Vasco Da Who? And Brad Pitt is a Merman? You Don't Say!

How awesome is Cape Town?  F'in awesome!  Take San Diego, mush it with Big Sur and Napa Valley and add a really cool accent -- BINGO! Cape Town!  How are the people of Cape Town? F'in awesome!  How do I know this?  Because I made two friends while I was there.  Oh I know it was their job to be nice to me, but I really feel I made friends, even if it was just for the day.

So who were these people?  They were my guides during my stay there.  Jacques picked me up at my B&B the first day and we did The Peninsula Tour.  At first I didn't know what this entailed because my fabulous travel agent, Camilla,  booked the tour based on my request to see penguins.  That's all I cared about.  So to me everything else didn't really matter.  I was going to see penguins!  So Jacques (and no, he is not French) picked me up and started his tour guide.  He pointed out different mountains and areas and gave me the local run down.  All very interesting I must say.

However, you know that moment when you realize you may not have all your synapses firing at the same time?  No one else may realize it but you do?  I asked Jacques to give me the history of Cape Town, when it started, who was there, blah blah blah.  Basic history.  So he starts to tell me about this guy Bartholomew Dias and his ship, and I stop hearing him a little, because my brain is pinging some registration on the name.  Then he mentions Vasco Da Gama and then it all clicks. Into place. Slowly.  

It went something like this:  Bartholomew Dias, I know that name.  Where do I know that name?  I taught that name.  When did I teach that name.  Vasco Da Gama?  Oh I know that name too!  Wait! These guys are explorers.  They traveled, where?  They traveled around The Cape of Good Hope!  The Cape of Good Hope is in.... South of Africa!  I'm in Africa!  WAAAIIIITTT!  I'm near the Cape of Good Hope??? This is so much better than the penguins!!!  All of this was in my head, mind you along followed by - How did you not know this?  What 2 synapses did not function properly to make the connection? 

(Uh Duh!)

So Jacques took me to see the penguins (so cute) and the Cape of Good Hope (so awesome) and the botanical gardens (so beautiful), not to mention a seal tour (they sleep a lot).  Along the way he pointed out various points of interest and we drove through some really cool towns.  Along the way we had some really cool conversations and I realize, us humans, we are not so different.  We all have the same hopes and goals and needs and wants.  That is the best part of any trip for me. 

(Not penguins, but we saw them on the way to the Cape of Good Hope)

(That's a baboon.  He's on a boat)

The next day Yvonne picked me up and we "did the wine country".  She asked me a few questions at first to get a feel for who I was, and then she customized the tour a little bit to suit my personality.   Even though it was only 10:00am we went Brandy tour and tasting.   Brandy at 10:00 can be really nice with the right juice.  Yum!  We stopped at the oldest store in South Africa - the Oom Sammie se Winkel.  What an odd but interesting little store!  Then  we drove through Stellenbosch and had lunch in Franschoek.  From there we went to Victor Verster prison where Nelson Mandela was released.  Very moving.  Then off to wine tasting!  We went to Fairview but Yvonne kept the best for last.... wait for it....  CHOCOLATE TASTING!!!! Think about it, I'll give you a moment.  Yep, like wine tasting but with chocolate!  I think I heard angels singing, not to mention the extra baggage I had to get for all the chocolate I purchased! Yvonne's the best!!!  Even though the end of tour was at hand, Yvonne still pulled through.  She knew I wanted to see the waterfront but wasn't sure how to navigate the taxis and transportation.  She drove me to the waterfront, talked with a taxi driver and arranged for pick up at a specific time.   

Which brings me to my point about this whole post.  Jacques and Yvonne were my tour guides, but they both made me feel like an old family friend.  They could have stuck to the "tour guide speech", but instead I got to know them as people. And what great people they are!  Jacques could be the type of guy you drink a beer with, watch a game, have a b-b-q with, while Yvonne has that total Mammaluca vibe (yes, I made up this word but it works)!  She looked out for me as if I were one of her family.  Without them, Cape Town would not have been the awesome experience it was!  Thank you both!

PS - There is a mall at the Waterfront and when you go up one of the escalators, this unfolds in front of you.  Tell me I'm wrong!  I dare you!

Where in the World????

For those of you interested in knowing where in the world have I been, get out your maps. I landed in Johannesburg, South Africa and then caught a flight to Livingstone, Zambia.  It is there I got to see the beautiful Victoria Falls along the Zambezi River.  The River Club is also on the Zambezi. 

The next day we drove to the Botswana border. After you cross the border (an affair in and of itself) you take a water taxi across the river. This particular spot is where 4 countries meet - Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe I think. Need to double check.  from there, we drove to the the Chobe River and spent some time on a boat cruise.  Following  me so far?

 Ok, we left the boat cruise and drove to the "airport" in Kasane which consists of nothing  but an airstrip. No terminals, no bathrooms, no currency exchange place, no building. Nothing. An air strip. This is where we caught our "flight" to Linyanti.  By flight I mean sardine can with wings. Nothing about this was ok.  I don't want to see the pilot. I don't want to be able to see out the front window. It was a bumpy ride, and with every breeze we hit I was convinced we were going down. Going down with a panoramic view of the crash! If you haven't noticed,  I'm very dramatic when it comes to flying.

 

Needless to say 35 minutes later we landed on an even smaller airstrip and then headed to the camp on the Linyanti River. This camp is where we saw the cheetah, leopard, lioness  and our afternoon visit from the elephant. Not to mention the nightly hippo party which were sometimes crashed by the elephants. Very noisy at night, everyone seemed to be having a good time and we were not invited. I felt like a small child who had been put to bed but couldn't sleep because my parents were having a party downstairs with all their friends and I wasn't  allowed to get out of bed.  

We stayed in Linyanti for a few days and then back to the airstrip for another flight to Khwai. This time, one of the members of my group was able to sit up front seat with the pilot. Weirdly that really intrigued me!  And I have so say this ride was much better.  This pilot looked like he could do this bush flying in his sleep!  So off to Khwai we flew and stayed in that camp for a few days.  Still with me on the map?

The last leg consisted of driving from Khwai to the airstrip in Banoka to catch a tin can to Xigera  in the Okavango Delta. I, yes I, sat up front next to the pilot. Captain, my Captain! Or Darren if you prefer, is one of these old salty, bush types in the making. Give him another 20 years and he will have achieved it.  Instead of my usual "Give me a Xanax, we're all gonna die!", Cool  as a Cucumber, This is Child's Play, Darren, made the whole thing quite uneventful. It was awesome!

Blurry Darren

Yep, me sitting in the front!  

Do you see them?? 

As you can see the Okavango Delta is nothing like what we had been staying in for a week.  There is no way to get to Xigera except by either speed boat or Makuro.  Personally, I liked the Makuro the best.  Our "driver" Chris, is the one who had never heard of Star Wars yet is on Facebook and has e-mail.  He was a great guy, and  his wife worked at the camp as well.  Again, everyone exuded joy, passion, and delight with the world.  They each told me how much they love working for Wilderness Safaris and they love living in the "outdoors".  

Heading to our camp

Me getting a Makuro driving lesson.  I have to say I was pretty good!

That's the problem with wildlife, they walk away just when you get the perfect shot!

It was sad to end this portion of my trip but I had a couple more planes to catch.  We left Xigera and flew to Maun, Botswana.  A veritable metropolis!  And the airport was actually a building!  Granted it was one room, but they had a bathroom, and a check in, and a customs section.  From there I flew back to Johannesburg and then caught a connecting flight to Cape Town where I have been for the past 4 days.  You know, by the time this is all said and done, Salty Dog Darren will have nothing on me!!!

Birds, Babies and Beasts

I think I will let the photos do the talking tonight because words can never really describe the beauty that is nature.  

A Real Safari

Since the last "living quarters" pictures I posted were from The River Club, I figured I would describe what has been happening since then.  The River Club is a lodge we stayed at the first night.  For me it really was the epitome in luxury.  But that is  not typical of the accommodations I have been staying in.   It really is a camping trip, that was just a beautiful introduction.  By the time we got to camp the next day, I was in full explorer mode and was staying in a tent. 

 The schedule goes something like this: wake up at 6:15 where they bring you water to wash your face, get dressed and go get breakfast. Hop in the jeep around 7:30 and bounce around for about 5 hours looking for animals. Yes, bounce around because the entire time we are 4 wheeling it on sand.  Kalahari sand.  No, I'm not in the Kalahari, but the sand has washed and blown down from there.  It is all sand, all the time.  Sometimes the sand is so deep your super duper safari jeep gets stuck.  So stuck another super duper safari jeep has to come and pull it out.  

We stop once during that time for tea and a bathroom break. Mind you by the time we finally stop I have had to pee for 3 hours. The bathroom consists of a termite mound that you pee behind.  

(A termite mound - AKA public restroom)

 Sometime between 12 and 2 we get back to camp for lunch. I have to say the food is fantastic and the staff make this little camping site with no running water or electricity a really classy joint.   I'm not even being sarcastic.  There are linen table cloths and napkins, and the chef cooks a phenomenal meal.  Then you have a couple of hours to eat, sleep, take showers or do laundry.  A shower consists of a bucket of water with a shower head and handle on the bottom.  Someone heats the water on a fire, brings water to your bucket, fills it up and then you turn the handle and water trickles out of the bucket.  This is the shower.  It's actually really genius.  

Another pass time during siesta is  watching the elephants walk right through the camp!!!  You get used to it after a while unless a young bull throws a tantrum because you have the nerve to want to go to your tent.  Oh yes, shaking of the head, stamping of the feet, mock charging.  All this over berries in a tree.  

High tea is at 4:30 and then it's back in the jeep to bounce around for another 3 hours. Of course I have to pee the whole time but you can't stop when there are animals all around.  We stop once usually somewhere near water to visit the termite mound and have wine and a snack while watching the sunset.   Botswana has the most amazing sunsets1  

Then it's back to camp for dinner.  Staff are always greeting us with warm wash cloths to wipe the sand and dust from our face and hands followed by another insanely amazing meal.  How the chefs cook the way they do with so little to work with I will never know.  But many props to Ollie, Khumo, and I believe it was Bamie or Kejie at the last camp.  You are amazing! After dinner we gather around the "Bush TV" (fire) and chat for a while.   Once we are ready, Lazarus escorts each of us to our tents because you never know if there is some animal hanging about who might get surprised by your presence.  During the night you are not allowed to leave the tent to go to the main bathroom.  That is why there is a toilet in the same area as your shower.  This way you and the hungry hippo don't have a run in with each other at 3am.  

Beware! Lion Porn Ahead!

So my guide for the safari, Lazarus (a very, very cool guy by the way), told us we were a lucky group of people.  Why? Because within the first 3 days of our trip we were able to see a cheetah eating it's kill, a lioness with a full belly lying next to her kill, and a leopard doing what she does best - chilling out in a tree.

This leopard was spotted by one of the members of our group and provided a lot of entertainment for 2 days. Suddenly sitting very still for an hour and ooohing and aaaahing every time she so much as blinked really was the highlight of those game drives.  I have 400,000 pictures of her.  

I'm just going to say that I feel really sorry for the cheetah.  Whereas the lion just sits fearless and content for days next to her pile of rotting meat without a care in the world, this poor guy couldn't take a bite without looking in all directions.  Apparently, cheetahs go through all the work of catching and killing a meal, and then some interloper, like a hyena or a lion will come by and take it from him.  He was always on lookout.  Take a bite, look left, look right, look behind, take a bite, look left, look right, sit up, move to the other side, look left, look right, take a bite.  He will never finish this meal. I have a picture and a video of every bite and look he took.  

Lions I have decided are lazy.  What you see in those documentaries are nothing but good PR.  Apparently, she killed this Kudu days ago and has been lazily munching on it when she feels like it.  Unlike the cheetah, she is not afraid of anything coming along.  I guess being at the top of the food chain has its perks because not only is she lazy and sleepy, but there were two male lions at the next camp in Khuwai who are lazy and sleepy.  What were they doing when we got there at 2:00?  Sleeping.  We were no more than 15 feet from them and all we got was a head raise from the younger of the two.  Once he realized we were just a jeep with 7 heads he went back to sleep.

Do you know what makes male lions have some energy?  The prospect of a lady.  The next day we saw a mating pair and let me tell you, even that is a lazy affair.  Again, those documentaries make it very exciting.  Let me tell you what it's really like.  Male and female hanging out about 40 feet apart.  Someone is sleeping (shocker).  She finally decides its time to do the business, gets up and walks past him.  He gets up and then follows her around because now she has to play hard to get (you're not fooling anyone, honey).  Of course because the big jeep with 7 heads is watching, they decide they want privacy.  Off behind a tree they go and then there is a growl, a bite on the neck and in LITERALLY 10 seconds it is over.  He goes back to sleep for 1/2 and hour until is all starts again.  That's it.

  

Wait! What?! You've Never Heard of Star Wars????

Call it naive, or arrogance, or just plain denial, but I really thought there would be some way for me to post blogs while "in the bush".  Which when I think about it, is quite silly since I don't even get good cell service in the building where I work!  Why would there be cell or internet service in Botswana?  Ok, I can deal with that, but the needle scratched right off the record in my mind when one of the guides told me he had never heard of Star Wars... What WHAT?  Star Wars! The game changer of all cinematic game changers and he hasn't heard of it??? But then the next sentence out of his mouth was "I will have to google it." He has an email account, is on Facebook, and can download movies, but no knowledge of Star Wars.  Needless to say, I have all his information and will be sending him a list of mandatory movies to watch.

But that brings me to the point of today's observation;  Botswana is a place like no other!  It really is a country in transition between old and new.  I met a young man in one of the camps who will be getting married in 2 years, to his fiancé that he has had since he was 5.... and she was 10 days old.  Arranged obviously, but it apparently doesn't happen as much anymore.  As Western civilization and ideas encroach on places like Botswana, old traditions are dying.  Some are embracing the change while others are fighting it.  One thing I can say is the people I have met are beautiful! They are kind, gentle souls, who have passion for what they do.  They are friendly, open, and always smiling and laughing.  And how they have incorporated eco-tourism from a national level on down seems to have benefited everyone; the people, the economy, the tribes, and most importantly the animals.  If hunting was still permitted in this country I would not have been able to see these animals on such a close and personal level.  So without further ado, here are this evenings pictures.

Don't worry, there will be more tomorrow!