Livingstone, Zambia

Waterberry Lodge seemed like a suitable place to wind down our vacation. After seven weeks of being on the go, we were ready for some rest and relaxation. Our only plans were to visit both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides of Victoria Falls, which we were able to do with our Kaza visa. Our Waterberry guide, Kandenga, did an excellent job of coaching us through the protocol for both visits. For example, baboons are rampant on the Zambian side. Kandenga equipped us with a slingshot, which we merely had to show to the baboons to scare them away. However, you are not allowed to carry a slingshot in Zimbabwe, so while he gave it to us, we did not bring it out past “no man’s land” on the bridge. As it turns out, there are no baboons in the park on the Zimbabwe side, so we didn’t need it after all.
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For those of you who are wondering, at this time of year when the water is low, the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls is way better. The water was more plentiful and the spray was very refreshing on a hot day. We wouldn’t want to be there in April when the water level is at its peak. Apparently, you can barely see your hand, never mind the falls. Later that day, we walked to the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel and had gin and tonics on the patio. Our original plan was to splurge on the High Tea, but we knew a gourmet dinner was awaiting us at Waterberry, so we skipped it.

On our first evening at Waterberry, we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River with Cris. We meandered down river and viewed the resident crocodiles, hippos and birds while enjoying our sundowners. It turned out Cris was an avid fisherman and so arrangements were made to go fishing later in the week. On our last night, we left the dock at 4:30 pm and headed down river. Lynda practiced her casting skills, but Craig was the fisherman of the hour. He caught two tiger fish, brought one into the boat, and then released it back into the river after some quick photos. It was a very peaceful way to end the day. Lynda was sure she could have caught a fish if she’d had more time.
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We went on a morning visit with medium Webby to the local village supported by Waterberry Lodge. Unfortunately, school was not in session, but we did see lots of kids who were eager to pose for pictures (provided you let them view themselves afterwards.) We also saw the newly installed water pump. It was generously donated to the village after one of the residents was attacked by a crocodile and nearly lost her leg. According to Webby, it is being used, but many people still go to the river because they prefer the taste of the water. As with anything, it will take people time to transition to the new way of doing things.
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After two months, our African adventure has come to an end. Lynda is quite interested in returning to Zambia to go on safari in South Luangwa national park, but after talking to our new British friend, Fiona, Craig has other plans. He wants to go to Borneo, or to Uganda to see the gorillas. It seems that every time we cross something off our bucket list, five more things are added.

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Chobe Elephant Camp

Kasane Airport is undergoing an extensive expansion which will obviously increase its capacity. Other than Maun, all of the other airstrips we have been at have been nothing more than a sand path carved out of the jungle. When the plane picked us up at Selinda, it was full so Craig volunteered to be copilot. It was quite a trip as it was a six month old turbo prop, with lots of cool stuff to look at. Twenty minutes and a few bumps later, we arrived at our destination. We were picked up by Face from Chobe Elephant Camp and after the arrival of Kate from Boston and Eileen from New York, we headed out. For all those people who think we are adventurous, we are amateurs compared to these two ladies. They have an impressive résumé which we could only dream of matching. We also enjoyed the company of Andy and Natalie from Guernsey in the Channel Islands. They were just starting their safari vacation and their enthusiasm was contagious.

Chobe Elephant Camp is high on a ridge overlooking wheat coloured plains.The view is impressive. They have 11 cabins, the main lodge and a swimming pool. It is an un-fenced camp so after dark, the guides walk guests to and from their cabins. Animal visitors are not uncommon. Apparently the elephants have enjoyed the pool a little too much. It is now protected by an electrified fence at night.

Chobe is a national park which means that the hours are restricted and there is no off road driving. This makes it more difficult to view animals, but our guide Innocent worked very hard to maximize our experience. On our first morning we saw a leopard drag an impala high into a tree to escape from two hungry lions prowling around the base. We saw another pride of five lions sleeping in the shade. There were herds of buffaloes, roan and sable antelopes, and vast numbers of giraffes, zebras and impalas. We also saw many different kinds of birds, especially on our afternoon cruise on the Chobe River. We are only just beginning to appreciate birding. Sometimes, it is just too overwhelming.

The interesting thing about the Chobe River is that it is the dividing line between Namibia and Botswana. Animals regularly cross between the two countries. About twenty minutes away is the Kazangula border crossing. It is the place where four countries intersect: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was where we went after three nights in Chobe to cross into Zambia. Thanks to Bushtracks Africa we successfully exited Botswana and entered Zambia with no fuss. The only issue was the souvenir hawkers who persistently tried to sell us their wares. We were able to escape into the van to fend them off.

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It's hard to believe, but we are down to our last four nights in Africa. How did that happen?

Selinda Explorers Camp

Brilliant! It is hard to describe what a wonderful experience we had there. Right from the start we had tremendous animal sightings. On the game drive from the airport to the camp with our guide, Mokopi, we saw the most stunning leopard imaginable. She was in a tree in a mopani forest and not at all bothered by our presence. She found a comfortable position, lay down and went to sleep. We were a mere eight to ten feet away from her, and the light was perfect. We could have sat and watched her all afternoon. We also saw a male lion sleeping in the shade of a tree, a few sable antelopes (a first for us) and a dead aardvark that was being feasted on by vultures. It was not the prettiest sight, but it is another example of the efficiency of nature. The only aardvark it was possible for us to see (a night creature) would be consumed within hours.

Selinda Explorer's Camp is located on the Selinda Spillway. It is designed to replicate the original tented safari camps from days gone past. It is casually elegant. Heavy wooden furniture, exotic carpets, oversized pillows, and lots of lounging places. We were definitely back in our comfort zone. The waterway is a popular spot for elephants. In the afternoons, they make their way down to drink, bathe, splash and play. We never got tired of watching them. If you are adventurous you can book the Explorer's canoe trip which is four nights and five days of "glamping." We aren't likely to sign up for this as Craig gets so distracted by photography that he forgets to paddle, and Lynda doesn't have enough experience to be the captain.

We were also treated to several wild dog sightings. One morning, Mokopi took us to a den where we saw both adults and puppies. The adults were all sleeping, but the puppies were whining and romping around. Another day we were near the end of our morning game drive when Mokopi spotted an excessively large number of vultures circling around. We changed course and headed in their direction. Sure enough there was a pack of wild dogs with the remains of a fresh Kudu kill. Mokopi surmised that we missed the take down by 30 minutes. All that remained at that point was the backbone, the ribs, one leg and the skin. The dogs gorged themselves to the point that their stomachs were severely distended. They need to do this because they regurgitate their food later to feed babies and other members of the pack. On our final morning, another guide found a large pack of newcomers to the area. They were in full hunting mode, but by the time we got there, the dogs had changed their minds and gone to sleep.

We had an amazing lion encounter. We stopped at a watering hole so Craig could take another hippo picture. The sound of the truck caused a head to pop up out of the grass. It did not escape Mokopi's keen eyes. There was a male lion about 100 metres away. We drove over to check him out. Although we were there for about ten minutes, the lion was incredibly uninteresting and we were going to leave. Then Mokopi spotted a set of ears in an adjacent field about 200 metres away. We quickly drove over there and discovered it was a female lion. She was sleeping in the shade, but then she decided to make a move. She led us to a mother, her six month old cub and another female. They were sleeping in the shade of their individual bushes, but they were all within close proximity of each other. We had driven right past them without seeing them in the tall grass. As the sun set and it became cooler, all the lions decided to move. We followed them, lost them, found one of them, and watched as that female met up with the male we had seen earlier. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and we had to return to camp, but it was thrilling to be so close to the lions, yet again.

To Mokopi, Kerrie, Ashley, Freeman, Joe, the chef and all the kitchen and room staff who took such great care of us, we send a huge "thank you." We especially appreciated the romantic dinner for two on our second night when we were the only guests in camp. They set a beautiful table, hung some lanterns, made a fire right outside our tent, and we dined under the stars. On our last night, the camp was full and we were all treated to a traditional Botswana meal. Tradition dictates that the women wash their husband's hands, serve him his meal and sit on the floor at his feet. You had your moment, Craig. It is not likely to ever happen again.

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A final note: None of this could have been possible without the commitment and dedication of the owners of Great Plains Conservation and the Selinda Concession, Dereck and Beverly Joubert. They have been studying, filming and photographing African animals for twenty five years. Their efforts allow people like us to share in the wonder, and for that we are eternally grateful. (We were lucky enough to see the Jouberts in their vehicle the morning we went to the wild dog den. They hung back while we spent some time there. We are looking forward to seeing the results of their latest project.)

Sango Safari Camp

Sango Safari Camp is situated in a peaceful location on the banks of the Khwai River. It is an open camp which means that animals are free to wander in at any time. The tented cabins have hardwood floors, comfortable beds, outdoor solar showers and decks facing the river. The sounds at night are spectacular. We were awakened one night by a chorus of thousands of frogs. Another night we were sandwiched between two hungry elephants.

We enjoyed the friendliness of the staff members. Led by Neo, they exuberantly sing the most beautiful welcome song every time new guests arrive. The food was plentiful and delicious. Unfortunately, our stomachs are getting into some very bad habits. It's like being on a cruise ship for a month. There were twelve guests in total, divided between two vehicles for our game drives. Meals were shared around a communal table so we were able to socialize with everyone.

Sango has the luxury of being situated between two parks. Moremi, which is a national park, and the Khwai Concession. We went into both for our game drives. The benefit of Khwai is that you can drive anywhere. In the national parks, you are required to stay on the designated roads. We saw lots of animals during our time at Sango. Leopards kept showing up everywhere! It was especially exciting to finally see some babies. We saw a leopard and her adorable cub, frisky African wild dog puppies and baby hyenas nursing at night.

We knew that Sango would be a different experience than Footsteps. For one, we were sharing the camp with other people. Secondly, Sango is located near a village and is popular with self drivers and mobile safaris. The greater volume of traffic means the scarcer animals like leopards and lions and hyenas seem to be scattered further out into the bush. We maximized our time there with game drives, night drives and a mokoro ride. Now we are more than ready to return to the bush and bucket showers at Selinda Explorer's Camp.

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Footsteps Across the Delta

We were extremely fortunate! Not only were we the only passengers aboard the Safari Air flight to Shinde, but we were the only guests at Footsteps for the four nights we stayed there. Eight staff members and us. What a treat! Led by our guide, Moses, and our driver, Noah, we saw a huge array of animals and birds. There are so many birds that it was difficult to keep them straight in our heads. The mammals are easier to remember. Our days revolved around food and game drives. Breakfast at 7:30 am. Lunch at 12:00 pm. Afternoon snack at 3:30. Dinner at 7:30. If we eat this well at all the camps we will have some serious weight to lose when we return home. For the most part, the game drives were after breakfast and before dinner. We also went on a couple of walks, had a mokoro (hollowed out log boat) ride and went fishing twice. For safety reasons, Moses carried a 458 calibre rifle any time we were out of camp and not in the safari vehicle. Luckily, he didn't have to use it.

We were fortunate enough to see a pride of eight lions three days in a row. They reminded us of house cats. Every time we saw them they were warming themselves in the sun or sleeping in the shade. One afternoon we had our sundowners with them. One of the juvenile males was six feet away on one side, while a juvenile female was the same distance away on the other. It was quite intimidating. In real life, everything about them is big...their heads, paws and teeth! We kept thinking they would get hungry and start hunting, but no such luck. At least they didn't go after us.

There was also an abundance of hippos at Footsteps. They love their water holes. In most cases, all you can see as you approach is the tops of their heads sticking out of the water. They disappear under the surface, only to reemerge a few minutes later. Hippos are quick to show their displeasure when you get too close. They raise their heads and shoulders out of the water, open their mouths wide and show their teeth. We also saw them at night on our game drive. They were scuttling across the plains, munching on sweet green grasses. We must have seen a hundred of them over four days.

Another highlight was the male and female leopards we saw not long after arriving at Shinde. The leopards had been sighted in the morning so we started searching the area around their last known location. We searched high and low.  We were just about to give up when we found them sleeping at the base of a shaded tree. They looked dead to the world. Moses explained that they were mating and they would have sex often, so if we waited, we would likely see some action. Sure enough, it happened. For safety in the wild it only takes about five seconds and then they both went back to sleep. It was amazing to be so close to two such beautiful creatures.

The morning we left was full of excitement. There was an elephant hanging out between our tent and tent three. He was enjoying a feast of jackal berries and made it clear he was not leaving. As we prepared to say goodbye to the staff, Noah ran up saying that he had spotted wild dogs. We yelled for Craig and Moses, quickly said our goodbyes and jumped into the truck. We caught up to them on the road. It was apparent they were hunting. They kept raising their heads to sniff the air. We followed them as far as we could, but we had to give up. We drove towards the mokoro crossing and about a km away from it the wild dogs appeared on the road in front of us. We watched them disappear into the tall grasses. Before we could move, a big male leopard shot across the road and startled us. He was going in the same direction as the dogs. We took off after all of them, but we lost them. It was exhilarating and disappointing all at the same time.

We arrived at the airfield early which was incredibly lucky. Sitting on a termite mound at the edge of the airstrip were two of Africa's finest kings. One of them was sound asleep, but the other one was alert and surveying his domain. He got up and started to move so we repositioned the truck. He came directly towards us and sat down in the shade of our vehicle. He was no more than three feet away, closest to Moses and Craig. Moses wasn't taking any chances with these big boys. He asked the driver to put some distance between us. There were a few tense moments as the engine failed to turn over, then it sprung to life. We moved a safe distance away and continued watching them as long as we could.

Footsteps was amazing. We saw so many of the animals on our list (lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos, and wild dogs) and others that we didn't even know existed (tsessebes, reedbucks, lechwes, and genets). We marvelled at the thousands of stars in the night sky and enjoyed the company of our Bostwana hosts. As we boarded our plane and headed to the Khwai airfield and Sango Safari Camp, we feel incredibly fortunate that we have the desire and the means to have had these spectacular adventures.

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Namibia, week four, the San

We went through another veterinarian gate and left the park. We spent one full day at a very nice lodge in the Onguma Wildlife Reserve. We were camping, of course, but we got to go on a night drive, communicate with the outside world through their wifi and clean up. Lynda's favourite animal family was spotted in the form of the rare African Wildcat. It's as cute as a house cat, and about the same size, but apparently very vicious. We also saw Bush Babies and Spring Hares which are nocturnal and seldom seen, except at night. Being served breakfast in the morning made life easy as the last two drives in our Bushlore "campa" were long ones and we appreciated the early start. 

After topping up the diesel fuel in Grootfontein we headed down, yet another, dirt track. We made great time. After only five hours we arrived at the Nhoma Safari Camp, a wonderful place. The camp is situated next to a traditional San village and employs the villagers to cook, clean, interpret and take guests on excursions. We were able to watch the women make their crafts, and play traditional games. We also spent a morning walking and hunting with four San men. They showed us how to start a fire using sticks, build a snare, and an arrow. They also have an amazing knowledge of the available plant species and their uses. Nothing ever happens in a hurry. The arrow building demonstration alone took four guys over an hour because everything comes with multiple smoke breaks. Pipe tobacco is either rolled in newspaper or pressed into a large caliber shell casing and communally smoked. When the shell casing gets so hot that it burns their lips, they roll the brass between their hands to dissipate the heat and continue smoking. On our last night for a couple of hours, we witnessed a healing ceremony which consisted of chanting and dancing around the fire. Apparently, this goes on until daylight if you have the stamina. We would have liked to have stayed for another day at Nhoma, but we ran out of time in Namibia. As we left Nhoma, we gave a ride to three men from the village. They were going to visit family in a village on the main road. We dropped them off at their destination and ended up replacing them with three different men who were going shopping in Tsumkwe. You could actually run a business as a shuttle service on these roads. Unfortunately, you'd be paid in tobacco or monkey fruit.

Our seven hour journey to Maun, Botswana was long, but uneventful. The roads in and out of the Dobe border crossing were no worse than any of the other Namibian roads we encountered. At the crossing there was a police officer, immigration officer and veterinary officer on both the Namibian and Botswana sides. We were dismayed to find out that Botswana immigration would only give us a 14 day visa when our stay is actually 18 days long. They told us we'd have to go to the main office in Maun to get an extension. As we drove to Maun, the one difference we noticed is that Namibia has acre after acre of fence line running along the roads. In Botswana there are no fences. As a result, there are goats, donkeys, and cattle wandering into the road on a continual basis. You have to be alert so you don't hit them. 

We had two nights at the Discovery Bed and Breakfast on the outskirts of Maun. We were happy to be staying outside of the hustle and bustle of town. Marije and Rene have owned the place for eight years and they have fourteen chickens and three cats. There are goats and cattle wandering around the neighbourhood. It was a peaceful setting and a great place to prep for the next part of our adventure. 

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Etosha National Park

We spent the last four days in Etosha National Park touring around, stopping at as many waterholes and pans as we could manage. The wildlife is abundant and extraordinary, from the smallest bird to the grandest elephant. Our favourites were the cats. We hope you will enjoy a selection of photos, in no particular order.

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Namibia, week three

The veterinary gate is quite intimidating. It is a full gate across the road, where all vehicles must stop. The attendant, in military fatigues, carried a clipboard. He wanted to know where we were coming from and where we were going. On our way out of Kaokoland, we will have to surrender any meat products we have due to issues of hoof and mouth disease in the north, regardless of where it was purchased.

It was not long and we were back on our way. The gravel road itself was in surprisingly good condition. We saw very few other cars, but that was not out of the norm. Khowarib Lodge was a short 70 km away. What a treat! It was one of our few lodge stays and well worth it. Our "tented" room was up in the trees on the edge of the river, with a cozy porch and two adirondack chairs. There was a 4 poster king size bed with mosquito netting and a stunning outdoor bathroom. Best of all, the water was hot, hot, hot! Oh, and all our meals were provided for so we didn't have to cook. At night all the pathways are lit up with lanterns which made it very romantic. It was very difficult for Lynda to leave this spot.

The highlight of our stay was the elephant tracking expedition organized by the lodge. We went in an open air safari vehicle with our guide, Archie, and two couples from Belgium. It was a sunny, hot day and we drove the Hoanib River from Elephant Song village to Amspoort Gorge. It is not possible to go any further than Amspoort because you are not allowed into the Skeleton Coast National Park. In all, we put about 200 km on the vehicle. It was a very successful expedition. We saw 15 elephants, an equal number of giraffes, baboons, herds of oryx and springbok, Egyptian geese, a black back jackal and tons of ostrich. The giraffes were very regal. It was fun to watch them extend their tongues to get the leaves off the highest branches. We even saw a mother giraffe with her 4 week old baby. It was all legs. We finally saw the elephants at about lunch time on their way to one of the artificial watering holes. A female elephant with a baby has to go to the watering hole every day, but the big bull elephants can drink once every three days. That's because when they do drink, they consume 200 litres in one sitting, in 5 litre increments! We watched all of the antics from a hill overlooking the watering hole, where we ate our lunch in style. We saw two of the bull elephants tussling for domination. One of them had actually killed a rival bull two weeks earlier. Now he was being challenged by a younger bull. Luckily, nothing serious happened. The view of the surrounding countryside was incredible. You could see for miles and miles.

Our next stop is Dolomite Camp in Etosha National Park, where we are likely to see a lot of animals. Since it is the dry season, the watering holes are very busy. We do not know when we will have Internet access again, but we will be in touch whenever it is possible.

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Mufehiwe's story is not unlike many Namibians. We met him walking along a rugged, dirt track between his village and his sister's village. He is a science teacher in Kamanjab, but he is also a farmer. He works during the week at the school, then on Friday he gets a ride to his sister's house where he spends the night. Early Saturday morning he gets up and starts the 5 hour walk to his farm. He carries a clock radio with a USB port and he listens to music. He also carries a stick and tries to ignore the dangers hidden around him, specifically hyenas and lions. He says he is "walking while in God's hands."

We met Mufehiwe because Craig wanted to take the road less traveled. After consulting with the guides at Khowarib, it was decided that we would NOT retrace our footsteps and head to Etosha via Kamanjab. We would cut straight across the land between the C43 and the C35 and end up on Etosha's doorstep. We were trading many dirt roads for one dirt road and a 4 wheel drive track. The first dirt road, also known as the D3710, was straightforward. Unfortunately, the rest of the roads weren't marked. After we arrived in Omuramba, we went too far down the road and ended up in the next village. This meant backtracking 11 km.  When we found the correct road, we ended up at a fancy building with Namibian flags. We stopped to ask some men about the road we wanted and they looked at us like we were crazy. They pointed down the field and told us to follow the dirt track around the end of the mountain. That was the "road"we were looking for. Off we went. Lynda was sure we were going to get completely lost and never be heard from again. That crazy dirt track could not be the way we were supposed to go. When we met Mufehiwe about 1/3 of the way along, Lynda was so happy to see someone who might know the way that she agreed to break all her rules about hitchhikers and give him a ride. Twenty kilometres later we came to his sister's village which sits beside the C35 highway (the exact place we wanted to be). We dropped him off and continued on our way through the veterinary gate and then on to Etosha.

Mufehiwe does what he has to do to make a living and have a good life. He, like many other Namibians, has an incredible work ethic. Craig also met a very generous Namibian named Lot. After many kilometres of pounding along dirt roads, the weak link in our roof rack materialized. A piece of the hardware split in half resulting in the roof mounted spare tire pounding overhead as we drove. This caused Lynda to have a headache and frustration for Craig. When we arrived at The Halali campsite that evening, Craig went into action. He took the bracket apart and went in search of help. He found Lot, who he asked to drill a hole so he could bolt the pieces together. Lot recognized that this would be a bare minimum fix and insisted on cutting the pieces to length, welding them, grinding them smooth and drilling extra mounting holes. It was service above and beyond, and clearly, Lot is someone who takes pride in his work. We are very thankful for the wonderful people we meet!

Namibia, week two

We may be staying in a coastal resort town, but it's all about the desert. It was a five hour drive of long straight stretches across the desert to get here. We only made three little pit stops along the way. One at the Tropic of Capricorn for some photo ops, (we had previously crossed it twice in Australia) and once in the little town of Solitaire (home of the famous apple pie). We did not sample the wares, but Craig enjoyed photographing the vintage wrecks strewn across the yard. We were also flagged down on the road by two Dutch girls about ten minutes outside of Solitaire. They were driving a "bean can" and had hit a big rock and bent the rim on the left front wheel. Amazingly, the tire had not popped. Craig encouraged them to putter their way to the gas station in Solitaire where they could get some help. It is shocking to us that it is legal to rent those little European cars in this country for travel outside of the cities. The majority of roads are gravel, covered in pot holes and in the middle of nowhere. They are just not suitable for the road conditions. 

Our reservation was for camping at Alte Brucke Resort. We called Mureal and asked for an upgrade to a room while we were in Sesriem and she was able to arrange it. Lynda was coming down with a bad head cold, we needed to charge up our electronics, and the location of the town on the ocean made for foggy, damp conditions. We were pretty happy with our chalet room with a kitchenette. Breakfast was included, but we could still prepare our own lunches and dinners. It is important to point out that the houses and buildings here don't have central heating so it is still colder than we are used to at home. We were also wearing our jackets inside our room. 

High season in Swakopmund is in the summer months. We happened to be there during the sleepy winter and on a weekend. By 1pm Saturday afternoon, the place was like a ghost town. Almost everything was closed. On Sunday afternoon, there was a city wide power outage to accommodate an upgrade to the power system. It started early in the morning and was not completed until after 7 pm. Where else could this happen?

The highlight of our stay was a Living Desert tour in the dunes with Steve from Batis Birding Safaris. There were just seven of us in our group. We learned amazing facts about the dunes, including how they were formed from sand from the ocean, how they are constantly moving and about all the plants and creatures that live there. Steve had amazing knowledge and the ability to find some of the smallest creatures in Africa. Some maybe small, but are quite venomous. 

We enjoyed our luxurious stay, but we're back on the road driving up the coast looking at sport fishermen and old shipwrecks on our way to Spitzkoppe... which is back in the desert.

Hallelujah, it's much warmer here! Spitzkoppe is to Namibia what the Matterhorn is to Switzerland. It is a 1728 meter rock monolith surrounded by smaller mountains, and a climber's paradise. Spitzkoppe is also known for its Bushman paintings, which are between two and four thousand years old. We had two days of relaxing and taking photographs, and seeing all of the above. It was so warm that Lynda actually broke out shorts and a tank top. It looks promising that we might have more summer-like days as we continue our journey north.

Namibia is a huge country and as such, there are days where you have to drive - all day. Our destination was Hoada campsite in northern Damaraland. It is a community run campsite so all of the profits benefit the local community. It is also affiliated with Grootberg lodge which is 25 km to the west. We stopped at the lodge to make arrangements for their Himba village tour. We heard it was excellent and we wanted to go with a respectful organization. The Himba are a semi nomadic, pastoral people who move their livestock in search of good grazing areas. The women are distinct because they do not cover their breasts, and they groom their hair and bodies with red ochre. 

The guide from Grootberg picked us up the next morning in a 4 wheel drive, open sided safari vehicle. We needed it. Although the village was only 12 km away, we entered Kakaoland, and the track was rough and rocky. For most of the trip we were crossing back and forth across a river bed (that actually had palm trees and some water in it). Once we arrived most of the villagers made their way to where we were. We were free to interact with them and take as many photos as we wished. Our guide gave us lots of information and patiently answered our questions. It was fascinating. For example, women do not cover their breasts, but they do cover their ankles. A young girl has two braids that hang down and cover her eyes so that young men cannot look into them. Once she starts menstruating, she is allowed to grow out her hair and fashion it with the red ochre. A man in the village can have many wives, but he must build houses for each wife and divide his time between them equally. The women do not bathe with water, rather they make a paste out of red ochre and butter fat and cover their bodies with it every second day. They also make a scented smoke out of charcoal and ochre and butter fat which is like perfume. They use it to scent their underarms and clean the animal skins that they wear. Then the villagers set up a craft market for U.S. They were selling beaded jewelry and carved wooden animals. When we were finished purchasing, the men and women sang and danced for us. Before we left our guide presented our gift to them: ground corn, sugar, and oil. All of the villagers were entitled to have a share of the food items. Witnessing this kind of existence is very humbling. It makes us realize that we live a very privileged life, and we have way more than we need. Maybe we all need to find ways to simplify our lives.

We were leaving Hoada later that morning, but after packing up the truck, we borrowed some bikes and one of the employees, Owen, and headed out on a ride to a neighbouring farm. As it turns out, the son of the owner works for the camp site. When he is not working, he lives there with his parents, his sister and her children. His own wife and child live in town so they can be close to the primary school. This is not uncommon in Namibia. Many families are separated by work or schooling. The farm has chickens, goats, and cattle. They use the goats for milk and food, but they don't eat the cattle because they are too valuable. If they were in need of money they would sell one of the herd to cover their expenses. We cycled a little further up the road to see the elephant watering hole which was built by the conservancy. It was put in that location to keep the elephants away from the farms where they can do a lot of damage.   Then we cycled uphill back to the camp site in the hot sun (without water because Lynda forget the bottle), said goodbye to Andrew and Owen, and started a short trek to Khowarib Lodge, on the other side of the veterinary fence in Kaokoland.

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Namibia, week one

Our flight to Windhoek was scheduled to depart at 3 pm. Pearl arrived to drive us to the airport at 1:20. I asked Phil about this because it seemed to me that we were cutting it pretty close.  He said there was no need to be there any earlier and he was right. We arrived at 2pm, checked in, passed through security, made a long walk to the gate and not long after, we boarded the bus that took us to the plane. It makes you wonder why we have to be at the airport three hours ahead of time at home? Our South African airlines flight went very smoothly. There were only about thirty people on it. They actually had to move people around to evenly distribute the weight before take off. Then, the flight attendant actually served us drinks and lunch - at no extra charge - on a two hour journey. Amazing how Canadian airlines are the only ones who charge passengers for everything. 

Martin from ATI met us at the airport. He drove us to Rivendell Guest House and dropped us off. The next morning Mureal from ATI and Gavin from Bushlore came and gave us the rundown on our itinerary and went through the vehicle with us. We spent the rest of the day shopping for supplies and organizing the truck. Lynda was very excited to see that Rivendell had a resident cat named Frodo. He was very friendly and affectionate. He made all the guests feel welcome. 

The next morning after breakfast we were off....our destination was the Tsauchab River Camp which is located in the Namib-Naukluft Park, approximately 4.5 hours south of Windhoek. We were excited to leave the city and start camping. The temperature in Windhoek has been in the mid 20s so it has been warm and sunny during the day, although it is cooler at night. We are not sure how that will look and feel further south. Craig has quickly adjusted to driving on the "wrong" side of the road, save for the mix up between the turn signal and the windshield wipers. Given the fact that we are in a Bushlore vehicle with a tent on the roof, most people have been pretty forgiving. It will take Lynda awhile (maybe never) to reach an acceptable level of navigational competency. Luckily for us, the roads are primarily gravel, they go on for miles, and they are relatively empty. That gives Craig the opportunity to re-direct when Lynda has lost our location. 

We arrived at the Tsauchab River Camp in good time. We made one directional error, but it only took us 30 km in the wrong direction. Look at as a 60 km scenic detour. The driveway into the place is chock a block full of metal art. (We spent quite a bit of time examining the various characters and structures. Johann has made recycling an art). After an early dinner, cooked on the fire and on the gas cooktop, we cleaned up and retired to the fire. It was pitch dark and just 6:05 pm. Felix, a wonderful fellow, came by and lit some candles on the perimeter of the site. He also light the fire at our private washroom to heat the shower water. Unfortunately, we weren't expecting him and did not make use of it. The toilet and shower were about 800 m away from our site. There will definitely be no middle of the night trips to the loo. 

We did not feel the cold while we were sleeping. There was an issue with one of the supports at the bottom of the tent breaking as we got into bed. It meant that we had to sleep on top of the ridge all night. That was not so comfortable. In the morning, it was sunny, but very windy and cold. We layered up in our winter gear and quickly prepared breakfast. Although the site was spacious, there was no shelter or wind break. Later, we headed up to lodge house where we met Charmaine, the cook. We made arrangements to have a kudu dinner that night. She was also very helpful and gave us literature on the 6 km kudu (no kidding) hike. We set off at about 1 pm. It was still windy, but not so cold. It's amazing how if you actually exert some effort, you can generate your own heat. We followed the 4 wheel drive path for awhile then started hiking up a trail. It was very clearly marked with white arrows painted on rocks. There was little chance that we could get lost. The views of the surrounding mountains was amazing. When you climb high enough, you can see for miles. We also caught sight of a herd of kudu on the side of the next mountain. With the zoom lens Craig was able to get a photo of them. We spent several hours wandering the trails and made it back in plenty of time for dinner. Charmaine was very sweet. We had a 3 course meal with wine for a reasonable price. The best part was that we had internet access, we charged a camera battery and we didn't have to cook anything ourselves in the cold. You will get no complaints from us!

Luckily, the next morning was totally different. There was no wind.  You could tell the day was going to be sunny and warm. Since we were heading south to the Namidrand Family Hideout about 2.5 hours away, it didn't matter. We had breakfast, organized our stuff and were ready to go by 9:00 am. Our ATI travel agent won't want to hear this, but we did not follow the route she gave us. Craig looked at the map and made some modifications to the route so we weren't driving the same roads twice. We didn't have a lot of information about our destination. When we arrived at the turn off from the main (gravel) road at about 12:00, there was a old gate and a sand path leading away, we were curious. There were 16 kms of winding sand ruts to travel into sparsely covered rolling hills. In that short distance we saw oryx, springbok and ostrich, all close to the road. We knew this was going to be a great place. About three quarters of the way down the road, we were passed by a man in a old VW. He waved us along and led us to our remote campsite on the property. It turns out Titus manages the property, and when he saw us coming down the path, he knew it was us because no one else was arriving and other than guests, no one else ever drives by. He was incredibly friendly and informative. He gave us a self drive map and said he'd try to find us some sand boards for the next day. This huge property was a sheep ranch till the 80's and only has one other campsite and the farm house,now guest lodge, but they are both a distance away. Our site is tucked behind some sand dunes and has an outdoor kitchen, bbq pit, an indoor toilet room, and solar shower. Best of all, our site was compact and well layed out, so if you have to answer the call of nature in the middle of the night, and you don't fall off the ladder and break your neck, the toilet is right there. Lynda can't imagine leaving the warmth of her bed for any reason, but it's nice to know the option is there. Sadly, we spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry. The warmth of the afternoon sun was too much to pass up and besides, it was an opportunity to relax and soak up some rays ourselves. Just before sunset we went for a short walk and stalked some more oryx. They are plentiful, but they keep their distance. Craig was using the zoom lens to take photos, and eventually he had to give up because there wasn't enough light. Not fifteen minutes later, an oryx appeared on the dune behind our site while we were making dinner. He was within twenty feet of us. By that time it was completely dark and there was no way we could take any photos, so we watched him meander along grazing  as we ate our dinner. 

Every rose has a thorn. We found the "thorn" that night. Although the landscape is spectacular and there are miles and miles of open plains, it was freezing cold in the night. We huddled together under our sheet and two down sleeping bags, fully clothed. Every time one of us rolled over it created a cold air pocket and it woke the other person up. Guess what? Neither of us got up to use the loo. In the morning the solar panel, hot water supply was covered with frost. Luckily the sun came up at 7:00 am and it significantly decreased the chill in the air. We saw Titus a few hours later and he said it was unusually cold. So much so that he had to get up and make himself a hot water bottle in the middle of the night. Note to self, cold in an African winter is like cold in a Canadian winter. Bundle up like you are going tobogganing. During the day, shed your layers like you are on a Arizona golf course in March. Do all this and you will be happy campers. 

We spent our second day, self driving around the property. Craig lowered the tire pressure so we could navigate the sandy roads without getting stuck. We saw hundreds of oryx, lots of springbok, several ostriches and from a distance, a herd of zebras. After a steak dinner cooked over the braii (bbq), we sat by the fire enjoying the millions of stars in the sky. It wasn't much longer, then we headed to bed.  We slept much better - probably because we added a second sheet and we zipped the bags together to create a duvet. In the morning, we were surprised to see the sand dunes covered with frost. It had been colder than the night before, only we didn't feel it.
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We stopped to say goodbye to Titus and then started our short journey to Sesriem. Sesriem is the closest camp site to the world famous Sossusvlei sand dunes. We stayed overnight so we could drive into the park and catch the spectacular sunrise. The gates only open an hour before sunrise, and the official speed limit on the road is 60 km, which makes timing essential. In the mornings most people head directly to Dune 45 for sunrise, since it is closer to the gate. We decided to spend our first afternoon climbing and photographing Dune 45 and then head to Big Daddy, at 70 km, the next morning. It was fun, yet challenging to walk up the dune. At about 250 meters, it is not the biggest dune, but the ridge path is narrow, the sand slips from beneath your feet and it is quite windy at the top. It is definitely not for anyone who has a fear of heights. We walked along for quite a ways, then went down the side of the dune. As we navigated our way downhill, we were filming our footsteps. Suddenly something shot out of a mound of tall grasses next to Lynda and startled her. It was a Bat Eared Fox.  We had walked too close to its den and we were talking loudly, so we must have scared it. Craig continued filming as it made its way back to its den and we withdrew.
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The next morning we set the alarm for 4:45 am. The night had been "warmer" and we actually slept well. (The Après dinner Bells Scotch may have helped). We dragged ourselves out of our warm bed, cleaned up, dismantled our camp and were on the road by 5:50, along with most of the campsite. Craig was not set on being there at the exact moment of the sunrise so we knew we could get there in plenty of time. Only a few car loads drove the distance, so we had the place to ourselves. The sunrise on the garnet granule dunes was spectacular!

Photos

Cape Town, South Africa, Part 2

Wednesday has arrived and our time in Cape Town is slipping away. The weather has deteriorated a bit, and it is cloudy and cold. We headed out to visit the District 6 Museum. The District 6 Museum documents the history of an area which was originally a melting pot of races and cultures. In February of 1966 it was declared a white area under the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the government began forcibly removing residents from their homes. They also bulldozed all the houses. People were relocated, but where you ended up depended on your race, as specific races went to certain areas outside of town.

Our guide, Ruth, lived with her parents and her 11 brothers and sisters in a house on Confederation street. Her mother was white and her father was black. Her designation was Coloured. She was required to carry an identity card. The system was much worse if you were black. You had to carry a "Dompass." You were required to produce it on demand to the police and if you couldn't produce it, or if you were in an area not specified by your pass, you were given a fine. Since many people could not pay the fine, they were thrown in jail for 3 to 6 months. Ruth's father was an activist, but he died of old age early on in the removals. Her mother refused to leave her home and continued to live in the house even when they turned off the water, and the electricity. When she went out with her children she had to pretend they were her domestics. Eventually in the 1980s she moved to a house in the suburbs. She only lasted 24 hours. Ruth said she died of a broken heart.

The museum has a lot of photographs and stories from previous residents. The saddest part of the whole story is that the government never did anything with the land. Much of it remains barren and unoccupied. Many former residents or their families have put in for restitution, but it is a long, laborious process, which will take years to settle. 

We have been waiting for Thursday to roll around because we have arranged for a guide and we are going to hike up Table Mountain. We have elected to avoid the crowds and the cable car. We are hiking with Dominic, also known as "The Fynbos Guy." (For your information, Fynbos is the name given to the hard leaved shrub-lands and heathlands found in the coastal plains and mountains of the southern Cape.) 

 

Dominic picked us up and we drove to Camps Bay (the area of new money) and parked. The houses are perched on the side of the cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with million dollar views. It was very windy as we started our ascent. We initially walked up a jeep track, but then we walked on what looked like a goat path. Dominic has a wealth of knowledge about the flora in this biome. There really aren't any animals here, although we did see a couple of types of birds, and evidence that porcupines had been foraging along the path. At about 11:00 we stopped for tea/coffee and gigantic chocolate croissants that Dominic picked up at the bakery. Then we continued up the path and came out at the Valley of the Red Gods. The path seems to come out of nowhere. You think there is no route and you are stopped, but then it appears. After a quick stop at the Mountain Club of South Africa hut (altitude 730 metres) we started our descent. By this time the wind had died down and the sun actually had some heat to it. It was a pleasant stroll back to the car. By 3:00, we were back at Parker Cottage on the porch with some bottled beverages.

 

Friday afternoon we have a flight to Windhoek where we will spend two nights in a guesthouse before we start our Namibian self drive vacation. Stay tuned...

Photos 

Cape Town, South Africa Part 1

We are a few days into our stay now. The weather has been sunny and clear, but there is a crispness in the air, like spring or fall in Vancouver. The difference for us is that there is no central heating in the houses. We have had to turn on the air con/heater to take the chill off the room in the early mornings and late evenings. We are staying at Parker Cottage in Tamboerskloof. It is an upscale neighbourhood with front row views of Table Mountain and Lion's Head. We have been getting around on foot, but we have also been making use of taxis and Uber. 

Breakfast at Parker Cottage is deluxe. Fresh fruit, yoghurt, muesli or cereal, along with a selection of juices and a pot of French Press coffee. Then, a hot entree which could be a full English breakfast, an omelette or boiled eggs. It is all served around a communal table in the grand dining room of the heritage house, with the fireplace blazing. We have conversed with Canadians from Toronto, Americans from Houston, and a nomadic British Couple whose worldly possessions include 4 plastic bins of belongings back in England and a converted 4x4 here in Africa. 

Dinner is easy to find in this neighbourhood. There are a fantastic collection of restaurants, cafes and bistros all within walking distance. We had a wonderful fish dinner at Miller's Thumb the other night. Craig enjoyed Cajun Dorado while Lynda experimented with Malay Bluenose. Another night we ate top notch beef and ostrich steaks at Nelson's Eye. (Yes, ostrich. The other red meat.) One benefit of dining out is that you can take your own bottle with you, as long as you pay a small corkage fee.

On Saturday, we took a trip out to Stellenbosch for a wine tour with a private guide named Chris. We really enjoyed talking to him about politics and his experiences as a coloured person in South Africa. He is also a wine connoisseur. He took us to two of his favourite wineries, Hartenburg and Thelema. We might have done more, but we were savouring our tastings and we ran out of time. We did splurge on a beautiful bottle of Shiraz and a couple of bottles of Muscat, but we had to restrain ourselves due to time and luggage restrictions.

Sunday's in Cape Town are pretty quiet. The weather was sunny and the skies were clear so we called Uber and had the driver drop us off at the Lion's Head trailhead. "90 minutes up, a whole bunch of scrambling and brilliant views at the top," according to our host Phil. He was 100% correct. It was reminiscent of a Sunday at the Grouse Grind. Apparently, Capetonians are as active and outdoorsy as Vancouverites. People were very friendly. Lynda, wearing her Seattle Seahawks t shirt, opened conversations with a girl from Seattle who has been travelling for 8 months and was definitely a fan, and another fellow with a Seahawks ball cap, who insisted he had just bought the hat while on vacation. We also met two young people (Patriot fans) who were working for an NGO whose mission is to empower young girls through soccer. They had already done a 2 week camp and now they were on their way to Stellenbosch to do another one. Their third camp will be in Malawi. They were both passionate about soccer and the program seemed like a great way to promote health, fitness and social messages. We can only imagine how excited they were after the U.S.A. beat Japan in the Women's World Cup game later that night. 

We made another jaunt to the townships with a company called Uthando. Our group consisted of three Spaniards, two Americans and us. The largest township in Cape Town is approximately 30 square km and host to 1.3  million people. While the government has a mandate to build 12,000 houses per year the majority of people are living in tin shacks. The government has installed electricity in many areas, but there are central points for water and communal outhouses. We visited three community programs sponsored by Uthando. The first was a crafts program for girls and ladies (eKhaya eKasi). They make and sell their wares on site. The second was a daycare/after school program (Thokozani Youth Centre) which was started by a member of a famous a Capella singing group.

 

 His participation also involves music. We were so fortunate to hear both the girls junior choir and the senior choir sing. The last stop was to the "Oldies Kindergarten." Seniors come to the recreation centre for movement, music and dance. Their program creator, Thembi Gecelo, is an energetic lady and our visit was highly interactive. As we were leaving, our tour guide said that the oldies were impressed with the Canadians and that we changed their perception of our culture. We will take that as a compliment!

Today we had a leisurely breakfast then headed out to visit The Company's Garden. This site has been around since 1652 and was built by the "VOC" Dutch East India Company. It was designed as a refreshment station for ships heading from Europe to the East Indies. It lies within close proximity to the Slave Lodge, a building which tells the story of slavery in the Cape. Over 176 years, it housed up to 9,000 slaves, convicts and mentally ill people in deplorable conditions. We spent several hours in the exhibits. Afterwards, we stumbled upon a free walking tour of Bo Kaap with "5 star Rico".

 
Bo Kaap, also known as the Malay Quarter, is a multicultural area of town with colourful houses, and home to the first mosque which was established in 1794. Our group was mostly Swiss, Germans and Dutch, but there was one Floridian amongst us. He wore his Go Pro on the front of his head and made a lot of "I know it all" comments. Well, what can we say? There is usually one in every crowd. We try to make sure it is never us.

Capetown photos

Across the Pond to Windsor, England

We arrived in Jolly Old England on the hottest day ever recorded in history. It was a blistering 37.4 degrees Celsius at Heathrow Airport. It was so hot a ball boy at Wimbledon fainted from the heat. Luckily for us, we weren’t exposed to the unbearable temperature. Our hotel, the Sofitel London Heathrow, adjoins Terminal 5 via an interior walkway. We went directly from one building to the next without an inkling. There, we slept like the dead for several hours. By the time we emerged for dinner, it was very pleasant out. We had a fantastic meal at an Italian restaurant called Carluccios, which ended with limoncello and bitter chocolate gelato (Yum!)

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The next morning, the hotel arranged for a car and driver to take us to Windsor for the day. We had a traditional English breakfast (bacon, sausages, eggs, hash-browns, beans and toast) at Monty’s Café and watched RAIN sprinkle down on the passers by.  Yes, that’s how the weather is in England…unpredictable, just like Vancouver. It turned out all right because it allowed us to enjoy a second cup of coffee.

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Queen Elizabeth goes there on weekends, except in the summer when she heads north to Balmoral in Scotland. We joined the throngs to see Queen Mary’s Doll House, the State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel. Pomp and pageantry is ingrained into the place. It still functions as it has for hundreds of years. Outfitting a dinner table for 160 people with china and full silver service is no problem. The Queen has “several” sets to choose from. One of the coolest parts of the tour is the row of wooden heads in the Quire at St. George’s Chapel. Each occupied head is adorned with the headgear and colours of every living knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. There are currently 24 knights in service. Their half drawn swords indicate their readiness to serve and protect the monarchy.  Although the adornments are removed from the heads once a knight dies, a brass plaque on the wall marks their existence forever.

After all that, we had to stop 50 feet from the gate at the Horse and Groom for a pint of lime and lager so we could soak it all in. Interestingly enough, the men’s choir that we missed hearing in the chapel was also outside having a pint. We enjoyed 45 minutes of impromptu singing with our beverages.

It was a quick visit to Windsor, but a welcome break from traveling. We headed back to Heathrow and made preparations for our 11 hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

Pictures to see