Our Third Trip to South Africa - August, 2006

August 23

Our 3rd trip to South Africa began in Washington, D.C., where we spent the night. Our itinerary was divided into 3 segments: (1) Phoenix-D.C., (2) D.C. - Johannesburg, with a stop (no plane change) in Dakar, Senegal (including plane fumigation!) and (3) Johannesburg-Cape Town. Total travel time: 20 hours and in coach this time. (Thank God for Ambien because trying to sleep in a coach seat requires drugs!!)

August 25

We arrived Johannesburg on time and so did our bags! (One always wonders, doesn't one?). We cleared customs quickly, but waited quite a while in South African Airways line to re-check our bags to Cape Town. While standing in line, we observed passengers in front of us stepping out of line to pay to shrink-wrap their bags?? I asked why and the reason was a lot of luggage theft and breaking into bags takes place in South Africa, especially out of "Joburg." So, I guess the shrink wrap was supposed to be a deterent?? Who knows . . . we opted to not do it. Our SAA flight to Cape Town left on time and was an easy 2 hour flight. Our bags arrived, too, intact.

We grabbed our luggage and walked a short distance to the Avis rental agency where we picked up our car.

Toyota Corolla . . . perfect for scooting around the Cape!

(They drive on the left side of the road)

It was a gorgeous winter day in the Cape when we arrived and thought we'd have an easy, simple drive to our hotel in Camps Bay.

We followed the directions given to us by the hotel but as often is the case in communication between foreign lands, the directions were unclear and so we got lost. What should've been an easy 20 min. drive ended up taking about 45 mins. No worries, though . . . once we arrived we were in awe! Since we booked the property on-line, we could only go by their website. In this case, the website matched the actual property. It was heaven! Camilla greeted us and made our stay unforgettable! http://www.campsbayretreat.com/

The Retreat was a very charming, restored old home set high on a hill, nestled in thick foliage with breathtaking views of the Atlantic from the veranda.

The perfect place for champagne and unwinding, don't you think?

This was our room . . .

It even had a hot water bottle on each side of the mattress!

(Their winter, remember?)

A few more shots (below) of the two dining areas
where breakfasts & dinners were served.
(All hotel rates in South Africa typically include breakfast)

Indoors for an incredible breakfast every morning . . .

. . . and outdoors where we dined on our final night.

Tonight for dinner, we decided to just walk a short distance into the town of Camps Bay on the beach and have some champagne and hors d'oeuvres @ the bar in Paranga (we're told by the bartender it meant "hat on the beach" in Greek?). I'd describe the ambience as "happening" . . . good looking group of people, great music (Hotel Costes!) and a very friendly bartender. http://www.paranga.co.za/

August 26

After enjoying our fabulous breakfast and the mountain view of the 12 Apostles from our table, we started exploring by driving to DeWaterkant . . . a very architecturally colorful village in the process of renovation. Carmilla suggested we check it out. Most of the buildings were erected by slaves from the East and by free natives who mainly practiced Islam. Because many of the inhabitants were thus Muslim/Malay, the entire Bo-Kaap area became know as the Malay Quarter.

Exploring always leaves us thirsty.

Wine @ Andiamo was our next stop!

After we finished exploring DeWaterkant, we thought we'd drive over to the Cape's waterfront again and look for the place we wanted to have dinner. I read about "THE" place for mussels in Food and Wine called Den Anker so that's where we went. The view was spectacular (Table Mountain & sunset!) but the food quality very overrated (sorry Food & Wine), however, the sauvignon blanc was great!

Table Mountain in the background

August 27

Today we drove to Hermanus, a coastal town known for it's whale watching. The day was glorious again . . . so let the adventures begin! Well, once again, the directions were wrong and the typical 1 hour drive took 1 3/4 hours. We eventually found Hermanus and the only thing we saw remotely connected to a whale was the whale crier!

Hermanus has the only Whale Crier in the world, Wilson Salukazana. The Whale Crier walks through the streets of Hermanus blowing codes on his kelp horn to tell people where whales have been seen. The key to these code is on the sandwich board he wears. The Whale Crier walks about from 10am to 4pm every day in whale season, June-November.

Hermanus - View over Walker Bay towards Voelklip

Hermanus Village Square

It was time to leave Hermanus and drive back to Cape Town but not without getting lost again! Can you believe it? This time, we made a wrong turn into a township. (Yikes! Suffice it to say it was pretty obvious to everyone around us that we DID NOT belong.)

By late afternoon, we arrived back @ Camps Bay Retreat in time for some leisurely reading on the veranda before the "braii" for our dinner. (A braii is a South African BBQ.) So you can get a visual of a "braii", it's usually grilled food served on a wooden table, similar to our picnic tables. Pretty informal. But this night, our incredible chef grilled filet mignon and rack of lamb and served it to us on candlelit tables on our veranda! (O.K. . . . by this time, I definitely want to spend a month here next year!)

August 28

This morning, we checked out of Camps Bay Retreat to drive to Franschhoek in the wine country for a few days. Total drive time from Cape Town to Franschhoek: 1.5 hrs (and we didn't get lost this time!)

We checked into LeQuartier Francais, a Relais Chateaux property which we both absolutely love. If you have never stayed in a Relais Chateaux property in the world, treat yourself and do it! www.lequartier.co.za/

The weather changed when we arrived and there was
a definite chill in the air.

. . . so Stanley, the inn's manager made sure the fireplace was lit when we arrived, except he forgot to open the flu (can ya' tell by the hazy photo?) . A "welcome" treat was on the table which were these incredibly yummy sesame cheese balls. I asked for the recipe, which they were kind enough to email, but the measurements were in the metric system and the quantity enough to serve 100! (haven't made them yet!)

We had our first dinner and breakfasts in this room, iCi. Dinner the first night consisted of a Ceasar salad to start and Kingclip (local fish) for my entree. Dale had an incredible pear and cheese souffle to start and filet for his entree. He said it was the best he's ever had! Of course, sauvignon blanc to accompany!

(Are you getting the feeling that all we do is eat and drink? Pretty much, with a little sight-seeing in between. And, honest! The animals are coming!)

When we got back to our room, the fireplace made everything so cozy . . . and the hot water bottles on each side of the mattress took the chill and dampness out of us.

Franschhoek is a little village in the heart of the wine country, surrounded by mountains. It started to rain at night and the mountains became cloud covered. I wondered if there would be snow in the morning?

. . . guess so!

We had a late breakfast, put on our rain gear then walked the village exploring the shops and 2 museums whose history told about the Huguenots, who founded Franschhoek in 1688. (Charlize Theron is a descendant of the Huguenots) http://www.museum.co.za/

I was just about "museumed out" by early afternoon, so we decided to drive to a nearby vineyard/resort recommended to us by Camilla (@ Camps Bay Resort) because of the resort's very unique restaurant, Verger. (Karen, think about how to describe this). The resort was set on some pretty incredible grounds, all vineyards and orchards. Even though it was pouring we could appreciate all of it. The architecture was that of Cape Dutch. www.lefranschhoek.co.za

On the way back to Le Quartier Francais, we stopped at a winery, Haute Carbriere, whose main grape production is pinot noir from which they produce some very, very nice champagne (ooops, I mean "sparkling wines") including a combo champagne/pinot noir. Of course, we got caught up in the moment and wanted to buy several cases and ship them home until we learned the cost of shipping! http://www.cabriere.co.za/

Time to rest up before our final evening in Franschhoek and our 4-course "Tasting Room" dinner @ Le Quartier Francais. It was so difficult to decide what to order, we asked our server to ask the chef to make the choices for us as long as each was different for the two of us. Well, the experience was a literally a culinary work of art. I asked the server for a copy of our menu and to highlight what we ordered and ate so I could show both of my gourmet clubs!

The Tasting room @ LQF
(Our final night in Franschhoek this trip)

August 30

Today we drove drive back to Cape Town, get on a plane to fly to Johannesburg where we hooked up with friends and all drive 4 hours to a private game preserve for 4 nights on safari. (Finally . . . the animals!!!)

Before the road trip began, we spent the night with our friends at their home in Linksfield, an upscale suburb of Johannesburg with heavy security (high surrounding walls, electrical barbed wiring on the top of the alls, 2 electric entry gates.) We met their staff and menagerie of "fur people" . . . 2 dogs and 2 cats.

That evening we all went out for dinner to their favorite, local Portugese restaurant called Ponto de Encontro. They insisted we have one of their favorite dishes called Chicken Piri Piri (a very hot spicey seasoning). Loved it!

August 31

Early call this morning because we had a 4+ hour drive to the private game reserve. We made a few stops along the way for gas so I took a photo opportunity.

Dale's sole on his boot was coming apart so this lovely lady
repaired it for him while we were getting gas

I love this flower . . . Plumeria (or Frangipani)

We arrived @ Kapama River Lodge (one of 3 Kapama properties) and our first stopping point, where we we unloaded our bags into our ranger's Range Rover for transport to Buffalo Camp. www.kapama.co.za

This was the entrance to Kapama River Lodge.
Shouldn't we be staying here???

Dale sure thinks so!
(What you can't see is the swimming pool)

This is the Range Rover that transported us and our luggage to
Buffalo Camp where we spent 3 nights in a tent

Kapama Private Game Reserve borders eastern Kruger and is about a 30 minute drive from the town of Hoedspruit, where there is also an airport. If there is a "next time" at Kapama, we'd probably fly in.

When we arrived @ Buffalo Camp, our ranger, Paul, introduced us to his tracker, Themba who is Shangaan. These 2 guys would be with us for the duration of our stay including all our meals. (Oh, except Themba; no trackers join the guests for meals; only rangers).

This was our home for 3 nights

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good shot of the interior

Amenities included: 2 twin beds, bedding, 2 night stands,
en suite bathroom, canvas closet, electricity


All the tents were named after wild animals


Every morning, or afternoon wild animal noises could be heard
Often we'd see the animals right from our porches!

Here is a typical daily safari schedule at a private game reserve:

5:30A - wake up (I know! Can you believe it?)
6:00A - group gathers, coffee, morning game drive
(stop en route for coffee &rusks)
9:00A - return to camp, breakfast
10:00A - bush walk (if desired)
12:00P - lunch
3:00P -tea
4:00P - group gathers for afternoon game drive and sundowners
7:00P - return to camp, dinner

Even though the daily schedule and routine never vary, the animals and their habits in their natural habitat are never planned and always exciting! It's the reason we have been 3 times!

Our first game drive today was in the afternoon. As it turned out, it was pretty uneventful because all we saw was a herd of Cape buffalo (about 100). We returned back to camp, frozen! (And ready for an evening cocktail and dinner!)

Cape Buffalo
(The buffalo is actually one of what is known as "The Big Five" so I guess that means we can check that one off the list! The others are elephant, leopard, lion and rhino)

At about 7:30P, guests started mingling and having cocktails and @ 8:00P we served ourselves dinner from an incredible buffet line expertly prepared by our chef, Luxon Mnisi. I wish I had taken a picture of the food! South African cuisine is quite hearty and plentiful (at least for tourists venues). By 9:00P we were in bed and trying to sleep, but it was so cold I couldn't even get warm with the electric blanket on. I had my long underwear on, my P.J.'s, socks and all the extra blankets on top of me. It was so heavy I couldn't even move but finally fell asleep.

September 1

I woke up on my own @ 5:30A because that's when the animals wake up! The sounds they make in the bush can only be appreciated and enjoyed by actually being in the bush. Imagine it: you're in a tent, on stilts, in the bush (their home!) and they're not fenced in! Phew!!

Our ranger agreed to start a little later this morning, so by 6:30A I was dressed (I already went to bed partially dressed, so how long could it take?? Besides, NO WAY was I taking a shower!) But, Bwana Dale popped in and didn't complain once.

What greeted us with a "good morning" as we walked on to the porch of our tent? A family of baboons! (They're pretty cool looking but can be very aggressive, so we just kind of ignored them as we each went on about our own business)

We learned at breakfast that our friends slept great; they were toasty warm BECAUSE they had a space heater in their tent! (Didn't know we were supposed to have one . . . guess they forgot to put one in ours!)

Our morning drive was the jackpot! First, the same 100+ herd of Cape buffalo. (Said good morning to those guys!) Then, 5 giraffe (3) adults and (2) kids, kudo, impala, warthogs, birds (Good Lord . . . the birds; South Africans are really into all the birds! Bwana Dale started renaming the birds with pretty clever, humorous names, i.e. how about: a Spanish Helmeted Inquisitor? Or, the Immer Feeder? He renamed or ranger, Paul, who had light red hair and freckles with: Red Tufted, 20-Something Ranger Freckler! I thought the South Africans we gonna die from laughter! It was a riot!!

Ranger Paul, a.k.a. "Red Tufted, 20-Something Ranger Freckler"

Wondering what he's got in his hand? Dried elephant spore, showing us how we/he can tell what the animal has been eating. Good Lord! (Do not even bring that near me!)

This is Themba, our Shangaan tracker

He sits perched on a seat that extends out and in front of the Ranger Rover. He tracks/looks for game clues then notifies the ranger with hand/arm movements (no words) that game are near. Our ranger can also speak and understand the Shangaan language.

We were en route to track a herd of elephant when we got sidetracked with a lion kill. A lion kill supercedes pretty much everything else out in the bush. Ranger Paul drove off road, into the bush, closer to the adult female where she was licking her bloody lips, while the male partner rested behind her. We were within 10 feet. The breakfast she was enjoying was zebra. Paul spotted the female's 4 cubs who we saw cross the road to join her. Paul said that one zebra will keep them all full for a few days. (If you look close, her cubs are to her right)


After spending about an hour watching, taking in all the scents and sounds of the bush, it was time to head back for our own breakfast . . . Meal tables in the bush are always so interesting; people from all over the world. This morning, there were two gals from Brazil, a single man from Argentina and a couple from Australia. And, of course, our charming, witty South African friends from Johannesburg, the Macklins. (Cameron, Luisa, son Michael and daughter, Toya).


We had leisure time before the next "feeding" (as we started calling all the meals!), so I just went back to our tent to journal and get our Malarone (anti-malarial meds). I had a wonderful surprise when I went inside our tent; a space heater! (Ranger Paul was pretty understanding when I expressed my discomfort our first night!). The temperature was in the high 60's now. Perfect!

Lunch, then afternoon game drive and more "sundowners" (cocktails of choice). During this afternoon game drive, we saw the same lioness feeding and her pride. By now, the carcus was just about bare. What a sight . . . one male, two females, 4-8 month old cubs all taking turns, resting in between. After the lion kill, we drove in search of a breeding elephant herd spotting beautiful giraffe along the way. Another jackpot!

This is one female member of the herd and her baby.

We were probably about 15 feet from this bull who broke away from his herd to let us know we were "too closer for comfort." He came out of the bush, on to the road and began to charge, trunk swaying, ears flapping; a definite sign of agitation. As he approached, we learned from Ranger Paul that this bull was in "must or musth" - a condition affecting male bulls when they reach maturity (12-16 years old). He was oozing a strong, smelly secretion from a gland behind his eye indicating he was ready to mate. (Guess we were interrupting a courtship??) They become disoriented and may be violent during this time. This guy was too close for my comfort level and I think Paul's, too. He put the Range Rover in reverse and swiftly drove back into the bush and away. Phew!!! That was exciting! Additional sightings on the way back to camp were porcupine, more zebra, that same 100+ herd of Cape buffalo, kudu, and a huge hippo family in the river.

September 2

After our morning drive, the Macklins and I wanted to visit the cheetah preserve while Dale chose to stay at the camp for some leisurely reading. This morning's game drive sightings included: rhino, inyata, impala, wart hogs, zebra and giraffe. (Note: while on safari at these private game reserves, there isn't a lot of "downtime" for exercise (can't get out of the vehicle!) or leisure/reading. You wake up early, do a game drive, have breakfast, do a bush walk if you want, have lunch, do another game drive, then have dinner.)

The grounds and setting at private game reserves are so gorgeous, and many guests don't stop to take the time to enjoy them because we're so busy looking for animals. . . but Dale did!

The Hoedspruit Cheetah Project focuses on the preservation of endangered animals and the cheetah whose present situation is considered "vulnerable."

Boy, I just want to take these guys home!

September 3

5:30A and it's time to get up . . . but not for the morning drive today, rather elephant riding in the bush @ Camp Jabulani. www.campjabulani.com. In 1997, abandoned 4-month-old Jabulani was found by Lente Rhoode, who rescued him and nursed it to health. Several years later, Lente saved another herd in Zimbabwe. Camp Jambulani was created to support the care of Rhoode's herd and Jambulani, who took to the herd after failed attempts to assimilate in the wild.

Riding an elephant in the bush should be experienced at least once. I was on my elephant with my 5'1" Zimbabwean guide sitting in front of me, less than 5 feet from our spotted friend above. It's hard to express the feeling of sitting on top of the largest mammal in the world, realizing you have no control whatsoever, lumbering through the bush, no fences, just the wild. My elephant was the first to leave the line-up in order to pull down tree branches. My guide really couldn't control it, so he just let it take down the branches and me still sitting on top of him! All I was thinking about was that my legs wouldn't get caught in the take-down of the branches! We finally returned back to the line after walking through the bush for an hour.
We returned to camp and packed up because we were moving to Kapama's Main Lodge for our 4th and final night. (Main Lodge, a 5 star property, was about a 45 minute drive from Buffalo Camp). This was a nice change from tenting even though we loved it!

This is the entrance to our suite

These are inyala . . .

They roam wild, are very timid and not aggressive at all

More of the grounds . . .

This is a view from the entrance into the library

Library

Another room in the library

Tea service every afternoon

We had lunch after we arrived and checked in. The food was inferior, especially for a 5 star rated property. All other meals afterwards were the same; non-eventful so I won't be commenting on the meals here. (Guess we were spoiled by the chef and his cooking @ Buffalo Camp!). But the highlight here wasn't the food, it was our ranger, Christie Jose and her tracker, Sydwell.

Christie was fresh out of "ranger school" she told us, but her tracker, Sydwell had 15 years experience in the bush. Together, they made an incredible team. Christie was enthusiastic and confident; Sydwell knew how and when to communicate to her. Watching them in action and being with them made our trip! Thank you, Christie & Sydwell!

Within the first hour, we saw 4 of the Big Five; leopard, lion, buffalo, wide rhino (some people think they're called a white rhino, but that's incorrect). We also saw kudu, impala and giraffe. Christie wanted to try for the herd of elephant she knew about but decided to go back to camp for dinner and try again the morning.

I took this shot and the next one to show that rhinos typically look away from one another, giving them a better vantage point to spot danger approaching since their eyesight is so poor.

September 4

Our last and final bush drive and it was out of this world . . . and the best ending to our 4 days in the bush.

Christie wanted to find the elephant herd right away. (She told us when we met her the first first day that she has a very special fondness and affection for elephants, particularly this herd).

En route, we passed a leopard kill, very rare we're told in the bush (prey was a duiker). The female leopard had her 2 cubs with her. (Difficult to see in the photo) Oh, my God! (And, we're so close to them!) We watched intently. (see how the tracker is perched on top and in front of the Range Rover?)


Then about 30 minutes later, after watching the leopard, Sydwell raised his left arm, not speaking, and motioned for Christie to slow down, then stop, then listen. We were all silent. Then, we all heard it! The cracking sound close-by of tree branches, indicating the herd.

Sydwell motioned again in the direction of the noise and Christie drove off-road into the bush toward the sounds. Then, all of a sudden, right there in front of us was the herd! Five adults (all females) and their babies ranging in age from 3 months to about 1 year. We were all speechless.

Sydwell sat quietly, looking on . . . .
We stopped the engine and just sat, watched and listened
for over an hour.

The 3 month old entertained everybody, including its siblings . . . rolling around in the grass, it crawled under the bellies of the adults, nudging and taunting with affectionate jabs. We loved it!Christie said there's one elephant in the herd who sometimes walks over to the Land Rover to say good morning! Quite unusual, as this is a breeding herd and their behavior can be very unpredictable.

She no sooner got the words out of her mouth when one lumbered over to look at us, watch, come up to the Land Rover then turn and walk away. (WOW . . . this was a bonus!)

To give you perspective, this is how close he came.
(I didn't have my zoom on)
I was speechless again!

We definitely weren't ready to leave the herd, but Ranger Christie had to stop one final time for one lone Kalahari black-mained lion

Ya' think he's comfortable with us around? I think so!
(I took this shot from inside the Range Rover)

And this one, too.

By the time we returned to the lodge, we said our farewells and expressed our gratitude for an incredible experience . . . all because of Christie's skill and Sydwell's tracking abilities. Thank you both!

We all drove back to Johannesburg, said good-bye to our new friends, the Macklins and flew back to the U.S. via Washington, D.C. where we spent a few extra days exploring the sights . . . why not be a tourist in America?





This is my first attempt at blogging and it's been an great adventure of learning and re-living our time in the bush. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed doing it and writing about it.