) towering over the city. When we noticed it, we were surprised to see clouds rolling off the edge of it and down the sides. We found out later that the clouds that constantly hover there are nicknamed the tablecloth, but we weren't lucky enough to see it pouring over again. Eventually, we headed back to the hostel to bed.


The following morning, we arranged some trips and gathered some information about the town before heading to the Robben Island Visitors Center where we hoped to purchase tickets. At the time, we were blissfully unaware that tickets to the island sell out weeks in advance. We ended up waiting in line for several hours in the hopes that someone would be unable to use tickets they had previously purchased. Three or four hours into the wait, a man came up next to myself and the rest of the standby line and asked the lady behind the counter if she could perform any miracles. She groaned and started typing information into her computer while giving us a lecture about how much trouble she might get into. Within 15 minutes, we had our tickets for the next boat ride.

Although Robben Island is a quaint little museum town now, it has an infamous history. It had long been used for imprisonment, but in the 1960's, the government started using it to incarcerate people who protested or spoke out opposing apartheid. Some of the famous people who had been held prisoner there include Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma, Govan Mbeki, and Robert Sobukwe.


Our tour guide was a former inmate and he showed us the current town on the island, the prison including Nelson Mandela's cell, the lighthouse, and the penguins and rabbits who call the island home. It was late in the day when we finally arrived back home and we went to bed early because we had a big day in front of us.


The following morning, we were up early with our daypacks ready and armed for a brief but strenuous hike up the Platteklip Gorge route at Table Mountain. It was a gorgeous hike and we were rewarded with breathtaking views at the top. When we reached the table top, we were able to walk around the periphery looking over the city, out at Robben Island and the Atlantic Ocean and over to the Cape of Good Hope. It was stunning.


We headed down via the cable car then hopped a taxi out to Green Point Market. We spent quite a long time at the market admiring all the goods for sale from all over the continent. Every variety of handmade jewelry, dyed and painted cloth, carvings in various mediums, trinkets and art were available. Eventually, my legs were worn out, and as Matt eyed up antler bottle openers, I sat down with a nice couple from Kenya and we talked about Cape Town and traveling. Finally, Matt and I headed back to the backpackers for an early evening.

The following morning, we ate breakfast before heading out on our scheduled vineyard tour in the Stellenbosch region. We spent the day visiting the Villiere, Beyerskloof, Dieu Donné, and Fairview vineyards, learning how red and white wine and champagne are made and exploring the vineyard country. I also learned some neat wine-tasting skills like how to judge the age and why aerating is important before testing the flavor.


The next day brought on our Cape Point tour. We spent the day driving, hiking and biking all over the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, visiting Hout Bay (where people from Cape Town used to procure timber), traveling along Chapman's Peak Drive (a scenic drive along the Atlantic Ocean), and saying hi to the penguins at Boulders Beach (if you want to see them playing, click here).



Our last full day in Cape Town allowed us to see some of the sights within the city limits. First we visited the Castle of Good Hope which was a fort built by the Dutch East India Company in the mid 1600's. Then we headed over to the District 6 Museum where we learned the history of the infamous community. In the Nineteenth Century, the neighborhood was a thriving settlement of people of all races and backgrounds, but by 1966, 60,000 people had been forcibly removed to allow the area to become an all-white neighborhood. It was tragic and a scene that played out repeatedly during the era of apartheid.



Later in the afternoon, we spent some time walking along Government Avenue, looking at the parks and museums before heading back to hide from the drizzle and pack our bags for Durban. Before dusk, we headed out to watch the sun set at Camps Bay before returning for bed.



The pictures in this post are: warthog x-ing, Mandela's cell, me and the view of Cape Town and Table Mountain from Robben Island, Cape Town from Table Mountain, the hills and vines surrounding the Dieu Donné Vineyard, the Cape of Good Hope, the penguins at Boulders, poems carved in a cell door at the fort, a public apology outside the District 6 Museum, and the sunset at Camps Bay.

Maun and Namibia

Matt and I spent 21st of March in the tiny town of Maun, recovering from our safari. Besides going to the grocery store and resting, we also spent several hours on the internet catching up on emails, news, and contacting our loved ones.

The following morning we headed back to the internet cafe to make some phone calls regarding a rental vehicle. We would be arriving in Windhoek, Namibia during Easter weekend while everyone was taking family vacations, so finding a rental car was not easy or cheap. Eventually, between the phone at the internet cafe and the payphone at the airport, we reserved a vehicle then hopped our flight to Namibia. The rental agency picked us up when we arrived and we drove to their office where they introduced us to our truck and how to use all of its amenities.


The ride from the rental agency to the backpackers was a bumpy one since , of the two of us, Matt is the better at driving stick, and the word "proficient" at the time would have been an exaggeration of his skills. Eventually, we arrived at the hostel, set up our new car tent and slept like logs all night.

The following morning, we made a brief stop at the grocery store before heading out towards Sossusvlei. The drive took about 5 hours mostly along empty gravel roads. I had several opportunities to practice my driving during this time. We're lucky it was a rental because the transmission must have been in pain. When we finally arrived at the campsite at the entrance to the park, we found it would cost $80 US for us to stay there for the evening. After a bit of frustration directed at the "new management," we headed back the way we had come and drove 40 miles before finding a campsite.


Just before we arrived at the campsite, I saw something that completely lifted my mood and made me burst out laughing. It was a springbok. When you see how they move, you'll understand why I thought it was so funny. I wasn't able to record one, but the first minute of the video here will give you the idea.

When we arrived we parked the car and went in search of the owners. We discovered that they had gone out for groceries and we should just pick a campsite and come back up to the house when we heard a car. Except that when we returned to the truck, we discovered that we had somehow gotten a flat. At that point, it was dusk, we were exhausted and neither of us had touched food in ages.

It was decided that we'd drive down and pick a site, have a snack, watch the sun set, then in a new mindset, swap out the tire. We met some nice friends who welcomed us up to a good spot for the sunset, and afterwards, helped us change the tire. Then we set up our tent again and went to bed.

The following morning, we were up before the sun, making coffee and showering before heading off to Sossusvei. As we drove, the rising sun was covering the hills with its light and shadows. Even though we were traversing the same path as the previous day, our attitudes were much better and we were anticipating the splendour of the renowned dunes.

When we finally entered the park, the dunes didn't disappoint. I don't know how to describe them except as massive, otherwordly, deep red dunes. We enjoyed the off-road time in the truck before we arrived at Deadvlei and it was time to hike. We followed streams of footprints until we arrived at a large, dry white clay pan surrounded my massive dunes. The sun was large and hot and there was no protection around as Matt and I hauled ourselves up one huge dune to the left. Then I watched in admiration as he trekked far into the distance to the top of the largest dune around. This might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but some of the dunes can be up to 1000 feet tall and you barely gain ground with each step.




Following our walks, we headed back to the car for some much-needed hydration. After driving around the dunes a bit longer, we headed to Swakopmund, and it was another six hours before we arrived. Our backpackers was called Desert Sky and it had all the amenities. First, we set up a sandboarding trip for the following day, then cooked some dinner before bed.


The following day was a blast. I've only tried to snowboard twice, and both times I spent the afternoon on my butt. But sandboarding was much easier to catch on because it's slower than snowboarding and the surface is completely uniform. We spent several hours hiking up dunes and flying down them on the thoroughly-waxed boards. In the process, we met a bunch of cool people and got tons of exercise. Some of the friends we made were three American college students who were studying abroad in Windhoek, and we chatted with them for ages and ended up offering them a drive back to town the following day.


Upon returning from sandboarding, I took a nap until 5 or 6 when Matt and I made up some dinner and headed off to the Swakop Lodge. The photographer from sandboarding was showing our group video from that afternoon and offering pictures for sale. After watching the video and drinking a beer with our new friends, we headed back to our car/tent and went to bed.

The following morning, I was up early for a seal and dolphin trip. The car picked me up and we headed down and got on the boat. It was an interesting trip. Most people were on the boat to see bottlenosed dolphins, but I was there for the seals and the Heavysides Dolphin. We saw the unusual Heavysides dolphin within of few minutes of our trip then we headed out towards the seals, paralleling the duney shoreline as we motored along. Our captain slowed down at points to feed fish to the giant pelicans, seagulls and other birds who recognized us and flew along with our boat. When we reached the island with the seal colony, I was surprised at first by the smell. It was overwhelming. But as we pulled away from shore a bit, it was easier to watch the seals playing around with each other in the waves (if you're interested in the seals you can see video here). After the seals, we searched for bottlenose dolphins for a while before giving up and heading to the harbour for lunch. Halfway through our snacktime, a bottlenose dolphin showed up in the harbour right next to our boat. We followed him around for a bit, much to the amusement of the other passengers, before heading back to the dock. After I was dropped off at the backpackers, Matt and I had to gather our gear and make room to accommodate our new friends in the car before heading towards Windhoek.


It was a surprisingly short 5 hour drive. As we rode, we sang along with the odd selection of CDs which we borrowed from the car rental man and talked about Namibia and home. When we arrived in Windhoek, we dropped off Vaun, Jesse, and Ryan before returning the car to its owner and heading to our backpackers.

The following day was spent exploring the points of interest in Windhoek such as the historic buildings, government center and market. Then, the rain began to fall and made us scurry for shelter in a nearby internet cafe until it was time to meet our friends for dinner.


The chosen location was Joe's Beerhouse, which is well-known for its selection of game meats. We tried everything from crocodile to ostrich to zebra before the meal was finished and despite my initial horror, all of the pretty animals tasted quite delicious. Eventually, we parted ways with our friends and took a taxi back to the backpackers where we spent our last night in Namibia.


The pictures in the post are: our fancy-pants camper truck, pretty sights on the way to Sossusvlei, a massive dune, the view from the top of a dune, the clay pan with its scorched trees, the Tropic of Capricorn which we crossed over on the way from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund, me preparing for sandboarding, a Heavysides dolphin with dunes behind, and Christ Church in Windhoek.

Botswana!

WARNING: This is a long post.

If you are at work, you might want to wait until lunch to read it. :)

The morning of March 12th, I woke up in splendor at Shackelton's and after a delicious breakfast, Matt, Victor and I were on the road to the Zambia/Botswana border. When we arrived, we met Willy, Anne, Gro, and Erling who were on the safari with us, and Andy, our knowledgeable guide. After taking a brief trip across the river border, we all piled into a big safari truck with our gear. We headed to Chobezi where we took a scenic boatride along the river We spotted a group of impalas and a group of kudus, along with a cluster of hippos in the water and baboons in the trees, then a monitor lizard and a breeding herd of elephants before the boatride was over.

After our splendid and relaxing trip, we headed to a little airport and flew to Linyanti, where our plane sent a family of warthogs scurrying off the gravel runway. Despite the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere, we noted the presence of something incredibly familiar. It was a Cameltones sticker on the propeller barricade parked at the runway (someone please email Rob Grant and crew and indict them for vandalism... kidding). We all piled into another safari truck and had an AMAZING drive to our new camp. In addition to the animals we had already spotted along the river, we saw an ostrich (now that's a ridiculous animal) and several giraffes (even taller in person). By the time we arrived at the camp, we were thoroughly excited for the coming days. We settled our gear into the new tents and had a spectacular dinner (prepared by Gladys) before going to bed exhausted.

The next morning at breakfast, we were informed that the guides had heard lions very nearby during the night. We set out in the truck after eating and spent about an hour finding, following, losing and recovering tracks before we located the "border boys." These three male lions live between Namibia and Botswana, and despite visa regulations for the rest of us, these juveniles can walk freely across the border whenever they feel inclined.

When we came upon them, they were lounging in the shade, observing us halfheartedly. The way they laid on their backs, licked their paws, or nibbled at an itch was remarkably similar to a housepet. They were very cute and furry, and part of me wanted to live my own jungle book story and become a lion. Eventually, we pulled ourselves away from our furry friends and continued to drive. We located a warthog family, a group of kudus, and some storks before we stopped for a tea break. Then we headed back to the camp for relaxation, lunch, and a shower before heading out again in the evening.

Our first mission was to see if we could find the border boys again and we did. Apparently, when you're a lion, you feel free to take naps in the middle of the road. We watched the boys take their siesta for a bit before the sun began to set and we headed off. Just when dusk was staring to gain the upper hand on the sky, we came upon two gorgeous girls and a young boy lion resting on the top of a giant termite mound. They looked noble perched like that, as if they were in charge of all the other animals. When the sun had fully set, we headed back to camp for a yummy dinner and a good night's rest.

The following morning, we were up before the sun, getting ready for a long day. We had to turn on our flashlights (headlamps) before exiting the tent to make sure there weren't any big, hungry, eyes gleaming nearby. When we were sure the way was clear, we headed up for breakfast (with lots of coffee) then hopped in the truck. We drove for a couple of hours to Savuti Marsh in Chobe National Park. We had been smacked by intrusive bushes periodically on all of our drives, so we were a bit surprised when Andy warned us, "this is the part of the road where the branches will come into the car." That statement began a period of about a half hour when all of us had to lean far to the center of the open vehicle to avoid being impaled or losing an eye. It was exciting.

When we arrived at the park office, we were greeted with a collection animal bones (an elephant femur is about 3' long with a cross-sectional area as big as your fist) and we spotted a few sets of sun-bleached bones a few times during the day, contrasting against the green grass. Another new appearance were the lilac-breasted rollers (small birds) flying alongside our truck and swooping down to grab the crickets which our wheels frightened out of the grass. In addition to the usual suspects, we spotted wildebeests (otherwise known as gnus), secretary birds (a large flying bird) and zebras! The zebras seemed humble, strolling along, as if they didn't know that everyone in the world envies their attire.

We stopped for lunch in a picturesque spot near a waterhole where we we joined by wildebeests, impalas, cattle egrets and others, as well as a few giraffes in the distance. After our tasty break, we searched futilely for about an hour for hyenas and wild dogs before heading back to camp. When we arrived, it was time for a shower (heated water in a suspended bucket equipped with a showerhead) then a rest before dinner.

The following morning, our drive was rather unsuccessful until the very end when we saw a breeding herd (mothers, babies, and juveniles) of elephants then a leopard tortoise on our way back to camp. After a siesta and dinner at the camp, we headed out for the evening drive. We saw a herd of waterbucks before the dark clouds that had been slowly encroaching opened up on us. The brief downpour soaked several of us, so we remedied the situation with some sundowners at the side of a hippo pond before heading back to the camp.

The next day, we had a game drive on the way to the runway. We spotted the usuals, plus a tawny eagle and one of my favorites, a chameleon. I know it's a relatively boring animal on a safari, but I loved the chameleon. He is an oddity. His feet open like hinges before he steps down, his eyes can rotate around in his head, he changes color, and he's got an attitude! I tried to pick him up but he inflated his throat and made menacing noises, so I left him alone. Anyway, after my chameleon investigation, we hopped on a little Piper Caravan (a prop plane which seats about 12) and flew to the Vumbura airstrip where we frightened a flock of ostriches off the runway.

After we loaded our gear into the vehicle there, we drove around on a failed search for a leopard then began to head to our new camp before we were halted by engine trouble. After quite some time, we found a mechanic who fixed the truck but not before it was nearly dark. As we finally headed off, another safari truck drove by in the opposite direction and shouted that they knew where a leopard was hunting. We followed them until we sighted a figure slinking through the tall grass. Our leopard was a juvenile male and we watched him for several minutes before the sun set. We all knew, in the dark, as the rain began to fall, that we were still several hours from our intended camp. As we drove away from the leopard, Victor informed us that we'd be staying at a closer camp that night because of all the car trouble we'd had. As we neared the new camp, the truck became lodged in deep mud. We were told to hop out and after walking for a couple of minutes in the dark and drizzle, we entered our chance home for the night. It was Vumbura, one of the nicest lodges that the company owns. We walked in to an impeccably-styled lobby room with a long, wooden bar and deep, luxurious-looking couches. As our eyes roamed around the premises, we took in everything from the endless dining table to the map-room.

After stripping off our soaked, outer layers and rehabilitating with mixed beverages, we were briefed on the layout of the lodge and our altered schedule. Before we knew it, it was time for a magnificent dinner, and after that, we were lead to our rooms. I'm not going to describe ourroom itself, save that it was large, but rather focus on the amenities. There was a massive shower, huge, plush beds under a mosquito net the size of a normal room, a sunken, sumptuous, lounge area, a deck with an outdoor shower, and finally, a small, private pool. Despite the fact that we didn't have time to use most of the luxuries, we still appreciated their presence as we sunk into dreams.

The next morning, we headed off in the direction of our previous night's intended camp. The effect of the night's rain was visible in all of the marshy areas that existed where the roads had been and the truck became thoroughly stuck twice on the way to the camp. The first time, we helped to free a larger truck which then towed us out, and the second time, we were all up to our knees in water, barefoot, hauling sticks for traction, jacking up the truck, and cracking open cans of Hansa. It was hard work and good fun. After we finally got moving, we spotted a steenbock. This is another favorite animal of mine now. It's an antelope the size of a large rabbit or a small dog. It is an absurd animal and it sent me daydreaming of having a small flock of them to roam around my backyard.

In addition to the steenbok, we saw several sable antelope and wildebeests before we arrived at the Lechwe camp. After a brief snack, we headed up the adjacent river in canoes chatting, racing, and avoiding potential hippo hangout spots. We all loved the time on the river and didn't head back to camp until dusk. Then it was time for dinner and bed.

The following morning was Simon's birthday and we all sung to him at breakfast. As we ate, we discovered that our guide, Andy, had told his boss our truck had gotten stuck SIX times on the way to Lechwe camp. The boss, realizing how much of an inconvenience it would be to replay this process on the way out of the camp had decided to send a HELICOPTER to collect us. We all cheered Andy and were thrilled at the new development as went packed our bags. Later, the helicopter setting down in the long grass made me feel a bit like I was in Jurassic Park or Apocalypse Now and it was brief but exciting. After the helicopter pilot shuttled all of us to the runway, we waited for our plane and flew to Xigera where we frightened a group of zebras and impalas off the runway upon landing.

We drove from the runway to an arm of the Okavango Delta where we hopped in mokoros (hollowed-out log canoes) and were punted (the aquatic use of the word) to the Xigera camp island in time for sunset.

The following morning, we went for a nature walk and learned about tracking animals using footprints and droppings. We also learned about various plants and birds and we followed some giraffes who made sure to stay safely ahead of us while we walked. We also witnessed the setting and springing of a bird trap which you can watch here. Upon returning to camp, we ate a big breakfast and paid close attention to a lesson on the history and formation of the delta including the importance of termite mounds (during dry periods, the termites begin building on the newly-accessible land and the baboons come to rest on the mound and leave seeds in their droppings which become trees over time and when the water rises again, you have a new island).

After a little leisure time, we headed out in the mokoros again, admiring the islands and spotting reed frogs. We eventually, we stopped at an island for mokoro-punting lessons, elephant tusk playtime, and sundowners. The sunset was vibrant and polychromatic and it could be seen clearly in the reflection of the smooth, delta water. When we arrived back at the camp, we had a big dinner and a belated birthday cake for Simon (baked in a hole with coals above and on top of the lidded pot) before a long evening of cocktails, toasts, and chatting around the fire. Later, when Erling and Gro headed to bed, they found that an elephant had made himself at home in the campsite and their clothes were strewn about in the reeds and the tent was on its side.

The following day was our last with wilderness and it began with elephants strolling by our tents after a long night of wandering about the camp. Gro and Erling (their tent was under an amarula tree) woke up to an elephant right outside their screen door, and then a trunk inside their tent. After our family of nine reunited at breakfast and we heard about the elephant in the tent, it was time to pack and take a mokoro trip back to the Xigera runway where we flew to Maun and sadly parted ways. Matt and I grabbed a taxi to a backpackers and made ourselves at home before hopping a public minibus (combi) into town and assessing the place. Soon, we were back and exhaustedly fell into bed.

The pictures on this post are: The direction post at Vumbura runway, an ostrich, one of the Border Boys, the lovely ladies and son, a herd of zebras as Chobe, the watering hole with impalas and a wildebeest, cocktail hour by the truck, the last-minute breeding herd bath, Mr. Chameleon, juvenile leopard in the dusk, our normal camp style, another gorgeous sunset, the Okavango Delta, a giraffe, and the whole crew (I'm going to name people clockwise, starting with Matt and the guides who were not with us everyday will be labeled "guide." Matt, guide, Victor, guide, Anne, Gro, Willy, Erling, Simon, guide, Ellie, Andy, guide, guide).