We have been watching the Dengue Fever count steadily rise for our location on the street banners over the last couple of months. I had thought it had peaked at 110 cases and was hopeful the banners would be down by the time we returned from holidays but on Thursday they were updated to 120 so now that is unlikely. We have anti-malaria tablets for our trip, how bizarre is that?
On Saturday night we joined a number of friends back at Wine Mansion to celebrate Bev's birthday, she is off to England. Others at the table are heading to Turkey, Sri Lanka and New Zealand to name but a few holiday destinations.
Arriving in Johannesburg Monday 16th
After a day at work then a long flight we were certainly ready for a shower and change of clothes when we arrived in Joburg. We left at 10:30 pm on the Sunday night and arrived at 5 pm (11 am local time) with 4 hours in Dubai. I managed to watch Winter Tale, Saving Mr Banks, Autumn;Osage County, Philomena and Armstrong the Lie. My brain was a bit addled though by the time I arrived and I'm getting the stories a bit confused. Amazing performance by Meryl Streep was the most memorable.
We were met by Moses who took us to Outlook Safari Lodge in Benoni, only a 10 min drive from the airport. Our host Francois welcomed us into what was originally a big private home and set in a lovely leafy suburb.
Our garden has plenty of birds to introduce us to the local feathered friends and after a cup of tea and a shower we went for a wander around the neighbourhood where we found a small shopping centre to suffice for lunch and then meandered on to the small Korsman Bird Sanctuary nearby. We found lots of water and reed birds but the flamingoes are only here in Spring.
In the evening we got chatting with Liesel in the lounge. She has been working as a Tour Guide for the last 6 years and has just begun her own company, based in Port Elizabeth. She was very interesting to talk to, having first qualified as a wildlife guide and then more recently as a cultural guide. In SA you operate as either one or the other. She is here to meet up with a group from NZ who are arriving with an NZ tour operator for a 25 day trip. She shared some tips for our days in Capetown when we are operating on our own.
For dinner we ate fat buns, which are bread rolls stuffed with sautéed minced beef and onion or diced chicken with a salad on the side followed by traditional little twisted pastries deep fried and rolled in syrup. Certainly nothing like anything we have eaten before and that's what we are here for. Early to bed.
Tue 17th
Didn't sleep as well as we expected to but the bed was comfortable and we were certainly warm enough. Breakfast was served at 8am and then Gabriel arrived at 10 to drive us anywhere we wanted for the day. We began at Soweto, a far cry from Benoni. Here the shanties are still easily seen from the road as you approach Orlando West, home of Nelson Mandela. A recent improvement to the precinct is the huge stadium built for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. A number of local teams get to use it as their home ground.
Asbestos roofed designHis first wife Evelyn was entitled to one of the new houses built by the Joburg City in 1945 and they moved in with their first son the following year. It was matchbox sized, on a handkerchief sized block yet they managed with their children and other members of the family at times, as did everyone else. Rev Desmond Tutu's house is just down the street, making it the only street in the world to have been lived in by 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners. Across the road there is now a Mandela Cafe owned by Winnie. We didn't venture further into Soweto, at the time I wondered if this was a missed opportunity but we were to see plenty more of the settlement projects and shanties as we made our way home much later in the day.
Hard day's work
Orlando attracts many touristsOur next stop was the Apartheid Museum. An interesting concept was that your ticket is labelled either black or white and when you enter you had to abide by the segregated entrances. The stark building and wire mesh divisions immediately bring to mind impressions of detention and oppression. You wander through the dark images of segregation and division and on to the rise of black consciousness, the armed struggle and finally the release of Mandela. We spent several hours absorbing it all and you can't walk away without feeling a sense of relief that we were born in a different place. Not that our own country's history is unblemished of course.
Our next stop was to shop for a bird guide in Mandela Square, Sandton (the business district of SA) and have some lunch. On the way we diverted into the street where Mandela lived after being released from prison. He first went back to Orlando but it proved impossible to have any peace or privacy there so the family moved 11 days later. A touching idea was to see all the stones in the nature strip painted with messages of hope and gratitude as he aged and became ill..
Unfortunately it was 4pm by the time we hit the road to go home and peak hour had begun. The roads were choked with traffic so Gabriel took a detour through Alexandra, the second oldest black settlement after Soweto. Here we got an close up view of life on welfare in Joburg. They estimate that up to 20,000 people are living in "informal dwellings" here. Not pretty but at least they all have electricity and banks of flush toilets designate the boundary these days. Running water is a tap shared by goodness knows how many homes. There were obvious signs of lack of public transport despite the road network which was upgraded with the 2010 World Cup.
Wed 18th
On the road at 7:45, collected by Willy in a minivan with 4 other passengers. Lucky thing for us is we are the last to be picked up being at the Outlook Lodge. We traveled out through wheat, corn and sorghum fields; all harvested and very dry at this time of the year. The countryside is dotted with grain silos and coal mines with associated power stations pumping huge amounts of pollutants into the air so it was very hazy in the early morning. Breaking the monotony of cropping are windbreaks, usually of Eucalyptus of all things. Actually, on the trip we were often commenting on how similar the landscape is to home.
aloes growing wild
could be travelling west on Victoria Hwy from Katherine
We were dropped at Rhino Post about 2:45 and the orest of the passengers backtracked to Skukuza. Rhino Post is one of a number of concessions granted to private operators on a limited year lease to run a private operation within the park. While very comfortable, everything is built with removal in mind, using a lot of timber, so that if the lease is not renewed it can be dismantled easily and the site restored to its natural state. We were delighted with Rhino Post; it is located on the banks of a dry riverbed where a herd of buffalo greeted us. Our room, which you get to via a boardwalk, is simple but delightful with outdoor shower, balcony overlooking the river and the only thing to be mindful of is the vervet monkeys who are already on standby should we give them an opportunity to enter and raid.
this might be just a bit to luxurious
I am aware the standards will dropOur first safari drive is at 4:00, after afternoon tea served on the main balcony. We were warned to take warm clothes as the evening would be chilly and we don't return until 7pm. Marius was our guide and with him we saw purple crested turaco, tawny eagle, hippo, and the highlight was a pair of lion stalking buffalo. They managed to bring down a baby buffalo and we watched as there was a standoff while the buffalo tried to protect their young. When they realised it was not going to get up they eventually retreated and the lions went in for the feed.
After sundowners we put on the spotlights and found elephant, zebra, kudu, impala, civet cat, buffalo and scrub hare. We drove home under a blanket of stars. It got increasingly cold after sunset but in the vehicles they provide fleecy ponchos. Back at Rhino Post we had a lovely dinner with all the other guests. We shared the drive with a German woman who has just been competing in the World Powerlifting Championships (she came 8th) and her family and Sarah from Switzerland. In the second vehicle were 6 young Americans. We were very weary as we headed to bed with our hot water bottles. We needed to be accompanied by our guide to and from the room after dark in case of an unexpected meeting with wildlife.
Fact of the day: elephants can eat the roughest of diet including bark and thorns but their digestive system is simple (only one stomach) so they don't get a lot of nutrition from it and they have to eat almost constantly. They sleep very little, occasionally lying down but mostly just resting one foot at a time. Cloven footed animals like buffalo, giraffe and wildebeest have a number of stomachs and chew the cud, digesting the food much more thoroughly and retaining a lot more nutrition.
Thursday 19th
An early morning call announced fruit, coffee and rusks were served and after a quick snack we were out on a drive from 6am to 11am. It was freezing in the chill air but an amazing drive where we saw 4 of what they call the Big Five; buffalo, elephant, lion, white rhino only the elusive leopard to get. We also saw jackal, warthog, baboon, wildebeest, zebra, antelope, scrub hare, steenbok, hyena...so many I can't remember them all. And that's not mentioning all the different birds. Highlight of them was the ground hornbill, not pretty but endangered.
hyena
wildebeest
ground hornbill
white rhino
baboonThe Big 5 are the nominated animals of Africa that are the most dangerous to hunt. Of them, the buffalo are respected the most highly as they are the most difficult to predict and have killed the most hunters. The midway point for a coffee was a lookout point where we could see right across to the edge of Kruger which shares a border with Mozambique. Kruger is an awesome piece of wilderness. After brunch back at Rhino Post it was time to pack. As we waited for Debbie to arrive to take us to Skukuza Camp we saw elephants and a number of antelope including impala, nyala and kudu visit to drink at the waterhole provided beside the dry riverbed and mongoose by our cabin.
As Debbie drove we saw a party of at least 20 white backed vulture in the riverbed, hippo, crocodile, giraffe and elephants. At Skukuza we were met by Joontie who will be our driver for the rest of the trip. We discovered then that from now on we are on a private tour! Skukuza is the largest camp in the park where you can stay on camp sites or rondavelle units like ours; a single room with a kitchenette on the veranda and a braai on the lawns.
There are a number of park admin buildings, a shop, restaurant, doctor etc. The gate closes at 5:30 pm so everyone must be in before then. Tour operators who are late loose their right to be guides in the park if they abuse it. Private drivers are fined. This is the big advantage of staying at a private park in Sabi Sands or on a concession like Rhino Post; you can stay out after dark for night drives. Outlook Safaris keeps a permanent camp kitchen set up in the campground with a chef on hand. We met up with our companions that we traveled to the park with yesterday. They have also seen 4 of the big 5, they are still after the lions. We each headed out for our afternoon drive and to our delight we found a pair of young leopards but they skedaddled before we could get a picture. No problem, we were happy to have seen them. Later we found the mother out marking her territory, we couldn't believe our luck! She wandered along the roadside in her own sweet time, completely oblivious to our vehicle.
I was ready to count my blessings, thank you Mother Nature for your wonderful gifts today. Eric was still keen to see cheetah, surely greedy I thought. Not long after we found a couple of cheetah so all our expectations for the day were surpassed.
We arrived back at Skukuza in time to shower and make it to the bottle shop before dinner. We shared dinner with about 18 other Outback Safari participants. Some have just arrived this evening, some are leaving tomorrow - we are the only ones heading to the Kingdom of Zululand. The other group didn't find lions in the afternoon unfortunately but we did exchange email addresses with the Irish couple. Maybe this time next year we will be there.
Our adequate but not so flash homeFact of the day: White rhino males are very territorial and they mark their boundaries with middens of poop. They scuff their feet back and forth through the midden and then continue around the border, laying the scent. Other males that visit, not intending to threaten, poop just beside the midden, like leaving a calling card. This territorial behaviour is what makes white rhino so vulnerable to poachers. Black rhino are solitary nomads.
Friday 20th
From now on we will be in a closed-in vehicle, a Toyota Condor which is similar to a 4 seater hilux. Not so high as the open-seater but a lot warmer. First we took a detour down a dirt road and came across a pack of African wild dogs which we then followed as they continued to the main road and lead us out.
We took another short detour up to a lookout point And then saw a number of raptors out looking for an early feed. To top off the drive before breakfast we saw a pair of lion sitting just off to the side of the road. We had to be very patient waiting for an opportunity to photograph them, other private vehicle drivers didn't necessarily wait their turn in the queue. The lioness was lying flat out in the grass while the massive head of the lion could be seen just behind her. He looked so big and cuddly. But no.
So now we have seen what is locally known as the Magnificent 7 which is the Big 5 plus cheetah and wild dog. The Ugly 5 will be more difficult to find; warthog, hyena, wildebeest, lappet-faced vulture and the Marabou Stork. We have the first three in the list but that particular vulture prefers semi arid to desert conditions. They also have the Small 5 which are insects and tiny creatures including the ant lion, elephant shrew, rhino beetle, leopard tortoise and buffalo weaver. The Secret 7 are the the serval, aardvark, pangolin, genet, African wildcat, civet and porcupine.
Breakfast was at Afsaal, then we got a glimpse of cheetah before we left the park via the Malelane Gate.
Eric and Joostie
Shelter at AfsaalWhile the view of the cheetahs was not what we were hoping for, we stopped to look at zebra shortly after and found ourselves surrounded by wildebeest, impala and giraffe. Amazing how comfortable this wildlife is so close to vehicles. Crossing the Crocodile River we had a wonderful viewing of hippo, crocs and varied bird life including the Goliath heron. We stopped for supplies in Melalane then headed through the sugar cane fields and across the mountain range into Swaziland.
The Kingdom of Swaziland was established after the amalgamation of Zulu regions decided to abandon the aggressive approach of the Zulu king and instead amalgamate into a protectorate of their own. They have just celebrated 50 yrs as a Kingdom. Politically they have been relatively stable and peaceful in that time with a King and Regent Mother overseeing administrative duties. A major obstacle for them is HIV/AIDS, just like the rest of Africa. We are staying at Ndlovo Camp in the Hlane (pronounced Shlarnie) Royal National Park where all the animals are subjects of the king.
balcony adornments at resturant
poacher snares the ranges have confiscated
some repairs to thatchingWe arrived just in time to take the afternoon game drive; pity no one told the lions that they were on duty because they were not to be found but we did see elephant, rhino and plenty of birds to keep us busy. On returning to the park we had dinner at the restaurant with Joostie and then had an early night, it has been a long drive today.
Fact of the day: The male lion uses his weight to pull down the prey by the hind quarters while the female goes for the throat to asphyxiate it. A lethal pairing. Females do most of taunting while males are more concerned with protecting the territory. Males form coalitions, usually with brothers but only the dominant male has the breeding rights.
Saturday 21st
Although we were granted a sleeping to 8am we both got up at sunrise to look for birds. No giraffe drinking at the waterhole, no hippo or rhino at that time. Sitting by the restaurant enjoying breakfast with the birds, 3 rhino wandered down to the waterhole. Nice gesture before departure.
now that's breakfast with the birds
We passed through the border back into South Africa without any problem and found ourselves in what was once known as Zululand. It seems a pretty depressed area, passing through townships of abject poverty, very primitive housing and little infrastructure where AIDS has again had a devastating effect. We traveled on to Hluhluwe (pronounced Sheshlooie) and on to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park which lies in the heart of the Zulu Kingdom, now known as the KwaZulu-Natal Province. This is Africa's oldest established wilderness area, once the exclusive royal hunting ground of Zulu King Sharka. Both individual parks were formerly established as game reserves in 1895 and now combined and including an extra corridor cover 96,000 ha. We stayed at Hilltop Resort in the northern Hluhluwe end on the summit of a forested hill which has breathtaking views of Zululand's hills and valleys. Our chalet is fabulous with full kitchen, separate bedroom and bathroom. Views from the balcony are amazing.
Over 300 bird species have been recorded here so we will be busy. Our drive in was fruitful with many birds, giraffe, rhino, zebra, elephant, wildebeest and warthog. After a late lunch we took a game drive. There were lots of animals but none of the big cats. My goodness it was cold and we enjoyed being in the restaurant afterwards for their buffet and a glass of red. I think I just about fell asleep at the table though.
Fact of the day: Giraffe have no vocal chords so communicate only by gesture. A giraffe's tongue is 45 cm long so it is the only mammal that can lick its own ear. I guess if your ear is that far from your hoof that's a good thing. They sleep standing up for if they lie down there is a chance the oesophagus will close, suffocating them. When they sit and rest they bend their necks over to rest the head on their rump. Like all the animals with markings, the patterns are individual and identifiable like fingerprints. Babies are born while the mother stands so they drop about 2m to the ground. This shock clears the airways and snaps the umbilacle cord. The mother moves off almost straight away forcing the baby to get up and start walking. They stay away from the herd for a few months to form a bond.
Sunday 22nd
Having slept like a log in this high mountain air we arose to a beautiful morning vista, the valley filled with mist.
After breakfast we drove through the park at a very leisurely pace bird watching. Joostie is very happy with this as he rarely gets to go bird watching himself. We identified many different birds as we made our way slowly from the Hluhluwe side of the park into the iMfolosie side. The park won world recognition in the 1950's for its white rhino conservation and specialist Game Capture unit. They have set up a Centenary Game Capture Centre which explains the initiatives used that ultimately save the species from extinction. Since the start of the project over 10,000 rhino have been trans-located world wide. They now move between 5000 and 6000 animals per year including antelope, black and white rhino, zebra, hippo and giraffe. Watching and reading about the early techniques you have to admire the gumption and sheer strength of the men who man-handled the beasts into cages. With the advent of improved tranquilizers, design of capture yards and introduction of helicopter-use, it is much safer these days for both beast and handlers. The way they round-up micky bulls in the top end of Australia is very similar. As we arrived to visit the centre we came across the remains of a fresh buffalo kill, the lions apparently brought it down earlier in the morning and had moved away, probably not too far, as so many tourist vehicles had swarmed around the carcass which was across the road. It's back end and hind quarters were missing.
After our visit and lunch in the grounds we made our way home the same way we had gone, very slowly looking for birds all along the way. We shared a double shot Amarula (made from the fruit of the Marula and SA's answer to Bailey's Irish Cream) in the bar on our return to celebrate a great day's birding. Beside the birds we have also seen rhino, banded mongoose, giraffe, warthogs, impala, nyala, kudu and wildebeest.
Impala
Nyala
KuduFact of the day: there are 15 different kinds of antelope. The most common is the impala which has markings on its rump much like the M of McDonalds so they are simply known as a Maccas meal for the cats. All male antelope have horns and those that have spiral horns are specialised graziers. One complete spiral represents 5 years. The daiko is the smallest we saw and is endangered, it is the only one with canine teeth and it eats vegetation as well as lizards etc and scavenges other kill. Small antelope are known as rams and ewes, the larger breeds are known as bulls and cows. The split comes in nyala where the female is called a ewe and the male is a bull. Leopards kill, then carry the carcass up into the tree using just their teeth while climbing with their claws. They hang the carcass and eat as they please over the ensuing days. Unlike the other cats, leopards are opportunistic killers and may have a number of carcasses to feed on. The others don't have a storage system like it.
Monday 23rd
We left the park after breakfast and took a slow drive back to the main gate, bird watching all the way. Despite looking carefully we saw none of the game we are so used to by now. Driving down the highway we passed a number of communities where the housing is very basic and infrastructure like clinics, schools and shops at bare minimum. At least here each of the houses has electricity but water must be still collected from rainwater or carted. Many families use bright coloured paint to make it look more cheerful and it is obvious that while in our eyes it isn't much, they are quite houseproud. In KwaZulu Natal all homes are expected to incorporate a traditional rondavel. What we did notice were the number of cows wandering around unfenced, apparently being watched over by a young boy.
We entered St Lucia about 11am and so had plenty of time to go down to the estuary and have a look around, there we found the highlight of the morning; a magnificent trogan.
After a coffee in the sunshine we took a 2 hour cruise on the estuary where hippos and crocodiles rule. There were few people on-board so we could move around as we chose. Apart from the opportunity to see bloats of hippo on the banks (you only call them pods if they are in the water) we also saw Trumpeter Hornbill and the Great Kingfisher.
We grabbed a take away lunch and headed back north along the eastern shore to the log cabins of Cape Vidal in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. A female bushbuck was drinking from the dripping tap of our outdoor shower when we entered our cabin and was not too perturbed by our arrival.
Joostie bought supplies for a braai (BBQ) so we cooked that up under the shelter of the Casuarina trees beside the Indian Ocean. We got in touch with Sue and she is expecting us for lunch tomorrow. it will be sad to say goodbye to Joostie, he has been a fabulous guide, patient teacher and not a bad cook either!
Fact of the day: Hippos cannot swim, they walk along the bottom in either salt or fresh water. They have to surface to breathe on average every 3 mins. They feed on grass from the banks during the night and only drink fresh water. They live in pods of one male and any number of females. When a female has a baby she will stay with the herd if it is a female offspring. If it is a male she will remain away from the herd for several months until the calf is strong enough to defend itself against the dominant male.
Tuesday 24th
We took an early walk along the beach and I dipped my toes into the warm currents of the Indian Ocean. You've got to be kidding!
Samango Monkey and duiker
After breakfast with the monkeys we drove back to St Lucia to fuel up and then South to Zinkwazi. We are still seeing plenty of game including wathogs, antelope, zebra, baboons and giraffe. We have known Sue since we first moved to Darwin. Eric worked with her at Tamar House in Mitchell St when he first joined the Maths Curriculum Team and she was in the ESL team. I later worked with her at TEGS in the office and later assisting her students in the Middle Years classes at Nganmarriyanga. She is now the Principal at Minjilang on Croker Is. She grew up in Durban and moved to Fish Hoek on the Cape, then her family left so her brother could avoid doing the compulsory military training. They settled in NZ because at the time they couldn't get to Australia. She did her teacher training there and then joined her family in Australia. She has been teaching there ever since but in the last 5 years has built a house near where the family always came for beach holidays.
Her house is one block from the beach which we took a walk along in the afternoon. The surf was powerful and we had it all to ourselves, for as far as you could see in either direction. Sue's house is nestled in a fabulous garden that she has established mostly of endemic plants so the birdlife is prolific. We keep starting conversations and then our attention is drawn away to the sights and sounds as they pass through. We had a lovely dinner at home which Sue managed to cook despite lots of talk and lots of alcohol. Another friend who she grew up with joined us later on the balcony but we could hardly keep our eyes open.
Fact of the day: A herd of zebra is called a dazzle. Their mane stands upright when they are in good condition. This tells us that they have a storage of fat under the skin along the top of the neck. If the mane is laying down like that of a horse it indicates poor condition. Birchall zebra has a shadow stripe on the rump which makes it look dirty. Zebra are often found mixed with herds of wildebeest. The zebra are bulk feeders eating the top off the grass while the wildebeest eat the newer, more nutritious growth at the bottom. As they roam you often find plenty of insectivorous birds like the drongo nearby taking the opportunity to catch the insects that the herd disturbs. We have seen oxpeckers on any mammal cleaning them of ticks, even cleaning the wounds, and at nesting time taking the soft hairs with wax to line their nests.
Wednesday 25th
We were joined by two of Sues friends Cliff and Bruce who took us for a walk through an area just south of the town which is owned by the large sugar cane farm. It is close to the coast and covered in dense forest. Bruce has played a leading role in having paths cleared through it which allows you to walk right into a depression, something like a crater. On our way in we saw lots of birds, the sunbirds love the coral trees which are in flower and the beautiful bee eaters were feasting on insects. Lower down in the depression the growth was too thick to find birds.
We had coffee and muffins on Sue's balcony when we returned and then a troop of vervet monkeys came in. In the afternoon we went for a visit to Darnall to get beer and on the way visited Rebecca who has worked for Sue over the last years cleaning and gardening while Sue is in Aust. Unfortunately she is now unwell and unable to continue but she was thrilled to have Sue visit and show off her newly upholstered lounge suite which has pride of place in her tiny home in the community. We were dropped in Zinkwazi and walked down to the ski club to enjoy a beer in the pub on the beach by the lagoon but unfortunately we were too early.
In the evening we had a braii and another friend Harvey joined us and later Cliff returned.
Fact of the day: vervet monkeys can be in groups of up to 20, the greater the abundance of food the bigger the troop. They sleep in the trees at night and forage during the day, often on the ground. They are mainly vegetarian but will eat small vertebrates including nestling birds. The dominant male has blue balls!
Thursday 26th
We had great plans for a walk around the township of Zinkwazi in the morning but after doing all the dishes, having breakfast, stripping the beds and meeting another local friend (who turned out to be a relation of the manager at Rhino Post) we really didn't have time so instead took a leisurely drive to King Sharka Airport on the outskirts of Durban. We have really enjoyed our stay with Sue and meeting some of her many friends. She has established a lovely home in this coastal town and already has lots of friends which obviously value her company.
Unfortunately Table Mountain was shrouded in cloud as we arrived in Capetown. We found it just as easy to take a taxi from the airport as mess around with the MyCiti bus service even though there is a stop quite near the apartment at Morakani, 133 Main Rd Green Point. We were met by the host, Johann, who set us up and pointed out the supermarket, bottle shop and eateries in the block beside us. We are at the base of Signal Hill and just a 10 min walk through Green Point Common to the Lighthouse Promenade or in the opposite direction to the V and A Waterfront. We are very happy with our apartment and it's location. Looking at the layout of the terrain I might be reassessing my ambition to climb Table Mountain, perhaps we will start with Signal Hill and see how we go. We got supplies then tried Giovanni's for dinner, on Johann's recommendation. It turned out to be a deli/coffee shop and the food was delicious. I'm sure we will be back as it was very hard to decide what to select from all the options.
Friday 27th
Had a relaxing sleep-in, as nice as it has been having a schedule and company all the way, it was nice to wake up this morning and the only thing we have to think about is what we want to do. After breakfast we went looking for a taxi or bus and eventually found our way without too much trouble to the V and A Waterfront and the MyCiti Bus which we took to Kloof Nek and from there walked up to the cable car station. As soon as we had glimpsed Table Mountain this morning we had agreed we wouldn't be climbing it. Although only just higher than 1600m, it is virtually vertical. The walk we did was challenging enough but more to the point we really enjoyed walking among the flowering daisies, leptospermums and proteas.
The cable cars spin as they travel so you get the full panorama on the way up and down. From the top we enjoyed breath-taking views of the Atlantic Seaboard all the way towards Cape Point. What we do see is Robben Is where Mandela and his buddies were incarcerated for many years of hard labour. It is believed that Table Mountain, formed under the sea about 600 million years ago and is at least 6 times older than the Himalayas. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and voted one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World in 2011. We were blessed to have a day with clouds closing in and then clearing so we could appreciate that you don't take the fabulous views and calm conditions for granted. There are many days when the wind is too strong and the cable car is closed down.
Dassie (Rock Hydra)
Fact of the Day: Hydrax are herbivores, something like the size of a fat rabbit without the floppy ears, but strangely one of its closest relatives is the African elephant of all things. Apparently the teeth and feet are similar, hard to see. They have the ability to excrete a sticky sweat from the feet which helps them to cling to the rocks.
Saturday 28th
The lovely young Irish couple we had met travelling out to Kruger on the bus had given us a contact called 'On Time Cab' for once we were in Cape Town. They had arranged for a driver to take them around the cape for the day and were very happy with the service and price so we booked them up too. The flat rate was 850Rand but then we paid all our entrance fees and bought him lunch and gave him a tip so at the end of the day it cost us nearly twice that much. But, it was an extraordinarily wonderful day. The weather was glorious, the backdrop to all the scenery either massive rocky escarpment or Atlantic Blue ocean, the townships colourful and fauna and flora beautiful. We began at the trendy, palm tree-lined Camps Bay then followed the coast to Llandudno before cutting across to Hout Bay and Chapman's Peak.
Coming into Camps Bay
Llandudno
looking back from Chapman's Peak
Road similar to Great Ocean Rd
with extra engineering challengesAfter Noordhoek and Scarborough we entered Table Mountain National Park which incorporates the Cape Park. We saw a number of ostrich (escapees from the local farm we suspect), antelope and baboon. We first visited the Cape of Good Hope and then climbed to the lighthouse on Cape Point. There is a cable tram but we chose to walk. The cliffs here plunge more than 200m directly down into the sea. I had always assumed that from here I would be seeing where the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans meet but that is not the case, as far as you can see from this point it is all the Atlantic. They actually meet at Cape Agulhas National Park, further to the South East.
View of Cape of Good Hope from Cape PointLeaving the Park we visited the African penguins at The Boulders before having a late lunch in a lovely seafood restaurant in the sunshine.
Muizenberg Beach HutsWe drove on via Simon's Town, Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay and St James before leaving the coast at Muizenberg and making our way to the Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens. This was another good opportunity to stretch the legs as we wanted to see as much as we could before the sun dipped completely below the escarpment. First established more than 100 years ago, the colourful flower beds remind me of impossibly difficult jigsaw puzzles we used to do as kids.
Louis then took us home via Bo Kaap, formerly known as the Malay Quarter. it lies at the foot of Signal Hill (as does our place) and is easily distinguished by its colourful streetscape.
There has been no internet access at the apartment, some fault the owner cannot fix, so it got the better of me that evening and I took my laptop to the Big Route Pizza Bar and connected. The food was lovely and it was good to at last get online. Haven't done so since the airport in Dubai.
Sunday 29th
Another beautiful day so we were happy not to have booked a trip out to the Stellenbosch Winery region, instead we planned a walk around Green Point and the promenade along the coast before heading into the heart of the city. It all began beautifully with lots of families out enjoying the Sunday morning sunshine in the park which surrounds the stadium, another resulting from the 2010 World Cup. The 2014 cup is on now in Brazil and there is lots of interest in the papers and on the TV.
We caught the MyCiti bus into the centre of town and were heading for a cup of coffee or early lunch when Eric decided on the spur of the moment to get more cash out of the ATM. I was across the street waiting in the sunshine when I realised something wasn't right. In fact he had been done over by 3 low-lifes who had managed to scam his card off him. Long story, which he will be ready to repeat one day, but to us it really took the shine off our day. Suddenly the city didn't look bright and cheerful at all. We made the phone calls to cancel the card and as we made our way to the Police Station to make a report. The tall concrete buildings just looked ugly and grey and threw dark cold shadows over us. At least making the report was easier than the time he had to do it in France where it took some time to find someone who could speak English. Once that was done we couldn't get out of the city quickly enough, Eric was certainly in no mood for window shopping. He was so cranky with himself for being so trusting. Fact is, to this point everyone we have had interactions with has been helpful, so when the fellow asked him to reinsert the card to complete his transaction, and another woman at the next machine (who turned out to be his accomplice) agreed, Eric just believed them. I probably would have too, thinking you were helping them! Well, he certainly did that. In the time it took to make 3 phone calls the team managed to make 6 withdrawals! Never mind, Eric was not hurt and the money will be recovered so things could be a lot worse. Eric spent the rest of the day sulking and I sorted some of our pictures for the blog. We returned to the pizza bar for pre-dinner drinks and I uploaded some so I felt the afternoon wasn't completely wasted. The Slug and Lettuce Pub was full so we got dinner at Giovanni's Deli again and went home to eat and drink everything in the fridge!
Monday 30th
Well the Green Point location turned out to be terrific. Walking distance through the park to the ocean, the V and A Waterfront precinct and across the road from the MyCiti bus stop which we used to get around and back out to the airport. Whatever money you haven't used on your charge card you can redeem back at the airport so a clever system. With a supermarket and bottle shop next door and beside them a strip of terrific eateries we were very happy with our choice. Pity about the lack of Internet access but you can't have everything. It was an easy exercise to pack and make our way to the airport. Speaking of exercise we haven't done much in the last 2 weeks, an occasional click with the index finger on the camera shutter is about the extent of it, and it shows. We must get back into an exercise routine as soon as we get back. I think I say that after every holiday, except perhaps the Nepal treks.
