Report from the African bush, first in a series.

So it has now been five days since our last report from the city of Durban (well, actually the beach side suburb of Uhmlanga Rocks, but I digress). Christine and I have now completed our first rotation in the African bush at two separate lodges in two game reserves. It has been exciting. It has been fun filled. It has been rough on my gluteus maximus. All in all, a very good first safari adventure with even more still to come.

So much to describe, so little space, so I'll try to stick with the anecdotes rather than the play by play. First of all, for all you Disney fans, let me make a few comparisons as that is the closest I had gotten to a safari since my arrival in Africa.

#1: You do not say "Jambo!" at the beginning of the safari drive. Anyone familiar with the safari ride at Animal Kingdom will know that's how it starts. So far here, it's generally been good morning or hello.

#2: People with back and neck problems should not board this attraction. Our ranger on the first reserve, Kyle, drove us around in an open topped land cruiser. The guy was a great ranger, and very enthusiastic, but drove like a wild maniac. It was like riding the Indiana Jones Adventure for four hours straight twice a day.

#3: Keep your hands and arms inside the safari vehicle at all times. Related to #2 above, as our ranger offroaded through thorny bush and backed into a couple of trees.

#4: Never, ever leave the vehicle unless directed to do so b the ranger. While at disney, it's done to follow strict protocol, in the bush, the animals will maim and/or eat unsuspecting tourists. Adrian, the ranger on our second reserve, nearly got himself killed trying to locate a black rhino for us when he literally stumbled onto mother rhino and calf. Also the many tales of deadly hippo encounters, and ranger Kyle's belief that crocodiles kill the most people in Africa, more than hippos, because they drag people off into the water and leave no remains.

However, so far the number and quality of sightings have been stunning. We already saw all the big five (rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, and elephants) as well as untold numbers of antelopes. Most impressive were the cheetah, and I got some good Nat Geo type shots of them.

I'm sure Christine will add more details in the coming days, but il leave it at that for now. First report of many to come...

More Pics

Southern Right Whale and her 2 week old calf

Endangered Minke Whale...apparently, several hundred miles from its usual location, so an amazing sight to behold, even our skipper was super excited!

Cheetah Photos

Yes, I'll pay the extra 28 dollars to pet the cheetah.

So, it has been a couple of days since the last blog post, and Christine and I have had quite a few adventures. We're now spending our last night in the Western Cape region, relaxing in the hotel lounge listening to Sarah McLachlan.

Yesterday, Christine and I spent the day in Oudtshoorn, ostrich capital of South Africa, and the world. But instead of doing the usual tourist activity of visiting an ostrich farm and participating in the somewhat strange activity of ostrich riding, we decided to hit up two other town attractions, the Cango Caves and the Cango Wildlife Ranch. The caves were awesome, and it was rather amazing. What was even more entertaining was the absolute fascination South Africans have for visitors with American accents. We talked to several different people on our tour, just on the basis of our unusual accents.

But even better, and more to the point of my post, was the visit to the wildlife ranch. It's a small wildlife rescue with a variety of animals in enclosures, and partipates in repopulating the cheetah in Africa. On the first part of the tour, I was excited to see some pretty basic birds and pygmy hippos. But then came the star attractions, the big cats, three adorable tiger cubs, several cheetah, lions and leopards. And for an additional fee, one could enter the cheetah enclosure to pet the hand raised tame cheetahs. Of course Christine and I couldn't resist, even though it was somewhat dangerous and would never ever be allowed in the prudish US. The rationale was this: funds went to support the cheetah foundation. So danger of being mauled be damned, we went in and pet the big cats. And it was awesome, the cheetah I pet rolled over and wanted me to rub his belly, although I was told explicitly not to do that. Hopefully I can post the video, to prove the cats were not tranquilized and were rather frisky.

Post our Karoo adventures, we drove down to the Garden Route, which is akin to California's PCH. Its a dramatic highway running along the Indian Ocean lined with some very nice little towns. Our big adventure was doing whale watching along the coast, where the Southern Right Whales are doing their annual migration. Got some good shots of a mother and newborn calf swimming around, as well as a very friendly Minke whale. Very cool things indeed.

Next up, heading to the Kwazulu-Natal state for our first safari adventures. It'll be difficult to leave the Western Cape though. Perhaps I'll just settle down, buy a nice ocean view home in the town of Knysna, and kick back in South Africa for a few years. Coastal home prices are downright reasonable here. It's the perfect place for a summer home, if it only weren't a 22 hour flight time away...

- Joe

I Bless the Rains Down in Africa....

It's actually been quite beautiful these last two days in Africa but the Toto song did aptly play on the radio as we were making our drive to the city of Outdshoorn in the Klein Karoo region of the Western Cape. Our day was spent driving inland along the not-so-utilized Route 62. The main highway in South Africa is the N1, and Route 62 has suffered much the same fate as our beloved Route 66. Many of the small towns (called dorpies) have even branded themselves with large Route 62 signs that are the carbon copy of our Route 66 signs. The drive itself was quite scenic with changing landscapes of rolling hills, vineyards, and grazing cattle (even some Ostrich!!!) along the way. We stopped for lunch in the town of Montagu and enjoyed Sunday brunch in an Art Deco hotel filled with locals -- lunch included a cream of cauliflower and bleu cheese soup, spinach and mushroom quiche, rare roast beef, and finished off with some cake soaked in rum sauce.

We actually made good time for I quickly learned to yield to faster moving vehicles and how to overtake slower moving ones, though I am driving on the left...Joe helps by yelling at me that I'm drifting too far to the left and onto the soft shoulder. I've tried to hug the right but as an oncoming car approaches, it always seems I'm too close to the center line and I drift back to the left. I still spend most of my energy reminding myself to stay LEFT rather than looking around at the scenery...I'm also afraid of hitting someone who is walking alongside the road or running across the highway, not to mention roadsigns that warn of gazelle and tortoise crossing. We arrived in our hotel, The Rosehof Country House, by 5:00 pm and had a wonderful dinner that included rack of lamb and ostrich fillet. Tomorrow, we're off to see the Cango Caves (dripstone caverns), visit a working ostrich farm, and hopefully, pet some cheetahs!

--Christine

Cape Town, 3 days and 10,000 calories later

So tonight marks Christine's and my final night in Cape Town, the "Mother City". It has been an exciting and educational three days, and I still can't believe that we're in Africa, albeit the least African city on the entire continent.

So few days, so many things to do. We did the normal tourist activities, like the requisite visit to the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and a drive along the scenic Atlantic Coast. The visit was not without is disappointments, however. Robben Island, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that was the site of imprisonment for many in the anti-apartheid movement including Nelson Mandela, was completely sold out. Bummer. Then, the rotating cable car that takes people to the top of famously beautiful Table Mountain was closed for annual maintenance. Double Bummer. But we made due with ither various interesting activities to fill the time.

One was the absolute fantastic walking tour we took of Cape Town today, which traced the historical roots of the area and the emergence and fall of Apartheid. Its fascinating to see all the places, like Archbishop Desmond Tutu's church or the balcony from where Nelson Mandels gave his first speech after being released from prison, that make history come alive. It's also amazing that for such recent history, few people like to discuss the legacy of apartheid. There seems to be a fragile peace held together by the character and vision of Nelson Mandela for a "Rainbow Nation" were all live together in harmony. But at the same time, high crime resulting from sky high unemployment and a new "economic apartheid" where white South Africans still control the wealth in the country seem to pull at the seams of Mandela's dream.

But enough of my political editorializing, I have to make mention of the fantastic eats. And were there many places offering tasty treats, too many to mention. I did overindulge, and pribably will pay for it with tighter belt lines, but everything was so delicious, including the best prawns i can honestly say i've ever eaten. The meat was so sweet, they tasted like mini lobsters, to quote Christine. Time to head off to bed to rest up for tomorrow's 6 hour drive.

-Joe

We made it to Cape Town, after a modest 40 hours of travel...

So Christine and I are finally settling into our very fine hotel in Cape Town, where the weather is partly cloudy with a high of around 63.  I certainly can't complain. What I can complain about is the somewhat arduous task of getting here, which amounted to no small ordeal of three flights, stopovers at NY JFK and Johannesburg, and plenty of interesting charcters all along the way.

Probably the leg of the trip that tested my patience the most was getting from JFK to the oh-so-glamorous Hampton Inn in Jamaica, Queens. On paper, it sounded like a breeze, a simple shuttle ride from the terminal to the hotel, and voila, we're there for a good night's rest before starting the 14 1/2 hour flight to South Africa the next day. I couldn't be more wrong, with it ending up being a harrowing .7 mile debacle that took 90 minutes to complete. To add nsult to injury, the hotel's restaurant was out of service, so we ended up having a fine dinner delivered from Domino's. Yum, such authentic style New York pizza.

And answer me this, I know it's a big deal to take a baby on any flight for almost any parent, but why subject a baby and the fellow pasengers to 14 1/2 hours of sheer screaming hell? Is there really value for pictures of "baby's first safari?" Thank God for earplugs.

Well time for me to call the concierge for a massage appointment. I need something to unwind from all the stress of travel, and a massage sound like it will fit the bill.

- Joe

South African Adventures

Anyone who knows me, knows I love animals.  I enjoy zoos, wild animal parks, and even wildlife refuges and can stand for hours watching animals in their respective habitats. Therefore, it is not difficult to believe why I'm looking forward to our trip this year, a South African Safari!!!!!

In just a few days, Joe and I are embarking on our South African Adventure.  This trip -- organized by &Beyond of South African Airlines -- allows us the opportunity to see and experience a lot of South Africa.  We are going to drive ourselves (on the left side!!!!) from Cape Town along the southern coast to various small towns (where we will also do some whale watching).  After a short flight from the Port Elizabeth Airport to Durban, we will continue our drive up the Eastern Coast (perhaps even through Swaziland) to Kruger National Park and to the game reserves of Makasa, Pongola. and Sabi Sabi.  It is Winter in South Africa when the bush is at its thinnest, so game viewing is easier, and the temperatures are mild (maximum 20 to 23°C). I can't wait to get my opportunity to be face to face with a lion or elephant or giraffe (not so close as to feel their breath).  Below is a link to &Beyond.  We'll do our best to keep updating (with pictures!), I don't know how much internet access we'll have on the plains of South Africa.

Tot later en gelukkig reis (until later and happy journey in Afrikaans)
--Christine


&Beyond

I have already gone onto Google Maps and mapped out our itinerary . . . click on the links below to take a look.

South Africa Part 1
South Africa Part 2