Shanghai, October 2014

Shanghai October 2014

Well John is over here visiting his twin Patrick for 10 days. The adventure started off with John, Hannah (Patrick's wife) and son Oliver going out to dinner at Jean Georges on the Bund - a must do for anyone coming to the city. The food is just georgeous!

The following day I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Renmin Square - a so so experience with it being a contemporary art gallery. 

Then a walk around the Peoples Park watching those doing Tai Chi. Then on to the Shanghai Municipal Planning Museum, with a scale model of downtown Shanghai. Well worth a visit.
Then on to the China Art Museum over in Pudong. This is a huge gallery covering 5 floors, any one of which would exceed our national gallery. The art was excellent and there were a huge numbers of visitors. The building looks like an inverted pyramid and is bright red. A must see for the artophile.

Dinner follows with NZ guests of Paddy's from NZ over to do sawmill deals - a Chinese banguet with all the trimmings.

Then two art visits: first to the Long Museum in Pudong - a huge gallery with 3 guests ( I was one). They had an exhibition showing posters celebrating the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party. A superb Art Gallery with lots of wonderful modern Chinese Art. Then back to the city to the Long Museum West at the Northern end of the Bund. A concrete monstrosity with walls 6m high. Not so good for seeing paintings at that height but great art nonetheless.

Some of Paddy's customers took me for lunch one day before an adventure tourism ride in a local taxi back home. Beats skydiving in Namibia any day!!! All drivers in China are certifiable....

Paddy and I went to hear the Montreal Symphony one evening playing Richard Strauss at the Oriental Arts Centre in Pudong..Its part of the Shanghai Arts festival. We drove over in his Ford Raptor.......

The next day I visited the Jesuit Library which boatsed 560,000 volumes, only 1500 of which were evident - really a waste of time. Paddy suggests the rest were almost certainly burnt during the Cultural Revolution.

Then on to what was billed as the finest art museum in China - the Rockbund.. Well, it covered 5 floors of a downtown building. All the walls were spraypainted in technicolour. Standing around were 25 humans dressed in clown outfits. MMMMMM Not sure who was kidding who!

Finally the Yuz Museum at the Northern end of the Bund, a converted aircraft hanger. Again a lot of modern rubbish.

Still, I had Paddy's driver to cart me around all these places for nothing. 

No visit to Shanghai is complete without a visit to Oscars bar, and a snifter (or two) of Remy Martin XO....

This weekend we all went up to Hangzhou. It's a city of about 8 million 3 hours west of Shanghai. We stayed at a B&B. Spent all day Saturday (literally) in a traffic jam visiting an artists centre in the country. Visited Paddys Lake House on the way home.

The weather so far has been Ok, fine, but heavy smog - what a surprise.

Tomorrow Hannah and I will be looking after a 2 year old and a baby of 6 months for guests of Paddy's from NZ. All family group members will know what experience I bring to a role like this.

September 17

Had a lovely sleep in our little rounduvel. The fire had been lit at 4pm and it warmed up the room beautifully. It had a thatched roof, and was very cosy.
Left the Sani Pass Mountain Lodge at 8am, and headed through Lesotho. We were on the Roof of Africa Route, and we were at an elevation of over 2500 m for most of the day, peaking at 3283 m. Most was on gravel, and much was very rough, so it was a slow drive. From our departure at 8.22 we travelled 18kms by 9.15. There were major road works underway, and for about 100 km's there was a new 2 lane highway being constructed parallel to the old road we were on. It was obviously funded and supervised by the Chinese, as there were many red Chinese trucks carrying gravel, and Chinese supervisors on site along the route. We were held up for nearly half an hour at the site of a blast which had gone wrong yesterday. A couple who arrived at the Sani Pass Mountain Lodge said they waited for about three hours the previous day as the demolition engineer had used too much dynamite and brought down huge boulders over the road.

So it was slow driving along the route for most of the day. There were many settlements at the lower levels, but not higher up. The land had all been terraced, it was extremely dry. Cattle and sheep were often being watched over by a shepherd. They usually wore the traditional garb of woollen hat, heavy blanket and gumboots. The people of Lesotho are very poor. There were few vehicles anywhere, and most lived many miles from any significant settlement.

Unfortunately the air was not very clear, due to dust and the practice of burning crop land - so the stunning Drakensburg Mountains were not clearly visible.

Around midday we started dropping our elevation, and dropped 1000m in 8 minutes.

We did not stop anywhere in Lesotho, but continued to the Caledonspoort border post, where we left Lesotho and crossed back into South Africa. Very quick to get through both border posts, no queues. It was back to better roads again in South Africa. We had an afternoon tea stop for a break - no need for lunch after our cooked breakfast, and there had also not been anywhere to stop - the afternoon tea cafe was an interesting one; we sat in the garden of what once would have been a grand house, but was now rather run down.

Our destination for the night was Ladybrand, where we stayed at the Top House B&B. His. Was once the home of a very noted citizen, and was the Top house in the town. Very spacious and lovely old rooms, comfy bed. We walked out to one of the eating houses In town for dinner; after a long wait we were served very salty chips and baby chicken, being a whole baby chicken which was very tender but very salty also.

A lovely cooked breakfast was served at 7.30 then we were back on the road. At the start we drove on a gravel road, then on the N1, and travelled 680kms. We arrived at the Cape Karoo Guesthouse in Beaufort West around 4pm. It is a lovely guest house, the rooms are beautifully appointed, and we are having dinner and breakfast here. It is 34 degrees, and a little windy outside.

Tomorrow we head towards Cape Town, to prepare for our  flights back to New Zealand!

Sani Pass - The roof of Africa - September 15th

Sunday 14th - We all (Charles, Leslie, Richard, Therese, John and Liz) headed for Karkloof to the Karkloof Canopy Tour site. Another fine, sunny African day - everything is very dry and brown and they are desperately awaiting spring rains.
After a safety briefing, we were harnessed up and safety helmets and strong leather gloves on, then onto a ute for a short drive up into the native forest to the first platform.

So we were off on the high wires! Hooked up onto the wires, sent off zip lining. The wires were of various lengths; there were 8 sections ranging from 40 to 186 metres in length, and some were very high above the trees and crevices. A great exhilarating time was had by all. Certainly got the adrenaline flowing.

Two hours later we were all grounded. Headed to the Karkloof Falls, but due to the lack of water they were not very spectacular. Into town to a craft shop, the to Curries Post to a restaurant, Terbodore, for lunch. We were joined by Leslie's parents, a lovely couple who had just celebrated 60 years of marriage.

The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting craft and tourist shops on the Midland's Meander route, they back to the farm for a relax on the verandah as the sun set. Certainly a lovely view and very peaceful.

On Monday we left the farm just after 8am, heading to Underberg, where we stopped for morning tea at The Lemon Tree, where we had stopped on Friday - there are few places to stop and this one was lovely. We were welcomed back by the owners who remembered us from a few days ago, and congratulated us on "our" All Blacks win. The temperature was in the low 30s.  At 11.30 we set off up the Sani Pass, with John driving. While it was only 33kms from Underberg, it took 2&1/2 hours. We stopped for photos and to look at the view often, but it was also a slow road. We hit the gravel 19kms from the top, and then the speed was 5 minutes per kilometre - the reason why we hired a 4x4 wheel drive. The South African border post was 8 kilometres from the top, and we checked out of South Africa there. Then the real climb began, and finally we reached the top at 2874 metres. The Lesotho border check post was right at the top, so once stamped into Lesotho we drove the 500 metres to the Sani Mountain Lodge, where we are staying the night. Our rooms are in lovely roundvels; someone will come in and light the fire at 5pm, the generator power goes off at 10pm. It is warm so the water pipes should not freeze tonight.

Dinner is at seven, so we have time to relax and look at the view. Breakfast is between 7.30 and 9.30, then we will drive through Lesotho and back into South Africa, heading to Cape Town, from where we fly out on Friday morning (our time). We have done about 3000kms in the rental vehicle so far.

September 13th

September 10th. In the afternoon we went to Knysna to wander around the waterfront shops, then back to Sedgefield. Dined at a lovely Italian restaurant, la Traviata. It was an excellent meal.

September 11th - we were up and away by 7pm, heading back along the Garden Route back through Plettenburg Bay and then on to new scenery. We drove 600 km's to East London, the drive was through some lovely scenery with ocean and mountain views alternating at various points. Fairly uneventful with roadworks the only major distraction, and there are plenty of those.

Morning tea at a cafe at Humansdorp,  and our lunch stop was at Grahamstown; we got to our accommodation in East London about 3:00pm. A very comfortable B&B. The owner is disappointed to learn we are only overnighting and not staying around to enjoy the rugby with him on Saturday. He gives us some sage advice about our route the next day and shows us a safe route around the Transkei which will only be a little bit longer time wise, than the direct route we have been warned against, several times now.

Dinner was at a fine dining establishment down on the Eastern beachfront, Grazia Fine Food Restaurant. Four entrees, four mains and a bottle of wine for less than 1,000 Rand ($100) and the food was exquisite.

Day 35. Friday 12 September.

We expect to take about ten or so hours to get to Howick so we are on the road at 6:00 am. We head up the N2 towards Buttersworth and cut north a few kilometres before we get there towards Tsomo, Ngcobo and Elliott.

We are taken by the spread of the townships through the Transkei area and how each has their own fenced off "quarter acre section" surrounding their homes, usually a small hut or two. Most are barren at the moment, some are ploughed in readiness for planting some form of vegetable crop. Some have power, there is no apparent water source and very few vehicles among them. There are a myriad of people walking along the road edges, either heading to school, waiting for buses or whatever. The towns we pass through are not conducive to stopping for a shopping expedition and the eyes we see watching us appear almost contemptuous. Far from welcoming.

We travel on to Maclear where we spot a roadside cafe just before we leave town. It has off street parking so we decide to stop for a coffee and cake. The owner has recently taken over the business and is very welcoming. She advises she has just put a batch of scones in the oven so if we want to wait 15 minutes we can have them hot and fresh. So we do. We ask her to recommend a good place for lunch on our route and she gives us the name of a cafe in Underberg that she has heard good reports of. A few hours later after travelling up through Mount Fletcher, Matatiele, and Cedarville we are happy to attest that it is a good recommendation.

Shortly before getting to Howick we come across a fatal motor accident which holds us up for about 15 minutes. While it is unfortunate, it is not unexpected. In our travels to date we have witnessed or come upon the aftermath of four road crashes, two today but only this one has had a fatality. For the most part the standard of driving has been good but, just like NZ, there are some bloody idiots out there. It is not uncommon to see cars overtaking on blind corners or double lines or generally taking stupid risks. It appears that most road rules are used only as a guideline and if you keep a 50, 100 or 200 rand note (depending on who you are) with your ID card and licence most transgressions will be overlooked by the officer.

We finally arrive in Howick about 4:30 and our host meets us in town about 10 minutes later. We follow him back to the farmhouse they rent out in the country. A rambling farmhouse in about half a hectare in the middle of a 300 hectare farm with sheep, cattle and some cropping. The road from the edge of town is unsealed, but reasonable condition. The driveway is about half a kilometre of potholes joined together. The welcome from Charles, Lesley and their Great Dane, Bently, is warm and sincere. Charles and Lesley are friends from our OE 2008 cycling trip.

We bounce our way out to a local pizza parlour for dinner and home again for coffee and a good nights rest.

Day 36. Saturday 13 September. (Five weeks completed already.)

We awake to the call of laughing doves and a nice sunny warm day. Breakfast on the verandah overlooking the farm, the valley and the distant hills with sheep bleating in the meadow. Lesley informs us that the TV is tuned in to the rugby channel and that the All Blacks v Springboks game kicks off at 9:30.

You already know the outcome of the game. It is certainly different watching it in S. Africa with the locals cheering when the Springboks make the tackle or score! Fortunately it was a good game, the referee didn't spoil it and the result was right for us, probably made certain by John cheering for the Springboks to try and even up the numbers. A loss would have led to charges of treason however. I have also discovered that Bently thinks he is a lap dog. Have you ever had a Great Dane sit on your lap?

Therese and I bumped our way back into town to do some shopping with Lesley. We have generally had a much needed, very restful day.
Now sitting on the verandah, it has just gone dark. The dog has just caught a rat! We have seen monkeys in the nearby bush. Certainly still in Africa!

September 10th

The morning was damp in Sedgefield, but we travelled along the coast about 70ms to Plettenberg Bay and it was warmer and sunnier. Spent the day visiting different animal and bird attractions. They were all set up to rescue pets which people no longer wanted (lions which had become to big, for instance) or animals no longer wanted by zoos.
First we went to Birds of Eden, the largest single-dome free-flight aviary in the world. We saw many of the 200 different species, but certainly not all. Some very colourful birds from all over the world, visible from a wooden walkway which goes up into the canopy of the trees. Richard was popular with the birds _ he had a couple sitting on his shoulder for a long time! They had obviously been pets and one was very talkative.

Next stop was Monkeyland, where we were able to wander around in the sanctuary with the free-roaming apes, monkeys and lemurs. Many had also been kept as pets and came from all over the world to be re-homed at the sanctuary. There was a 128meter suspension bridge; while walking over it the monkeys were running alongside!  

After a quick lunch we visited Jukani, where there are a variety of big cats which have been rescued - lions, white lions, tigers, cheetahs, cougars, caracal, African wild dogs, and hyena. We walked around the electrified enclosures and heard about how they have saved some of the animals.

Then it was time to get our dinner supplies from a well-stocked Pick and Pay supermarket and head "home". We lit the braai - Therese successfully got it burning - and had beautifully barbecue steaks for dinner.

This morning is chore time - put the washing into the big commercial washing machine and went for a game of mini-golf nearby while the cycle ran. Then started the dryer while we finished the golf. Liz was the winner over the 18 holes, beating John by one point, while Richard was third.

September 8th

We were up and breakfasted and leaving the unit just after 8am. Headed first back along the coast then inland to George, and then to Oudtshoorn. Went over 800m Outeniqua Pass. It was cloudy and almost raining when we left the coast, but cleared up to be a lovely day inland. After a 1.5 hour drive we arrived at the Cango Caves, and had a coffee while we waited for the 11am tour. No one was game enough to do the Adventure Tour which needed one to be fit and slim, to go through some very small holes in the caves! Our tour was through the first five chambers - around 550m into the caves. There were some amazing large caves with stalagmites and staligites forming large columns. Amy and Jeromé had been here two days prior, and Amy sang Panis Angelicus in the first big chamber, which until the 1950's had been used for concerts.
The underground spaces were amazing, and we enjoyed the experience.

From there we drove back to the Cango Ostrich Farm. Here we had lunch before doing a tour - seeing the incubators, and feeding and -Therese - riding an ostrich. She stayed on for at least 8 seconds. There was a weight limit of 80kg so John and Patrick were not eligible, and I did not want to risk a broken bone!

Next stop was the Cango Wilderness Ranch. We finally got to see a leopard! Or two, in fact. The park was home to many different species from Africa and around the world - lions, tigers, lemurs, crocodiles, and many more.

Last stop was an ostrich skin handbag manufacturer, where Liz purchased a new handbag. Will be an heirloom piece for Amy.

A supermarket stop for dinner supplies and home to Swartvlei.

September 7th, 2014

We left Cape Town just before 7am, and had a smooth exit from the city on the N2, following the instructions of Ms Garmin.

Breakfast was at Hermanus, where we watched a whale frolicking in the sea in the distance while we ate. We then went to Cape Agulhas, and stood at the southernmost point of Africa.

From there we drove along the Garden Route to Sedgefield,cohere we are staying in a timeshare unit for 5 nights. Arrived around 4.30, unpacked, and went to the Spar (supermarket) to get our supplies for dinner and breakfast.

Had a rice risotto for dinner, then headed to bed for an early night after ä few long days of travel.

Woke to another beautiful African day. Sat on the balcony for breakfast, after which we wandered around to see the facilities at the resort. There is a swimming pool, mini-golf, and a few canoes. It is situated on a lagoon. Very pleasant spot.

We went to Sedgefield and drove the Tourist Route - it took us through the township, where the many residents were sitting outside enjoying the Sunday sun; children were playing on the roads but moved over quickly as we came by. Sedgefield is known as a mosaic town, and there were examples of mosaic statues and art works all along the drive. The road then went out to the coast - the Indian Ocean - and then we drove along the side of the lagoon back to the main road.
Lunched at a sand bar and restaurant - sitting in the sand - where we shared a pizza, then drove to Knysna to go down to the coast. Magnificent view of the Heads, with the Ocean crashing in through the narrow gap.

Back to the unit, and now sitting in the lovely late afternoon sun enjoying a G&T.

Wednesday, 4 th September

As we progressed through South Africa, the scenery became more rugged but the vegetation slowly increased. There were still very long distances between towns, and not many of them. We stopped in a city called Springbox, to go to the supermarket and try to use an ATM. The queues of people at the ATMs were very long - possibly related to 1st of the month being payday - and many had run out of money, so we were not successful. However we did get a few things from the supermarket.
So we travelled on, with the vista getting noticeably greener and more lush. Shrubs were getting higher and there were a few farms. There were lovely purple and yellow wild flowers covering large swathes of land. Stopped at a roadside st for lunch, too many biting flies and bees for it to be pleasant. Came to a town with two stores, one of the ATMs was working so got some rand out, and an ice cream. 20 rand - $2NZ for a magnum.
Around 4.30 we arrived at out last camp site. Situated overlooking the Oliphant River, it was up a hillside with a lovely view. It was about 33 degrees in the afternoon, so after doing camp chores we had a quick dip in the very cold pool. First day of spring, the water was cool, nut it certainly drops the core body temperature effectively. After a quick shower we assembled on the patio at the bar for a wine tasting. Sampled at local produce. This is also the area where Roibois tea is grown. Then we had a delicious dinner cooked by the restaurant. There was a dance floor so some folk spent time there. We went to bed about 9.30.

2 September. Up before the alarm at 5.50, usual routine. Truck left camp at 7am for our final legs to Capetown. The road was through some steep valleys, and passed kilometre after kilometre of fruit orchards and vineyards. A lot of places where we had to stop for road works. Some stunning views, going over the passes between valleys.

Wednesday, 4th September. Well we have spent the last couple of days in Cape Town. Our overland truck trip has now finished and all our clothes washed! Table Mountain was clear when we arrived so we took the cable car up to the viewing point. It's actually 3000 feet above sea level. The weather was calm so we had great views.

Yesterday we took the ferry over to Robben Island where Mandela and other political prisoners were held between1960-90.

We have been out to dinner with friends a couple of times and done a spot of shopping.  Today and tomorrow we are going on day tours, today to the Cape of Good Hope and tomorrow to Stellenbosch on a wine tour. Amy and Jeromé leave on their tour tomorrow at 7am, or rather continue on their truck trip toward Johannesburg.

Tomorrow we pick up our rental car for the last two weeks of our trip.

Monday, 1st September. Back in South Africa

Two days in Swakapomund - time to have laundry done and shop and do a couple of activities.
It was a lot cooler than we had been having. On Wednesday we went on a Living Dunes tour. Along with Richard and Therese we were collected from our hotel and driven to the Desert Explorers base on the outskirts of town. After a brief lesson we were allocated a quad bike each and headed off with Ricky, our guide, into the dunes. We spent 2 and 1/2 hours quad biking through the dunes, looking for life in the hot sands. Ricky found a white lady spider, a lizard and a gecko. They all burrow down into the sand to stay cool during the heat of the day.
It was a great morning, out amongst the massive sand dunes.

In the afternoon we wandered around the city of 45,000. It is famous for its German heritage, and many of the buildings were built around 1905 by the German settlers who came to the area. There are many signs in German, and shop assistants are of German heritage and speak German.

For dinner we went to Pier 1905. This restaurant is at the end of the pier which was originally built out into the Atlantic Ocean in 1905. Parts of it have a glass floor so you can see the water underneath you. We shared a main course seafood platter between us and Jeromé and Amy. It was very tasty, and plenty of food for four.

On Thursday John and I and Richard and Therese were collected at 8am and taken to the airport.   We then had a 2 and 1/4 flight slightly inland South and back up the coast. It was very interesting to see the vastness of the sand dunes which then changed into red sand. Along the coast we saw pelicans, seals, and Walvis Bay which is a port.

Another relaxing afternoon; lunch at Bojo's which serves great coffee then ä wander around some more shops.

Friday we were back on the truck, after a delayed start. Drove South, stopping at the Tropic of Capricorn sign for photos, before our lunch stop at Solitaire where they serve delicious apple shortcake. Then drove on to Sossusvlei where we camped for the night. Once our tents were up we walked about 5 kilometres to a canyon to watch the sun set. The canyon was amazing, and the purple-hued light looked really spectacular. Dinner was prepared - in the truck because of the unceasing wind which was blowing sand everywhere. We were able to eat dinner in the bar, which was great. Then it was time to crawl into tents prepared for an early start.

So Saturday the alarm went at 4.15am. No-one slept very well because of the relentless wind which blew fine red sand everywhere, including into our tents. We got in the truck and Josh drove us to Dune 45, the biggest sand dune. We started climbing it to see the sunrise, but gave up after a short climb as it was so windy and truly unpleasant. The dune was probably about 250m high. After breakfast there we drove to the Dead Vlei, an area where there are dead trees over 1,000 years old. We were driven through sand in a 4x4 to walk into the area. It was blowing a gale and very unpleasant, we were completely covered in sand. However the area looked very surreal, and it was good to get things into perspective. The flat pan was surrounded by towering sand dunes, with sand being blown over and into everything. We were driven the 5kms into the area on 4x4 wheel drives, as the road surface was all just loose sand.

It was a relief to get back on our truck, Perky, and out of the wind. The drive to campsite was about three hours. We stopped in a little town called Solitaire for lunch. The campsite was off the road down a dirt track. It took a while to get hot water for showers as the boiler was only started when we arrived. However it was finally hot and we enjoyed a lovely shower, with the chance to wash all the sand out of our hair. Dinner was a delicious pasta, and we were able to sit in the bar at the camp to eat it. Very cosy, with a fire going. Konkilapa Camp.  We upgraded to a cabin for $160 Namibian dollars ($16NZ) and enjoyed having single beds to sleep in and room to sort out our bags. It was very cold overnight, down to low single digit temperatures, but we were warm in our cabin.

Sunday dawned clear and crisp. Alarm went at 6.15. It was cold out but started to warm up as soon as the sun started shining. We left at 7.30 after Josh had changed a tyre on the truck. Short stop for petrol at a small town, then drove to Fish River Canyon, where we arrived at 11.30am. This is the second largest canyon in the world, formed millions of years ago, and is a canyon in a canyon. We did a short walk along part of the rim of the canyon, then had lunch, before heading to our campsite for the night.

The landscape is still dry, dusty, and does not support much in the way of plant or animal life. Some ostrich, a few zebra, some goats and a monitor lizard for animals; small tussocks for plants.

Camp had green grass! A lovely spot on the Orange River, which is the border between Namibia and South Africa. It was lovely to set up camp early, clean the sand out of our tents, and swim/shower. Liz was on truck cleaning duty, so once the chores were done we sat at the outside bar beside the pool until dinner was ready. Bedtime was about 9pm.

Monday 1st September - Up before the alarm at 5.30, packed up tent and went to breakfast. All ready to leave before the 7.30 departure time. It was a short 10minute drive to the border, where we were processed out of Namibia, drove across the border and were processed into South Africa. All done within an hour of leaving camp, but we also had to out our clocks forward again one hour.  

Just at supermarket in Springbok, where we have internet.

28th August

We have had a great time in Swakapomund. Yesterday we went on the dunes on quad bikes, looking at the wildlife there. Today we went for a two hour flight along the coast. The rest of the time was spent shopping and relaxing.
Internet is very very slow, and so not easy to add photos or anything. So we will be out of wifi for the next four days or more, possibly until we get to Capetown.

August 26th. John is jumped on by a cheetah!

We had a 1&1/2 hour stop in Outja and caught up on emails and internet with the free wifi at a lovely German bakery. The toilets there were lovely and clean, so it was a pleasant break. Walked down a couple of blocks through the town to the supermarket and bought more water. We have been drinking purchased water everywhere, and needing lots every day because of the heat. However teeth cleaning and cups of tea is done with local wat
In the supermarket were some young women from the him ä tribe, which we were about to visit. The photos on Facebook will show them. The contrast between them and the business man in his suit was rather extreme. Lovely well-stocked supermarket.

From Outja we drove for about 15 minutes to visit the Himba tribe. This is a group of people who still live in the traditional way. There was a European man around the 1950s who married a Himba woman. She could not have children, so the adopted some orphans and set up a village for other orphans to be cared for by young women. There were some lovely young children there, and we were shown the traditional way the women clean themselves (no water, a herb smoke sauna), and how they live. An interesting place - there are 3-4,000 Himba people left. However a bit of cynicism raised because of the commercialisation of their way of life - there were a couple of other buses of tourists also there paying a fee to see the area and bringing food and school items.

From there it was a short drive to Otjitambi Cheetah Park where we were to stay. On arrival we went into the high-fenced owners house to pat the four tame cheetahs there. They had just been fed so we watched them devour their meal of meat. John was kneeling taking a photo of one when another came up and jumped on his back and took off his hat. The cheetah then proceeded to play with the hat! Eventually the hat was recovered in one piece. Jeromé also had the same thing happen to him later, as did Monica.

After we drove on a few kilometres to our camp site we were picked up by the owner and his father in a couple of utes with trailers, and taken to feed the wild cheetahs. We stood on the open decks,vans were driven into the large enclosures. The animals were thrown large pieces of meat, which they caught and dragged away to devour. There was another enclosure with a mother and three cubs, and one with a mother and two cubs.

Tents erected, shower - lovely and hot - then Liz was on cooking duty. Very easy meal to prepare - as we had a campfire we had baked potatoes, a bean salad, and steaks on the barbeque. Following dinner we were entertained by John reciting poetry and Amy singing a song, as well as Phil reciting a few limericks. Bed at 9.30 in time for an early start.

Alarm rang at 5.00am and we were all packed up and on the road at  6.30. The first town we passed through was Kamanjab. After that we turned onto a gravel road, wide, in good condition. Very dusty though. It was a long days drive. As we approached the Atlantic Ocean Coast, known as the Skeleton Coast, there was no vegetation, just sand as far as the eye can see.

Just arrived in Swakopmund.    Staying here for three nights in proper beds. Going out for dinner tonight as a group.

No idea of the day - have been told it is 24 August - Sunday
Yesterday we left camp beside the Kavango River at 6.25 am. It was a long days drive of 700 km. passing lots of little villages for the first part of the journey. I guess nothing much has changed in terms of how the locals live for 20,000 years. Mud huts and wooden and grass palisades to keep out the wild animals. Lots of goats being raised. The view was more of the same, hot and dry with scrub the whole way. Some of the White Namibian farmers have fenced their land and run big ranches.

We entered Etosha National Park and camped for the evening in a fenced enclosure, Numatoni. We went and visited a waterhole after dinner, but nothing was doing. Today, the 24th we drove across the national park and are now camped on the eastern side. We stopped at a middle camp for lunch and a swim - there is no getting out of vehicles in the park! It was a very warm, around 30 degrees. And we are advise that in Wellington there was snow on the Rimutakas recently! We left just after six am and didn't arrive until five thirty. Usual scurry to get tents up before it gets dark, unpack, shower, then have a drink while waiting for dinner, sitting in the balmy evening with a fence beside us keeping out the wild animals! The evening temperature drops doing to low single digits, a huge temperature fluctuation every day.  After dinner, dishes if on duty (Liz), then we went to the waterhole. It is a securely fenced, floodlit area at the back of the camp. We had a black rhino come within 20 metres of us - amazing. There were also giraffes spreading their legs wide to get down to drink, and elephants, as well as a couple of jackals which were slinking around, blending in to the rocky area very well.
We have seen elephants, a black rhino, giraffes, zebras, a warthog, oryx, black-faced impala and springbox to mention a few animals today.

Monday 25th
We were woken a few times in the night by the lions roaring - a very powerful sound. It is very comfortable in our tent, however the nights get quite cool. Woke up at 5.15 and got dressed then, although the alarm was set for 5.30. Bedrolls deflated, sleeping bags packed, tent down, time for breakfast. Cereal, toast and tea. Then we had time to go back to the waterhole and were very excited to see a male lion there drinking. So we got a few good shots of him on the camera.
Back on the truck, and we exited the park at the western gate. Another tour truck was at the exit gate and had had all their 15kgs of vacuum packed meat confiscated by the guard - you are not allowed to take raw meat across checkpoints - however usually vacuum packed meat is able to be taken through. So the tour leader was burning the meat - otherwise the guard would have no doubt kept it to eat.

Just stopped in a town with wifi Outjo!

August 22nd

We have seen a lot since our last update!
The sunset cruise on the Chobe River was an amazing way to see a lot of wildlife as they came to the river to drink. There were zebra, elephants, giraffe, warthogs, wildebeest, crocodiles and more, as well as many birds. It was a good way to get close to the animals, joining the many other water craft filled with tourists out doing the same thing.
On our return to camp we had a barbeque prepared by the camp staff - extremely well cooked steak (ie tough and dry) and tasty coleslaw,  then it was time for bed.

19th August - In the morning we were up early 5.30 am, tents down, breakfast, then onto the truck and on the road before 7.30. John, Richard and Jeromé are in the group of truck packers, so with a full truck of 34 it is like solving a Tetris puzzle to get all the tents, packs and cooking gear fitting into the vehicle every morning.  

So we drove for most of the day, about 650 km's  including a stop between districts to get out and walk through some solution, and put our spare shoes into same solution - to stop the spread of some disease. We passed only the occasional settlement - all very similar with branches for a ring fence, a small thatched hut or two, washing on the line, sometimes chickens and a dog, goats and cattle and donkeys wandering freely about, and sand everywhere. All the children we pass wave vigorously at us and smile. The literacy rate here is over 80%, so most children are attending school. Botswana does not have a problem with water supplies, but it is all very dry and brown.

Our arrival at camp in Maun was at sunset, so tents were put up in the dark. A bonus was having a tasty dinner of sausages,potato salad and coleslaw at the restaurant at the camp site.  After showering, dinner and preparing our small day packs for the next day and night it was time for bed.

20th August - we were up at 6am to pack up our tents, sleeping bags and mats and small day bags. After breakfast two trucks came, and we loaded them up with our tents, stools, and cooking hear for 24 hours. Then it was a 1&1/2 hour drive to the Okavango Delta to the mokoro base site, down a very sandy track. Unloading the trucks, we were settled into a mokoro (type of canoe) for our 1 & 1/2 hour trip up the delta.
The photos on Facebook will show the mokoro trip. John and I along with packs, sleeping bags and bed roll were allocated a poler, and he set us up for our trip. It was a very peaceful way to travel up the Delta, gliding though the reeds. Amy and Jeromé did not have such a pleasant trip as their mokoro leaked, leaving them with wet bottoms. Along the way some of us saw a water snake, and Liz saw a small brown snake on a trip to the long drop.
Once we arrived on our island bush camp site, we put up our tents and had lunch. Siesta time followed, and at 4.30pm we were put into groups and went for a 1&1/2 hour walking tour with a poler guide.
John, our guide, pointed out the various plants and we were able to walk up very close (less than 100m) to a herd of zebra. There were a few birds to spot, and a couple of red lechwe. It was just dark when we returned to camp.
After our dinner of pasta and vegetables, cooked on the campfire, we had marshmallows toasted over the campfire. Then our polers entertained us with some songs in Botswanian. We had to respond, so the group of 7 Kiwis did ourselves proud with a rendition of Po Kari Kari Ana before Amy sang a  short burst of the chorus of Lorde's Royals with Liz and Therese singing the fill-in bits.  The Australians sang Waltzing Matilda, John said a Cautionary Tale (Ben) and Therese lead  around  of 10 green bottles. Then it was time for bed, with a warning to check for eyes if you did have to leave your tent during the night!

21st August. The night was filled with the sound of frogs. Many of us went for a morning walk at 7am to see the game at the waterhole. There were a lot of zebra. However it was not much of a walk, which was the reason Liz went on the walk, while John "slept in" and put down the tent. After breakfast we returned to the mainland in our mokoros, then back to camp in Maun. We upgraded to an ensuite twin cabin for under $40NZ, and enjoyed a refreshing shower and washed all our clothes. After lunch, Liz and Therese joined the truck to head back into Maun to get some supplies. We left at 2pm and returned at 5.30. John and Richard joined those remaining at camp playing volleyball and having a swim, a much better option.
On return Liz was on truck cleaning duty and Therese on dinner. She and her team produced ä really lovely meal of mashed potatoes and devilled sausages. After dinner we sat around and talked, then went to our cabin at 9pm.

Sunrise every day is at 6am and sunset at 6pm. The days start cool but heat up and become very hot during the day. It is probably in the high 20s every day, and this is winter! Sometimes there is a slight breeze, but never much humidity.

August 22nd - Another early start, 5.45am, bags packed, breakfast, and away from camp at 7.30am. We drove through the countryside, scrubby and sandy, and turned off onto a one lane sealed road. There is a lot of livestock wandering around, sometimes over the road - donkeys, and cattle and goats. Many little villages with rondels, kids playing in the dirt.
Not wearing a watch means we don't monitor the time. We reached the border and it took about an hour for everyone to get processed out of Botswana. Back on the truck, drove 100 m and off into Immigration for entry stamps into Namibia. There is a 1 hour time difference, though in real time it would be 2.15pm it is now 1.15. So we have a 30 minute drive to our camp site. Writing this on the way, as there is wifi available at the camp.

August 18th

We were up early and packed ready to go. Breakfast from the truck, cereal and toast, then the truck was packed up and we departed. There are 30 campers, a driver, tour guide, a trainee guide and a guide from Northern Africa on holiday. So there are 34 on the truck. It is like a bus inside, very comfortable.

After an hour and a half we arrived at the border, around 10.30. Disembarked from the truck and lined up to go through customs to leave Zambia. Passports stamped, we walked down the the ferry for the river crossing. It was a very short trip, about 5 minutes, and we were in Botswana. At that point it is the junction of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia. We crossed the Chobe River at the Kazungula crossing.

Into the customs building to get our entry stamp for Botswana, then back in the truck for a short ride to the town nearest our camp, Kasane. Here we went to the Lido to get any provisions we needed, and walked around the other stores. Being a Sunday many stores were closed.  

Arrived at our camp and set up the tents. It is a lovely spot beside the Chobe River. There is an electric fence along the river to keep out the hippos and elephants! Headed for the pool to have a dip, then sat in the shade for a while with a beer.

Liz was on cooking duty so from 5.30 she helped cooking the chicken and rice. Dinner was in the dark at 6.30, and then we sat around talking for a while before bed. There were a few hippos grazing just over the fence for while.

Sunrise is around 6am and sunset at around 6pm. Both happen quickly, there is no lingering twilight. There are quite a few lovely birds flying around, and we should see many more in Botswana.

Our group of travellers is quite a varied group, with quite a few oldies in it. So it makes for a good group to spend time with.  This morning many of the tour went on a game drive, leaving at 5.45 am. We had done our great game grieves in Madwike, so were happy to sleep in, catch up on washing and chat to others for the morning. This afternoon we will go back to the local town to use the internet, and this afternoon we are all going on a boat cruise on the Chobe - there should be hundreds of elephants and hippos to see. Tonight will be a barbecue dinner.  

At the shopping centre, just found free wifi. Will not have any for a few days now.

August 16th Livingstone

We were all up early and at breakfast around 7am. Then we had to pack up and leave our "luxury" tent. Took our bags over to the Toucan truck to be stored for the day, and met Mark, our tour guide for the next three weeks. There will be a group of 30 on our trip, with 4 staff. From tonight we will be sleeping in basic tents!

Just before 9 we were picked up by our taxi to go to the nearby airstrip. There we all boarded a helicopter for a flight over Victoria Falls. It was an amazing sight, and we saw all the different channels the water had eroded out over the centuries.

So we are back at the Lodge, and will probably spend the rest or the day relaxing by the pool, catching up on emails, and getting ready to hit the road. We have a tour briefing at 5pm. Not sure how internet access will be for the next few days, but will try when possible to do a post.

August 15th

Had a great sleep in our tents - on stretcher beds, very comfortable. We met for breakfast and then at 9.30am we got two taxis to Victoria Falls, about 7 km's away. Paid our entry fees, then got a guide and went into the park.
We walked to the various parts of the Falls. It is a magnificent sight, with a lot of spray - the water falls down into a narrow gorge and spray splashes back up. The day was quite warm at about 26 degrees. We walked over the bridge separating Zambia from Zimbabwe and placed our feet in Zimbabwe.
We taxied back and had a late lunch, or rather each couple shared a burger and chips since the portions were so large. Then a siesta before a very brisk swim in the camp pool.   It's fair to say it was quite cool, despite the hot sun.
Tomorrow we are all taking a helicopter flight over the falls.
At present the order of the day is having Sundowners (drinks) on the banks of the Zambesi in the late afternoon sun. Just what holidaying in Africa should be about.

August 14th - to Zambia

August 14th, 2014

We got the 8am hotel shuttle to the airport, which was not far away. Checked in for our international flight to Zambia, then went through customs and immigration and headed for the departure area. Amy and Jeromé joined us. The airport in J'burg is a lovely building, and there were a number of shops in the duty free area. We did not purchase anything, but enjoyed wandering around looking at everything. Our flight was only about 1.5 hours, and we were in Zambia. It was hot outside for us - 26 degrees - but it is winter time here! We walked into the terminal, a beautiful new building which is not quite finished. Paid US$50 each for our visa, and went to collect our bags. Fortunately we were among the first to disembark the plane, as the queue was long behind us and it took quite ä while to process each person.
A short taxi ride to the Waterfront where we are staying, and we checked in and were shown our tents. They are permanent tents, and high enough to stand up in. There is an electric fan and a light in each one. Beds - a little too short, and certainly too short for Jeromé - made up with sheets. These tents are our home for the next three nights.
There were monkeys running around the camp site.

We settled in and then all 6 of us went to the main camp area to find out about activities for the time we are here. There certainly are plenty of options - rafting, Bungy jumping, helicopter rides, microlight flights, and much more.
We booked a sunset dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. So at 4.15 we embarked for a meander down up the river to see the wildlife. We saw hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, and lots of birds. The dinner was basic - sausage, chicken, coleslaw, salad and a bun. however the atmosphere was really lovely - it was calm and quiet, with lovely scenery around us. There was a beautiful sunset.

The cruise finished just after 6.30.  We returned to our tents about 7pm, and that is where I am now sitting to write this.

 August 12th evening game drive - we went to the big dam waterhole just before dusk. A wide range of animals came along. There were many elephants and giraffes. It was fascinating watching their behaviour. Two of the elephants we're play fighting. The setting was spectacular. When the giraffes left their long necks were visible above the scrub for a long time.

We had two other couples on our truck; Terry and Jill from Australia and Charlote and Paul from Durban. Terry and Jill are originally from South Africa, and lived in Christchurch for quite a few years before retiring to Australia. Charlotte is a district court magistrate. They were both lovely couples, and we had a great time with them.

Another beautiful three course dinner outside, then we retired to our rooms at 9pm.

August 13th: After a good night's sleep we got up at 6 in order to have everything ready to leave after breakfast. When we arrived for coffee at the lodge, Tyrone said he wanted to leave as soon as possible as there had been a kill nearby for us to go to. I had heard an animal screaming around 6 am for about 15 mins, and this was the victim of an attack by two hyenas.
So we departed as soon as everyone was there, and soon reached the scene. There were two hyenas ripping apart a wildebeest. It was something that many seasoned game safari visitors seldom see. We were parked within metres of the site, and could hear the hyenas pulling at the dead animal and could smell the blood. We got some amazing photos, many not suitable to display without a warning.

A lone grey hyena -a beautiful looking animal - circled cautiously, but did not come in to challenge the other hyenas. The sky was a lovely clear blue, and the day was warming up. Some vultures started circling overhead.

We left the scene to allow other trucks to come up to view. There is a rule of a maximum of three trucks at a viewing at any one time, to give people a better experience and also to leave some space for the animals.

Tyrone then said he had something else to show us, so we drove quickly to the northern edge of the park and along the fence line until we came to where a pack of wild dogs was resting - probably after having had a feast - lying in groups in the sun. There were 10 in number, and Tyrone explained how good they are at running down and killing prey. They can devour 10kgs of meat in 10 mins.

We headed back towards the lodge, stopping for a coffee break along the way. On our ride we saw so many animals - zebra, rhino, wildebeest, warthog, impala, kudu, elephant, and buffalo. There were also many different bird species. For our previous two days drives it had been windy, so many of the animals and birds would have been hunkered down. Today it was so calm and still and they were all out.

After breakfast we finished packing and left the lodge by road transfer around 11.30. We had had three amazing days at Impodimo Lodge and had seen so many different animals and birds. Tyrone, our guide, had explained about so many of the animals and birds, and their various habitats and shared his love of the animals with us.

  Now in Johannesburg about to head out to meet Amy and Jeromé, Kashi and Vivita and have dinner.

12 August 2014

Well we have just returned from another of the morning game drives here at the Impodimo Lodge. The lodge is in the Madikwe Game Reserve about 4 hours north west of Johannesburg by car. There are about 20 or more lodges in the 75,000 hectare reserve, all privately run. This lodge has rooms for about 8 couples or groups. The bed has a huge netting canopy above it with all the mod cons, even an outside shower. The order of the day is that we go out at about 7am for a 3 or 4 hour drive with the driver and his local tracker. Home for breakfast at about 11 am, then siesta until 3 when we have high tea at the pool, followed by an evening drive and dinner at about 8pm. All the meals are beautifully cooked. So far we have see lots of beautiful animal up close - confirming everything in the films and documentaries about Africa that we have seen.

The weather is cool but a little windy, which tends to keep the animals hunkered down out of the wind.

Tomorrow we head back to Johannesburg where we meet up with Amy and Jeromé. The following day we head up to Livingstone to spend 3 days before we join our 3 week truck tour South to Capetown.

Monday, 11th August - Impodimo Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve.

Our trip to Madikwe  Game Reserve yesterday took about 4.5 hours. We had a lovely lady, Martie, who drove us and explained things along the way. Went through some townships with very small iron huts, and others with more solid and substantial homes. Dry dirt everywhere, a few places had hens and goats, not many had gardens. There were many folk out walking along the sides of the road, or waiting on a bus. It was a pleasant temperature for us of 20 degrees, though for our driver it was cold.

On arrival at the park, around 2pm, Martie drove us the long way so we could see some of the wildlife. There were elephants crossing the road, and some zebra. We arrived at Impodimo Lodge at 2.30, and were shown to our chalet. Just outside our room were elephants bathing in the waterhole! It is an unfenced lodge, so we are not allowed to go to or leave our chalets at night without an armed guard, in case we encounter any wildlife along the way.

At 3pm we met at the pool for High Tea. Then we went on a game drive, with Tyrone our guide and Sam our tracker. Travelled in an open land rover, with a couple from Australia, so there were 6 guests and two staff in total. We saw lions resting after a kill - parked just a few metres away to sit and watch them! There were zebra, jackals, a large buffalo, hyena, steenbuck, warthogs, impala, and many other species of wildlife. We stopped and had a wine and nibbles in a clearing along the way. As it got dark we saw a few nocturnal animals. The temperature dropped the sun disappeared but we had hats, jackets and a rug to keep us warm.

Upon returning to the Lodge around 8pm we gathered in a courtyard for dinner. It was lovely and cosy, with open fires in a bush-like setting. We had a delicious three course meal, and then it was time to be escorted back to our room.

We are in a lovely chalet, which had a small fire burning and hot-water bottles in the bed. There is a bath with a view over the waterhole, and both an inside and outside shower. It was very quiet during the night, though I did hear something nibbling/gnawing - discovered in the morning that there had been a mouse in my bag eating a muesli bar. There were others out on the seat it could have had without going through my bag!

A wake up call came at 6.30 so we got up and dressed and met at the lodge at 6.45 for a hot drink and muffin, before heading back to the vehicle for the early morning game drive. Sam had placed a hot water bottle and rug on our seats, so it was lovely and cosy.

The first big animal we saw was a white rhinoceros. We were able to get within a few metres of this great beast, which continued peacefully grazing alongside of us. So we spent quite a while watching it. It was an amazing experience. The other animals we saw close up included giraffes and elephants. There was a very young elephant which was playing with its mother - the mother was lying down and the baby was climbing on her.

We also spotted quite a number of birds, some beautifully coloured ones and others like quail and guinea-fowl. A drongo also showed itself.

On return to the Lodge  it was time for brunch. We sat poolside for a continental breakfast, and enjoyed the atmosphere. There is a bit of wind today, and it is cloudy, so a bit cooler than yesterday.

This blog is being composed while sitting on the deck overlooking the waterhole. Have watched an elephant bathing, and some impala come by. Quite a number of birds are able to be seen and heard.

It is the dry season so very dusty and brown everywhere. Makes for easier animal spotting than in the summer when the grass and trees are green.
We meet again at 3 for High Tea before heading out again for our dusk game drive. We have requested Tyrone to make sure we see a black rhino and a hippo tonight!

Off to Africa

We had a long trip, leaving a wet, cold Wellington at 6.45 am for Sydney. The flight was late landing due to fog in Sydney, and we spent time circling in a holding pattern, desperately hoping we did not have to go to Brisbane to refuel as that would mean problems with our connecting flight.  However the pilot landed us safely and we transferred to our next flight which was late anyway.  Once on board we were told we would be waiting for up to an hour for people on other delayed flights! So finally departed Sydney just over two hours late.
It was a smooth 14&1/2 hour flight to Johannesburg. We landed around 6.40pm and cleared immigration and customs - no forms to fill out or anything, just a passport stamp. Easy directions to our hotel shuttle and we were driven about 5 mins to the hotel. So did not see much of the area in the dark.
Lovely hotel, and once showered and refreshed we went down to dinner. Very nice buffet meal. After that it was time to try and sleep. Had a few hours of sleep - 10 hours behind NZ so we would normally have been awake at the time we were trying to sleep. It was/is certainly nice and quiet, even though we can see the airport runway from our window.
We are looking out to see if we can see Amy and Jeromé arriving as they are due to arrive now.
Have just had a call to say our shuttle is waiting to take us to the game park, so are setting off on our adventure!