Home Sweet Home

Yesterday or should I say "Yesterday and a Half" was a long day.  We left the hotel Sunday morning, and flew two hours to Johannesburg.  Flew 18.5 hours to Washington, DC with a refueling stop in Dakar, Senegal.  Landed in DC amid a winter snowstorm.  We had delays in taking off and had de-icing (always makes me nervous). Flew 2 hours to Chicago where there was no snow.  Chuck and John claimed luggage while Beth and I bought lunch.  We met in the bus terminal and boarded the 12:30 PM bus with probably a minute to spare.  Ate our lunches on the bus.  It was good to get home.

Reflections on our trip:

• Soccer (football) is very popular and everywhere. It is played with new balls, old balls, balls of plastic and tape, balloons, etc. In Capetown we drove by the Soccer Stadium where the 2010 World Cup was held.  Rugby and cricket are also popular.   Those three sports are on televison all the time. 
• We treasure the memory of the South African people.  They are very friendly--meet you on the street with eye contact and a genuine smile.  Their country has been through some hard times and is not perfect, but optimism prevails. 
• That's it for our Best of Africa adventure.   

Last Day in South Africa

This is it - the last full day in South Africa.  This morning 11 of us went with Dsami (our guide from the cultural tour) and Yusef, our bus driver, to Seal Island.  It was a rather short ride out to Seal island on a small charter boat.  The ride was rough which when added to a strong diesel smell caused some passengers to turn different shades of green and the crew hurriedly (but just in time) passed out barf bags --you get the picture.  The island was really several large piles of rocks completely covered with seals.  We took pictures from the boat and headed back to shore.  Time for a little shopping and a cup of coffee.  Yusef is a (self-proclaimed) colored man in his late 50's. His father was an Englishman and his mother was a Malay. He shared with us the SA history leading up to apartheid (1947) and his family's experience during and since 1994. Dsami is black and shared his story on the Cultural Tour of the township.  Both personal stories added much to our SA visit.  Should note that during apartheid, all were classified as black, colored, white, or Indian/Asian and carried a identification card at all times. 

Next, we visited Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.  Our guide, Andrew, was a very funny fellow who really longed to be a standup comic.  He had a deep insight into the botanical world and the specimens in the garden.  SA has many very unique species found only in this part of the world.  It was a pleasant way to spend a couple hours on a cool autumn morning.  This afternoon we took the hotel shuttle to the waterfront, ate lunch, and did a little shopping and walking around.  The area is large and includes a big shopping center, many, many restaurants with outside and inside seating, craft shops, grocery stores, crowds of people, and musical groups entertaining.  

Tonight is our farewell dinner.  Tomorrow we fly to Johannesburg, then to Dulles - with a refueling stop in Dakar, Senegal, then to O'Hare--arriving around 11:30 AM on Monday. 

This has been a great trip.  I will probably blog one more time after I get home.  Thanks for traveling with us.  

Cape Point Tour

Breakfast at the Cullinan Hotel starts with a beautiful buffet.  It even includes oatmeal--Chuck's choice.  There is a flute player outside the restaurant to add a touch of class.  When he tires of the flute, he switches to a saxophone.  Nice.  Today we toured Cape Point (the Cape of Good Hope), the pennisula that juts out into the Atlantic where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet.  We started up the Cape, headed to Chapmans Peak.  Our California travelers compared it to Pacific Highway.  Chapmans Peak had many switchbacks, reflective mirrors at the curves so you could see if someone was coming, cameras to alert the Highway people in case of rock slides or accidents,   many cyclist and hikers, and gorgeous scenery unobstructed by guardrails.  We stopped at a lookout and the camera crew caught up with us.  Oh yes, Vantage had a camera crew taking pictures throughout the day.  They plan to use the results in publicity about the SA trip.  We stopped to tour an Ostrich Farm.  Saw the whole process including eggs hatching today, a pen of ostrich chicks a week old, another pen of chicks 3 to 4 weeks old, and young at every age.  They are sold at 18 months.  There were 40 couples producing eggs---interesting.  We stopped at the Cape of Good Hope for a photo op.  The Cape is the Southwestern Most point in Africa.  Then we continued up the Cape for lunch.  Unfortunately, lunch took forever.  Rode the Funicular up to the Lighthouse --or almost there.  We rode back down the Funicular and caught the bus.  I'm not sure what happened next because I took a nap.  Woke up about the time we pulled into Simon's Town.  The bus let us off in a residential area.  We walked down the hill and wound our way down to the beach where we entered a National Wildlife Preserve for African Penguins.  We walked on raised board walks and the penguins walked below us going from the beach to their nests.  They did not seem frightened by all the noisy people above them.  The penguins were about 14" tall. They are an interesting bird.  Beth caught a van back to the bus.  Chuck, John, and I walked back UP to where the bus had left us off only to discovered that the bus had moved to a different location and we were the last to know.  We were a little hot and bothered by the time we got to the bus.  Had cooled off by the time we got back to the hotel.

Human Rights Day in South Africa

Today was Human Rights Day in South Africa which celebrated the end of apartheid.   It was a perfect day to visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 17 years.  Took the ferry to the island.  We were met by a bus and a former inmate (political prisoner) who summarized the events of Mandela's imprisonment.  The bus drove us around desolate Robben Island. We saw the Limestone Quarry where he served hard labor.  We toured the cell block where he had been incarcerated and saw his cell.  It was very sobering.  Took the ferry back to Cape Town.
We skipped the tour of the Diamond Museum and salesroom.  Chuck and John had made it clear that they were not interested in purchasing diamonds today.  Instead, we enjoyed a non-hurried lunch.  At 2 PM, we met the group for the Cape Town Cultural Township Tour.  Met our guide and boarded a smaller bus - perfect for our group of 18.  Stopped at the District 6 Museum which was in a historic Methodist Church.  The museum memorialized District 6 which was home to a multi-cultural population prior to the beginning of Apartheid.  When apartheid was declared the blacks were moved 20 miles away to a township.  District 6 was demolitioned..  Next we traveled to the township where the blacks were moved to.  Our guide pointed out where his family had lived.  We visited a craft shop which also taught crafts.  We visited the pottery class.  We visited the music class where we learned to play the 'bongo' drum and each had our own drum to play except for John who played the mirimba.  It was fun.  Back on the bus.  Drove by where women were preparing sheeps' heads for sale.  They dunked the sheeps' heads in boiling water to remove the fur/skin, then cooked the head, removed the brain, tongue, and meat for sale, etc.  Looked rather bizarre, but their product sold and they made money.  We moved on to visit a home where several families lived in the buildings that used to house the migrant workers.  One lady was sitting in the 'great room' doing laundry, another was making supper.  Each small room contained a family, a stove, refrigerator and a bed.  It was very compact.  Taking pictures felt very intrusive.  We continued and walked (watch where you step) to the bus.  Saw some women processing cows' heads.  Visited a woman making beer for sale.  On to see the medicine man (healer) who was making potions for customers.  By this point we were gritty and exhausted.  Time to call it a day.  

Table Mountain in Cape Town

Left Stellenbosch and drove about 45 minutes into Cape Town. As we drove into downtown, we could see the harbour on our right and Table Mountain in  the distance on the left.  We wound up into the foothills.  The day was still hazy.  When we were half way up the mountain, the bus stopped, and we boarded a cable car to take us to the top.  By then the day had cleared and more and more people showed up.  The cable car ride to the top was exciting.  Although there were rails and glass around the outer walls, you couldn't hold on because the floor rotated giving you a full 360 view.  At the top, we walked on trails, shopped at the gift shop, saw four different groups of school children on field days, and explored. We had gone up from sea level to 3800 feet. The views from the top were spectacular. Took the cable car back down and found our bus. Half way down the mountain we realized that we were missing one of our group.  It was tough to find a spot to turn around, but we did.  As we approached the parking lot, our lost sheep was standing there glad to see the bus.  Took a driving tour of downtown including the Houses of Parliament, City Hall, and Castle of Good Hope.  Toured a Goldsmith manufacturer and bought a few souvenirs. Arrived at the Cullinan Hotel and checked in.  Time to relax a bit.  

Wine, wine, wine

This valley reminds me so much of Napa Valley, California that I have to keep telling myself that we are in South Africa. The mountains are in the background.  The foreground is filled with grapevines, fruit trees, tidy wineries, trees, and beautiful scenery everywhere.  Took the bus to downtown Stellenbosch which is very picturesque complete with buildings on the historic register which are white washed and originally built by the Dutch with some thatching on the roof.  We visited some art galleries.  Justin sold me a oil on canvas painting of women in native dress.  Would rather have had some of his 6 or 7 foot tall carved wooden giraffes.  Got back on the bus to continue our drive.  Stopped by the prison where Nelson Mandela spent his last two years of emprisonment.  There was statue of Mandela mounted on a black marble pedestal surrounded by large rocks (adults) and small rocks (children).  Later Chuck had an interesting conversation with our bus driver who is a colored (SA term for mixed race) man.  He is a very gregarious chap and an excellent bus driver.  He told Chuck that before 1994 (the year SA became a democracy) he could never have had a good job like driving a bus.  Continued up the valley to Franshchock where the French winemakers originally settled into this area.  Forgot to tell you that it is harvest time here and we were seeing wagon loads of grapes pulled by tractors. Stopped for a little shopping.  Gertrude sold me an animal print that her husband had made.  On to Dieu Donne Wine Estate where we tasted four wines.  We particularly liked the Rose'.  Lunch next door at the Roca Restaurant.  Our guide said it would be the best meal of the trip and he wasn't kidding.  Chuck had a venison salad (thin slices of rare venison with vegetables) and I had a tomato salad.  I had ostrich over vegetables for my main course and he had fettucine with mushrooms.  Of course, we had delicious bread and plenty of butter.  The meal ended with creme brulee'.  I went back to buy a bottle of the Rose'.  The lady looked horrified.  She said they were all out and then found the LAST bottle.  They had filled a 480 bottle order for a German customer and underestimated how much they needed.to keep.  Back to the bus for the snooze --I mean 'ride' home.  

Down to the Wine Country

Last night was a good example of be careful what you ask for.  I said that we had not experienced rain so guess what happened during dinner.  Rain.  We were sitting outside on a deck which had a roof.  We were close to the edge so had to scoot in when the rain started.  We were entertained by a high school group of singers performing African music.  They did a beautiful job.  Our guide, John, bought us each an Irish Coffee to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and his Irish heritage.
Today was a travel day.  We left Kruger, bussed to the airport (over an hour), waited, flew to Capetown (2 hours and 1000 miles), bussed 45 minutes and arrived at Speir Hotel at Stellenbosch.  We are actually at a winery which has a hotel and conference center.  Our room is very large and includes a fireplace.  There was a reception (with plenty of wine)  aimed at influencing us to travel more with Vantage, followed by dinner.  Conversation flowed freely.  Time to end the day.  

St. Patrick's Day in Kruger

By 5:30 AM we were in the 'jeep' ready to start our early morning animal search.  John and Beth had not seen any lions up close so we asked Sinke if he could find some lions.  Almost immediately we came upon a lion laying at the side of the road. Two others were nearby.  Eventually the first lion got up, posed for pictures, then ambled off into the bush with the other two.  Pretty soon a hyena crossed the road.  There is a huge rock formation in the park.  It looks like very smooth rocks casually stacked together. They look like a scene out of "Lion King."  Chuck did a double take and noticed a baboon perched on the very top. It took binoculars, but you could see him up there. One lone elephant crossed the road. A flock of guinea fowl were gathered on the road, but scattered as we approached.  Also spotted some zebras, giraffe, and a large male warthog.  There was a herd of impalas that were on high alert making their bawling sound, heads up, and tails  cranking fast.  Never did find out what they were so upset about.  A brown snake eagle could be spotted high in a tree. The park has over 500 species of birds and we enjoyed seeing their colorful plumage.  As the drive wound down, we decided to not go on the afternoon game drive.  We needed some time to recoup.

Factoids:

*This is the end of the rainy season.  Other than the rain caused by the Falls, we have not seen any rain.  As a result, the vegetation is lush and the animals all look well-fed. The season here is the equivalent of early fall. 

*We have been warned to not leave our windows open (at the last three hotels) because monkeys and baboons will come in search of food and end up trashing the room.  

*This hotel is a series of open, thatch roofed buildings, connected by covered walk ways.  It includes a lot of outdoor living space. 

*Yesterday helicopters flew over the park several times in search of poachers. Since the beginning of the year 81 rhino and elephants have been found dead with their tusks harvested.  Poachers are not prosecuted: they are shot and killed on the spot.  

*The WiFi is down today so will post when we can. 

Animals, animals, animals

By 7:30 Am, we were leaving the hotel and entering Kruger Park, ready for our all-day animal ride.  It was cool:  a windbreaker felt good.  Sinki was our ranger of the day and driver.  The day started slowly with few sightings.  We did see a lion cub or should I say, we saw his ears twitching in front of a bush.  They can be very still and blend in with the surroundings.  We saw giraffes (4 different herds during the day with 4 to 6 in each).  Warthogs were abundant and always in a family group.  At 10:00, we took a potty break.  Kruger is very developed and huge (8000 square miles).  There in the middle of nowhere was a huge souvenir and department store and campground.  On the road again, we spotted some zebra, but it was hard to get a picture.  Finally, we spotted one bull buffalo and felt lucky.  Then we saw the rest of the herd- 20 more.  As we drove along, the driver suddenly stopped, slammed it in reverse, and there was a leopard up in a tree. It is almost unheard of to see a leopard in the daytime.  It leisurely got down and walked off into the bush.  Several times we saw elephants.  We also saw kudu (4th largest antelope)--both female and male with huge horns.  We stopped for a box lunch and filter coffee.  Back on the road, we drove for a long time with no action.  Sometimes on hard surface roads and sometimes on very rough terrain (think farm wagon behind a fast tractor moving over plowed ground). Saw a multitude of birds including the nests of buffalo weaver and the masked weaver.  Also spotted two hippos in a pond below the weaver's nest.  Saw a huge herd of zebras (at least 50) at a distance.  They looked like brown horses, until you used binoculars and then you could clearly see that they were zebras.  The driver spotted a baby hyena laying under a bush right along the road. Also saw two wildebeast bulls enjoying the heat of the day.  Forgot to tell you that by now it was 95 degrees.  The day was almost complete, but we had not seen any rhinos.  Up the road a few kilometers and there were five rhinos off in the distance.  Chuck complained that all his shots were fuzzy.  Just like that they started walking towards us---down the hill, and up towards the road until they were just across the road ditch from us.  By this time at least 15 vehicles were jockeying for position to get good shots of the rhinos.  We finished our shots and escaped the traffic jam.  We headed back to the hotel and spotted a young elephant just before we turned in to the hotel.  What a day! Dinner with friends and lots of conversation 

Back in South Africa

This was a travel day so the bags were out early and we were on the bus by 9:00AM.  Our first stop was the local primary school which has 1800 students (up to 7th grade) and 44 teachers. Three hundred of the students are orphans. We were greeted by the one teacher who was in charge today. That's right one teacher and 900 students because this was the morning session  and the rest of the teachers were at a meeting.  We were entertained by a dance team which included drummers, singers, and dancers.  There were probably 20 children.  They introduced themselves and told us what they wanted to be when they grow up.  Vantage had encouraged us to bring supplies or donate cash for the support of this school. We left our donations and then looked around.  One of the boys recognized John and Beth from our visit to their home for dinner the other night.  Chuck took pictures of the children playing and then showed them the pictures.  They loved that.  Back on the bus.  We left Zimbabwe: showed our visas and passport.  Entered Zambia.  Our guide collected $50 from each of us and showed our passports--we stayed on the bus.  Stopped at The Royal Livingston Hotel, a lovely resort ($1000 a night) on the north bank of the Zambezi River above the falls. Enjoyed a cup of coffee while looking at the river and the lush surroundings. On to the Livingston Airport where we went through security twice and then boarded a small (36 passenger, turboprop plane) for our flight to Krueger Mpumalanga International Airport.  The flight was about an hour and a half.  After landing we immediately had to show our yellow fever cards because we were returning to SA after visiting a yellow fever area.  Got on the bus for an hour and half ride.  We landed in an area that grows citrus crops, forestry crops of eucalyptus and pine, and vegetables for Johannesburg.  Many of the houses were small, no electricity, outhouses, and water carried from the public well.  The terrain was very hilly, almost mountainous. Eventually we drove through two larger towns and some nicer housing --always surrounded by high walls.  Now we are at Kruger National Park.  Our hotel is just outside the gate.  Very nice rooms.  FrWe are ready to eat and get a little shuteye.  

Thursday with the Elephants and a Cheetah

Another early morning.  It was only a 10 minute van ride to the Wild Horizons Elephant Park.  We were gathered in the lodge learning about our tour and we could see the elephants and their grooms coming down the trail.  First, we 'met' the elephants--that meant that we could pet them while they were bent over drinking water (we were standing above them on a porch).  Their skin felt like dried mud.  Next the elephants walked over to the boarding platform. It was easy to walk up the steps, but not as easy to swing ones left leg over that wide animal.  Chuck and I were on the third elephant with the groom and John and Beth were on the 6th one.  Our elephant's name was Tendai, her baby (almost three) just tagged along.  The next elephant behind that was also hers with only a groom riding it.  In all there were 8 or 9 elephants.  We were sitting in a double saddle with backs --I was in front, Chuck behind. Richard was sitting in front of me with only a blanket instead of a saddle. He was our groom and had been employed by the Park for 17 years.  He was a Zulu, married, the father of six, owned some cattle (a sign of wealth), goats, chickens, and had a garden.  He was a very good groom and respected for his experience and position.  It was with great trepidation that I signed up for this 30 minute ride, but it was a spectacular experience.  We rode through the bush, seeing troops of baboons, crossed water, saw and heard many birds.  It was a lovely morning that ended too soon.  At the end of the ride, we got to feed the elephants treats --provided by the trainers.  It is rather weird to put food down the trunk of an elephant or throw it in the elephant's open mouth. 

Then there was breakfast in the lodge.  Just as we finished, a ranger came in with a cheetah on a leash.  The cheetah had been orphaned and raised by the Park for educational purposes.  Almost a 1000 school children a year come to the park to experience the elephants and cheetah.  After complete instructions, we all had the opportunity to pet the beautiful spotted coat of Sylvester the cheetah who thinks he is human. No, we didn't buy the DVD or the CD. 

Back in the van and on to a local village where we met Chief Mpisi.  He had plenty of bravado and enjoyed having an audience.  His extended family (18) lived in the compound which included several round stone buildings with thatched roofs: a kitchen with an inside fire and an outside fire, an office/bedroom for the chief and his wife, bedroom for males, one for females, a storage building for grain, etc. A small goat followed us around as did a hen and her chicks.  Beautiful flowers were blooming, peanuts were drying on a rack, squash was blooming, and corn was growing in the field.  They also had a few crafts to sell.  It was after noon and hot.  We head back to the hotel and lunch.

At 3:30 PM we met and took a van ride to the Zambezi River.  Boarded a boat for a cruise on the river above the falls.  Today's cruise was more about history and less about animals.  A guest historian/story teller told us about David Livingston and his discovery of Victoria Falls.  It was a relaxing afternoon.  At 6:00 PM we proceeded to a Bush Dinner.  No one had any idea what to expect.  We left the hotel and drove for several minutes through the bush.  Came upon a platform with a thatched roof.  It was located on the banks of the Zambezi River below the falls where the deep gorges are located.  We eventually figured out that we were literally in the back yard of our hotel.  We were greeted by local dancers and musicians.  The tables were beautifully set.  We enjoyed a three course dinner which started with butternut squash soup and then a buffet supper: green and pasta salad, chicken and beef, carrots, zucchini, mealy, etc. Dessert was a delicious fresh fruit salad.  Entertainment by the dancers and musicians.  We headed back to the hotel to pack.  Tomorrow we travel all day and will be at Krueger National Park for several days.   

Wednesday in Victoria Falls

We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning with roosters crowing on the lawn outside our windows.  At 7:45 AM we met our guide  for our helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. The van took us four minutes to the heliport where we were photographed, weighed (ugh), and oriented to the ride.  Soon the helicopter landed and we jumped on.  I got to ride up front with the pilot. Chuck was in the back, but able to take good pictures.  Our 13 minute ride included two big circles over the falls, the Zambezi River above the falls and the gorges below the falls.  It was a breathtaking and spectacular experience which ended far too soon.  Of course, we bought the DVD! Back to the hotel for breakfast. The fresh pineapple was good as was the warm chocolate croissant.  

At 11AM we all boarded the bus for a short ride to the local craft market.  There were many wooden carvings, stone carvings, fabric pieces (table runners, wall hanging, etc.), bead work, etc.  I started by looking for a carved wooden 3 piece Holy Family.  Word went out.  Soon men were running from every direction wanting to show me their wooden carvings of a nativity.  I didn't buy anything at that time.  Saw some very colorful fabric that I liked.  After much negotiation, I ended up with a long piece with a giraffe on it and a wider piece with elephants.  Now it was time to look for the wooden carving again.  Finally went back to the first place, but we couldn't agree on a price so at Chuck's urging, we turned and walked off.  They called and accepted our price.  We looked some more, but time was up.  

Around 4 PM, we went down to the terrace for afternoon tea.  We had our choice of tea.  A three tiered tray was delivered.  There were egg salad, salmon, cucumber, and cheese sandwiches on the bottom, scones with clotted cream and jam on the second, and cakes: carrot, chocolate, custard, and Boston cream cake on the top.  It was a special treat. 

Tonight we had our cultural connection.  We boarded the van and went to a nearby village.  Five of us were guests at one house.  We were greeted by a young man, his aunt, and 10 children.  The relationship of the family members was vague but they all lived in that house and were a functional group.  Our host, Bright, spoke very good English and was a delightful person.  He is 25 and operates a second hand clothing store.  We sat in the living room around a coffee table which was set with side dishes.  The aunt brought us each a tray that had a plate of mealy (polenta) and chicken and/or beef stew. We each helped ourself to the kale with peanut butter, smoked worms, fried minnows, carrots and beans, plain kale and peanuts.  He showed us how they eat:  make a ball of mealy, make a whole in the middle with your thumb, scoop up the food and eat it.  Chuck ate with his hands.  I opted for a fork.  Later we were served tea.  After the meal, the children were invited in and entertained us with two songs: "Let it Be, Let it Be", "When you get to Heaven", and the Zimbabwe National Anthem.  Meanwhile the 2 year old crawled under the coffee table, tickled my feet and then fell asleep.  The two hours passed very quickly--filled with informative conversation and wonderful sharing.  

Tuesday Traveling to Victoria Falls

The two days in Botswana were without Wi-Fi so I posted to a document and pasted to the blog when we finally got internet access here in Victoria Falls.
Monday started with a 6:00 Am game drive.  Chuck felt well and we were off with Spencer our Ranger of the Day.  Just as we arrived in the park, the word came that lions had been sighted.  We followed the other vehicles down the road and turned off.  In a distance, we could see four lions on the side of a hill.  Needed binoculars to really see them.  Other vehicles arrived and maneuvered around us until we were last in line.  Eventually the lions got up and started up the hill, moved slowly along parallel to the road and then stopped not 10 feet from our vehicle.  A foolish fellow in another vehicle stood up to get a picture and the guides all yelled at him.  As long as you are sitting down, the lion perceives the vehicle and its passengers as one.  When you stand up, you are moving prey.  Then the lioness crossed behind us, as did the her two 2 year olds and one young male.  They wrestled playfully and then headed up the hill.  It was exhilarating.  Drove on --saw some elephants, impalas, baboons.  Stopped for coffee and tea. Also a bush break (If you have to GO, there is the bush.)  Decided that we would try to find buffalo and zebra.  Drove a long way on a little-used road.  Finally saw a herd of sable antelope.  They are beautiful animals with very long, dangerous horns.  Although they are brown, their young were the color of a lion.  Received more word about lions.  Found them.  They had just finished a kill somewhere because they had blood around their mouths.  We watched the three of them for a while.  The elephants on the hillside watched them, too.  Started back to the lodge.  Hurriedly ate breakfast, finished packing, and got on the bus for our hour plus ride to Victoria Falls.  Reversed the passport stops of leaving Botswana and entering Zimbabwe.
Arrived at Victoria Falls Hotel.  This is a very old historic hotel --reminds one of Mackinaw Island or the National Park Hotels built early in the 20th century.  Ate lunch on the veranda and changed.  Drove to Victoria Falls.  We were issued ponchos, but told that we would get wet anyway (and we did).  The falls were very full because this is the end of rainy season.  The falls is 1000 meters wide and 100 meters high.  Water falls with such force that a huge amount of mist is created (dense fog)--making it very difficult to see the falls.  Of course, there is a constant roar.  We were told that 500 million gallons an hour flows over the falls.  Our guide lead us along the slippery wet path.  At times it was like walking in a pouring rain as the wind whipped the spray to our side.  At the end of the path, we saw someone Bungee jump from the bridge.  Then we sloshed all the way back--wet to our skin.  Had dinner at the hotel with native dancers as entertainment.

Monday in Chobe

Our day started early - 5:30 AM, but not too early for the family of warthogs (five including two little ones) playing on the grass between our porch and the river.  At 6 AM we met the Ranger who was named Innocent (no kidding) and his Toyota Land Cruiser.  We were in the last row seat which is higher than the rest.  There were two HUGE steps to get in, but I made it by myself. It was a ten minute drive to Chobe National Park. It was rather cool and breezy in an open-air vehicle with a only a roof.  After checking in, we immediately spotted a male Impala. We all took pictures.  Didn't realize that before the drive was over we would have seen hundreds of them.  Next we saw a hippo lounging in a wallow near the road.  Down the road a bit we looked over to the Chobe river and saw many hippos bobbing along in the river with either their noses or heads sticking out of the water.  The river is at flood stage now and is a mile and a half wide at some places. Namibia is on the other side of the river --clearly visible.  Driving along we spotted a baboon, then realized that there was a whole group of them.  Our driver called them the naughty boys.  The road was like a parade route dotted with elephant dung and lion tracks. Eventually we spotted one elephant near the water.  We stopped for tea and coffee--served by our driver.  It was also a good time for bird watching.  The Park is rich with a varied and huge population of birds.  We saw vultures, quail, cranes, fish eagle,hornbill, plovers,and many others I didn't recognize.  Also spotted a beautiful turtle crossing the road --slowly and a dung beetle pushing its quarry down the road.  Back on the tour, we rounded a bend and saw hundreds of Impala on one side of the road.  They were such a sight that we almost missed the four giraffes on the other side.  As our drive was nearing its end, a lioness appeared in front of us, nonchalantly trotting down the road.  Pretty soon, she veered off on a path.  Our driver said he had seen her before and that she had two cubs she was nursing.   

This afternoon I went on a river cruise.  Chuck was under the weather and stayed back.  During the course of the three plus hour cruise, we again saw many beautiful and different birds. The highlight was seeing a herd of 25 elephants.  They played along the river bank, drank water, posed for pictures, and marched up the hill. Also saw a pod of 14 hippos.  They are a challenge to photograph because most of the time only their noses are sticking out of the water. They can stay under for six minutes.  They don't swim, prefer shallow water, walk on the bottom or float----my kind of animal.  They are the most dangerous animal in Africa which means they kill the most people.  Saw several crocodiles sunning themselves on the riverbank.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon.  Sorry Chuck missed it, but at least he was feeling better by the time I got back.  

We have experienced a strong Christian influence here.  Yesterday the bartender's name was  Job.  I asked him if he had better luck than Job in the Bible.  He immediately and with a smile, said, "Job was a man who had a heart for God."  We had a nice short discussion.  He was proud to be named Job.  Today Innocent asked John if he was John the Baptizer.  John reminded him that that John was beheaded.  So they decided that he was John the Baptized. Innocent obviously knew his Bible and was glad to share it. 

Botswana is one of the most stable countries in Africa and has been for a long time.  A high percentage of the people are Christian.  They are a friendly and attractive people.  Time to go to dinner. 

Sunday traveling to Chobe, Botswana

Today was a day in transit.  Luggage out by 6:30 AM.  On the bus by 7:45 AM.  Drove to Johannesburg airport where we stood in line forever.  It was quite cool and Chuck dug a wool sweater out of his luggage. We were last to board our 10:50 AM flight.  Two hour flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.  Stood in line again. Took a bus for a l hour or so.  It was hot. As we neared the Zambezi river, the guide pointed out that we could see four countries:  we were in Zimbabwe, across the river was Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.  How cool is that?  Most all of the bus trip was through a national forest.  We were on a hard surface road with brush and trees on either side.  As we left Zimbabwe, we had to get off the bus and show our passports- turned to the page of our Visa.  Get back on the bus.  Drive a mile or so in to Botswana--get off the bus, show our passports and custom statement, walk through the "Pad' which had disinfectant on it so we did not transport Hoof and Mouth Disease, and get back on the bus.  Arrived at Chobe National Park and the Chobe Safari Resort.  The staff met us with wash cloths which were very cold --wonderful.   The resort is built in the style of native 'huts'.  It is very outside with no doors, walls, or windows.  There are monkeys swinging through the rafters and warthogs on the grass.  Our room is on first floor with a porch.  We can see the river from our room. We do have airconditioning --Thank you, Jesus.  Did hand laundry, watched the sun set on the river while sitting by the pool with a glass of wine.

Chuck is feeling better now.  His day started off with GI distress and no breakfast.  He then felt very achy and we figured out that he was feeling the effects of the anti-malaria pills.  Drank only water and carried a plastic bag all day.  Finally felt better after we got here.  Ate a protein bar from our stash, took Ibuprofen, drank more water.  Feels like he will live.  Found out that the WiFi is down so will save this for another day.  

On the tour

This morning we met the other people on our tour.  There are 24 of us.  We were met by our guide, our driver and a nice big bus.  We headed for Pretoria, the hometown of Oscar.  Of course, people starting asking questions of our guide.  His opinion, "He is probably guilty.  Yes, the police messed up the investigation, He is from a very wealthy family. And "No", he probably won't be convicted."  We drove around Pretoria which seems a lot more 'real' and 'less sanitized' than the areas of Johannesburg we had seen.  Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa.  There are three capitals in all.  We saw many government buildings.  SA did not suffer the economic crash like much of the rest of the world because when their new government started in 1994, the economic minister insisted on laws that kept banks from making unsecured loads.  Smart man.  Most of the nice homes were enclosed in high walls that had concertina and/or electric wire at the top.  Also saw huge piles of yellow tailings -- waste from the gold mining process.  SA's gold is embedded in rock so it takes 14 tons of rock to produce 1 ounce of gold.  This area's climate is similar to Denver's:  high altitude and seldoms gets down to freezing. Also noticed that parking lots (car parks) are frequently covered with canvas awnings to protect the cars from the hot sun.  There were Jacaranda trees along every street  along with many street vendors selling fruits, vegetables, leather goods, bead work, wooden carving, etc. The population of SA is 15% white and 85% black or colored (mixed).
We stopped at a shopping mall--this was a 'every day' mall, not an exclusive one like we were in before.  It was fun to wander through the grocery store and see some very familiar items and some not so familiar.
On to Soweto where we met our guide for that part of the tour.  We stopped at a local restaurant for a buffet lunch.  Among other things it featured mealie (grits - a real staple in their diet) served with tomato gravy (a thin marinara sauce), cooked carrots and sweet potatoes, cooked spinach, baked fish, chicken, lamb stew, and other dishes.  Then we walked to Nelson Mandela's first home (lived there from 1946 to 1962.)  It was a small brick house with a bedroom across either end and a kitchen/living room in the middle.  It is a museum now.  Down the street we saw Archibishop Desmond Tutu's home.  His son lives there and it is not open to the public.  Saw the Hector Petersen Memorial and Museum.  He was the school boy killed by the police when the students rose up in protest over having to use the Afrikaner language in school.  His death was a turning point in Apartheid.  Many of the Soweto homes were very small with two or three rooms. There were also squatter shacks made out of tin.  They had good water, chemical toilets, and no electricity.  Soweto has 4 million people living in it and stretched as far as the eye could see.
The day was long and warm.  Tonight we have orientation and then a dinner.  

Day two in Joburg

Not much to report.  We have all been trying to catch up on our sleep.  So far we are impressed with how clean everything is.  The food is delicious and reasonable.  Tried a new fruit this morning.  I couldn't get the name of it.  Was about as big as a kiwi and was very tart with crunchy seeds.  Chuck said that I should just swallow the seeds like an oyster.  John said it tasted like a gooseberry.
We are across the street from a huge modern shopping center --supposedly the best shopping in Africa.  We were there for a while yesterday.  Will return in a little bit for some items forgotten in our quick exit from Rockford.
We leave this hotel at noon and travel 20 minutes to our new hotel and join the group we will be traveling with.  This hotel was a $100 less a night than where we are headed.  In this hotel the WiFi is free if you get a voucher from the front desk and sit in the lobby.  The price is right.  That's it for now.  

Greetings from Johannesburg

We made it!  Monday started off with a bang!  We were getting ready to go out to breakfast with out of town friends.  I heard the icemaker filling.  It seemed to run a long time.  Then I heard water running --out of the front of the refrigerator.  Cleared the ice, mopped up the kitchen, and turned off the ice maker.  All of that gave us peace of mind for leaving the country!
When we returned from breakfast, we tried to print our boarding passes, but couldn't get them.  We are traveling with John and Beth.  When he tried to get his boarding passes, the website said that our Tuesday morning flight was cancelled.  He called the airlines and booked a Monday flight for us all. .  By this time, it was just before 1 pm and we had to catch the 2 pm bus out of Rockford.  Things flew, but we made it on the 2 PM bus.  When we got on the bus, I called a hotel near Dulles airport and made reservations.  The flight was fine and we found our hotel.
When we woke up Tuesday morning, we heard the reports of the snow that had landed in Rockford. Left the hotel around noon.  While waiting for our South African flight boarding passes, we noticed many young people with huge duffel bags --labeled with duct tape--waiting for the same flight we were to be on.  Turns out they were Peace Corp volunteers headed out to their assignments.  When we checked in, we were able to get aisle seats which was a huge relief.  Our flight left at 5:50 PM.  It was a 7 hour flight to Dakar, Senegal.  It looked like a tropical city with many flat roofs.  We saw it but could not get off the plane.  The plane was refueled.  A few passengers got off in Dakar and a few more got on.  They were all elegantly dressed--men in suits and women in native dress.
Then we flew 8 hours to Johannesburg. We all tried to get some sleep.  Also read, watched movies, and ate.  We arrived about sundown on Wednesday.  The men found an ATM to get South African money (rands).  Beth and I fended off the unapproved taxi drivers and lined up transportation to the hotel.  We came two days early so were not met by our tour group or furnished transportation.  We were on our own which is rather challenging in a foreign city.  Johannesburg appears to be a modern city with very nice roads.  We are in Sandton which is the financial center.  Nice hotel.  Slept well.  Today we will catch up on sleep.  There is a 8 hour time difference from Rockford.