Cape Town

People call Cape Town one of the world’s most beautiful and most livable cities.  It is also a microcosm of South African history, and a unique world unto itself.   The city of Cape Town remains the cradle city of the nation, and one of the most scenic places on the globe.  Table Mountain is a stunning landmark, which has become a symbol of the whole region.  Views from there reward the visitor with an appreciation of the city, the shoreline and the pounding Atlantic.  The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679, making it the country’s oldest monument.  The original mud-walled enclosure was replaced by the stone fortress seen today.  Greenmarket Square is a picturesque part of the central city.  Cobblestones and narrow streets create the feeling of an old world village.  The city park known as the Gardens actually grew out of the “Company’s Gardens” – the old farming zone for the Dutch East India Company.  Today it is managed by the National Botanical Institute.  Wherever you look in Cape Town, you see the very diverse roots of a fascinating cultural mix. 

In the morning we went  with friends, Andrea & Mark, and spent the day walking around and having the  traditional South African dish, Bumbund, for lunch.  This time it was served correctly and was absolutely delicious. This is our third time here and we already experienced Table Mountain (one of the oldest in the world) and went to Cape Point at Cape Horn (where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic).  I believe one of the pictures earlier on this blog has a picture of Gary & I at Cape Point (under the “some pictures” heading). Our Friends from Barcelona, Anna & Joaquim, invited us for drinks during the sailaway along with Andrea & Mark and a few others.  How different it is to be back on the ship after being in the bush with wild animals for 5 days. 

There were three stops the ship made on the east coast before docking in Cape Town.  After Mozambique, it went to Durban, Richards Bay and East London.  Unfortunately, the weather was very rough and they had to pass up Richards Bay.  Hated to miss Durban & Mozambique as we have friends there that we met in 2008. 

Safari - Day 6, Monday

We were able to do the 6 am drive as our ride to the airport won’t arrive until 9:25.  Service found more leopard tracks and thinks she had a kill.  We tracked it for about ½ hour and found the kill.  It was an impala that has been killed by the leopard but was now being eaten by a Hyena.  Apparently, when dragging it up the tree, the leopard dropped it and the Hyena got there first.  There must have been a struggle as the Hyena was badly scratched.  However, it was able to steal the dead impala.  It was a young male.  We drove a short distance when we came upon 2 giraffes, a mother with her daughter, they were really beautiful.  After a while, we went back to look for the leopard and found him.  It was a young male and was just gorgeous.  Got some great pictures.  While heading back we came across a Rock Monitor Lizard, it was huge.  He slithered into the water before we could get a good picture, but I did get his head popping up.

From what we’ve been told, Leopards are very elusive and therefore extremely hard to find.  We have been very fortunate to have seen one every day.

Our ride was on time and have about a 3 hour ride back to Kruger International for our flight to Cape Town where we will meet the ship.  It’s a fabulous city and one of our favorites.  We landed around 4:00 and got to the ship between 5:30 & 6:00. The ship stays there overnight then leaves at 6:00 pm on the 12^th.  By the time we got to the ship we were totally exhausted and decided not to go out to dinner.  We have been at Simbambili for 4 full days and it seems like only 1.  Time has really flown and it will seem strange being back on the ship after such an adventure.  We have seen the most incredible things and have had the most wonderful time.  Our accommodations far surpassed our expectations and seeing the animals was a dream come true.  The entire trip has been like living National Geographic.  Did I mention that I took these pictures? 

We have one day at sea before reaching Luderitz and the next day Walvis Bay, Namibia.  After that a welcome 4 days at sea.

Safari - Day 5, Sunday

Got our wake-up knock at 5:15 and were in the Land Cruiser at by 5:50.  It was very cold this morning and we all used the blankets.  We saw about 4 Rhinos but they were all lying down.  We told them to stand so we could get a decent picture, but they refused.  Never argue with a tired Rhino.  Service found some male lion tracks but we never found him.  The males were very elusive.   On each drive, in the morning we stopped the vehicle and had hot coffee, tea or cocoa along with a snack.  On the evening drives we would have drinks & snacks.  We saw several young male elephants, a Rhino, Antelope a hyena and various birds. 

 After breakfast Gary took a dip in our, very cold, pool and I packed as tomorrow we will leave after the morning run. We have had the time of our lives and hate to see our time at Simbambili come to an end.  We still have our 4:00 drive this afternoon.

We came across a single Rhino and this time were very close.  Service said that there was another leopard kill and we went to find it.  After a few minutes we found it, it was a male Kudu (like an Antelope) drapped over a tree limb.  After waiting several minutes the leopard never came.  Imagine the strength it takes to pull an impala or Kudu  all the way up a tree.  We also saw some Zebra while stopped for a drink, but it was after dark. 

 Our dinner was in the smaller Bama.  This time the tables were in a semi-circle with the fire in the center.  Dinner was a choice of Kudu or chicken with Butternut soup and for dessert, vanilla cream Brule or ice cream. We had already packed between drives in the afternoon so all we have to do after the morning drive is pay, tip and pack our cameras & jackets.

Got our wake-up knock at 5:15 and were in the On our night drive we went to the pond behind the lodge where there were a herd of African Water Buffalo.  Liam said the lion pride was very close and they would probably come after the baby buffalo.  I really didn’t want to see that but we waited there for a while then went on. 

Did I mention that I took these pictures?

Safari - Day 4, Saturday

For some reason I woke up at 4:00 am for our 5:40 morning coffee/tea. We left promptly at 6:00 and didn’t get more than 1 city block from the lodge when we found an impala that had just been killed hanging from a tree.  After a few minutes, the leopard that had killed her came back. It was what we came to see and we weren’t disappointed. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced.  We sat there for about 45 minutes taking tons of pictures.  Hyenas came for their share but had no luck. 

We left the leopard after a while and camp upon a pride of female lions along with one with cubs.  They were about 2 years old and absolutely gorgeous.  Also stayed there for about 45 minutes taking pictures.  Its amazing that we can pull up right next to these magnificent creatures and they just ignore us.  

 

We saw another leopard walking down the road in front of us.  During breakfast, upon our return, a monkey came into the lodge and stole an orange.  She was carrying a baby and we were able to get pictures once she settled on a wall close by.  After breakfast we went for a walk with Liam & Service through the brush.  they identified various trees, leaves, flowers & insects.  We even saw red mistletoe.  Afterwards, we relaxed on our daybed outside and watched the monkeys & birds in the trees off our deck.  A couple of Vervet monkeys even jumped on the deck while we were there.  What a day!  

On the 4:00 drive, we were able to get more leopard pictures and apparently the female we saw earlier had moved her kill.  It was there when we left but when we came back it was gone.  We saw 3 Zebras farther out that wouldn’t come too close and went into the brush. After dark, Liam turned off the motor in the middle of a clearing and identified some of the constellations. We saw the Southern Cross tonight and learned how to locate due south.  We saw practically every star in the sky, it was awesome. Did I mention that I took these pictures?

Safari - Day 3, Friday

Just as they said, our wake-up knock was at 5:15.  We had to be at the main building by 5:40 for coffee/tea, fruit or biscotti.  Our ranger’s name is Liam and our Tracker is named “service.”  We drove through the brush and found an elephant, a chameleon, several giraffes a vulture, a wildebeast and many impalas.  In fact, there was a female impala right outside our front door that stayed the entire morning,  She was beautiful.  I have wanted to see the animals almost my entire life and can’t believe where I am and what I saw.

 It has been very cool here in the evening and early morning.  I have been layered with, t-shirt, thin sweater, UV protected shirt & a North Face fleece.  Also my Tilley hat has been just wonderful.  There are blankets and ponchos always in the vehicle.  We had breakfast upon our return, at 9:00 and the rest of the time we could relax until lunch at 2:00.  We are not allowed to walk out of our cottage alone in the early morning or the evening – the animals are all around.  Afternoons we can walk unescorted.  During the day we would charge our batteries, check our pictures and relax on our deck.  Our deck is high enough where we can see monkeys preening each other in a tree just in front of us.  They’re little thieves, though, and all the doors, glass doors to the deck in our room and the bathroom, along with the front door, must be locked at all times.  The monkeys outside of our room were white with black faces and are called “Vervet.”  On our 4:00 drive we saw a leopard but could not get a good picture.  Also saw some water buffalo but it was too dark to photograph. Came back with just enough time to put our things away & have dinner.  We ate outside at the big “Bama” (an outdoor barbecue).  Our tables were in a single line in front of a huge bonfire inside a wooden fence.  Dinner was buffet style consisting of chicken, lamb stew, roasted vegetables, corn on the cob & the best sweet potatoes.  It was really wonderful.  Did I mention that I took these pictures?

Safari - Day 2, Thursday

We had breakfast at 7:00 and were picked up around 7:45 for our drive to The Simbambili Game Reserve.  The drive would take about 3 hours but we had a wonderful tour while en route.  We drove from 8 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon.  We were on the top of a Mountain viewing from “God’s Window,” and afterwards we went to Blyde Canyon (3^rd largest in the world).  From there we went to two waterfalls, Lisbon & Berlin.   

 We went through small villages and stopped at Harries Pancakes to have lunch.  Everything there was wrapped in a pancake and we wanted to try a traditional South African dish.   We ordered Bumbund (pronounced Bumbundi), but it came in a pancake which is not the traditional way it’s served.  It’s kind of a hamburger mixture with curry added and is supposed to have an egg on top and served with rice.  Anyway, we continued on our sightseeing drive and made a couple of more stops.  It was a great tour, we saw a lot.

We arrived at Simbambili around 3 and were promptly served lunch.  We only had time to drop off our bags and sit down to eat.  Simbambili is located at the far northern edge of Kruger in Sabi Sands.  We will stay 4 nights .  There were only accommodations for 8 couples and everyone had their own cottage, which, I might add were spectacular.  We had a king-size bed (complete with mosquito netting), a wardrobe, a desk and a chaise and a long waist size bench at the entrance in one room.  The bathroom had a huge oval bathtub, a separate shower (with no walls), a vanity, two sinks and a separate room for the toilet.  All in stone, including the floor & walls.  We had a deck the length of the room complete with a queen size day bed, a small pool and two lounge chairs.  All in the open overlooking the brush and a small clearing where we could see the animals.  The main building was all open, also all in stone, and overlooked a large pond, which was lit at night, that attracted the animals.  We were in awe!

 After our 3:00 lunch we went on our first drive.  The vehicle was a Toyota Land Cruiser that had been custom equipped for the bush.  We could have gone up the side of a mountain and almost did a couple of times.  It sat 11 including the ranger/driver.  In the very front of the vehicle sat our tracker perched on a single fold-down seat.  There were 3 rows of seats in the vehicle that graduated from low to high.  We never had more than 6 people with us at any drive with
Gary & I being 2 and 2 other couples making up the 6.  We were lucky, on our first drive, which was upon our arrival at 4:00, we saw an elephant with her newborn baby, a warthog, a giraffe and a rhino.  We couldn’t believe how close we were able to get to them.  It was so exciting!

We got back at 7:10 and tried to unpack before dinner at 7:45.  Everyone eats together so we can’t be late for any meal.  Dinner was a choice of impala or chicken and we tried both.  The impala was very gamey and we didn’t care for it.  During dinner, at the watering hole in front of the main building, we saw a Rhinoceros.  Too bad it was too dark to get a picture We got to bed after 10 and were told that they would knock on our door at 5:15 am. 

We were exhausted, but at the same time exhilarated.  What an experience! 

 

Safari - Day 1, Wednesday

Africa is Earth's second largest continent and the second most populous, covering just over 20% of the planet's landmass and nearly 15% of the human population in 54 sovereign states.  Africa is well known for its population and diversity of wildlife, especially large carnivores such a lions and cheetahs, as well as large herbivores, including elephants, various members of the deer family, camels and giraffes, all of which are plains ranging species. The jungle and mountain ecosystems contain another grand diversity of wildlife and plant-life ranging from the aquatic and reptilian to primates.  Even the vast Kalahari and Sahara deserts boast their own unique mix of human, plant and animal life which have adapted to the harsh, arid condidtions.

We were off the ship at 9:00 and the car from African Safari Adventures was waiting to pick us up.  We drove directly to the airport for our flight from Maputo, Mozambique to Johannesburg.  We changed planes for our flight to Nelspruit and landed at Kruger International Airport.  A car met us to take us to Perry’s Bridge Hollow where we were to stay the night.  The drive to our final destination was very long and would take us into the night.  It was much too dangerous to do the entire drive at night. After checking in, we took a walk and found some beautiful shops that sold very upscale African art.  Unfortunately (or fortunately for Gary) they were all closed.  We had dinner on the grounds (fish & chips) then on to bed.  Our room was lovely and the grounds beautiful, we were all very happy with the accommodations.