Day 14 - A guided tour of the Falls

Our last activity on our last full day; a guided tour of Victoria Falls.  Another amazing sight. 

We had our first storm last night, which was rather large.  Dean and I had opted to sleep in the sitting room, as our bedroom was a bit of an oven and the fan was placed rather high up for it to be very effective.  One wall of the sitting room is a bit like a canvas tent, which you roll up in the day so that the outdoors comes in, and at night you roll it back down again to keep the wild animals out.  We cosied down and fell asleep quite early, then at about one o’clock something hit the side of the canvas, so I swapped ends of my sofa, but still something kept crashing into it, so I woke Dean and said there were animals trying to get in, and I thought they might have got through.  I don’t think I have seen Dean move so fast, he hit the canvas a few times to ‘frighten’ away the animals and got up to turn the light on – it was then that we realised there was a raging storm blowing outside and it was the wind hitting the canvas!  Feeling a little bit foolish, I snuggled back down to sleep!  (It was much cooler in the sitting room, under the fan!)

When we surfaced this morning it was to a much cooler Africa after the storm, which was rather pleasant.  We then headed off to the Falls.  We walked along the track and caught our first sight and sound of the falls on foot, breathtaking!  I have never seen anything like it.  The spray from the falls is caused by the sheer force of the water hitting the Zambezi at the bottom of the falls, we managed to get soaked by the spray!  The African name for the falls translates as Smoke and Thunder!  The Gorges were spectacular, we got quite close up and personal with the edge (much to my trepidation) and managed to get some fantastic shots of the falls.

Afterwards we went to the carving markets where Ricky and Vron bought a (large) wooden Giraffe – after much bargaining by Ricky, which is now suitably wrapped for it’s journey home.  We walked round to the Victoria Falls Hotel and met up with Roy and Audrey, (who Vron rescued the other evening) and they bought us a cocktail whilst we sat in the grounds of this grand old (colonial) hotel, with a view of the spray from the falls – a very special end of the day and a very special end to our amazing African Adventure!

Day 13 - Helicopter Ride Over the Falls

A huge big WOWOWWOW!  What an amazing experience!  Vron and I had our first helicopter ride ever and what a better way to do it than over Victoria Falls!  I was a bit worried about the ride, but from the moment we set off the adrenaline was running!  We had a 15 minute ride over the falls and it went past far too quickly.  David Livingstone had said that what a sight the angels would have above the falls and he wasn't wrong.  I keep thinking that I can't see anything else to match what I have already seen, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

We had had a very relaxing day, first at the Water Hole and then relaxing by the pool before heading off for our experience - just love it all!

Day 12 - Early Morning Game Drive; Botswana

We had one of our best game drives yet!  We had an amazing guide who took us on a bit of a different route.  We spotted a pair of male lions (brothers) lazing in the shade.  We then saw a leopard shading himself in some bushes, but he ran off before we could get a good look at him.  We saw a tiny, tiny baby elephant, so cute and also a baby baboon that was only about a week old.  Then amazingly we saw another leopard up a tree, and we managed to get much closer to this one, a remarkable experience.  We also saw some more giraffe on the way back.  Birds seen were the Lilac Breasted Roller which was rather special, along with a young Bateleur Eagel.  The brightly coloured Carmine Bee Eaters were flying around in abundance.

Sadly, we left the Mowana Lodge in Botswana and headed back across the border into Zimbabwe, on what was the hottest day of our tour so far.  We arrived back at Lokuthula Lodge and collapsed for the rest of the afternoon, relaxing and ruminating on the sights we had seen over the last few days.

Day 11 - Still on Safari in Botswana

We have had amazing safari experiences.  On our first game ride we saw giraffe first, then saw a very unusual lion, with a dark head.  We drove past a dead elephant with a lot of vultures and marabou stalks munching away at the carcass.  Apparently the day before, a pride of lions had a hefty meal from it!  We were then amazingly lucky and managed to see a leopard up a tree, very unusual to see so we were very grateful!  We saw more elephants and baboons and again lots of varieties of birds.

We went for another boat safari in the afternoon and were very lucky with the hippos, which weren’t so camera shy as the previous day, and we even saw a hippo on the bank of the river, out of the water.  We saw even more elephants and some giraffe moseying along the banks of the river.  Another fantastic day of ‘getting close’ to nature.

We relaxed in the evening with a few cocktails and listened to a singer in the evening whilst eating our dinner – Vron and I joined in with a few of the songs, I  believe I even hogged the microphone – most unlike me!

Day 10 - On Safari in Botswana

We had our first Safari trip of the holiday; a river cruise along the Mighty Zambezi, though here in Botswana the Zambezi isn't quite so mighty!  We pootled along the river spotting hippo, elephants, buffalo and Impala, not to mention the veritable feast of birds, among which was a magnificent Fish Eagle!  It was such an amazing experience, one that will remain with me for a long time.  The African sunset was spectacular and everything I had expected it to be.

Unfortunately as we left the boat, an elderly gentleman, (fellow boat rider) had a fall and became unconscious for a short time!  Vron’s natural caring instincts kicked in, and she administered her first aid skills whilst a doctor was called!  We ended with a single cab truck and whilst Vron kept Roy conscious in the front, Audrey (Roy’s wife) and I climbed into the back of the pick-up. We spent two hours at the local hospital, making sure they were both ok before coming back to the hotel for much needed sustenance!  An experience in itself! 

Day 9 & 10 - Off to Victoria Falls

Yesterday was so exhausting that I have had to combine the blog!  We left Stellenbosch at 4.15 am and headed to the airport.  We flew up to Johannesburg and then caught a flight to Victoria Falls!  Entering Zimbabwe was an experience in itself.  We landed at 1.00 pm on the dot and then queued up for an hour and a half to pay for our visas and go through customs.  The airport was very third world, and the two officials on the desk took about 10 minutes to process each visitor, with them managing to stick my visa into Vron’s passport, which then took them about another 10 minutes to peel it off her passport and put it into mine; it would have been quite amusing if it hadn’t been so hot!  No aircon in the airport and also no baggage carousels, we just picked our cases up next to the runway!

We drove out to our lodge, which is very rustic!  Bit of a shock after our Garden Route accommodation, however, just right for where we are.  We have like a canvas wall which we can roll up and bring the outside into our lodge.  Ricky and Vron were sitting there this morning with wart hogs munching the grass at their feet.  Dean and I went on our lion walk this morning, getting up early again to be out for 6.15 am.  This was an incredible experience, walking next to young lions, touching them and interacting with them.  There used to be 200,000 lions in Africa, up until the 1970’s, now there are about 36,000!  Shocking!  The lion conservation programme is trying to build up numbers so that we may continue to see these magnificent animals in the future.

We decided to stay at our complex and chill out this afternoon and had yet another amazing experience; every day at one o’clock they feed the vultures here at the complex, and we must have seen over a hundred vultures, along with marabou storks and black kites, awesome!  We have had such a plethora of nature experiences here, with so many more to come once we set off on safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana tomorrow.  Sitting now in the bar with a cocktail in hand, overlooking a watering hole, where we have seen a herd of elephants, impala and some wart hogs!  Life doesn't get much better!

Day 8 - Table Mountain and Spier's

Had a lovely evening, staying at Aan Den Weg, a wonderful winery just outside Stellenbosch.  Breakfast was very tasty, with the landlady having a good eye for detail, making sure of her guests every comfort.  We departed at 10.00 am for Cape Town to go up in the cable car to the top of Table Mountain.  It was a great day for it, with blue skies and sunshine.  After a short cable ride we were at the top and looking at the fabulous views over Cape Town and down on to Robben Island.  We walked around the top of the mountain, where the winds picked up and all people were advised to stay near the cable car in case they needed to shut the cable cars!   We decided to exit the mountain pretty sharpish just in case we needed to walk down! 

We drove back to Stellenbosch, stopping at Spier’s Wine Estate on the way back.  Had a picnic lunch in the grounds and headed back to the ranch with a load of meat for a Brai (BBQ) in the evening.  A perfect way to end our 1^st week of our holiday and the end of our South African leg!  Up early for the flight to Victoria Falls, via Johannesburg.

Day 7 of our African Adventure - Hermanus

WOW, WOW and more WOW’s!  What a special day.  Vron and I spoke whale!  We headed out on our boat trip at 9.00 am,  boarding our very splendid catamaran.  The Atlantic Ocean was apparently very calm, but the swell of the waves looked pretty big to me!  As I clutched hold of Vron’s arm in terror, we left the safety of the harbour and headed out into open water, rolling over the waves, our eyes peeled for the sight of our first whale!  We must have travelled for about 30 minutes before our first sighting -  a mother and baby.  We got in quite close and managed to get some good shots.  As we moved away we felt very honoured to have seen this magnificent beast so close up. 

We headed further around the bay towards Betty’s Bay and came upon what the guide called ‘a bedroom scene’!  One female was being wined and dined by four males, and boy was she making the most of it!  We watched with baited breath whilst the courting scene unravelled before our eyes.  Not only the sights but the sounds were amazing.  The whales were so close to our boat, we could have been part of the courtship.  We left the group to it and headed back to Hermanus, spotting penguins and seals en route. 

Once back on dry land, we headed for something to eat, contemplating the special sights we had seen.  After a light snack facing the bay, we crossed the road and sat on the hill overlooking the ocean, spotting at least 7 whales, some mothers with babies.  Such a spectacular sight and one that will stay with us all.  Reluctantly we pulled ourselves away and headed towards our next destination, Stellenbosch.

Day 6 - Road Trip to Hermanus

After dragging ourselves away from Bird Paradise, we headed south towards Hermanus stopping at Mossel Bay for lunch.  Hugemongous platter for four satisfied our hunger pangs!  Vron finally showed Jo how to use her camera off the Automatic mode and I OD'd on taking photos of surfers riding the waves!  Not sure who had more fun, me or the surfers!  Onwards and upwards to Hermanus, where Jo took over from Safe, Slow Ricardo and zoomed and rollercoasted her way to the Whale Capital of SA.  Vron spotted a speed camera (too late) but hopefully I was going too fast for it to read our number plate.  We arrived at our next destination at 6.00 pm but didn't spot any whales, but did see a large flock of Flamingo's in the bay. Dean managed to devour all the car sweeties, especially the crunch peanut butter ones! 

We then had the most amazing meal in a restaurant called the Lemon Butta, after sampling some rather tasty cocktails in a bar called Coco's!  We had between us, Mussels, Oysters, Tuna and Steak, before rolling outside to catch a TukTuk back to our accommodation, where we are now sat in the lounge sampling the delights of a bottle of Amarula.  Ricky and Vron had their first Dom Pedro's which were very delish!  We should really go to bed early as we have to be up early for our Whale Boat Tour!  Night All! xx

Day 5 - Knysna Elephant Park and Plettenberg Bay

Our amazing adventure continues and today saw us visiting the Knysna Elephant park and what an experience that was; up close and personal with these huge beasts - a very special day! 

This morning started with Ricky and Vron up at 6.00 to do a bit of bird spotting and what a lot of birds they saw.  Now I'm not really up on birds, so forgive me if I get a few wrong, but I know they saw some sunbirds and something with a long tail and fuzzy hair, a mousebird or something like that! 

After the Elephant Park we drove to Plettenberg Bay; this was another feast for our eyes.  I cannot explain how wonderful these sights are, but we are loving every minute of our time here.  The weather was kind at Plettenberg as we tucked into our lunch overlooking the bay, I do believe we are all a shade darker!

Day 4 - The Long Drive to Knysna

Sadly left Cape Town this morning, driving through the scenic route over Sir Lowry Pass, such amazing views.  We had scheduled in the Cango Caves, but decided to drive slowly (Ricky drove slowly! - keeping to the speed limits apparently!) but we did manage to spot lots of birds and the occasional zebra, ostrich and baboons!  We drove to a very famous pub, which was about a 40 mile detour from our route, but so worth the visit.  Ronnies Sex Shop which is not really a shop but a pub, was an amazing place in the middle of the Klein Karoo, miles from anywhere.

It was then my turn to drive, which was just as well really, it meant that we could now go at a normal speed and would get to Knysna before midnight!  We actually arrived at Knysna at 6.30 pm, but apparently my passengers we fearful for their lives at we drove at 120 km per hour down a gorge with a gradient of 1 in 4!  Vron got a nose bleed and her ears popped a few times - and this was all in the rain!  A poor local man unfortunately got in the way as I drove through a puddle the size of a pond and got a bit wet!  But we arrived safely and in one piece.  Apparently I am now on the police's most wanted list and all foreigners are to be banned from driving in SA!.  The resort is amazing, our rooms are right on a lake and I believe Ricky and Vron will be up VERY early bird spotting!  I shall be taking it a bit more leisurely after the speed of today.  We will be visiting the Elephant Park tomorrow.  Stay tuned for our next adventure!



Day 3 - Robben Island

Day 3 of our African Adventure saw an early start, making sure we were out of the house by 7.30 am, after a beautifully prepared breakfast by Dean.  We drove into Cape Town with the early morning commuters and arrived at the Waterfront at 9.00 am.  We found the ticket booth for Robben Island and booked ourselves onto the 11.00 ferry.  With a bit of time to spare, we went to one of the Waterfront Cafes and some of us had a second breakfast with some rather delish coffee, overlooking Table Mountain. 

The weather turned out to be a bit better than yesterday, with blue skies and sunshine, though you wouldn’t think it as Dean was turned out in a T-shirt, jumper and coat!  The ferry across to the Island took ½ hour.  Once on the Island we boarded a bus and headed off round the Island with a very able tour guide, Mpileke, who was most informative and quite witty to boot!  Always a bonus!  We then visited the prison where our tourguide was an ex political prisoner – I’m sure it would have been quite interesting if we could have understood what he said!  However, I think we all got the gist of it!  Then it was back on board the ferry, back to Cape Town.  We spent half an hour in the museum before setting off for Afternoon Tea at the the Lord Nelson Hotel, known affectionately locally as ‘Nellies’

What a spread awaited us, sandwiches, mini quiches and pastries, and a veritable feast of cakes and treats.  Others in my party succumbed to the call of cocktails and partook in some very fine looking mojitos, much to my jealousy, being the designated driver of the day, I took my driving responsibilities very seriously!  We are now chilling out in our room, prior to taking Jenny, the old family friend I found on Day 1 out for dinner at Dixies and a ‘catch-up’.

Cape Point - The Edge of Africa

Well what an amazing, action packed day!  Left the house at 9.00 am and returned at 9.00 pm!  After a rather scrummy breakfast of croissants packed with such things as tomatoes, ham and avocado, we left the ranch and drove to Cape Point.  We had a coffee in the 2 Oceans Restaurant before climbing onto the Funicular Railway and ascending up a (smallish) mountain to the lighthouse which marks the place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean.  Such a spectular sight.  We then drove round to the Cape of Good Hope where we spent about 1/2 hour just sitting watching the waves hit the rocks and the cormorants sun bathing on the rocks.

We managed to spot some Ostrich, a troop of Baboons, Cormorants and some other birds I didn't recognise, oh and a wild tortoise!  We visited Platboom, which is a very white, sandy beach, where surfers like to frequent. 

We then drove to Hout Bay, driving over Chapman's Peak, an amazing drive, never seen anything quite like it.  We then spent an hour and a half (not long enough, but got there too late) looking at a variety of birds.  I think I must have photographed about 80 of them!  It is the only bird place I have been to where you actually go into the aviaries with the birds.  Well worth a visit! 

Four very hungry travellers decided to drive into Cape Town to see what tasty delights awaited us at the Waterfront.  We chose a Spurs eatery and all had giant steaks - very delicious and then rolled back to the car for the drive home!  Now catching up with blogs etc drinking some Amarula!  Time for bed methinks!