29 Sep 2014 - The Magnificant Serengeti

The Hippo Pool - poop in your neighbour's face and then complain when you don't get enough room.

Not the best place to rest your head if you're a hippo!

At the watering hole.

Hundreds of thousands of Wildebeest & Zebras.

These two youngster push, shoved and wrestled...so cute!

They are so beautiful and majestic.

I mentioned in my last blog that this lodge has no fence around it so the animals are free to wander at will. I was getting ready for bed last night and heard a sound and then Corky asked what the sound was. I opened our balcony door and listened for a minute until we both heard it again and it was LIONS! They were probably in the valley below our hotel but it was an eerie sound and I made sure I locked the door.

We left the lodge at 08:00 for an all-day game drive. We might be a little optimistic as it will be very hot at noon and we have a picnic lunch…however, we are down to our last few days and want to experience as much as we can in the time we have left. It turned out to be a spectacular day, as all the others have been before this one.

The first stop (after several short stops to view birds or unusual stuff with animals) was the Hippo Pool.  Our previous visit to a Hippo Pool in Masai Mara was quite calm compared to this stop.  This pool had at least 75-100 h-u-g-e hippos in it, all grunting and each other and being crabby for their own space. The best part was that we could stand by a railing overlooking the pool and once we got over the putrid smell that wafted up, we got some great photos. I looked up the river a bit and saw this gigantic hippo steam rolling down the river to join his friends in the green yucky water and more than one hippo moved over to make room for him. He was the size of a small airplane!

I think one of the biggest joys of this trip so far has been the opportunity to get up close to so many elephants of all ages and size. We seemed to see them every time we turned a corner and there were old bulls and tiny calves and everything in between. We got to see them in a pool drinking and flinging mud over themselves as well as two youngsters that just wanted to push and wrestle with each other until one gave in. The number of elephants seems to be good although poaching is still a major problem. The Masai Mara GR has lost over 80 this year so far and it is only a fraction of the size of the Serengeti. I am sure I have a few hundred photos of them and I cannot wait to see them on my computer screen at home.

Our next big find was 3 lions with a fair mane on each. Guide Vincent said these were probably brothers that were now too old to be in the pride and were on their own for a few years until they matured enough to take on another male for his pride. Shortly after seeing them we found a pride of 13 lions and other than 3 females, all the younger ones were males. Vincent pulled the jeep right up beside them and as per our last encounter, they did not even raise their sleepy heads when we pulled in. We watched them for quite a while and they rolled around or stretched but did not give us the time of day.

I think the highlight of the day was seeing a leopard s in a sitting on a branch of a big Acacia tree watching all the wildebeest in the plains in front of him. I had been complaining for a couple of days that I needed this photo to complete my trip and there it was! One of our travelling companions said she would always refer to this leopard as Lynne’s Leopard whenever she looked at their photos.
We’ve been extremely lucky with our tour group. There are only 5 of us….an older couple from Vancouver, a single lady from Calgary and Corky and I. It took us a day or two when we started the Kenya/Tanzania leg of our trip to realize that we were going to spend the next 2 weeks together. Fortunately we turned out to be very compatible and are all satisfied with where we sit in the jeep, when it’s time to return to the hotel, etc. This could have been a miserable holiday if we really didn’t like one another or get along with each other.

We will be leaving in the morning for our last adventure in the Ngorongoro Crater. If it lives up to its reputation, it will be quite a beautiful spot with animals galore. I’m looking forward to it and as much as I have loved every second of this holiday, I’m also looking forward to going home. The best part of going away is always going home.

Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

 

 

26-28 Sep - Leave Kenya--Arrive Tanzania

Black Backed Jackal

One of two young male lions in the bachelor's group.

At the Hippo Pool--she had a baby beside her.

Checking the area for preditors.



Dust bath.

 

I’m not sure where the time has gone…I know that we have been up before the sun every morning and dead asleep by (or before) 9 pm every night. In the few hours that we are not in the jeep out on a game drive, we are eating our faces off, washing out clothes, packing & unpacking, rearranging our little duffle bags to hold one more item or downloading photos. Unfortunately, the blog has been set aside for the past couple of days since we were a bit overloaded for spare time but here is where I think I left off……
We left our luxury accommodations early in the morning and headed for the Masai Mara National Game Reserve. We’ve heard so much about it and while it isn’t as large as the Serengeti GR, it is also rich in animals and experiences. It turned out to be all that and so much more. However getting to the lodge was not a great experience. We’ve learned that the roads in Kenya are much less that ‘okay’ and between speed bumps at regular intervals, police checks that involve laying spikes across the road, pot holes the size of North Bay, and herds of cows and goats, getting anywhere is an experience. We got off the main road and onto a dirt road to go to the lodge. I use the term ‘dirt’ loosely and it was really a ‘rock’ road. It was almost debilitating…….if you have any kind of a back issue, this road could, and almost was, a killer! I think we were 5 hrs on the main highway and then 90 minutes on the killer road and the second seemed twice as long as the first. We had made a brief stop at a traditional Masai village along the way and there clearly was nothing ‘touristee’ about it. Again, it was absolutely interesting to see how the Masai live day-to-day, but I could have done without that stop. Along with the men in native Masai dress there were bloated babies with flies all over them and garbage and cow dung everywhere. The cows are brought into the enclosure every night for safety and then the dung is collected to make solid walls on their huts and dried to burn for fuel.

When we pulled up to the lodge, we all breathed a huge sigh of relief. We were tired and dirty and sore all over and more than one of us had lost their sense of humour. We walked through the front doors and once again, the sight that met our eyes took our breath away! We were again given a hot towel and a cold drink and faced an entire wall of glass that looked out over the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara, complete with herds of zebra, wildebeest and giraffes. It was stunning! Through the glass doors was a balcony and we discovered it was a wonderful place to sit with a cup of Kenyan coffee (which I am now addicted to) and watch the sunrise. Each of the rooms also faced the same scene and as exhausted as we always to be, it was impossible not to have ‘just one more look’ before leaving the room or going to bed. We had to keep the doors closed as the baboons would invade if they were left open, as I found out. I was sitting in one of the chairs inside the room with the doors open, reading a book. All of a sudden a huge baboon jumped up on the railing and we were literally eye-to-eye for about 5 seconds until I let out a scream and it went running for the hills.
The Masai Mara GR isn’t as big as the Serengeti but certainly filled with wonderful sights and experiences.  Here we saw a Cheetah directly beside the road, laying under some bushes to escape the afternoon heat. The next day we would see a another female Cheetah with 5 babies not 20 feet from us. The babies had a piece of skin from an animal she must have killed and they were chewing on it or one would grab and run with it while the others chased it. I could have watched for hours but after 20 minutes the Mother cheeped and few times and they all left for another less crowed part of the park.

Breakfast as the Hippo Pool was a surprise as well as a thrill. Guide Sam took us to the pool where the hotel had set up a beautiful ‘bush breakfast’ similar to the one we’d had in Samburu. Once again, it was starched tablecloths and napkins, and all the breakfast goodies a person could possibly think of wanting. Our table was on the side of the pool overlooking the river and it was filled with hippos of all sizes. There were even a couple of Wildebeest carcasses left from the most recent river crossing. Although there were a couple of mondo crocodiles there, they must have been sated as it was just the vultures eating them.

Corky and I did our hot air balloon ride here as well. We were up at the crack of dawn and in the sky by 6 am to float over the Masai Mara and Serengeti. We saw thousands of wildebeest, zebras, and antelope that had not yet crossed the Mara River but they were doggedly heading in the same direction and the next stage of the great migration should be taking place soon.  We keep hoping we will be able to see the crossing…or some stage of it…but I don’t think it will happen. While they will gather and cross in groups of tens-or-thousands, they don’t all go at the same time in the same place. Both of us loved the balloon ride and when it landed we were once again treated to a champagne ‘bush breakfast’.

After two days here it was time to once again pack and leave for another adventure, although it means we will be leaving Kenya and our beloved guide Sam. He has become a friend who never gets tired of telling us the what and wherefore of everything we see and answering our questions. The Serena Hotel—we are staying in their hotels for almost the entire trip—has an airstrip here so we flew to Migori where our new guide Vincent met us, and then on to the border town of Isebania where will went through the immigration and customs process at the Tanzanian border.

OMG…the people…the noise…the fumes…the confusion!! The official stuff went very smoothly and it was on and off the jeep quickly. However it was Saturday…market day…and there wasn’t a square metre of ground without a person selling something. Huge trucks lined the road taking unrefined oil into Kenya for processing.  We had to pass through a series of gates that were only opened after an attendant looked over the jeep, kicked a tire or two, and handed Vincent a piece of paper. Who knows………

We think Vincent is a NASCAR driver wannabe. I kept my Kenyan position of third row back so can’t see a thing other that what’s outside my window. I do know that a few times I saw Corky cover his eyes and then shake his head…I’m assuming because he’d realized we were still alive…and know that Vincent is driving at top speed. He tells us it will be about a 4-hr drive to our lodge in the Serengeti National Park. Unfortunately, he didn’t tell us that 3 of those hrs was going to be driven on a typical ‘rock’ road!  It was an awful drive and it didn’t matter if you had a back problem or not, we were all affected by the jarring bumps, huge potholes and washboard sections that Vincent sped over.  We were told later that the big trucks that must come in daily to bring fresh food to these mega lodges are responsible for road conditions and while I’m sure that’s true, I haven’t seen much evidence of any kind of road repair here. Wait…..we did see a huge grader in one of the little towns but it had 4 flat tires!

We got to Serena Serengeti in time for supper and the 5 of us had trouble staying awake long enough to eat supper. We were required to call security to come and escort us to and from the dining room as this lodge has no…repeat no…fencing around it so wild animals wander through at will. NOTE: an elephant came in through the night and took down a tree by the reception area. It’s a lovely spot—we are in domed huts overlooking a valley and it’s very beautiful.

We were up early this morning to out on a game drive and as we came down the hill I looked up to see a lone giraffe standing on the hill in front of us. So beautiful! The landscape here is totally different and we drove for quite a while before stopping at a hippo pool to watch these giants grunt and groan their way through the herd before flinging poop into the face of their nearest neighbour. Vincent has slowed down and is very good at explaining animal behaviour and while we were viewing a herd of elephants, he told us what to look for if the matriarch decides to charge and flatten the jeep! A short drive down the road revealed a freshly killed wildebeest and beside it a pride of lions with fat tummies sleeping off the meal.

We’ve had such a busy 10 days that when he suggested we take the rest of the day and evening off and take packed lunches for a full day drive tomorrow…we jumped at it; hence the long, catch-up blog. Corky and I took a break from hand washing stuff and sent a bag of laundry out to be done so all is right with the world. Last night we both slept soundly from 9 pm until the alarm woke us at 6 am. He maintains the malaria medication is giving him vivid dreams….I maintain it has tripled my appetite! Carmel, I have dick-doo!

I know I have not written about half of what we have seen…it’s impossible to do so I think. I know that I will be spending hours, if not days, going through photographs and reliving this adventure. ..and it’s not over yet!

Until next time, love and hugs to all. Xx

 

24 Sep 2014 - An exciting day in the Rift Valley

We went off down the trail, led by a security guard, to the location where we were going to have our camp breakfast. I'm not sure what any of us were expecting but we sure liked what we saw when we got there. Once again we were greeted with a hot towel and a glass of sparkling wine.

Beside the lake a table had been set up with china, starched tablecloths and napkins, silverware and all the nice things you'd expect to have at a very nice restaurant breakfast. Another table had been set up with multiple kinds of juice, various fruits, tiny cinnamon rolls, an omelet station and about four of those silver thing-ama-bobs filled with wonderful things like herbed potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, waffles, French toast and more.  It was grand and delightful and the 5 of us agreed we could sit there watching the Flamingos in the lake (it's a alkaline lake), drink the best Kenyan coffee ever and let the day go by. There were 8 staff looking after us, including one guard with an automatic weapon keeping a close eye on the bush around us.

After we finished we headed back to the lobby to freshen up ('cause that's what the rich folks do) and then got in the jeep and drove to Lake Nakuru National Park, complete with boxed lunches, as we would be spending the day. It's a huge park and within a very short time we spotted both a Black and a White Rhino. A short time later we drove through huge herds of Cape Buffalo (I love these big, ugly guys), Zebra and just about every type of Antelope seen at the zoo. As we were driving along, and hoping to find a lion, I spotted something in the field. I did the Ikea scream, "STOP THE CAR" and found out that tires actually can make a squealing sound on dirt. The 'thing' raised itself up a bit higher and it was a big, beautiful Leopard. We watched it for about 20 minutes as it crossed the road in front of us and started stalking a small antelope. I had my video set for the big chase when it suddenly decided there were too many people around and besides, the antelope knew it was there and was set to run. What a thrill! Guide Sam said a leopard might be spotted once in 10 game drives.

A short time later Sam saw a lion standing on a tree branch in the distance. We stopped and watched it for some time but it only flopped down on the branch and other than a long distance shot, didn't see anything else.

There were baboons galore and the highlight was seeing, and photographing the elusive Blue Balled Monkey. Yes, it might have black & grey fur but it certainly has a set of brilliant blue testicles that are quite impressive! It's also Spring in Africa so procreation is definitely on the minds of the monkeys. I laughed so hard when I went to the gift shop and saw postcards of lions, monkeys, and others.....well, mating. I was trying to imagine sending a card home..."Dear Mom and Dad, having a great time watching the animals." lol  I might have to buy one just to slide into my journal.

Both Corky and I got a bit of sun today....we forgot that although the wind is blowing through our hair (what there is of it), the sun is still hot. I did put lots of lotion on my face but forgot my arms and neck so........lesson learned. Tummy is okay so the missed meal last night was just what was needed I think.

Tomorrow we are up early and leaving the Rift Valley for a long drive to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, right in the heart of the legendary migration of the wildebeest. This is where Corky and I will do our hot air balloon ride...can't wait for that.

Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

Addendum 23 Sep 2014

We left our mountain lodge after another hearty breakfast. I have to admit my tummy was bit 'icky' so didn't eat more than a piece of toast but I think it's a matter of 'intake' greater than 'output' so will take it a bit easy for the next day or so.

We drove about 4 hrs down and around Mt Kenya, through fertile land which is farmed in small plots (if one is lucky to get a plot) and through small communities that are filled with people. Their 'business section' a row of shacks that might be built of concrete blocks or individual wooden shacks that defy all logic is standing upright. Garbage is burned on the side of the street or in small concrete block things...problem is the cows that wander along the side of road grazing try to eat leftovers while evading the hot coals.

I CURSE THE DAY THE FIRST PLASTIC BAG CAME OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE!!!! There is limited, if any, garbage collection and the number of plastic bags in the fields, along the roads, around houses, is extreme! It is worse than Mexico I think. Like Mexico though, Africa is not yet able to understand how pollution is damaging the fragile ecosystem the people are inhabiting. I am concerned that despite the assistance provided to Africa, it is rapidly destroying itself. I thought I would be driving for miles through uninhabited land to reach the game parks. Up to now we have only had to go off the main highway a few miles to get to fenced areas where the 'wild' animals live. As the population increases the amount of land available for the animals can only diminish.

There is a lot of Aids/HIV clinics, even in the small areas and Sam has said the govt is making a concerted effort to get it under control. Anyone can go in for a free test and young women are encouraged to have a test before they become pregnant. He said the difficulty in Africa is that most of the governments in the countries are very inept and until their children are educated and become the leaders, there will continue to be problems.

We arrived at the Lake Elmenteita Camp and were greeted with hot towels and sparkling wine. Holy Mother of Luxury Tent Resorts!!! The entire camp is a tent from the lobby/dining building to the small buildings that hold the fire hoses. We got to our room and our jaws dropped...beauty beyond belief!

Corky and I both elected to miss supper...we were just too full. About an hour after dinner ended, the night manager came to our building to 'check the phone' but in reality, was concerned as to why we didn't come to supper. She had one of the staff bring us down a tray of cheese and crackers and then another boy came down with hot water bottles and turn down the beds. God, I have GOT to win the lottery!

We are meeting at 8 am tomorrow and being taken for a camp breakfast. Can't wait. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

22 & 23 Sep 2014 - Mt Kenya National Park

The 'bedroom' in our second tented room.

Bathroom in above room. Shower is built for 10 people.

Our breakfast Masai piper.
 

Corky helping to remove roof for morning game drive.

As much as we hated to leave, another adventure awaits!

We did a short game drive in the morning and lo and behold we saw an lion....lying under some trees in the distance but a lion it was! Yes, I should have invested in that extra long lens but it is what it is. There were numerous Giraffes and Oryx, Zebras and Antelope, and beautiful birds galore.

It was a four-hour drive into the mountains to the Mt Kenya National Park. It cooled off quickly and the fertile fields were busy with planting and/or harvesting....depending on what it was. One area is totally filled with massive greenhouses....literally hundreds of acres as far as the eye can see and it's all flowers. Every day flowers are trucked to Nairobi and flown to all part of the globe. There are also some vegetable greenhouses but the majority are flowers....roses particularly. It certainly provides some much needed employment.

After a short climb up a mountain road we arrived at our destination lodge and I immediately booked a massage and pedicure. Because we have been sitting in airplanes and the jeep for so long, my feet were starting to swell and I just needed a 'settle down' massage. It certainly worked...I went to supper feeling very relaxed and had awesome looking toes to boot.

The lodge rims a watering hole where the animals come in to drink. A small herd of Cape Buffalo came in and before we left for supper, one of the guides asked if we wanted to be awakened if a Leopard came in through the night. We opted to take our chances and get up early instead and this morning we watched some Antelope until two Hyaenas trotted down the path and sent them scattering. Each room faces the watering hole and every room has a balcony for viewing as well as viewing areas throughout the hotel.

It's much cooler but when we got back to our room after supper, someone had come in to turn down the beds and slipped a hot bottle in the bed. Very nice. We are off to breakfast and then back in the van to our next location and an afternoon game drive. I will update later with pics. xx

Update: wrote a ton and internet crapped out. Will re-do later about our incredible lodgings tonight (23 Sep).

21 Sep 2014 - Another wonderful day on safari

We were woken at 05:30 by Daniel, our personal something-or-other, with coffee, tea, and cookies. Now THAT’S the way I like to wake up in the morning! We were in the van by 06:30 and seeing the most amazing birds. Africa certainly has the fancy-dancy animals but it is also a bird lovers paradise. Again, I will need to buy a book to identify all the golden, iridescent, tufted, hooded, etc. birds I saw in a couple of hours this morning.

There is the regular ‘Big 5’ and the Samburu has the ‘Special 5’. We’ve seen them all but one and perhaps we’ll see that on our afternoon drive.  It’s so wonderfully cool  during the morning drive and so wretchedly hot during the afternoon drive but I’m too afraid of missing something not to go.

This morning we had a herd of Zebras go by and saw some beautiful  Oryk.  We are still waiting to see Lions and I suspect we’ll see them this afternoon as we witnessed on of nature’s tragedies this morning.

We had seen a big giraffe on our side of the river and headed down that way to get a better view. As we got closer we saw another smaller giraffe starting to cross the river, seemingly to meet his friend on the other side. He got to a small sandbar and stopped. As he stood there it was clear he was sinking into the mud. I commented that if he didn’t soon move, he wouldn’t get out. The words were hardly out of my mouth before he tried to lift his front feet out and fell onto his side with a thunderous BANG! We all were shocked and waited to see if he would get up. He lay still for quite a while and then made an attempt to rise, but couldn’t. It appeared that his hind legs were still stuck in the mud and our guide, Sam felt that he would never be able to get up. Radio traffic between the guides informed up that he had tried to cross twice before and kept returning because he was unsure. We waited for a few more minutes but he didn’t move again and none of us wanted to watch any more. Sam was upset even though he understands nature is often unfair, but I think he was going to drive back to see if there was any change.

UPDATE: He got out! We went back in the afternoon and he was gone. While we were sitting there discussing the various scenerios, a van pulled up beside us from the African Reticulated Giraffe Project and the researcher informed us that the Giraffe indeed got out and they were looking for it to see which one it was. Each giraffe has unique markings and when he found out we all had photos of the event, he asked if we would e-mail some to him so that he could see which one.  We were all glad it had a happy ending!

It was already starting to get warm when we got back to the lodge at 09:30 but we all tucked into a wonderful breakfast and then headed back to our tent or the lobby to relax and read or (for me) do yesterday’s blog and start this one. A group of Masai came in to perform for the guests and I managed to get two of them to give me a private modelling session for which I paid them fairly. The young girl told me the hours she has put into her beaded collars, which is designed to attract a handsome warrior. Without the tourism industry here, life might be much tougher for them. The photo of the boy above shows the beaded regalia they wear...the girls have even more....but that nice collar he is wearing is now mine!

Colin and I went back to our luxury tent and sat on the porch while the monkeys played on the rafters above our heads or lounged on the railing. They are cute as anything but we have to zip and tie the tent securely or they will get in and destroy the place looking for anything edible. Before we could decide on whether or not a nap was in order, it was time to change batteries and head to the lodge for the afternoon drive. We've seen so many beautiful sights already that it's hard to pick out highlights but I have never seen so many Giraffes in one place at one time in my life. Can you imagine seeing one in the distance and as you get closer you start to see two, then three, then four and on and on. There was a small herd of Oryx, with long straight horns...so lovely. A large herd of Zebras meandered around us and endless bright birds. I'm loving all the weaver birds and the Acatia trees filled with their little woven nests.

It was back to the lodge for a quick shower and then to the lobby to download photos and try to post e-mails etc before dinner is served. We are both in bed and asleep by 09:30 but there is something magical about falling asleep to the sound of the bells around the necks of the small camel herd across the river. The beds in this lodge are a bit hard but it hasn't kept either of us awake for long.

I've hardly been through my photos so I'm just picking a few from the day to post. I think it will be at least a week's worth of looking before anything gets on the website. Until next time, love and hugs to all.

20 Sep 2014 - Into Africa

Our African adventure has ‘officially’ started! We were picked up at our hotel by Sam at 0800 and met the other 3 people who will be part of our safari group for the next 7 days.  We were soon packed up and on our way out of Nairobi and I can’t say I’m unhappy to leave. The pollution here is extreme and I find it’s actually hard to breathe. The hundreds on trucks and cars spew out black exhaust and there is a foggy haze throughout the city.

We drove….and drove....and drove….for a total of 8 hrs! Just when Corky and I were getting ready to declare our backsides officially dead and our lumbar discs beyond repair, we arrived at our destination. However, as the saying goes, it’s not about the destination but the journey, and that was definitely true in this case.

We have only been here a short time but I am already filled with so many conflicting emotions. Firstly, I am happy and thrilled to have this opportunity to spent time in such a different culture. Being here is a dream come true and the excitement of experiencing things without being in a zoo or watching National Geographic is extreme.

I’m also learning that we don’t really understand what is happening outside of our comfort zone or our own backyard.  Seeing it firsthand vice watching a 60-second bite on the news is entirely different.  The sheer size of the population is beyond belief and given that 45% of the population is unemployed makes poverty overwhelming. While we have some pretty bad examples of it in North America, it is nothing to how people live…..or rather exist…. here.  Most the drive here was through populated areas…from the worst in Nairobi to the more lush in the mountain area. Because it was Saturday, and market day, most of the small towns were filled with people buying and selling ‘stuff’.  Knowing we were going to be at our game lodge before supper, I kept wondering how the hell the animals had any room to roam.  Local people were tilling the areas beside the highway to plant gardens and there is not much land left that is not fenced or being worked.

On a happier note, we got to Samburu Game Reserve and Sam took us on a 2-hr game drive before going to our lodge. All our aches and pains immediately disappeared when we had to stop to let a herd of approximately 30 elephants cross our path.  Our game vehicle is perfect….we each have more than enough room to stand and see out the top to take photos so there was lots of clicking and whirring of cameras. There were a couple of bulls, lots of females and 4 or 5 little ones. A short  drive down the road and there was a big, beautiful  giraffe. It will be a full time job identifying all the animals we have seen so far. Sam told us the name of everything but sometimes we were so wrapped up in what we were looking at, we instantly forgot.

It was getting quite hot so we elected head for the hotel and a cool shower. This is our ‘luxury  tent’ hotel and it is amazing! We got out of our vehicle and were given cold clothes to wipe our hands and face and a cold glass of some delicious juice to wash down the fine, red dust that we’d covered ourselves in during the game drive. After showering and changing, we headed to the lodge for dinner and were once again impressed with our choices.

I don’t think there’s been a night yet that we haven’t been sound asleep by 9:30 pm and tonight won’t be any different. The generator running the electricity goes off at midnight which means no overhead fan but I suspect it will cool down enough to sleep. We have monkeys that roam the grounds and have been warned to keep our tent zippers closed and tied tightly or we may have some unwanted visitors in the night.  No problem……

I’m reading all your comments and it’s so nice to know you are taking another trip with me…thank you! Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

20 Sep 2014 - OMG.....Up close with a herd of elephants!

For those of you who are following, I will combine today's blog and tomorrow's after our early game drive--reason being we are quite a walk from our tent, it's pitch dark, I'm starving, and I left the memory card in my camera! The Wifi is only available at the lobby. I'll type it in Word in our tent and then add it to tomorrow's blog w/photos

19 Sep 2014 - In and out of Nairobi

We were two bleary-eyed people waiting for our driver to pick us up at the hotel this morning...at 04:30! Yes, we went to bed early but I guess I thought it was just another nap and woke up at midnight and couldn't get back to sleep. Safe to say, once we got on the 2-hr flight to Johannesburg, I was out like a light. We only had a short wait before getting on a 6-hr flight to Nairobi and again, I didn't see much of it. Corky is very jealous that I am able to tune out so quickly on an airplane....he's a wee bit sleep deprived I think but we'll be on a more scheduled routine beginning tomorrow and I think that will help. (By the way Debbie....he holds his own in the snoring department!).

We were met at the airport by Goway's agent, 'Jay' and guide 'Sam'. Sam will be our guide for the next 7 days and there are only 3 others on our tour so we'll be a close knit group for a week. He picked us up in our game jeep, which only holds 6 so we will each have lots of opportunity to see and photograph without climbing over someone. We have both commented numerous times that Goway, and it's representatives throughout the trip, have been nothing short of spectacular. There was a small herd of giraffe's in a reserve right next to the airport so I guess that was our welcoming committee.

While Cape Town was clean and quite lovely, Nairobi is....not so much. Our hotel is lovely but there's been some terrorist activity here during the last few years and before we could go into the hotel, our baggage and our bodies were searched a la airport security. Quite an eye opener! Once in the hotel, it's business as usual.

The lobby and hallway walls are filled with African artifacts and it's an education just looking at the tapestries and other things in the showcases. I'm hoping to be able to buy a few pieces of beadwork but it will have to be something I'm sure someone local has made vice souvenir shops.

We were both exhausted but I put my bathing suit on and went down for a good long swim. Corky stood under a steaming shower for a long time and in our own way, we both loosened up. I know why most people come to Africa for at least 2 weeks....that flight time is hard on anyone's body!

Going out of the hotel to a restaurant is out of the question....the staff advise you don't be on the streets after 5:30 pm. Fortunately they have a spectacular restaurant and we ended up choosing the buffet. The food selection was beyond belief...roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, veggie lasagna, seafood paella, rock lobster, giant prawns and a thousand other things...some of which I didn't recognize. Dessert was another adventure and when the bill came it was less than $30. Restaurants here are very cheap, even our steak dinners, with wine, was less that $35 for the two of us.

There are lots of Asian and American tourists and I guess Africa is a destination of choice for those in the Netherlands as we hear lots of Dutch being spoken. The English/Dutch influence was certainly strong in Cape Town and the English signs in Johannesburg and Nairobi are a result of England's rule in times past.

It was rush hour on the way from the airport and frankly, the foul exhaust spewing from the trucks and cars made breathing difficult. Jay explained that this road was a main highway from Mombasa to the furthest points in all directions hence the large numbers of trucks...like our 401 I guess.

We have had a couple of discussions with our guides on the social issues in Africa. Unemployment is in the 35%-45% range and there is no social safety net....ie no welfare. Because of the sheer numbers of homeless  and unemployed, homes and business are mini fortresses, complete with electric wire or barbed wire on top of walls and our guide yesterday told us the saddest part is that Africa has so many resources but has been so badly managed.

We will be picked up at  08:00 tomorrow and finally begin our safari adventure. Hopefully, there will be photos to reflect what we get to see! Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

18 Sep 2014 - Rainy and cold in Cape Town

Distressing to see the rope around the seal`s neck and not able to help.

Cape of Good Hope

African Penquin Mom and Baby
 

The flower of Africa

Tree Canopy at Kirstenbosch (botanical garden)

We faced a rainy, cold and windy day when the alarm went off at 6 am. Today we had a full-day tour of the peninsula that included a stop at the Cape of Good Hope and a visit at one of only 3 African Penguin colonies.

The driver picked us up and we headed out towards the coast with the rain coming down either in a mist or in torrents before the sun peaked out for a short time just to tease. We stopped at a harbour so that some fools could get on a boat and battle 10-15 ft swells, to go out and see a few seals on a rock. They had to turn around and come back because it was just too rough. I doubt they got their money back. There were lots of seals in the harbour and of course there had to be one with rope around it's neck that has cut deeply....it caused a lot of distress as there's nothing to be done about it.

The next stop was the Cape of Good Hope. It's a bit surreal to know you've looked at it on the map since Grade 4 and now you are standing there. The wind was blowing a 'right gale' as they say in Nova Scotia and once the rain started again, we headed for the van....that cheap rain coat I got paid for itself.

We went to the penguin colony and it was awesome. I'd like to write more about it, and will at a later date when I have more time, but I wouldn't have wanted to miss that. There were juvenile chicks and parents laying on eggs so we saw it all. The final stop was the Botanical Gardens....all the spring flowers are out and again, I will do a make-up blog because.....

It is 3 am and we are leaving for Kenya in another hour. We were in bed at 9 pm last night but I only slept for a couple of hours so expect the flight will be a short one for me! Corky wants to know when the holiday starts as we have been on planes and getting early wake-up calls for the past 4 days. I remind him this is an 'event', not a vacation. We are one night in Nairobi and then head for the game reserves to start our safari's....can't wait!

I did not wish my darling son 'Happy Birthday' yesterday but definitely did not forget him. Love you Kevin!

Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx

17 Sep 2014 - Where are the sharks?

Our hotel from the boardwalk.

Table Mountain is cloaked in cloud today. Good thing we went yesterday!

Corky got his wakeup call at 05:00 and was downstairs ready and waiting for his pickup only to get the call from the company...."Sorry, the water is way too rough today...can you reschedule?" He was so disappointed--this was one of the highlights of the trip for him and of course, rescheduling was not an option. We found out later that all these tours were cancelled for the next two days because of impending storms heading for Cape Town.

That changed the day for both of us. Neither one of us went back to sleep so we decided to have another mondo breakfast and then wander the waterfront and poke in some shops as souvenir shopping probably won't happen once we are on safari. We probably walked a few miles through the wonderful shops on the waterfront and given the lack of room in our duffle bags, no doubt saved hundreds of dollars as we just don't have the weight allowance or room to bring stuff home. We sure saw some amazing things though....fabulous African masks and other carved things were so cheap we said we'd almost feel guilty buying them anyway.

By noon I was dragging my proverbial butt and neither afternoon tea or a massage could keep me away from the bed. Corky went out to do a bit more poking around the harbour and I was out like a log for about 3 hours. It's a strange weather day...high winds and overcast but every once in a while the sun came through and we are digging for sunglasses.

Our hotel is right on the coastline by the harbour and there is a walking path along the shore which we decided to wander and work up an appetite for supper. There is a colony of Cormorant birds here....I've never seen so many (thousands & thousands) in one place at one time. A flight of them went by and I'm betting it took 20 minutes from the time the first and last of the bunch went by us. At Robben Island yesterday there was a rookery of Ibis which I'd been wishing I could have spent some time photographing but it's a protected sight and we couldn't get off the bus.

We went to a steak house at the waterfront for supper and had an amazing dinner. I actually refused the French fries and got mashed instead....my system says it is time for non-airline, non-fast food-food...and it was a nice change and the veggies were terrific. From what we have seen, restaurant eating is very reasonable here. As the photo above shows, we had the opportunity to choose from some traditional South African fare or the regular. Today we chose regular...tomorrow...who knows? Corky is not very adventurous when it comes to food but I don't think I can leave Africa without trying Springbok or Warthog!

We walked around the harbour for a bit and enjoyed some local bands but we are both looking forward to a quiet night in front of the television. We are up early tomorrow for a full day tour along the coast and although I slept the afternoon away, I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight.

The beds are so comfortable in this hotel which is good as my back is still recovering from the trip over. Corky sent some laundry out this morning and we laughed when we got back to our room after dinner as his jeans and t-shirt were returned, clean, ironed and gift wrapped! We had fresh rose petals on and beside the bed and our slippers were clean and ready to wear. What a wonderful place!

I suspect we are going to need our raincoats tomorrow...rain is clearly in the forecast. Until next time, love and hugs to all. xx 

16 Sep 2014 - Robben Island and Table Mountain

Nelson Mandela's prison cell.

Grave in leprosy cemetery.

Overlooking Cape Town from Table Mountain.

We had a wake-up call for 6 am so that we'd have time enough for the whole morning routine plus breakfast before we headed for Robben Island on the 9am ferry. Corky slept the entire night and I woke up at 3:30 am but went back to sleep and didn't even hear the phone ring. Corky had the pleasure of waking 'Scary Lynne'. I think he's trying to figure out how to wake me without being in the same room. lol

I expect to be 100 lbs heavier and you would have to see the beautiful breakfast buffet to understand....and I don't even like breakfast! We have a pianist playing classical music while we try to choose between thousands of items, including oysters, and if perchance you don't see something that tickles your fancy, you just ask your waiter to order it from the kitchen. I had some kind of breakfast casserole that was to die for, and some kind of spicy sausage that may yet kill me.....the night is early. We sat outside on the patio to eat as it was a beautiful morning.

The 45-minute ferry ride to Robben Island was a tad rough. We estimated the swells to be about 10-12 feet a nd when the ferry beside us disappeared in the 'trough', we knew we weren't underestimating their size. Everyone was glad to enter the small harbour and get off the boat. Buses were waiting to take everyone on a tour of the island. It's difficult to describe the experience of being there and knowing you are walking the same paths as Nelson Mandela and the other political prisoners held there for so many years with no real cause. They have former prisoners that act as tour guides within the prison itself can answer questions with real authority. Knowing that this 'history' took place in the 1990's was shocking once you saw and heard why they were imprisoned and how they lived. It was sobering, to be sure, and although we were both tired we were glad we didn't miss the opportunity to see everything on the island. The island also hosted those who were chronically ill and those who had leprosy. We hopped the fence and visited the leprosy cemetery so...............

It was 'goodbye afternoon nap' once we realized today would be the only opportunity for us to visit Table Mountain. We quickly headed downstairs and they shuttled us there and we went up the tram. From the top you get a 360 degree view of Cape Town and area. We had a beautiful day to do it...clear as anything and just warm enough that we didn't need a jacket. We thoroughly enjoyed this visit. The hotel sent the shuttle to pick us up....if this is how the 'other half' lives, I want it!

We are both still stiff and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow while Corky plays with the Great White Sharks. I caught sight of the afternoon tea served in the hotel (a harpist, 30+ types of little cakes, tarts, and such, and tea in antique cups) so that's now on my schedule plus a bit of browsing in some of the nice shops in the harbour area shops...or there's the hotel spa to visit, etc. etc. We stopped in a few places to browse today and I saw a few little things that peaked my interest.

Our bathroom has a gi-normous bathtub that I'm going to fill and soak out some of the kinks. Until next time, love and hugs to all.

15 Sep 2014 - We are in Africa!

Holy Mother of long distance aircraft pain.....we have arrived! All flights left/arrived on time, KLM has awesome service and excellent food and once we can stand up straight again, we will be fine.

We did the bus to Montreal and had no problems finding the KLM spot. It was a full load but 6 hrs to Amsterdam wasn't a big problem. The seats are so damn cramped...I was in the middle which is fine but once the individual in front of me put his seat back, I was 'in for the night'. Now Wayne won't understand this but within a half hour of the flight leaving I had my leopard skin eye mask on and the blanket wrapped around me and only came out of a sound sleep when I smelled the roast beef dinner but wasn't even tempted. Both Corky and I slept through whatever dinner was being served and probably woke up about an hour before we landed. We only had about an hour to find our gate in Amsterdam and get a quick snack before we got on the l-o-n-g haul to Cape Town.

The 11-hr ride was definitely long and Corky's back is much worse that mine so he was in real pain. He was a trouper though and we both ate, dozed, and watched tv or read. The last two hours were agony and all we could think about was getting off the plane and finding out how we can upgrade our seats on the flight home. I was seriously locked in my seat and the poor girl next to the window had to wake me from a sound sleep because she couldn't wait any longer to go to the washroom. In this case, it's definitely NOT about the journey but about the destination.

Once we got off the place in Cape Town and collected our luggage we headed for the arrival area. I did not have my camera to take that 'once in a lifetime' photo of someone standing in line holding a placard and our name on it....damn. We were driven through the city to the waterfront and pulled up to the most beautiful hotel. From the moment we opened the van door we were pampered and treated like royalty. Our room is magnificent and the highlight was the rose petals on the bed and on the little floor mat beside our slippers. Yep....Corky is definitely able to see where all his $$ is going.

We have a tour to Robben Island tomorrow to see the prison and museum where Nelson Mandela was held and while we wished it wasn't a morning trip, we won't miss it.

And so the adventure finally begins! I know it will go quickly and we have both said we will be savouring every moment of the next three weeks.