Our next big adventure on our South African trek was a visit to Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in all of Africa, and home to hundreds of birds and mammals including the Big Five (the most feared animals in Africa): lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo. To say we were excited about this particular excursion would be an understatement - we had talked about it for months before our trip even started. Needless to say, we were up early (5:00 AM), showered, dressed and in the dining car just after 6:00 AM. Following a hearty breakfast, we disembarked the train and walked across the platform to the waiting Toyota Land Cruiser open safari vehicles that would take us through the park. Each vehicle held up to 10 passengers plus the driver - 3 bench seats behind the driver could seat 3 people each and there was a seat beside the driver. We had 7 passengers in our vehicle which made for a relatively comfortable ride with 2 passengers on two benches and one with 3 passengers. Once we were all loaded, our convoy of 7 vehicles left the train just after 7:00 AM and drove for about 20 minutes through a light drizzle to the Malelane Gate at the southern tip of Kruger National Park. When we arrived at the park entrance, we waited for approximately 1/2 hour while our driver, Chrisman, registered us at the park office. Once all of the formalities were done, we passed through the entrance and continued on the dirt road leading into Kruger. At this point, each vehicle in our group went in a different direction along various routes through the park. The terrain was quite flat, the dirt road rutted and bordered on both sides by the iconic bushveld of Southern Africa. My heart was racing at the thought of finally being on an African safari! Less than 10 minutes into the park we saw our first herd of impalas at the side of the road. Chrisman stopped briefly for us to take some photos. As he started to pull away, there was some grumbling in our group as we wanted a bit more time with them. He laughed and told us that there were over 250,000 impalas in the park and that by the end of the day we would have seen so many that we wouldn’t even notice them. After driving another 10 minutes, Chrisman stopped the vehicle at the side of the road and pointed to a bushy area about 20 yards from us. There, scattered under the shade of an acacia tree were 5 lions - 4 young males and a female. What a sight! We sat quietly in awe and admired the majesty of these beautiful cats. After a few minutes Chrisman focused our attention to a group of vultures perched on a tree about 50 yards up the road and on the other side from where the lions were. (By the way, a group of vultures is referred to as a venue when they are roosting on trees and a kettle when in flight - see the list of what other groups are called at the end of this post). Chrisman inched the vehicle slowly towards the commotion that was happening under the tree where they were perched. As we got closer, we were able to see a number of hyenas pacing back and forth beside the carcass of a buffalo, the victim of the lions we had just been watching. The larger hyenas were feasting on the carcass while the younger ones were waiting their turn and keeping the vultures at bay. Over the next 2 days this unfortunate buffalo would be food for dozens of other animals and provide testimony to the Circle of Life. We watched this amazing display of nature taking its course for another 15 minutes before continuing on into the park. We had driven another kilometer or so when Chrisman again pulled the vehicle over and stopped. This time we all noticed the movement in the acacia trees to our right as a group of elephants made their way slowly and deliberately towards the road just a few yards in front of us. It took a couple of minutes for them to reach the road as they stopped to eat from the acacia trees. It was breathtaking to see these huge beasts crossing nonchalantly just a few paces in front of us. What we had initially thought was a small group of a dozen or so turned out to be a large herd of more than 40 elephants of all ages and sizes. We again began to trek further into the park and within a couple of more minutes we could see a large herd of buffalo in the distance. As we were gazing at the buffalo, Chrisman pointed to some large boulders between the buffalo and our vehicle about 50 yards away. He pulled over and as we watched intently in the direction of the boulders we realized that they weren’t boulders at all, but rather 5 white rhinos. They were standing perfectly still, but every few seconds we could see their ears and tails twitching. We had only been in the park for about 45 minutes and we had already seen 4 of the Big Five! Chrisman explained that we were extremely fortunate - the early morning start combined with the light rain had meant the temperature was relatively cool and so the animals were a bit more active than normal. We spent the next couple of hours exploring different trails and were amazed at the number and variety of wildlife in their natural habitat. We spotted several hippos and crocodiles at one large watering hole. The hippos were floating in the middle of the pond and the crocs were basking around the edge. Not far away were zebras, antelope and impalas grazing on the grasslands. Further along as we drove, we spotted a beautiful male kudu displaying its elegant curly horns. Just before 2:00 pm, Chrisman pulled into a gated area off one of the roads. This turned out to be a lodge, and the meeting point for our lunch with the rest of our group. We had been in the park for over 6 hours and the time had just flown by. We stopped for about 45 minutes and had time to eat and use the facilities before heading off again for more safari. Because of the time of day and the fact that the animals weren’t quite as active, it was nearly an hour before we spotted anything we hadn’t already seen. On the road in front of us was a majestic male giraffe sauntering with elegance, his head higher than the acacia trees at the side of the road. He looked back at us briefly and then headed off into the bush where he nibbled at a nearby tree. Not far behind, a female and her calf browsed on some brush by the side of the road. A bit further along, we came across another large herd of buffalo. Nestled among the buffalo were several dozen zebra. Not long after, we spotted 8 wart hogs grazing at the side of the road and then a little further up the road, a waterbuck. It was finally time for us to start heading out of the park and back towards the train. We had been told to be back at the train by 4:00 PM and we still had nearly an hour from our location in the park to the train. We needed to hurry to make it back in time. As we started in the direction of where our train was waiting, Chrisman spotted a venue of vultures in some trees about 100 yards ahead of us. He slowed the vehicle and proceeded cautiously towards the trees. On the left side of the road, about 10 paces from the vehicle was a dead impala being picked at by a few of the vultures. The vehicle now stopped, Chrisman stood up and peered along the brush on both sides of the road. He raised his hand slowly and pointed to a spot on the opposite side of the road from where the carcass lay. There, camouflaged in the grasses and brush, was a beautiful female leopard, staring intently at our vehicle. She sat perfectly still for several minutes before scooting off behind some trees. Chrisman started up the vehicle and continued down the road towards the entrance gate. A sharp crackle emitted from the truck’s 2-way radio followed by a male voice asking Chrisman where we were and how much longer would we be. It was just past 4:00 PM and we still had another half hour before we reached the train. We were going to be late getting back but that last brief stop had been well worth it. Because of that stop, on our very first game drive, we had been extremely fortunate and seen all of Africa’s Big Five! Even though ours was the last vehicle from our group to pull up to the train platform (a 1/2 later than anyone else) we were still greeted by the train crew with the traditional red carpet reception including warm wet towel, a glass of champagne and liqueur! We boarded the train and headed to the lounge car for our daily gin and tonic and reminisce about our fabulous day before getting ready for dinner. It turns out this became our daily ritual for the group of us who had spent the day together in Kruger - Kim and I, our 4 Tasmanian friends (Helen and Merv, Tina and Julian) and our engaging American priest, Chris. After our drink we freshened up for dinner and waited for the xylophone call (which came at precisely 7:20 PM) to let us know we could proceed to the dining cars where we enjoyed an appetizer of coconut carrot soup, an entre consisting of shrimp, fish and mussels followed by a poached apple dessert. We retired to our room and sunk into bed after an exhausting day.
I have to say, it was extremely difficult writing this blog post because it is so hard to put into words what we experienced that day in Kruger. Being in one of the world’s most famous game reserves and seeing animals that are on the endangered species list in their natural habitat was visceral. A list of the wildlife that we spotted in Kruger is noted below. Spotted hyena Giraffe Hippo Crocodile Heron White back vulture Wooded vulture Lappet faced vulture Lion Guinea fowl Leopard tortoise Nest of red billed buffalo weaver African fish eagle African buffalo (48,000 in this park) Scope owl Impala (250,000 in this park) African elephants (12,000 in this park) Grey Go Away bird White rhino Blue wildebeast Crested francolin bird Waterbuck antelope Kudu Warthog Blacksmith Plover Burchell starling Tree squirrel Dwarf mongoose Klipspringer Red billed hornbill Yellow billed hornbill Brown snake eagle Lilac breasted roller Chacma baboon Tawny eagle Nyala antelope Yellow billed kite Plains zebra Red billed woodhoope Leopard Swainson Pronouns - Zodiac of Dazzle of Zebra Journey of Giraffe - while travelling Tower of Giraffe - while standing Rank of Impala Sounder of Warthogs Parade of Herd of Elephants of if a smaller group breaks off it is a clan Crash of Rhinos Vultures when flying are a kettle Vultures when sitting are a venue If you are considering visiting South Africa, please contact us for expert advice and assistance. Continue to Day 9 - click here
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After our first night on the Shongololo Express we woke up early at 6:00am and admired the scenery as we continued along the tracks towards our next destination. We went for breakfast at 8:15am. We finished up in time to board the bus en route to Pilgrims Rest at 10:00am. Our tour was supposed to start at 9:15am, but because the train did not arrive at Nelspruit Station until after 9:30 we were late leaving. Nelspruit is the capital of Mpumalanga province and though it goes by its original name, the city is now officially called Mbombela. Mbombela is a city in northeastern South Africa situated on the Crocodile River, is 110 kms west of the Mozambique border and 80 kms north of the Swaziland border. Because of its location between Johannesburg and Maptuto, Mozambique on the Indian Ocean, Mbombela is a major route. The population is approximately 60,000 with a racial mix of 49% white, 42% black with the remaining 9% being coloured and Asian. The main industries are agriculture, coal mining, lumber (paper mill) and the export of Macadamia nuts. Average summer temperature for this area is a high of 29C and low of -1C in winter. During the Apartheid period pre 1994, many indigenous Africans lived in homelands, which are similar to North American Reservation lands for indigenous people. Many of the new houses are constructed of brick with concrete tile roofs. Land is not privately owned but considered tribal land. Agriculture crops include avocado, citrus fruits, bananas, and papayas. There is a thriving forest industry in the province but many of the trees are not indigenous to the area. Pine trees were initially brought in from Mexico and hard woods, including Eucalyptus, were brought in from Australia. We passed dozens of empty lumber trucks on our 100 km drive north to Pilgrim’s Rest as they were going to load up at the various depots. As we continued on our trek we drove along the Panorama Route looking down at the huge forests that were blanketing the landscape. The scenery was spectacular as we wound around the mountains and climbed to 1700 metres above sea level. We finally arrived at our first destination along the Panorama Route - Pilgrim's Rest - the first gold mine located in South Africa. This mine was established in 1873 by Alex Paterson, known as the “Wheelbarrow Man” (because he brought all of his belongings with him from the Cape by wheelbarrow - a distance of 1600 miles!). This started the biggest gold rush the world had ever seen It was a huge resource and the town grew up around the miners and their workers. The mine was officially closed in 1974 however the town has remained as a heritage site and the original buildings are still maintained for visitors. Due to the remote location, there is a high rate of unemployment in this town with the locals doing what they can to survive. Many individuals can be seen carrying macadamia nuts in boxes on their heads to sell to tourists. As well, residents will come and clean vehicles for a small fee. We strolled along the main street of town, visiting the museum and had a coffee and milkshake at a small cafe. Then were back on the bus to our next destination for lunch. We left Pilgrim’s Rest and drove for 20 minutes arriving in Graskop where we went directly to the suggested restaurant for lunch only to find it was an overcrowded with the large group from the bus. We decided to walk around the town first and browse in the shops. We were convinced by a starving artist on the street to purchase one of his wood carvings - he was very persuasive. Much of the town has very lovely flowers along the sides of the streets and we admired their colour and varieties. Afterwards we found a pancake house to have lunch and shared a minced meat and cheese crepe and a cheese and tomato crepe. The next location on our stop was the Blyde River Canyon that sits at 1730 metres above sea level. The area has 7 waterfalls with the tallest at 92 metres. The Canyon spanning 57 kms is absolutely stunning. The jagged rocks and ragged walls make for a wonderful sight. The canyon had a natural river at the bottom and even though it was quite hazy you could see the stunning natural sculptures of the canyon with the different coloured rock and the rounded shapes from years of windy weather. Once we had admired the Canyon we boarded the bus again towards our next stop - Bourke's Luck Potholes. Another mining location - Tom Bourke found a small amount of gold in this area and staked a claim however someone else found gold on the other side of ridge which turned out to be a bonanza. So Bourke actually didn't have much luck. This area is an incredible natural wonder where crevices have been created by the natural erosion of the earth where the rivers Blyde and Treur converge. The setting is really beautiful with man-made bridges spanning from one side to another. The pools (or pot holes) at the bottom make for breathtaking scenery. It was a long walk down to the bottom but very worth it to see the rock walls with the variations of color and the waterfalls cascading from one level to another. We were informed that the Northern Sutu is the native tribe in this area and there were many women in their traditional dress wandering around the area as well. Approximately 1/2 km away from Bourke's Luck is God's Window looking over the valley to Hazy View. While this would be an incredible view overlooking the valley, it was unfortunately very hazy with smoke rising from the villages below. We tried to capture the beauty of the rolling hills and grassy slopes but it was difficult with the hazy conditions. After all our sightseeing for the day we had a 2 hour drive back to the train in the dark. It was a tricky drive along with winding mountainous roads and made even more difficult with the numerous lumber trucks that our competent driver passed along the way.
We arrived back at the train at 7:00pm and quickly rushed to get ready for dinner at 7:30pm. We enjoyed a sweet potato cake as an appetizer and springbok with vegetables and rice. The train left at 7:30pm and travelled until 11:30pm. This provided a much more restful sleep than we had managed on our first night. If you are considering visiting South Africa, please contact us for expert advice and assistance. Continue to Day 8 - click here I have to admit, as much as I was looking forward to our train adventure on the Shongololo Express which we were about to embark on, I was really sad to leave the wonderful palace that is the Orient. We managed to wake up early (6:00am) even after our decadent and leisurely dinner at the Mosaic. As we were getting dressed and our final packing done, we could hear Surprise setting our table on the balcony outside our bedroom. At precisely 7:00am our lavish “continental” breakfast, was waiting for us to enjoy. We lingered over coffee and tea as long as we could as we admired the rising sun over the backdrop of mountains before reluctantly leaving for our 7:30am pick-up that was taking us to Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria. The 30-minute ride from the Orient to Pretoria took us from the foothills of the Conservation area into flatlands where the countryside is dotted with plantations and agricultural communities. As we approached Pretoria the landscape became more urban with mostly industrial and strip malls. What was of peculiar interest to me were the large number of used car part dealers and scrap yards, old BMW’s, Mercedes and Volkswagens, some dating more than 20 years, were lined up in lots next to the road. Dealers offering to buy and sell used suspensions, drive trains, bumpers and engines were all along the main road. We eventually turned into the Rovos Rail entrance and drove up to a well maintained Colonial Railway Building with its adjoining rail yard. Our driver pulled up to the front of the grand building where a kiosk was set up just outside the main entrance and a concierge was checking people in. We gathered our luggage from the van and went through the brief check-in process, dropped off our bags and were led into the main room of the rail house where we were offered a glass of champagne. We had arrived just after 8:00am, and were scheduled to board a bus for an excursion to Soweto and Johannesburg at 9:00 am, so we milled about the rail house and the expansive patio on the rail side where we enjoyed tea and biscuits in the brilliant sunshine. We watched as an old steam engine idled on the tracks and occasionally blasted out its sharp whistle. At precisely 9:00am, we were informed that our bus was ready to board and we shuffled out the front door and on to one of the 2 luxury coaches for our tour to Soweto. Each coach held approximately 40 people so there was plenty of room for the 60 or so passengers that were booked on this edition of the Shongololo Express. Our tour guide, PJ, introduced himself and informed us that over the next 12 days, as we trekked across Southern Africa en route to Victoria Falls aboard the Shogololo Express, the two coaches would follow along and be used to transport us from the train to the various destinations along the way. Each day we would board the same coach. PJ and the other tour guide for the trip, Wilhelm, would alternate buses every other day. After the brief introductions, the buses pulled out of the station and started the 1 hour drive southwest towards Johannesburg. It was a short drive through the streets of Pretoria to the main highway to Johannesburg and then on to Soweto. As we were passing through Johannesburg, PJ informed us that the downtown area, once a vibrant business hub, was now nearly 90% unoccupied. Most of the office buildings and condos have no residents above the ground floor. A short distance from the highway we could see a thick cloud of black smoke enveloping an area around 2 tall office buildings. Orange flames shot out the broken windows near the top of the buildings. PJ told us that the fire had broken out in one of the buildings and spread to the other the day before. There was no attempt to douse the burning buildings - they would be left to burn themselves out. PJ explained that during the mid-1980s most of the wealthy whites who controlled the businesses in Johannesburg left South Africa as Apartheid was coming to an end. As a result many of the businesses collapsed and have not recovered. Soon after passing through Johannesburg, we arrived at Soweto. Soweto is a township of the city of Johannesburg comprising of approximately 2.5 million people, making it the largest black urban settlement in Africa. The name itself is an acronym derived from (So)uth (We)st (To)wnship. It was initially settled in the 1930’s when Africans, who came to Johannesburg to work in the gold mines, were forced to live in the township to be kept separate from the whites living in Johannesburg. Today it is a sprawling, vibrant community made up of patchwork shacks and dwellings. Like much of South Africa, the economy in Soweto is suffering. The unemployment rate is said to be at 60%. During our visit, the township was in the middle of a garbage strike and rubbish was stacked everywhere along the streets. On one of our stops at a large street market there was a boulevard at a busy intersection that had a large mound of garbage which had been set aflame and was still smoldering. All around it street vendors had barbeque pits set up and were selling food to the passersby. The street market was several blocks in length and ran along a pedestrian street that was parallel to the main road we had driven in on the bus. The bus had dropped us at one end of the market and we walked to the other end where it picked us up. In between there were dozens and dozens of vendors selling every kind of ware and food item. Leaving the market, we boarded the bus and travelled a short distance to Vilakazi Street - the only street in the world that was the home to 2 different Nobel Peace Prize winners - Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Their houses are only a few blocks apart and while Nelson Mandela spent a few nights at his house (now a museum) after his release from prison in 1990, Archbishop Tutu still resides here. The area around the Nelson Mandela museum is a thriving tourist spot with restaurants and shops, a sharp contrast to much of the rest of Soweto. Not far from Vilakazi Street we arrived at the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum which commemorates the boy who was shot and killed at the age of 13 by police during the student uprising on June 16, 1976. I remember vividly, as a University student in Canada watching the news clips of heavily armed police shooting into crowds of high school students who were staging a peaceful protest against the mandatory use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in black secondary schools. PJ, our guide, who was 7 years old at the time, was present during the protests. The museum is a modern building consisting mostly of black and white photographs, news reels and artillery that provides a stark journal of the horrific events that occurred that day. Every Thursday throughout 2018, the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela, there is free admission for kids to all museums in South Africa. As our visit to the Hector Pieterson Memorial was on a Thursday, the venue was packed with students all proudly wearing their school uniforms and colours. Despite the large number of students who were laughing and rambunctious on the grounds outside the museum, once they entered, their behaviour became sombre and respectful. After leaving the museum to board our bus and head back to Pretoria, we too succumbed to silence and retrospection that lasted for some time into our trip. It was approaching mid-afternoon by the time we reached the outskirts of Pretoria, the Administrative Capital of South Africa with a population of approximately 2 million people. Our first stop was the Voortrekker Monument which commemorates the Pioneer history of Southern Africa along with the history of the Afrikaner and is situated on a hilltop just south of Pretoria proper in a nature reserve. We had a quick lunch at the cafeteria style restaurant at the monument and then explored the inside of the massive monument. Our final stop was onward to downtown Pretoria for a stop at the Union Buildings and the giant statue of Nelson Mandela that watches over the city. Following our stop we boarded the bus for the final time that day and headed back to Rovos Rail Station for the start of our train journey. Once at the station, we were served champagne and escorted to seats that had been set up in rows facing a podium at one end of the great room. After everyone was seated, each passenger was called by name and Mr. Vos, the owner of Rovos Rail, welcomed each person individually. Once all of the introductions were done, we were invited aboard the Shongololo Express which was waiting for us on the platform. We were taken to the car where we found our cabin and then given some time to unpack and freshen up. A short time later, our hostess, Merica, knocked on our door to introduce herself and let us know that she would be taking care of us until the end of our trip. After settling into our cabin, we proceeded to the end of the train and found the lounge car where we each had a drink as we waited for our call to dinner. I was surprised at how reasonably priced the cocktails were. I had a vodka martini and Kim had a gin and tonic each for R60 (less than $1 CDN). At 7:20pm, we heard the distinct sounds of a xylophone echoing down the train corridor announcing dinner being served. We made our way from the back of the train where the lounge was, to the front of the train, where the dining cars were. This was our first meal on the Shongololo and we were intrigued as to what would be served. The Shongololo dining cars are vintage cars from the early 1900’s and the decor is elegant. Tables for 2 and 4 are set up on each side of the centre aisle, and while the seating is tight, it is still quite comfortable. There is a different menu offered every night and our first meal consisted of three courses. The appetizer was a broccoli tart followed by an entree of sea bass. There was a dessert offering but we selected the cheese plate which consisted of several artisan cheeses and fruit. We also ordered a bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc (R155/$16 CDN) to accompany our meal. We lingered over dinner until about 9:00pm then went back to our room and prepared for bed. The train had expected to leave the station at 6:00pm, but because Rovos uses the national rail system, they are subject to delays based on congestion. We left just after 9:00pm and travelled until 1:00am. Our first night was a little unrestful because of the many starts and stops which resulted in rattling and jolting from time. Once the train stopped for the night we were able to finally get some sleep and prepare ourselves for our next excursion.
Continue to Day 7 - click here Having spent 4 fabulous days in and around Cape Town, it was now time to head off on our next adventure in South Africa. Our destination was an exotic boutique hotel just outside of Pretoria where we were planning a day of relaxation before our 12 day train trek to Victoria Falls. We left our apartment in downtown Cape Town at 5:00 am, taking an Uber (approximately $22 CAD) to the airport and arrived at 5:25 for our 6:30 flight. There is only 1 terminal at Cape Town airport and at this time of the morning there was little traffic and no crowds. We checked in at a kiosk upon entering the terminal then dropped our bags off at the Mango Airlines counter (owned by South African Airways). We proceeded to Security where we stood in a long line which was a bit worrisome until we realized that Security was not yet open. Once it did open, the line progressed quite quickly. We had no issues taking our 4 bottles of unopened wine through security which we found out is the norm for South African domestic flights. We had a short wait in the gate area and then when boarding commenced, we loaded into buses which drove us to our bright orange Mango plane, a Boeing 737. The flight was very quiet, mostly because the majority of passengers were business people who slept on the flight. There was a cash snack service that was offered mid-flight, and to our pleasant surprise, we had both been given a 750 Rand ($7.50 CAD) food voucher as part of our boarding pass which we were able to use to offset the meal. Our flight had left right on time at 6:30 am, and was scheduled to land at 8:30, but we ended up arriving 15 minutes early. We deplaned on the tarmac of Lansaria Airport and walked into the tiny terminal where we collected our bags after a short wait of about 15 minutes. We had chosen Lansaria airport over the much larger and more popular Johannesburg airport because it was slightly closer to where we were staying near Pretoria and because it was a smaller airport. I have to say that this was a remarkably stress-free flight experience from start to finish which served to confirm that our choice of Lansaria was indeed the right one. We were met outside the baggage area by our driver Corato who drove us from Lansaria to our hotel through mostly rural countryside which took about 30 minutes. We turned off the main road onto a local road and drove another 2 kilometers then turned into the Francolin Conservancy where we drove about 500 metres and then turned into the grand main entrance of our destination - the Orient hotel - an exotic boutique hotel set on a sprawling property in the Francolin Conservancy. The whole property is surrounded by a brick wall approximately 8 feet high with razor wire on the top. After passing the main gate, we continued on the interlocking brick lane that winds towards the hotel for about 1 kilometer. We drove through another gate into the front courtyard and parked at the hotel entrance. We were met by 2 porters who unloaded our bags and then as we were about to enter the hotel, the manager met us at the entrance, introduced herself and welcomed us to the Orient. We had previously arranged to arrive early because we needed to leave the hotel early following morning and wanted as much time as we could to enjoy the wonderful facilities the hotel had to offer. Our intention was to drop off our bags and spend the day just lounging around until our room was ready at 3:00pm. To our surprise, we were told our room was ready and we were welcome to freshen up and have breakfast. The manager took us to our room(s), the Marrakesh Suite, which is one of the nicest suites in the hotel. She introduced us to Surprise, who was our personal concierge for the day. Surprise asked us what time we would like to have our breakfast which would be set for us on our balcony which overlooked the mountains in the background. We indicated that we would need about 15 minutes. In the meantime, the manager continued to show us around the suite which included a separate day-room immediately beside the balcony and had a sitting area, a separate room with day bed and its own ensuite. Our main suite had a king size bed, writing desk, minibar and antique armoire. Being a corner suite it also had 4 large windows overlooking the mountains on one side and the valley on the other. Our large ensuite had two sinks, a free standing roman tub, padded bench, bidet, large shower with rainfall shower head and a separate room with a toilet. After our quick tour of the room, we took about 10 minutes to get organized and were called to breakfast on the balcony. As we were seated we were presented with a delicious and floral herbal tea. Our breakfast consisted of 4 courses including bread, meat with fruit pieces and a selection of mousse custard and yogourts. There was a choice of 2 entrees. I chose the salmon and poached eggs served with Hollandaise sauce. Kim chose the poached egg. To top off this fabulous brunch, we were able to enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and valley from our private balcony. The patio pool was situated just outside our suite and below our balcony. After breakfast, we changed into our shorts as the day was beginning to warm up. There are 2 walking trails that wind through the expansive property - one is approximately 1.5 kilometers and the other is approximately 2 kilometers. We decided to do both, although by the time we were part way through the second it was approaching noon and the temperature was in the 30s. Along the trails are several marked stopping points that represent areas of interest. The property is lush in vegetation and wildlife. There are beautiful gardens spread across the property amongst the natural habitation and landscape. Along one part of the trail is a large, magnificent Buddhist meditation garden and temple with streams, waterfalls and small ponds filled with coy. The valley, mountains and natural beauty that surrounds this well-kept garden add to the calming experience. After our lengthy walk, we arrived back at the hotel, changed into our bathing suits and went down to the pool. Upon our arrival, Surprise had brought us each a large, cold Gin and Tonic to quench our thirst and cool us down. We spent most of the afternoon in and around the pool and enjoyed another gin and tonic. Towards the late afternoon (5:00pm) we decided to go up and get ready for dinner which was being served at 7:30 sharp. Kim opted to relax and take advantage of the Roman tub and a luxuriating bath. I took a short stroll in the garden at the front of the hotel and watched as a small herd of impala were browsing in the trees nearby. After a few minutes I returned to our room, had a shower and got dressed for dinner. As it was approaching sunset, I ordered a couple of glasses of champagne to be delivered to our balcony so we could watch the sun set over the mountains. The sun set just around 6:30 which was perfect timing to proceed to the main lobby for the pre-dinner cocktails and canapes. We sat next to a couple (he was from Pretoria and she was from Switzerland) who have an interesting long-distance relationship. They meet up in different cities around the world several times a year to travel together. At 7:30 we were called to dinner and escorted to our table in the Mosaic Restaurant. Mari, the hotel owner brought us the menu and gave us an overview of the options which consisted of 3 main menus - vegetarian, regular and grand. We chose the Grand Degustation which was an 8 course meal accompanied by the Connoisseur Collection of wines for pairing with each course. Chantel, Mari's daughter, and the head chef of the Mosaic Restaurant, also came by and provided more detail on the evenings offerings. The menu included specialities such as scallop, mackerel, rabbit, risotto, suckling pig, capretto, and sea bass. Each course was beautifully seasoned with complementary flavoured bread tastes that matched the upcoming course. It is difficult to describe in words what it is like to spend an evening at the Mosaic because it is an experience that involves all of the senses. Each dish is a work of art enhanced with tiny colourful edible flowers and prepared with painstaking intricate detail. It is not surprising that the Mosaic is one of South Africa’s top restaurants and Chantel, one of the preeminent chefs. This was truly one of the best dinner experiences we have ever had. We finished off our day of relaxation and pampering at the Orient with a final glass of wine as we chit chatted and looked out at the stars from our balcony. When we entered our bedroom, our bed had been turned down, there were 2 Ferraro Rocher chocolates sitting on an open book, along with a sprig of lavender. A beautiful poem was written on the open pages of the book by Chantel. A plush teddy bear sat between the pillows and was a gift to us from the hotel. I can’t say enough about the quality of service and attention to detail that we enjoyed while staying at the Orient. It was the perfect way to spend a relaxing day prior to the hectic pace we were about to embark on over the next 12 days.
Continue to Day 6 - click here After spending 3 days visiting the more popular tourist spots in and around Cape Town we realized that we had missed one of the most prominent areas found near every major city in South Africa - the townships (also referred to as Shanty Towns or informal settlements). These townships are seldom visited by tourists, many of whom are afraid to enter the communities which are said to have high incidents of crime, violence and drug abuse fueled by staggering unemployment. While this may be true, there is an overwhelming sense of resilience and drive for survival for those struggling to eke out an existence and hopefully, provide a better future for their families. In the context of grasping a better understanding of the political and cultural dynamic of South Africa, and following some discussion and online research, we opted to take a 1/2 day walking tour of Langa Township, one of the 6 townships in Cape Town. We took an Uber from our apartment to a meet up location in the heart of Langa Township - a modern Cultural Centre which serves the local community - where we met our guide Zuzeka of the Xhosa tribe. Before beginning our walk through Langa, she gave us some background and history on the townships. These settlements were initially set up as communities of hostels for Black and Coloured men coming to work in the city. Each hostel was a large room with 16 cots to house 16 men. Women were not allowed in the settlements. During apartheid, families began living in the hostels. Eventually, families would build shacks from wood, zinc and plastic and move their families into the shacks. More and more shacks were built. After Apartheid, the government began building subsidized housing and moving people from the shacks into the government houses. As people moved out of the shacks, other families would move in. There is currently a 10 year waiting period for anyone who wants to move into a government dwelling. There are approximately 70,000 people living on about 750 acres in Langa township. The community is totally self-contained with local markets and cottage industry businesses catering to the needs of the residents. Tribal traditions still exist in the communities – rites of passage including circumcision for teenage boys; sacrificing of lambs including the eating of the tongue, cheeks and eyeballs of the sheep’s head. We walked down one street where there were dozens of sheep heads laid out and waiting to be prepared for tribal ceremonies. Despite the outward appearances that may be shocking to visiting tourists, there is a strong sense of community and hope in Langa. Zuzeka grew up in the township and is now attending University to become a teacher. When she was a girl in the township, a visiting American philanthropist sponsored her and several dozen other girls to attend private school and later University. She and her husband, also studying to teach, are committed to providing much needed education to the Langa community. Many former Langa inhabitants who have since left the township continue to live nearby in homes that they have acquired and provide hope and inspiration to the community of Langa. Others strive to break the poverty and unemployment cycle while still living in the township. We visited a woman who has started a catering business out of her house. Her business is managed from her tiny kitchen. We entered her front door and walked through her dining room to her kitchen where she and two other women were preparing dozens of pastries and baked goods including rostile bread. The fresh bread is stuffed with chicken or beef and they were delicious. Her children were occupying themselves in the dining room. She has a window at the back of her kitchen where people come and order food. We also visited a long time resident named Shoota (derived from Shorter - because he is short) . He lives in a self-made shack that was built over a weekend from tin, plastic and wood. He used to live nearby in the old beer house, but when he got married, he moved out and built the shack for he and his wife and children. He is now 68 years old, his wife has since passed away and he is now on the list for a government house. Shoota’s 17 year old daughter has moved in with his son where it is much safer for a young woman to be than living in a shack beside a home brewery where drunken men are hanging around. Every Sunday she comes to visit Shoota for dinner where he prepares a special meal in his makeshift kitchen. The beer house where Shoota was living has been converted into a hostel for families. The long building has been divided into 2 rows by a central hallway running the length of the building. Each row is further divided into 11 rooms. At one time there were 3 families living in each room. As we walked through the beer house, a group of 5 or 6 very young children were playing near the doorway. They were very excited to see us and a boy of about 3 hugged my leg. There were no adults or older children with this group. We visited another hostel where there is a communal bathroom outside for everyone to share. Water is free in the settlement but electricity must be prepaid. As a result, everyone 'borrows' electricity by connecting to the main lines that run through the settlement. In some places, freight containers have been brought in, initially to provide temporary housing, which has now become permanent. Each container houses 2 families. Doors and windows have been cut into one side to provide an entrance and lighting. The Langa community has evolved into 4 classes - lower class, middle class, upper middle class and upper class. The lower class live in the shacks while the middle class are those who have moved into government housing with subsided rent. Upper middle class are those who have been granted land and have built their own house (the woman who had the catering business was considered upper middle class). They are not allowed to sell the house unless everyone in the family is in agreement - the house is usually passed down from generation to generation. Upper class are those who originated in the community, that have received an education and are working but have elected to stay and give back to the community. These people have bought homes and are an example for those in the shacks of what they can aspire to. At the end of our tour, we spent some time in the cultural centre and saw some of the crafts made by the community - wire works, beadwork, carvings, paintings. While we had initially debated the prospect of visiting Langa, the experience was humbling and introspective, giving us a much better understanding of what life is like for millions of South Africans and how incredibly fortunate we are to live where we do. We took an Uber back to the apartment and spent the afternoon organizing, packing and relaxing on our last day in Cape Town. After much discussion about our day in Langa, we headed for dinner at about 7:00pm to look for a Italian restaurant called Pigalle that had been recommended by our tour guide. We enjoyed line fish and lamb while the live band played soothing jazz music. A lovely end to our time in Cape Town. Continue to Day 5 - click here
Our 3rd day in Cape Town began when we were picked up by our guide just before 9:00am. Much like the previous day, this early spring morning began with a light mist occasionally turning to rain. Today’s schedule had us visiting a couple of wineries in the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek regions of the Western Cape. Before heading eastward from the coast to the wineries, our guide suggested that we do a quick tour of the downtown area. This seemed like a good idea to us, since we had limited our evening sightseeing to the V&A Waterfront. As we drove from our apartment towards the financial district, we learned that the area between the existing waterfront and Strand Street was land that had been reclaimed in the early 1900's. The original shoreline came right up to Strand Street, which meant that our apartment, situated on Main Road between Strand and the waterfront would have been underwater before the reclamation. There was considerable infrastructure improvement done in the waterfront area and downtown in preparation for the 2010 World Cup, including the building of a modern Football Statium at the waterfront. After a short drive through the downtown, we made our way to Bo-Kaap, which means “above the Cape” in Afrikanns. This is an historical part of Cape Town that sits on the slopes of Signal Hill and is the area that was originally where the muslim community was assigned. It is a multicultural community, sprinkled with colourful pastel buildings and dwellings, which is recognized as an area that needs to be preserved. While Cape Town has severe economic issues as the result of the falling Rand, and a 27% unemployment rate with mortgage rates currently (September 2018) sitting at 10.5%, there is little religious or racial strife, and this is best exemplified in Bo-Kaap. Following our brief visit to Bo-Kapp we continued our exploration of the downtown area. Adderlay Street is considered the main street in the downtown while Gentleman's Walk is considered the banking district. We stopped at Leerdman which is the oldest castle and fortification in Cape Town and dates back to the 1600's. Across the street is where Nelson Mandela gave his inaugural speech after being driven here upon his release from prison in 1994. A short distance away is the legislative parliament of South Africa - the administrative government is in Pretoria. Not far from the legislative parliament is the Slave Lodge which was closed in 1834 when Britain banned slavery. Down the street from the Slave Lodge is St. George's Cathedral - a traditional African monument has been erected at this site where Desmond Tutu used to preach. The entire downtown is contained in a grid roughly 2 kilometres square. As we left Cape Town proper and started driving down N2 towards the airport on our way to Stellenbosch, our guide explained that South Africa's prime exports are gold, diamonds, platinum, wine and more recently, tourism which comprises 9% of GDP. Tourism is relatively new because up until the end of Apartheid in 1994, many countries were boycotting South Africa. As we approached the airport we saw the formal and informal settlements or townships (formerly referred to as Shantytowns). There are several of these in the area and while there is no exact number it is estimated that approximatley 2 million people live in these settlements. Gradually people are being moved into formal public housing that is replacing the shacks making up the informal settlements. We crossed the Cape Flats between the 2 mountain regions on our way to the Stellenbosch wine district. The soil in this area is very sandy. Arriving at Stellenbosch, the 2nd oldest town in South Africa, we were entering one of the country’s top wine regions. The town of Stellenbosch is Dutch in origin and as a result the houses are all conservative minimalist Dutch style and mainly painted white. Stellenbosch is now primarily a University town with a student population of about 29,000. The primary grapes in the region are Chenin Blanc (which is used to make brandy), Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage - a wine unique to South Africa that is a blend of Pinot Noir and Hermitage. White grapes are harvested in the January to March timeframe and red grapes are harvested in the March to April timeframe. After a quick drive through Stellenbosch we arrived at the Warwick Winery, a high end winery that has a rich and interesting history dating back to 1771. The winery buildings are white Dutch colonial style surrounded by a grove of mature trees. Just off the parking area is a giant wire sculpture of Nelson Mandela with colourful beads meticulously crafted to bring out all of the features of his face, hair, hands, feet and clothes. The signature wine of Warwick is a red blend called Trilogy (Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Cabernet Franc 41% and Merlot 19%) which is a Bordeau style wine that sells for R400 (approximately$40 CDN). It is the most expensive wine on their list. I decided to try the Exclusive tasting which consists of a sampling of 5 of Warwick’s premium wines. The selection included a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage (which I quite liked), Cabernet Franc ($36) which was also one of their award winning wines and a Cabernet Sauvignon. I purchased the Pinotage for ($16) and a Chenin Blanc ($16) for Kim. Following our wine tasting at Warwick we continued east to the Franschhoek wine region. We stopped in a quaint village in the French Corner and had lunch on the patio of a restaurant called Bovine. Kim ordered the Black Elephant Sauvignon Blanc and I had the Black Elephant Shiraz, both local wines from the the Franschhoek region. We each ordered Chicken and Bacon salad for lunch. It was a beautiful afternoon with lots of brilliant sunshine and so we lingered over lunch and left around 2:30pm. We headed to another winery - La Motte, which is owned by the the Ruperts, one of wealthiest family in South Africa. They have a total of three wines estates and are in partnership with the De Rothschild family in France producing wines under the Rupert and Rothschild labels. La Motte is a beautifully landscaped estate winery with a creek that runs through the property lined with lush vegetation. Calla Lillies dotted the shoreline of the creek. Inside the winery we settled at a small tasting table where I enjoyed a 6 flight sampling of South African wines while Kim enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. We purchased a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz. We had a long, but pleasant and uneventful drive back to Cape Town from the wine region through some of the most spectacular scenery. Approaching the city, we ran into a bit of traffic on the way into the downtown as we passed the airport. We arrived at our apartment at about 5:30pm feeling quite exhausted. After debating where to go for dinner, we opted to go back to the Waterfront and ended up at Karibu, a restaurant that had been recommended to us by a couple of different people for its game meats. We each ordered a glass of wine and Kim decided to go with the Bobotie , a traditional Cape Malay dish made from mince meat with an egg topping. I had wanted to get a game platter which included a selection of game meats, but was advised by the waiter that it was only available for 2 people. Instead he recommended a game trio which consisted of Kudu, Springbok and Impalla skewers. I also ordered the Ostrich carpaccio which both Kim and I shared. The carpaccio was very thin slices of dark red meat that was quire fragile. It was difficult to pick it up with a fork without it falling apart. The taste was slightly stronger than a beef carpaccio, but still quite flavourful. It was difficult for me to distinguish the difference in taste between the trio of game and they were very similar in texture. This wasn't surprising given that they were all varieties of venison. The meat was very lean but a bit tougher than beef cooked to the same degree of medium rare. The wine, appetizer and meals came to a total of just under $90 for the two of us including tax and tip. After dinner we took an Uber back to the apartment arriving just around 10:00 pm and were quite happy to get to our bed after a busy day tasting delicious wines! Continue to Day 4 - click here
Our second day in Cape Town started at 8:00am. We were met by our guide, Peter, on the street outside our apartment. Peter introduced himself and gave us an overview of his experience as a guide and his background growing up in the Cape area. After our brief orientation, we drove through the town towards the western coastal road for the scenic trip to Cape Point. The two lane road winds between the coastline on one side and the ragged mountains on the other. There was light to moderate rain for the first hour or so of the trip which obscured some of the view, but even so, the land and waterscape were amazing. We travelled southwards about 30 kilometers and then stopped to take photos at Hout's Bay and then again at Chapman's Peak a little further down the road. Even through the mist and low lying cloud, the view across the bay to Chapman’s Peak was spectacular. We stopped one more time to take photos of the beach and thatched roof houses at Noordboek before heading towards the naval base at Simon's Town. This area was first settled by the Porteugese and then the Dutch in late 1400's and then eventually, the British. It was initially set up as a stop along the spice route to India to give the sailors a break from the long journey and to re-supply the ships. As we drove through Simon's Town we caught sight of the new German Corvairs that have been purchased to protect the coastal fishing routes. While the ships are new, Peter informed us that the Navy is not as discipliined as it once was as a result of the dire economic situation that has impacted South Africa. A short 5 minute drive past Simon's Town we arrived at one of our “must see” stops in the Cape - Boulders Beach and the renowned African penguin colony. Aftrican penguins are only found along the coastal waters of Southern Africa and while it is estimated that in the early 1900’s there were approximately 1.5 million of the frolicking birds, today they are an endangered species with their main predators being sharks, seals, seagulls and humans. Oil slicks along the shoreline covers them in oil and is a further source of endangerment. In 1982 two breeding pair of penguins were brought to the Boulders from Dyer Island (about 3 hours down the coast from Simon’s Town). Today, through intensive conservation efforts, there are over 3000 penguins that make their home in the waters around Boulders Beach. After parking our car we walked through the parking lot to a boardwalk that leads to the beach entrance and a conservation office where there is a 75 Rand (approximately $7 USD) conservation fee to visit the penguins. The raised boardwalk continues toward the water and serves to keep human traffic off of the beach while still allowing unobstructed and close-up views of the penguins. African penguins used be called Jack-Ass penguins because of the donkey-like braying sound that they make. We could hear the penguins well before we could see them as we approached the beach, and can attest that they truly deserve their monicker. The penguins were scattered around the expansive beach which had shrubby vegetation and granite rocks (hence the name “Boulders”) from the shoreline to the water. The beach was about 100 meters in depth and there was a small protected inlet at the water where most of the penguins were gathered. About a dozen or so were sitting on nests protecting their 1 or 2 chicks from the seagulls that were lingering around the beach. Dozens more were waddling on the sand and countless others were fishing and swimming in the shallow water just offshore. One abandoned chick was struggling on the sand near a mother and her nest. The handful of tourists on the boardwalk were trying to keep a hungry seagull from attacking the chick. Every time the seagull approached the chick, someone would wave an umbrella or make a loud sound to keep the seagull away. We waited for someone from the park to remove the chick (there is a volunteer association that makes sure all of the birds are protected) and finally someone arrived. After spending about an hour with the penguins, we reluctantly left as we had so much more to see along the coast of the Cape. From the Boulders, we continued to travel south past Miller's Point where we spotted a whale about 150 meters from shore. We continued to see it breach several more times in the span of about 5 minutes. As we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope National Park the sun began to break through the parting clouds. We entered the park and drove through the desert like terrain which is the said to be richest floral kingdom in the world. There are hundreds of species of flowers and succulents - some only found in this area. We spotted vibrant green sunbirds feeding on the Pin Cushion Protreas which have a spiky yellow flower that provides nectar to birds and bees. We continued along the narrow road downwards toward the cape, and spotted a pair of ostrich, a male and a female that were looking for food at the side of the road. As we approached the beach we marvelled at the turquoise water and the rich marine food source of seaweed along the shore. An outcropping of rocks in the water made a perfect sunning deck for a group of seals and waterbirds. We marvelled that we were at the southernmost part of Africa and the only thing between us and Antarctica was the Ocean. After walking around the beach, we got back in the car and drove around to Cape Point at the very tip of the Peninsula. We took the cable car up to the top and walked the rest of the way to the lighthouse where we had spectacular 360 degree views of the surrounding area. The water from this vantage point was deep green and turquoise cast against a bright blue sky dotted by wispy clouds. It was breathtaking! We spent nearly an hour taking it all in, then walked back down the stairs to the parking area and met our guide for lunch. He had booked us a table in the Two Oceans restaurant overlooking the bay. We ordered a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc to go with our lunch which consisted of an appetizer of Springbok carpaccio along with calamari and a main course of King Klib which was the line fish of the day. After lunch we drove back to Cape Town stopping at the sign for Scarborough along the way, so Kim could visit her relatives (ha ha). Back in Cape Town, we went to the Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens ($7/person). These are beautiful gardens with treed canopy paths, large sloping lawns, concert stages and quiet natural picnic areas. The backdrop is Table Mountain with wonderful views of Cape Town and surrounding area looking out to sea. The skies had darkened on our return to Cape Town and a light mist and rain added a tropical feel to the whole area. After an hour of leisurely walking around the garden we left for the apartment arriving just after 4:30pm. Following our long day of driving around the Cape, we took some time to relax, rest our eyes, and then got changed and walked down to the waterfront for dinner. We chose to eat at the Belthazar as it had been recommended by our guide Peter who frequents it quite often. It is an upscale but casual restaurant that overlooks the harbour on the upper level in front of the Shopping Complex. Even though it was cool, we decided to eat on the patio where they had heaters, but still wore our jackets. This restaurant boasts the largest wine by the glass menu in the world so rather than become completely overwhelmed we took the recommendations by the Somelier. I ordered a very nice Pinotage (King Belthazar) which was a wine from a local winery that had been commissioned by the restaurant. Kim had a Sauvignon Blanc - both were excellent. We both chose the Rib Eye steak as this was one of the specialties of the restaurant. I had sauted spinach and mushrooms as sides. We reminisced about our day over dinner and then took an Uber to the apartment ($2.50). Continue to Day 3 - click here
We started from Toronto on Thursday August 30th travelling on an Air France Boeing 777. The seats were quite close to each other and made for a difficult night of sleep on our way to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris at 8:00am, we cleared security and after only another hour, had already boarded our second flight to Cape Town on an AirBus 340. Due to the length of the journey we opted to pay extra for exit row seats and found the investment to be well worth it. The extra room to spread out in the bulk head for the 11 hour flight made it a far more pleasant trip. We arrived in Cape Town around 9:00pm and found the gentleman waiting to transfer us to our apartment in the city. We settled in and went to bed fairly quickly after such a long transit time. Our first morning looked clear so we decided to visit Table Mountain first thing since we had heard it can pose problems for sight visibility on certain days. We saw it was clear so we went straight there. We took an Uber through downtown and observed Colonial style architecture as we were driven up the winding roads to the parking level of the attraction. This took approximately 20 minutes from our apartment to the cablecar entrance. Arrived just before 8:30am and waited about 15 minutes for cablecar. Cablecar to top is only about 2 minutes - so you have to be quick with your picture taking. The floor rotates around in a circle so everyone will have a 360 degree view on the way up. The Mountain top is relatively flat but rocky with various walking paths to access multiple views on both sides of the mountain. We walked the entire perimeter, admiring the interesting landscape and enjoying spectacular views of Cape Town, and the Atlantic. After about 30 minutes, clouds began to settle in and the views on the Cape Town side became totally obscured. Views on the Atlantic side were partially obscured. We were fortunate to have seen just about the entire area before it became impossible to see anything. We visited the gift shop that had lovely African handicrafts and then the Wireless lounge with free wi-fi with coffee shop and comfortable benches and chairs. There were handy charging stations for phones distributed throughout the coffee shop on the front of the benches. We were a little early to leave for our paragliding so we sat and had a coffee and herbal tea and posted some pictures of the beautiful vistas we had briefly seen. Once we took the cable car back down, as soon as we cleared the clouds, it was beautiful and blue over Cape Town once again. We took a taxi from bottom of cablecar entrance to Signal Hill (7.5 kms) - $12. We arrived at Signal Hill just after 11:00am. Signal Hill overlooks Cape Town and the waterfront. Registered for paragliding ($120/person) - we had a reservation, but they do also take walk-ups. The weather was perfect with clear, sunny skies and a light breeze. We met our tandem paragliders - Roland for Denis and Wendall for Kim - Wendall was the owner. We were suited up in harnesses and before we knew it, we walked, then ran down the hillside until the parachute filed wiith wind and lifted us up and off the ground. It was a very smooth, gentle, quiet glide over and around the downtown - spectacular sensation - did a couple of cuts, dives and then glided gracefully over the water and back to shore, landing softly in the landing area on the sandy beach. After saying a quick goodbye to our pilots, we headed for breakfast at the Winchester Mansions hotel, just across the street from the beach where we landed. Nice colonial style old hotel with porch/patio facing the street. Got a table on the porch and ordered Eggs Benedict, sparking wine and the S.A. breakfast - bacon, sausage, eggs, tomato, beans. With our bellies full, we proceeded to walk down the palm tree lined street with art deco style hotels and shops on one side and the beach on the other. This beachfront area has a South Beach feel. We leisurely walked towards Main Road for about 20 minutes to get to a clinic to look after Kim's cold. Walk-in clinic was not busy - Kim waited about 10 minutes to see a doctor at a low cost of $65. While waiting Denis went to a Woolworths Foods a block away and pick up some food. Came back to the clinic and Kim was already done and in the pharmacy next door to get her prescription of antibiotics and anti-flu meds filled ($30). We were on the same street as our apartment so walked the 1.7 kms back in about 25 minutes arriving at around 2:30pm. After a bit of relaxation we headed to the Victoria Waterfront around 3:30pm. We walked straight down from our apartment - narrow street with a colonial style teaching hospital on one side and similar architiecture boutique hotels on the other. Arrived at the bustling waterfront in about 15 minutes. The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a mixture of older marine warehouses and a modern shopping complex. Shopping complex was a large mall surrounding one side of the wharf. Along the length of the mall on the outside, and facing the marina/harbour are dozens of restaurants - apparently there are more than 60 in this area alone. We walked down the wharf and got our boarding passes at Waterfront Cruises for our sunset cruise. We had about half an hour before the boat sailed so we walked around the waterfront. Buskers and live bands were scattered along the piers. A large african trading market was on the pierside of the main whart. The older buildings had been renovated and are now high end restaurants and boutiques. At 5:00pm we walked back to the water along one of the piers to where our boat, where a sailing catamaran was docked. We were the first ones to board so we got the premium seats on the bow. The sun was bright and the weather warm. About a dozen other people boarded and we began our journey out of the harbour and into the Atlantic. As we made the turn out of the harbour past the point, the crew passed us glasses and filled them with champagne. The waters were calm and the views of the harbour and town with Table Mountain and Lion's Head were spectacular. The captain turned off the engines and hoisted the sails in moderate winds which made for a smooth, quiet ride into the sunset. Once the sun fell below the horizon, we made the turn back towards shore. On the return we spotted a whale breaching near the boat. We arrived back to shore just before 7:00pm. We hailed an Uber and were taken to our restaurant about 7 kms and 20 minutes away. What can we say about our dinner at the Reverie Social Table? This was such a unique dining experience in the Observatory district on a quiet street. There is only one table that seats 18 people. The concept is based on a having a dinner party in someone's home and it was a truly magical experience. Two other couples: Max and Mika from Cape Town and Peter and Elizabeth from Virginia joined us at the table. Upon arrival we were served a gin cocktail by Innocent, one of the 5 staff serving and preparing our dinner. Julia, the chef and owner joined us for dinner and Melissa, the sous-chef, served us our meal and explained the pairings. All of the wines were from the Zandvliet Estate in the Robertson wine valley. This particular winery specialized in Shiraz however we tasted several different varietals and styles of wine during the course of the evening. Below is our tasting menu in detail. We had enlightening conversation and couldn't get over how each course was so flavourful and made with local, fresh ingredients based on what is in season at the moment. Impeccable care is taken to create and prepare each and every course. The meal was exquisite and we were so fortunate to have the owner sit with us to discuss the food and wine in even more detail. An amazing night! Dinner lasted until 10:30pm and finished with whiskey for Denis and hot chocolate for Kim. Our meal had been pre-paid so we just paid for the whiskey and gratuity. ($26). We called a trusty Uber and arrived back at the apartment at 11:30pm. It had been an incredible day experiencing Cape Town to the fullest. Tasting Menu at Reverie Social Table 1st Course: Vegetable pressé, key apple chutney, fennel & sultana slaw with crispy onions - served with muscat 2nd Course: Baked line fish, crisply fried garlic & almonds, leek & Swiss chard soup, roasted garlic hummus served with Chardonnay 3rd Course: Roasted duck breast, confit duck croquette, grilled spring onion, carrot puree, plu/anise jus, shiraz braised cashews served with Zandvliet Shiraz 4th Course: Gorgonzola cheesecake with hazelnut/pretzel base, cocoa nibs, fruit cake koeksisters served with Cape Vintage 5th Course: Caramel flan with warm chocolate mousse, sesame, pink pepper and rosemary glass, rosemary frozen yogourt served with Kalkveld Shiraz. Continue to Day 2 - click here
If you are anything like me you might end up with 1000s of photos from your vacation. It seems that in the digital age many people just keep their photos on the SD card or maybe you might download them onto your computer. Unfortunately gone are the days where you would return from a trip and print your images and carefully place them in albums. I loved making albums that I could then flip through and look at all the fun times I had while on vacation with friends and family. They are a beautiful souvenir so I decided to find some options for my digital photos as well. There are many photo book companies on the market. Some are very basic and some far more elaborate. I chose Picaboo to create my first album and found them to have great functionality and the quality of the printed book is really good. Please note I have no affiliation with this company – I just really like their service. The first step to creating a really great picture album is spending the time to sort your pictures. This is honestly the longest part but also the most important. Gather all your pictures together in one folder – this means images from your camera, your phone and your travelling companion’s images as well. If the trip involved multiple cities or countries, I will often sort them by those places but at a minimum, I will put the photos in date order. It is much easier to follow the course of your itinerary and will ensure you don’t miss anything of importance. Remove photos that are similar or not great quality. You need to choose the best photos of each place or activity that tells the story of your experience. Make sure you have photos of both people and locations. You don’t want pages and pages of the mountains you saw – pick only the best. Once the photos are collected, I choose a template for the photo book. I upload all the photos into the application and then start playing. My process is to look at the photos I have for each city or specific place and start to group them together - think of how you would have divided them if you had the prints in front of you and use the same approach. I will look at the number of photos and then plan how many I will put on a page. Picaboo has so many different templates you can use for the pages so I try to work with a large variety of them so the book is interesting to look at. Some pages will have 5 or 6 photos and other may be a full page with just one photo. You can also use your own photos for the backgrounds of a page and then lay your corresponding photos on top of the background rather than using backgrounds from the application. There are so many options – just have fun.
After I have the photos inserted, I add text and borders to the photos. I keep my text to a minimum but it is also fine to write something a little more detailed if it is warranted. For instance, I had a poet write me a poem on the street in Amsterdam so I included that poem in my album along with a picture of the author. This makes it a wonderful keepsake – rather than the loose piece of paper that you don’t know what to do with. You can do the same thing with attraction entrance ticket stubs or maps. You can include any digital image to help you remember where you went and what you did. Once the album is ready online, I always have someone else review it for spelling and photo placement. I then upload the file and wait anxiously for the book to come in the mail. Many of the photo applications also offer a way to share the book electronically either through a link you can send by email or Facebook. This allows you to share the images from your trip with friends and family. These photos books are a wonderful way to display and share your images from your trip. Try one after the next holiday you take. With the internet providing a vast amount of knowledge about destinations and many tour operators selling direct to consumers, some people are feeling confident that they can book their own vacations. Why should you use an agent? There are many reasons.
TIME - While the internet is a never-ending source of information, it doesn’t know you and what is on your wish list. Sifting through all the vendors out there and understanding what services they offer and to what demographic, can be very overwhelming and honestly takes hours of time. An agent will know after having a discussion with a client which vendors will be best suited to deliver their ideal trip. ONE STOP SHOPPING – depending on the complexity of a trip, you may have to use multiple vendors for flight, hotels, transportation, excursions, insurance, etc. An agent can create a full package for you and work within your outlined budget. He will also provide costs in your currency (or identify upfront if they aren’t) so there will never be surprises with exchange rates. She will think of all the necessities and ensure you never have a piece of the trip unplanned. PEACE OF MIND – if something goes wrong you have an agent to call. Booking through a website and then having to deal with an issue can be a nightmare. If your flight is cancelled and you need help, calling these online companies can be difficult and in some situations they are completely unreachable. An agent will work to resolve issues so you can continue on your trip. Next time you are planning a vacation, discuss it with an agent. In most cases, it won’t cost you anything more than what you are paying online so why not work with someone who knows the industry, vendors and promotions available. Your time is precious and your money is valuable – ensure you put both in good hands. We have travelled on many Royal Caribbean ships and this was our second time on a ship from the Radiance class - our other time was on the Brilliance of the Seas back in December 2015. While this is considered a smaller ship with only 2500 passengers and it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the mega ships, it was a nice sized, recently refurbished vessel. All areas on the ship were in good shape and the ship was very clean. Staff was friendly and quite helpful when we asked for any assistance. As mentioned in a previous post, our dining servers were an enjoyable duo with one veteran of 8 years and the other on his very first contract. Interesting to watch the training process taking place. Our cruise director Steve Davis was a busy guy who's team provided endless sources of entertainment. He is also a singer/dancer so his team supported him while they performed during dance parties, at the Crown & Anchor reception and taught a group of people the Thriller dance. One other interesting point on this cruise was the number of people that were travelling on back to back itineraries. Many people we met had started with a cruise in New Zealand, proceeded on to Australia, then a trans Pacific to Hawaii, another trans Pacific to Vancouver and then on to Alaska. For some, they would have been on the ship for a couple of months. Smart way to see this region of the world and avoid the long flights that can also be quite expensive. Something to think about!! The following images are a collection from around the ship at the different venues. This gives an good idea of what the ship looks like overall. It was a very nice ship and we would certainly sail on her again. If you are looking for advice on booking your next cruise vacation, please contact me for all your cruising needs. I can be reached at kim@luv2cruise.ca Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 1 - click here
Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 2 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 3 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 4 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 5 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 6 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 7 - click here Happy In Hawaii onboard the Radiance of the Seas - Day 8 - click here After our whirlwind week in the Hawaiian Islands, it was now time to slow down as the ship navigated us to Vancouver. The voyage took 5 days so we planned to relax and enjoy the activities on the ship. We were actually quite surprised with the weather on our return. Starting with the first day, it was quite overcast, making it cooler almost right away. By the second day at sea, the air was also colder and by the third day we had to wear long pants and sweaters. This was a big surprise as we had left perfect blue skies and 30-degree celsius weather in Maui. Turns out the middle of the Pacific ocean is a very cold place. It was amazing at some points that the sea depth was more than 5000 metres deep! The seas were also rough in some parts. Laura had a difficult time during this part of the sailing as she is the most sensitive to the movement of the ship. One day we had large waves that even made walking tricky. We toughed it out the best we could and on some days took sea sickness medication. For the most part, our days involved reading, playing cards and catching up on homework with Laura. Each day we did fun things such as: trivia sessions, jewelry making workshops & charades. There were many contests and competitions including a belly flop competition, egg dropping contest, celebrity look alike contest and sing that lyric games. We also attended different events including a behind the scenes tour at the theatre, a crew talent show, Love & Marriage Game Show, a Hollywood movie in the theatre, listening to live music and going to the evening shows. Royal Caribbean does a very good job of providing numerous activities to choose from each day. The activity staff is always busy – especially on 5 long sea days. One headliner Rick Novell was an incredible action comedian who rode a unicycle on the stage – which we couldn’t believe considering the waves that evening. He did tricks and stunts that take immense strength and we were thoroughly impressed with his talent. The last Headliner on the ship was a comedian called Etta May. This was an 18+ show that was absolutely hysterical. The performer is dressed as an old, frumpy, southern woman and she talks about her family, kids, marriage and so many other topics that were all relatable. Her jokes were so funny and the delivery deadpan with a southern drawl that just makes you giggle each time she talks. We couldn’t stop laughing. One of the main focuses on a ship is of course the food. The food on the Radiance of the Seas was very good. We most often ate breakfast in the Windjammer but also tried out the dining room one morning. Lunches were typically casual – sometimes at the Windjammer, other times at the Solarium Café where they had yummy roast beef sandwiches. Our dinners continued to be terrific. We ate like kings each night and of course the lobster dinner evening was a highlight. Surprisingly they limited the number of lobsters to one per person but allowed any other menu item to be ordered in conjunction with the lobster. Our server told us that some voyages they have had people order 10 lobsters so now they have to put limits in place to avoid these situations. We couldn’t believe when he told us people were eating that many. Our server duo continued to be an endless source of entertainment during our dinner time. Our head waiter was a wiry, little guy with lots of stories of his life back in India - sharing pictures of his lovely wife and new baby. He was knowledgeable and did a tremendous job with our service. On the last evening of the cruise we booked dinner at a Specialty restaurant called Giovannis. This is an Italian restaurant and the food was excellent. Appetizers and antipasto are served family style so everyone can try it followed by a main course. We ordered beef carpaccio, focaccia, risotto, papparadelle and grilled beef tenderloin. Everything was fantastic! It was a slower pace and lovely atmosphere in the smaller, peaceful setting. Highly recommended. One of the last afternoons onboard Ian participated in the guest talent show. He did a great job. This is probably the largest audience he had every performed for and he didn’t hesitate – just gave it his all. There were several good singers and it was a great event. Overall the cruise was really great. We loved the Hawaiian Islands and would certainly visit them again. The extended time onboard was nice – just wish the weather had been better. Unfortunately, you can’t determine what Mother Nature may provide. We took advantage of the booking onboard bonus and created a booking for the British Isles for 2018. It always makes sense to put down a reduced deposit to hold a cabin on a future cruise since Royal Caribbean will give you free onboard credit. Deposits are fully refundable or can be moved to another sailing so there is no risk by taking advantage of this opportunity. Our disembarkation in Vancouver was the smoothest we have ever had. There was one queue that wound around the terminal to collect luggage, however it was consistently moving and once through that, we walked right out of the building to the taxi. We don’t know if it was because we were Canadian and our names were pre-cleared on a manifest but we didn’t even go through customs upon our arrival. It certainly made for the easiest and quickest disembarkation ever. Always welcome when you are planning to make a flight the same day. Our flight home on WestJet was an uneventful and easy direct flight to Pearson where we headed home to start thinking about our next holiday. Click here for a review of the Radiance of the Seas Ship
This would be our final port day and we wanted to make the most of our last day in Maui. We made plans to meet the kids in Lahaina around 10:00am and we took some time to stroll through the downtown, do a little souvenir shopping and check emails at a coffee shop with internet access. While we were wandering around we came across a surf shop – Outrageous Surf. Laura had expressed interest in Kona about surfing so after talking with the owner, we booked the kids for a 2-hour surf lesson. Once they arrived and found out the news they were surprised we weren’t also participating. One thing led to another and the next thing we knew we were all suiting up for some time in the water. We had a quick lesson on land before hitting the waves. The instructor was patient (thank goodness) as it took Denis and I many tries before we were able to get up on the waves and then actually stay up on the board. The kids got it quite quickly and before long we were all riding the waves on the coast of Maui! I was surprised at just how difficult it is to stand up on the board and then stay balanced while maneuvering the roll of the water. The surfers you see on the big waves make it look so easy. But it most certainly is not! After the 2 hours, we were sore and thoroughly exhausted (well the adults were...) so we packed up the boards, got changed and headed up to Napili beach on recommendation of our instructor. It was a long, sandy beach with beautiful, blue water. Perfect for our last day in Hawaii. We first had lunch at the Sea House restaurant overlooking the beach and then spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging on the beach and playing in the waves. There were big, wonderful waves that we let drag us back and forth across the shore. What a fun time! We waited until the last possible minute before dragging ourselves out of the water and heading back to the airport to return the rental car. We were quiet as we took the tender back to the ship and waved goodbye to Lahaina – the last land we would see now for 5 more days. Our evening dinner in the dining room was chicken cordon bleu and shell pasta with tomato sauce. Afterwards we first enjoyed karaoke followed by the Headliner show – ventriloquist Kevin Johnson. He was very talented and also quite funny. The act included various puppets and they sang and interacted with the audience quite a bit. During part of the show we were wondering how he was actually doing some of the bits. It was one of the best shows that we saw on the ship. We headed off to bed knowing that tomorrow would be a day to sleep in and all we had planned was a lazy day at sea. Continue to Day 8 - click here
Our next port was Lahaina in Maui. This was another port with an overnight stay and we planned to make the most of our time while there. Since we had the evening in Maui, we planned our drive to Hana for the first day in case we ran late. The port of Lahaina requires a tender so again we rose early to have breakfast and then board one of the first boats to the main land. The boats did not start as early as we had hoped but the ride was quick and we were in Lahaina by 8:00am. The rental car situation in Lahaina is not very organized. We found the pick-up area and saw there was a bus loading for Budget but it was close to full and the driver said another would be by very shortly. Well the wait was over 45 minutes before the next shuttle bus came by and the driver told us at that time they would only pick up the driver. This meant that the kids and I would have to wait while Denis was taken to the airport, did the paperwork and then circled back around to get us at the port. By the time he arrived back it was close to 10:00am. This was not an ideal situation but we decided to head off to Hana anyway. The first part of the drive to the start of the Road to Hana is quite easy. We navigated using a map since the power outlet in the car wasn’t working rendering our GPS unusable. Our first stop was in the town of Paia at the Hana Picnic Lunch Company. Here we picked up boxed lunches with huge sandwiches, chips and a cookie, as well as some drinks for the road. The next part of the drive is only 72 kms but it becomes trickier as you get further along. Before leaving home, I had purchased the Gypsy Guide app that provides a colourful commentary while driving to Hana. This app is designed to give you tips about interesting places to visit along the route and provide background facts about what we were seeing. The app also advised you whether to make a stop based on the time of the day and how much time you had for the journey. It was a great little purchase. Our first location was Twin Falls. This was a lovely area where we walked down to see some waterfalls. It was peaceful and the falls were easily accessible from the road. Some people were even swimming in the lower pools – enjoying the gorgeous surroundings. Along the route were many spots to pull over and take in the views. Sometimes it was a valley or a waterfall or even just fascinating trees. There was so much to look at we stopped frequently. The drive became slower the further we went due to the hundreds of hairpin turns and one lane bridges (59 in total). There was also a large construction project that held us up for over an hour while the crews were blasting the overhanging rock. One of the main highlights was Wai’anapanapa State Park. This area was stunningly beautiful with black beaches, a massive blow hole, caves and an incredible sea arch. We spent a considerable amount of time here exploring the beauty. Just as we arrived it started to rain so we took cover in one of the caves and waited it out until the shower passed. But once the rain had moved through it seemed even more vibrant and fresh. I think we all agreed that this was the favourite place for the day. Another beautiful waterfall was Wailua Falls. The falls are over 80 feet high and spill down into a gorgeous pond of crystal blue-green water. We couldn’t believe there were so many lovely places within such a short distance of each other. We eventually came to the actual town of Hana but decided to bypass it in hopes of reaching the Ohe’o Gulch also known as the Seven Sacred Pools. This section of the road is particularly winding and by this time it had started to rain. When we reached the park entrance we were disappointed to find that the pools were not open for swimming. This had been one of the main reasons for making our way to this area so we could swim and cool off before starting the drive back to the ship. At this point it was getting later in the afternoon so we turned back to start the long drive in the opposite direction. By the time we found parking in Lahaina, walked back to tender and made it onto the ship it was close to 8:00pm. We went to the dining room to see if we could find a table for the late seating and were sat with two nice couples. It was a great evening of relaxed dining and easy conversation. Our dinner included scampi and lasagna. This evening we enjoyed watching the Friendly Feud game show in the Colony Club. Continue to Day 7 - click here
We wanted to take full advantage of being in port early from our overnight stay so Denis and I rose early in order to take him to Puakea Golf Course for his 7:30am tee time. We walked to the shopping mall to pick up the car and navigated our way to the golf course. It was only about 15 minutes from the pier and an easy drive through the downtown of Lihue. Once I dropped him off I headed back to the ship to get Ian and Laura going. After reading some blogs about swimming in waterfalls, we decided we were going to visit Wailua Falls (otherwise known as the Fantasy Island falls from the popular TV show) and see if we could find a way down to swim in the pool at the bottom. We arrived at the falls and had a great view from the top (over 100 feet down) but could not see an easy way to navigate to the pool. Ian spoke to a local lady and while she wouldn’t tell him exactly where there was a path, she did point him in the general direction. We eventually came across a portion of the fence that had been cut and could see somewhat of a path leading down the cliff into the forested area. We met up with a woman and her two daughters who were contemplating the trek so we watched them begin their descent at which point Ian had decided he was also going to go. The girls then informed us there were ropes along the path that you could use to keep yourself from sliding down the side of the cliff so I decided I would also go. Laura opted to stay at the top rather than plummet to her death (her words). The downward climb was tricky and required carefully picking your way through the trees, brush, rocks and mud. However, after about 20 minutes of walking/sliding, we made it to the bottom. The pool was cool and refreshing and swimming so close to the waterfall was truly fantastic. It was another wonderful experience and I was glad we had chosen to attempt the walk. Climbing up was a little harder only because more people were starting to come down and the path was becoming more slippery. But we made it back up – sweaty and full of mud. At this point it was approaching lunch time so we stopped at McDonald’s and picked up some lunch and then went to the golf course to pick up Denis. He had a terrific round playing with a man who lived in Kauai but was originally from California. The golf course was very different from the ocean coarse he played in Kona. The Puakea Golf Course consists of pristine fairways, groomed sand bunkers and rolling hills surrounded by vistas of the surrounding mountains. The mountain views change as you make your way around the course and add to the challenge and experience of playing this course. We had decided that we would spend the afternoon at the beach and drove to the southern part of the island to Poipu beach. The first section we set up at was a very sandy beach but when you went in the water it was quite shallow and not really great for swimming. The area underwater on this part of the beach was made up of black lava rock making it quite tricky to walk. We spent some time lying on the beach and then I walked around to the other end of the point only to find a second beach with huge crashing waves. We moved our things to this side and spent the next hour and a half playing in the cresting waves. It was so much fun and when we finally dragged ourselves out of the water, we were sufficiently exhausted. On our way back to the car we stopped to get some Hawaiian shaved ice. This is a specialty of the Hawaiian islands and is a cool treat. You receive a cup filled with ice and then you choose the specific flavour of concentrated syrup you would like – there are many tropical options including coconut, pineapple, strawberry, passionfruit, etc. You can also choose more than one flavour and have a multilayered ice. It was a good treat after our extended swimming session. At this point it was getting later in the day and we decided to start heading back to Lihue. We had heard about the gardens that were located at the Kauai Marriott back in town so we decided to visit and see what the property was like. In the centre courtyard is a huge open-air garden with water features, bridges and tropical plants. It was a beautiful spot to walk around and essentially no one was there. We walked through the hotel to the onsite beach and saw a really beautiful spot that we would love to come back and stay at one time. Always good to be planning ahead for a future vacation. Denis and I dropped the kids at the cruise terminal and headed back to the airport to return the car. We caught a shuttle back to the ship and came onboard just as they were beginning to close down the security lines. We had loved every moment spent in Kauai and vowed we would be back again. Our dinner this evening was a tasty calamari salad, tenderloin and a tomato pasta dish. This evening we watched the Headliner Show – Piano Man in the Aurora Theatre. The show included a choreographed show with music and dancers highlighting music from Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow. It was entertaining. Continue to Day 6 - click here
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