Venture with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2013 GW Voyage "Postcards from Paradise" 115 days

[trikeman]

What are we all going to do when the World Cruise ends? I am already dreading it. ;)

 

Start working on plans for our next cruise. :D

[jingle5616]

+1:eek:

[WCB]

Report # 94 Durban, South Africa April 4, 2013 Thursday

 

The Amsterdam docked early this morning, which was great, because we knew that would make getting off here a little easier, or so we thought. We had a scheduled driver to take us to the airport at 11am, so there was plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing breakfast in the dining room. Chances are we would not have time to eat again until we reach the game reserve.

 

Our small bags were packed with the minimum essentials for five days. We were ready to go. By 9:30am, we decided to go outside the terminal building to see what was happening, just in case our ride was early. But there seemed to be a problem with people getting out from the ship. A line had formed near the building, where it was obvious that all of the passports were being checked for the entrance stamps. Groups of crewmembers were coming outside to clear the immigration check as well. So we changed our minds and came back later.

 

By 10am, we thought we would try again, even if we had to wait outside. Four years ago, we also left this port for a safari, but there was no ride waiting for us. The connection had not been confirmed, and it was not a good feeling, since it was barely 5am in the morning with no one to call. You can understand our anxiety about a repeat performance this time. However, we were pleasantly surprised when a young well-dressed fellow approached us with our confirmed travel itinerary in his hand. He placed a call to our driver, who was already on his way to the port gate. What a relief.

 

It took 30 minutes to get to the Durban airport, since there was little traffic. Our flight was at 1:45pm, so we had lots of time to check in and relax for a bit. There was absolutely no line at the check-in point, so we logged in, with the help of a real desk person, and got our bags tagged and on their way. There was no charge at all for luggage. That's nice. All we had to do was keep the weight under 44 pounds. As it was, they each weighed 23 pounds tops.

 

We checked out the cafes and shops down on the lower level first. Being a small airport, there was not too much available...just the basics. So we went through security on the main level. That was easier than in the US, because we did not have to remove our shoes. We sent the hand carrys through the xray with no problems, however one of us set off the walk-through xray. A quick pat-down was done, and then we were on our way.

 

Sharing a candy bar, we waited patiently while the few seats around us began to fill with passengers. The plane was a small one, that was parked out on the tarmac. A large bus came to the terminal gate, and we boarded it to be driven to the waiting plane. By the time we boarded the aircraft, it was 15 minutes late. Flying at 55,000 feet, we arrived to the airport at Nelpruit, Kruger Mpumalanga Airport, an hour away from Durban.

 

Carved on the top of a large plateau, this neat airport was what you would expect in the far corners of South Africa. Vaulted wooden ceilings framed with logs and natural bush colors, this airport looked like it could only handle smaller aircraft and private jets. Our luggage was there on the turnstile before we got out of the restrooms.

 

Our camp driver was waiting with our names printed on a large card. This was great......no waiting, we were whisked into his car and were off to the Sabi Sands area near Kruger National Park. Once we were out of the small town of Nelspruit, the roads were pitted with deep potholes. Trying to avoid most of them, our young driver apologized for the bumpy ride. He said it was an "African Massage". We did not mind the bumps, because we had the car all to ourselves instead of riding with 5 other people as we had been expecting.

 

Passing through hillside villages and miles of eucalyptus groves, we arrived to the camp after a 2 hour drive. We later found out that we had been lucky to have gotten through easily, as there were two over-turned logging trucks blocking the road for three hours later on. We arrived to the camp around 5:15pm, and the staff asked if we would like to join the game drive already in progress. Sure, we said, so we were guided to our "cabin", our home for the next four days, where we dropped off our stuff, and immediately joined the driver. We were driven to one of the land rovers and hopped into the vehicle with some other guests, who took the time for introductions. Nice welcome.

 

In minutes, we saw rhinos, elephants, impala, waterbuck, kudu, and francolin natal birds. The roads were still wet and muddy with deep puddles from rain the previous day. It was cloudy and overcast, but at least the rain had stopped. The one good thing was that we were not eating dust along with the drive. And to help quench our thirst, the driver unexpectantly stopped on a knoll, where he and the tracker set up a makeshift cocktail and snack table on the front of the land rover. How civilized was that? He proclaimed that it was "gin and tonic" time for all, or whatever suited us at the moment. Coke light was our choice, although the alternatives were wine, mixed drinks, iced tea, or water. Snacks included canisters of mixed nuts, dried fruit, and dried jerky of some kind of meat (we never asked what).

 

With about 15 minutes to stretch our legs, finish our cocktails, and take in the quickly setting sun, we boarded the vehicle, and slowly made our way back to the camp. The driver used dim headlights, since it was dark by now. The tracker, who was perched on a seat in front of the vehicle, shone a strong floodlight that he swung from side to side. He was looking for the red eyes of the animals that should reflect in the artificial light. If he did spot any wildlife, he had to turn the light off, since it temporarily blinds the animals for many minutes afterwards. That can make them vunerable to attack.

 

We were back by 8:30pm, and glad to be there. It had turned very cool once that sun had gone below the horizon. Now we finally had the chance to get the layout of the camp and their facilities. The very first thing we noticed was the total lack of electic lights in our room. We had been handed a large rechargable flashlight to use for the evening. That, along with lanterns and candles, helped us see for the rest of the evening. Not having had the time to look for plugs to charge our camera batteries, other guests told us there were indeed some plugs near the freestanding closet. Luckily, we had brought the correct adapter to do this. Surely, if we had not, the staff would provide them, or charge our batteries in their office.

 

Our room was located close to the dining hall and leisure area of the lodge. We found a long expanse of dining table set for 20 people. Once everyone gathered and were served drinks of our choice, we accounted for two families, one with three kids ranging from 7 to perhaps 13, and another young family with 2 kids near the same age. The rest were couples of various ages. We were the only ones from America, two from Canada, a couple from Germany, the families from Ireland and France, and two British couples. Since most folks booked a three night, four day stay, some were already on their way home the following day. Everyone comes and goes constantly. Anyway, we were the new kids on the block, and slowly got to know the folks we were to be on safari with. One couple from England, about our age, were the best companions. They had been here last year, and enjoyed it so much, they had come back. And they were camera buffs as well, so we had lots in common, with good tips to share.

 

Now for the good part.................the food. Dinner was a combination of served and buffet. One of the staff girls got our attention with a wooden frog that she activated with a wooden stick. She then announced the menu items, and we all took a seat at the very roomy table. Actually, they were small square tables joined as one. Set with a leopard-print tablecloth, each place setting was complete with a placemat, silverware, napkins, two wine glasses, and water glass. Lanterns and candles gave just enough light to see what we were eating and where we had to go.

 

The first course was a served salad of assorted lettuce and fresh veggies, sprinkled with cubed cheese. Our choice of wine was poured, and not being sure about drinking the pitcher of iced water, we opted for the white wine, unusual for us, but good in a pinch. Then we proceeded to the buffet table, where we filled the heated plates with even more salads, steamed assorted vegetables, corn, squash, roasted potatoes, and slices of lamb and beef roasts. Fresh bread completed our full plates. Dessert was a large glass of strawberry mousse, and if that wasn't enough, the owner, David, who had joined us for dinner, poured us a glass of sweet amarula, a liqueur made from the fruit of the native marula tree. We would liken it to Bailey's Irish Creme. This would be the routine for the days to follow, although the serving area would change once.

 

Thoroughly filled, we found our way to our cabin, took a quick shower in the candlelight, and collapsed into the comfortable bed. What a way to end a very long, but satisfying day. We did not even notice the lack of TV or radio or even lights at this point. We slept like babies, which was a good thing, because getting ready for the morning game drive, meant getting up at 4:30am.

 

To be continued..................

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Carolin]

YAY!! welcome back. You've been missed. :)

[startwin]

So happy to get your daily reports again:)

[blacksand]

"So we guess we have had a lifetime of searching for pizza that can compare to Toto's in Daly City, California, which by the way, is no longer there." Thank you for all these wonderful posts, I am really enjoying them. Almost as good as being there! I do love the pizza at Toto's in San Bruno, I have gotten many a pie there after a nice long 70+ mi road bike ride with friends.

[seafun]

I've never really been interested in seeing the big game in Africa (there are, after all, only so many places one can afford to visit in a lifetime, right?) But you've stirred my interest by your report -- and this is just the first day of your safari!

Thanks again for your informative and enjoyable reports! I look forward to the rest of them, as do many others here.

[ger_77]

Oh my, amarula cream liquer is my absolute favourite! Hope you enjoyed it.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[WCB]

Report # 95 Kruger Bush Camp - Day Two April 5, 2013 Friday

 

Day two began with a knock on our door by one of the friendly staff guys for our wake up call. Of course, we had been up, got dressed, and were ready to go long before 5:30am. But we welcomed his carafe of hot water for some coffee in our room.

 

We met with the rest of our group in the dining room by 6am. More coffee was available, but we felt it unwise to drink any more than we already had. There were 12 of us, that were split into two groups and escorted to two Land Rover safari vehicles. We stayed with the same set of guides and trackers that we had yesterday. These guides were native to the area, belonging to the Tsonga and Shangaan tribes. They were born with hunting and tracking skills not only for being guides, but for survival early on in their lives. One of the fellows had been with this lodge, working for the family owners for 29 years. That speaks volumns for this operation.

 

Anyway, the animal viewing began right in the dining room, with the vervet monkeys checking us out from the overhanging trees and roof. They would be here all day, so we began our morning drive after getting some good photos of the characters. The drive lasted for almost 4 hours with numerous sightings of kudu, giraffes, Cape buffalo, and elephants. Our guide was in contact with other drivers who had spotted some wild dogs near the airstrip. We quickly headed that way, arriving to find the pack of dogs walking on the tarmac. Our driver literally chased them with the vehicle, until they decided to stop, and lay down. He said they must have had a successful night of hunting and gorging, and wanted nothing more than to rest and play. After taking pictures, we left them to do just that.

 

About halfway on the drive, our fellows stopped the land Rover, and let us stretch our legs. Then they set up a coffee and cookie table for all of us. If needed, we were left to use whatever trees or bushes we could find for a pit stop.

 

Continuing on, we were alerted to a sighting of a leopard laying on a termite mound nearby. At least three vehicles arrived to the scene at the same time to find the leopard resting, partially hidden in the grass. The big cat was not the least bit interested in us at this time. Perhaps later in the day, on the PM drive, he would be more active. At least we all hoped he would stay in this spot resting for the remainder of the day.

 

Getting back to the lodge by 10am, our driver was afraid he would be in trouble with the cooks. They had breakfast mostly ready for us by 9:30am, but with the chance of seeing a leopard, we would be excused for being tardy this time. The breakfast setting in the dining room was a bit different from dinner. The square tables were pulled apart, and set for two or four or five people. More like a real restaurant. The buffet table held fresh cut assorted fruit in a large bowl, with cereals of corn flakes or rice krispies. Two flavors of yogurt were there with toppings of seeds and nuts. Warm cheese muffins had been freshly baked for us to eat. This would have been ample for us, but there was more. We had a choice of any breakfast entree normally offered at home. Today we chose french toast with a fried banana on the top. A little bacon on the side completed our hearty meal. Juice was a pitcher of blended fruit, almost like a smoothy. Four slices of toast were also placed on our table along with fresh jams. There is no doubt that we will not be hungry on this excursion!

 

Barely having time to freshen up, we were summoned to join a bush walk with one of the armed guides. Yes, he was armed with a 438 elephant rifle, loaded, but with the safety on, of course. He explained that out of the large safari vehicles, we look like prey to the animals, which naturally, we are. The rifle and his clip of five bullets are probably seldom if ever used. Actually, one of the kids did ask the guide if he ever did shoot an animal, but we never got a straight forward answer. Some things are better not asked.

 

Well, the hike was enjoyable for the first hour, because we were slowly walking on the dirt road. We were being instructed in the ways of the jungle and survival of the fittest. That even applied to the millipede that was crawling on the road. After describing how this creature would be taken apart when dead by ants, the guide surprised us and horrified one kid when he completed his talk by crushing the bug with his boot. Ick. There was nothing left for the ants! Like we said....survival of the fittest.

 

It was at this point that our guide decided to go offroad into the knee-high grass, and head towards a dry creekbed. The problem was it was down a steep slope full of thorny bushes and rocks. Hidden tree roots impeded our walk too. Now this was adventurous, but a bit too much for the girls in the group. By girls, we mean the moms and ladies who thought it was time to head back to the lodge. No one was allowed to leave, since we were here as a group. After a half hour of trudging through the deep sandy creekbed with huge expanses of rocks, we reached a dam of some sort. Most of the folks climbed over it, while some had to go around it, again through the thorns and stickers. We finally returned to the lodge by 1:30pm, hot, tired, and completely covered with burrs, thorns, and sticky seeds of some kind. Perhaps tomorrow, the group size will be much smaller.

 

Ice cold cokes were wel deserved by now. So was the warm shower and shave that was not done early in the darkness of morning. That warm water never felt so good. We made our way to the pool, where we rested on the wooden chaise lounges with thick cushions. The water in the pool was sparkling clean, but extremely cold. Soaking our feet in there was all we could muster. It was more amusing watching the large number of monkeys playing around the lodge and rooms. Even a wart hog made his way to the grassy area outside our room. He worked the green grass like a lawn mower, ignoring us completely. You have to respect those long, sharp tusks.

 

Before we knew it, the time had arrived for the evening game drive. This time, we dressed properly with long pants and jackets. We had no doubt that when the sun went down, it would be darn cold. The same groups broke off into their vehicles, with the exception of one couple who had gone home this afternoon. We had a long drive before we saw any game. But the wait had paid off. We went back to the spot where the leopard was this morning, racing past a Cape buffalo in the process. By now, several hyenas had surrounded him, expecting that he may have had a kill in the tree with him as they sometimes do. That smart leopard was so wound around the tree, that it was difficult for us to see him. Eventually, the hyenas left, passing within a few feet of our vehicle. Gosh, they are really scary-looking creatures. When the cat felt they were gone for good, he slowly backed down the tree trunk. Posing for hundreds of photos from three Land Rovers there, he decided it was time to leave the scene. He literally walked past our truck, inches away from us. It was like we were invisible to him. What a magnificent animal. we considered ourselves very lucky to have had such a close encounter.

 

Time for us to continue on, we spotted a field full of impala. Our guide called them the "McDonalds" of Africa, referring to the fact that they are tender vittles for all meat-eating carnivores. They are one of the most graceful and beautiful of the antelope family. usually when they are hunted, they never see it coming, and the cats are fast to dispatch them. Brutal, yes, but the way of life here.

 

Solitary kudu were here and there, with some of the bucks having beautiful high, but dangerous sets of horns. They are more shy, and tended to hide in the brush. The same thing applied to the baboons, who had perched in the high limbs of the trees for the night. Busy filming the leopard, we got to the baboon area too late. They would still be here tomorrow, so we began our drive back. Two owls were the only other birds we spotted in the trees. The local blackbirds protested them being there by dive-bombing them until they flew away. Neat behavior to see close up.

 

The best part of the drive was to come. By now it was dark, and we could see the bright stars shining overhead. The clouds that were here yesterday had left, leaving us with clear blue skies all day. As we had hoped, we were in for a treat of seeing the Milky Way and every constellation in layers so close we could have touched them. The other vehicles had arrived, and while we had been animal watching, someone had come to this clearing and set up a BBQ with strips of succulent steak cooking. Gosh, did that smell wonderful. A table covered with a white tablecloth had a bowl of pita chips with a tomato and onion salsa for us to enjoy. A complete bar was set up with cold beers, wine, sodas, and mixed drinks. While we snacked, the eldest guide performed animal calls for all of us. It echoed all through the canyon below, while we hoped that he was not calling the animals to us. The kids were the most impressed, and we are sure they will remember this experience for their lifetimes. We know we will.

 

It was so dark, we could barely see to walk around. There were several lanterns to light the ground, but we did not wander far from the site. It was time to leave, so we all loaded into the Land Rovers for the ride back to the lodge. Going slowly, we continued to study the sky filled with bright stars....another site to remember forever.

 

Back to the camp by 8pm, we cleaned up quickly and walked outside our cabin. Spotting some movement of shadows in the darkness, we thought we saw dogs. What they were not was dogs, but hyenas, just a few feet away from us. They spooked and ran back down the grassy area, and ran to the back of the clearing away from the camp. That was too close for comfort for us. We could see their tracks that they left in the sandy trail along the way to the dining room. Next to their tracks, we noticed larger footprints perhaps belonging to a larger animal. Believe us, we kept our flashlight shining everywhere as we quickly made our way to dinner.

 

Relaxing with refreshing beers, we shared our sighting with the group, warning the parents of the young kids of the hyenas we just saw so close. The kids tended to feel comfortable with roaming around the camp, even though we were warned about the animals close to the lodge. Can never predict their behavior, especially with the younger ones with us.

 

Dinner was served at the long table once again in the covered, but open-air dining room. Bowls of hot soup with curly noodles and tender diced vegetables was served to each of us. The buffet table was set with platters of salad, not a lot of lettuce greens, but more sliced bellpeppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, mangoes, and cheese chunks. Could have made a meal of that alone. But more bowls of hot veggies, turnips, green beans, carrots, and whole roasted red potatoes were offered. Chicken was the main course. White wine went well with the meal tonight. Topping off the hearty meal, we had tiramsu for dessert and a small glass of amarula liqueur. This could become a very easy habit to acquire. The conversation at the table was so animated with the excitement of the day that we soon realized it was time for bed. And with all the drinks we had consumed, sleep came very quickly once again.

 

The only thing we still had trouble with was the lack of lighting, especially in the room. Once the lanterns were extinguished and the candles blown out (required), we had to depend on our ability to have memorized the step from the "living room" with the couch to the bed and bath. The good stuff we had thought to bring with us was two small LED pocket flashlights. They helped us with the quick bathroom trips at night as well as checking the small travel alarm clock we had brought along too.

 

What a day........could tomorrow be any better?

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[JamesEM]

Welcome back, and thanks for posting your adventure.

[josumello]

What a wonderful post describimg Kruger Bush Camp - Day Two April 5, 2013 Friday. The narrative is so real. I feel that i am there with you. We will be doing a similar trip next year and you have provided us with wonderful information.

 

Thanks so much!!

 

Sue

[WCB]

Report # 96 Bush Camp Day Three April 6, 2013 Saturday

 

Once again, we were up and raring to go on yet another safari drive at 6am. This time we squirreled away a few biscotti cookies from the stash in our room to snack on during the ride. the little bit of extra sugar helped keep one of us alert.

 

One of the first things we noticed on the side of the trail was the remains of the skull of a Cape buffalo. It was a stark reminder of how things work in the wild. As large and fierce as this beast was, he was no match for the many predators that eventually took him down.

 

We had good bird sightings this morning with eagles either perched in trees or flying overhead. They are always in search of each and small prey.

 

Our driver immediately headed for an area where a leopard had been sighted by other guides in nearby camps. It took us an hour to reach the spot, because it appeared the large male leopard was on the move. We came upon him as he was making his way slowly down the road. It was interesting to watch him stop and mark his territory along the way, glad to be upwind from him. All of us were thrilled to have gotten dozens of photos of him so close up. Once the leopard slipped into the brush, he was out of sight in a second.

 

Then we were off to see the baboons we had missed last night. They were busy walking across an open field to forage for food elsewhere. It was funny to see the babies riding on the backs of their mothers, as if they were riding a horse. They had the best view of us, since the adults were halfway buried in the tall grass. The open field was filled with herds of zebra and wildebeest, although not in the numbers we had previously seen while on safari in Kenya four years ago. The terrain is totally different here near Kruger Park, since it is not a savannah, but rugged hills, plateaus, and canyons with rivers. The animals have a much better chance of staying out of sight, that is, unless you are a giraffe, elephant, Cape buffalo, or rhino. They are just too big to hide completely out of sight.

 

We did pause for the mandatory coffee, tea, and cookie break. Two hours riding in the safari vehicle can get uncomfortable, so the leg stretch is a good thing. While drinking our coffees, we watched herds of wildebeest and impala grazing peacefully. A few kudu, a lone hyena, and a jackal were still milling around in the brush too. Since we had taken so much time hunting the leopard, we ended up going back to the lodge without any more stops.

 

Breakfast was served once again in the dining room by 9:30am. Along with the fruit and yogurt, we both ordered ham and cheese omelettes with some crispy smoked bacon on the side. There is something about eating in the outdoors that whets your appetite.

 

Now is when things got interesting. It was time for the bush walk, and since it was a killer yesterday, one of us opted out. Much time was needed to catch up on the diary, and take advantage of the relaxing and quiet pool area. And it was probably a great idea to read the booklet of information that had been left in the folder in each of our rooms. Being that we had arrived and suddenly found ourselves on a game drive, no one mentioned the in depth book of camp schedules for drives and walks, animal tracks, mammal,bird and reptile list, and do's and don't's for us to adhere while at the lodge. Astronomy was addressed, as well as optional services provided at the camp. History of the park, game reserves, and the railroad filled in the rest of the details.

 

So while I was being entertained with reading, Bill was out with the armed guide (our driver, actually) and three other guests for a bush walk. The guide promised a different type of hike today, and oh was it. The story was that while walking quite a ways up the road, they suddenly ran into an angry bull elephant. Remember when we said they think people walking are prey? Well, this elephant started coming after them, causing the guide to tell Bill and the others to run the opposite way. Not waiting to be told twice, Bill led the way with the group following on his heels. Only unknown to Bill, there was another bull elephant hidden in the trees in the same direction they were running. Double trouble! The guide yelled loudly, stopping them in their tracks. When they came back to the camp, they all agreed that they heard the guide take the safety off his rifle. How they snuck out of there, I'll never know, but now for sure, I will never do a bush walk.

 

The four of them were still laughing about the incident during lunch. We were still full from breakfast, so we kept the meal light with crackers, cheese, and slices of roast and salami. The bread, which is baked fresh daily, was so good with a little butter. A beautiful chocolate layer cake tempted us, but we left it for the kids to demolish. One thing for sure, the vervet monkeys would have loved to steal some of our food. On one counter, we spotted a slingshot with a pile of small rocks beside it. Bet that is used a lot by the staff.

 

 

The time came quickly for the night drive at 4pm. This time we had the vehicle to ourselves with the nice British couple who happened to have been here last year. At the last minute, another elderly couple with their granddaughter climbed into the vehicle with the four of us. It turned out that this couple were the in-laws of the owner, and the little girl was the owner's daughter. The grandparents were from Copenhagen and spoke fluent Danish with their grandchild. Later on, they spoke English too, so we could understand them. Very polite, we all thought

.

This time we saw a native squirrel crossing in front of the vehicle, along with a dwarf mongoose who literally laid across the warm sandy road for two minutes before he scampered off. Herds of impala grazed lazily with some kudu hiding in the backround. A number of birds were in flight this afternoon like the francolin, longtail shrikes, and eagles. Large animals like nyala, waterbuck, and the smallest antelope, the grey duiker could be seen occassionally.

 

As we drove through an open field, we saw a group of people setting up a table with a white cloth and flowers. Champagne was being chilled and it appeared some food was being prepared. Our guide said it was the site for a proposal, as in a wedding proposal. That could be special, especially if the answer is "yes". We did not have time to wait around for the couple unfortunately.

 

A special stop was made at an open field where we saw a number of animals like the Cape buffalo, who had the oxpecker birds cleaning bugs off of their backs. They seem to tolerate the birds doing this service for them. That can often be seen on the necks of giraffees and rhinos too. A group of nyala had one young fawn who tried its best to nurse from its mom, who was having nothing to do with it. The same thing was happening with a herd of zebra with some young ones. The zebra mixed with the wlidebeest, all sharing the same grasses.

 

As soon as the sun started dipping on the horizon, our guys stopped on a knoll, where we again enjoyed beers and snacks. This is something we could become very used to doing. Shortly after 6:15pm, it was dark and time to head back. With his headlights shining, we saw a couple of bush hares running in front of us. They dove in the brush quickly or could become owl bait. As we rounded a sharp turn, two large zebra blocked our way. It was necessary for our driver to cut the lights and the tracker to shine his away from the animals. As we inched closer to them, they slowly moved to the side, giving us enough room to squeeze by them. You wonder what kind of fear goes through their brains, knowing that lions and leopards could be stalking them at any instant?

 

Well, it was time for cocktails and dinner back at the lodge. But tonight would be special in that the dinner was served in the "boma" area. From the elevated dining room, we walked down the spiral staircase that was candle-lit to another large dining table set for 16. Three fires were burning.....one in a pit, surrounded with wooden chairs. The second was in another elevated fireplace, while the third fire was the BBQ grill, where succulent New York strip steaks were being cooked by the owner, Dave.

 

The served salad consisted of tender asparagus, swimming in a salad dressing, and topped with fried cheese sticks. Another buffet counter had hot steamed veggies, potatoes, and sliced steak cooked to our liking. A native cornmeal mush was served with a tasty diced and cooked tomato and onion sauce. Our meal wouldn't be complete without dessert, which was a glass of creamy chocolate mousse. And of course, the amarula, another extravagance, but a great way to end dinner.

 

Too tired to stay up any later, we headed straight to bed for the evening. Tomorrow would be another full day.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 97 Bush Camp Day Four April 7, 2013 Sunday

 

You know what? The nights get really cool here this time of year. Even though we are not located far from Maputo, Mozambique, where we were plagued with the heat and humidity, we could not imagine cooling off anytime too soon. Anyway, we will know better, if there is a next time here. Sweatshirts, jackets, and scarves would be good things to add to our bags. You can always take the layers off if needed.

 

It seemed like we just got to sleep, when we were abruptly awakened by the howls of hyenas at 3 and 4am. They seemed to be too close for comfort again. There was no way we were going to go outside and look either. Who needs an alarm clock with that eerie call? So we were up and dressed well before one of the staff came with the hot water for coffee.

 

The game drive started off with another pleasant sunrise, enjoyed by us and our British friends. Today, there were only four of us in the vehicle, not counting our driver and tracker. This would be our last ride with this team, because they would be heading home after a 28 day work cycle at the camp. They would get 7 days off, then come back to repeat the work schedule. For that reason, we made sure to hand them each their tips for the six game drives we had with them. It was well-earned.

 

Spending a lot of time crossing over into different game reserves, it seemed like all the big game animals had taken Sunday off. Our driver jokingly said that perhaps they were in church! Keeping constant contact with the other Land Rover drivers from nearby camps, we heard very little chatter this morning. Eventually, the creatures began stirring with the sighting of a guinea fowl running for its life. They are noisy birds, somewhat like chickens, but watchdogs of the farm, so to speak. They are great for spotting and killing snakes, and are also a frequently seen carved wood or beaded souvenier to buy from Africa.

 

Giraffes and impala were busy grazing the grasses or stripping the tree leaves. In order to maintain their size, the elephants and giraffes must eat 20 hours a day. This morning was for the birds. No, we mean it was good for viewing birds like eagles, peacock-colored blue starlings, hornbills, and the beautiful lilac-breasted rollers. Got the best photos of them today. Passing a watering hole, we saw lazy terrapin (turtles) sunning in the heat of the morning. Kudu and elephants finished our quest for large creatures. So far, no lions.

 

Somewhere in the middle of the drive, we stopped for coffee and cookies. Our British buddies would be going home later, so we enjoyed our final drive with them. Their only disappointment was not seeing the lions. We still had one more chance.....tonight. On the ride back to the camp, our guide asked if we knew how to tell if a horned animal is right or left horned? Like people are right or left handed. The answer was in the length and condition of each horn. The shorter, more damaged, or sometimes missing horn meant the animal favored that side with digging, fighting, or foraging food.

 

Breakfast was waiting for us when we returned to the camp. Our friends and one family with the two kids had to depart at 11:30am, but replacing them, were three folks from LA/NYC. In our opinion, they really were not the safari type, judged by the way they were dressed. Oh well, they'll find out soon enough when they're full of stickers and burrs, and roasting from wearing all black leather pants and jackets.

 

Breakfast was good again with omelettes and all the extras. This was the first day we noticed that the blended thick fruit juice had little bits of ice in it. Guess drinking the water is OK, because so far none of us have gotten sick. We have been in places where you cannot even brush your teeth with tap water. This was not one of them.

 

The bush walk was at 11:15am. Only one of us went, of course, and the other stayed behind basking in the hot sun while reading. Playing with the monkeys was another optional, but fun pastime. They loved the mixed nuts and dried fruit we had in our room. Turned out the walk was with the new city slickers, one of which was "Chatty Cathy".....like never quit talking for 1 1/2 hours. There are specific suggested rules in regards to game drives and bush walks. One of them is "no unnecessary loud talking". Guess this lady had not read this in the brochure yet, but we are sure someone will tell her, and soon, we can only hope.

 

Lunchtime was at 3pm. Once again, we kept it light with salad, crackers, cheese, ham and salami. Small muffin-like meat pies were offered along with a cheese quiche. We suspect that the meat muffins were made from last night's leftover dinner meats. They were delicious. What also was looking tempting was the strawberry shortcake with whipped cream for dessert. Wisely, we passed on the chance.

 

Right before we joined the afternoon game drive, our driver introduced us to Thomas, our new driver. He and his tracker would take us on our final drive for today. Ten elephants were gathered not far from the camp, then rhino, zebra, and wildebeest were the next to see. Looks like the animals decided to come out later today, taking Sunday morning off like we joked. The impala and kudu grazed away with some eagles and vultures flew overhead. Everything is on the hunt here, no matter how small or large. Small dark squirrels, some scrub hares ran the road again, followed by the birds.....woodpeckers, francolin, and the showy lilac-breasted rollers.

 

A brown house snake slithered ahead of the vehicle before disappearing. Some other common snakes around these parts are the puff adder, spitting cobra, and the deadly black mambas. Knowing they are here, we were careful with every step we took, even around the camp. This came to mind during our sundowner stop. We had been seated with the family with three kids, two of which were girls. After sipping their iced teas, one of the girls was going to go off behind a bush for a pit stop. By now, the sun had slipped below the horizon, and it was getting quite dark. Her parents freaked when she strolled away, and they quickly called her back. And for good reason. A few days ago, Bill had gone around a brush-covered tree clump, and accidently flushed a lone jackal that had been bedded down there. Don't know who was more surprised, but it goes to prove that you never know what's around a corner. Could easily have been that deadly black mamba. The mom told her stubborn daughter she would just have to wait. We finished our wine and beer, then headed back to camp for a nice surprise.

 

This was our last evening here, and guess that tradition is to send us off in style. Having a few minutes to freshen up for dinner, we went to our cabin to find it was lit with a dozen candles and lanterns. Our bed was sprinkled with bouganvilla petals with a sprig of greenery in the middle. But the big surprise came when we opened the bathroom door. There was a carpet with a bottle of champagne being chilled on ice with 2 champagne flutes. A bowl of covered chocolates was surrounded with colored glass marbles and more small votive candles. A scalding hot bubble bath had been drawn and also decorated with the flower petals. It would have been inviting if the water was not so hot, and we were not expected for dinner soon. Finding the bath, quickly brought to mind a recent story told to us by friends who had gone on safari in this same area last year. Bubbles mean slippery slopes in tubs, something forgotten from our early days of taking bubblebaths. Or perhaps it was easier to get in and out of the tubs way back then. But once inside the water, you can be in an uncomfortable predicament upon exiting. Like how do you get out without breaking your neck? For that reason, and the fact that the water was way too hot, we passed on the pleasure of soaking for an hour. As it turned out, the temperature was tolerable by 5am the next morning...no kidding.

 

So we popped the bottle of bubbly, and toasted to a safari well done. By the time we joined the group in the dining room, we were more than relaxed when we thanked the owner personally for the nice treat. Three more people had appeared for dinner. They were Afrikaaners, originally from Holland. They were visiting here as guests, but were also game reserve owners from north of here, closer to the Zambia border. One of the ladies told us all about the acreage they owned, and how the camp and house are electric-fenced, keeping it separate from the game reserve. Their purpose for being here was to get new ideas for their operation, as well as perhaps recruit some of this crowd to try their place next time. We felt it was a bit of a conflict to openly solicit possible customers in the presence of such a caring and hospitable staff that we had here. They bragged of opulence and spoiling the customers, but we found this camp and ambience to be a perfect fit for us.

 

We were so ready to eat and try to get to bed early. Lucky for us, the food was out on the side table, and our starter course was served at each place setting. Tonight's first course was a tomato/basil bisque, piping hot. Could have made a meal of this soup and been happy. But more was to follow. The buffet offered salad greens mixed with freshly sliced veggies, and also a creamy potato salad. The cooks had added a touch of vinegar, the way we like it best. Steaming squash, green beans, roasted potatoes, and rice went well with the chicken masala and oxtail stew. This was nice for a change, since these dishes are not something we cook at home often enough. Red and white wines went well with dinner, as did the poached pear with a dash of cream for dessert. We had saved a little room for the last glass of amarula and hot coffee. We were happy campers by the time we went to bed, literally crashing for the night. We were already sorry to see it coming to an end as we drifted off to sleep.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[localady]

What an amazing adventure you had, I am exhausted reading about it. 4:30am makes for a rather early morning. ;)

I never thought much about taking a safari, but I must admit you account, had piqued my interest! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.:D

[Cruisergal1208]

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful adventures with all of us land bound. We too have had the privilege of a safari and would love to do it again. The feeling of being so "up close and personal" with the animals is something you can not describe. look forward each day to your postings.

(another) Mary Ann

[DeepWaterMariner]

Terrific reading !

[WCB]

Report # 98 Bush Camp April 8, 2013 Monday

 

No wake up call for us this morning. It felt good to sleep in, at least until the other guests woke us up at 6am, chatting all the while before their game drive. We could have gone with the group this morning, but it would have been necessary for someone to come out in their vehicle to pick us up in the bush. We figured seven game drives was enough, although, the one disappointment was that we saw no lions. This might give us an excuse to return here someday. Well, we would consider coming back even if we had seen them.

 

While we were having coffee on the patio, watching for animal life from the comfortable outdoor couches, the owner, Dave, came to talk with us for awhile. He and is wife live in a home on the property about 200 meters away from the lodge. Last night, we could have sworn we heard barking dogs. Turned out we were right. Dave owns two Rhodesian ridgebacks that had been spooked by animals during the night. Wondering where his kids were, he said they were in boarding school. It is the only way for them to get the best education in these remote parts. They come home on weekends and vacation time.

 

By 8:45am, our pre-ordered breakfasts were ready, so we sat down and enjoyed every bite. One by one, staff members came out to say goodbye to us. They had welcomed us like family members, treating us with a soft-spoken respect not commonly seen where we come from. And where else could you go and relax with no locks on your cabin doors, or anywhere else for that matter? Come to think of it, there were no telephones in the rooms either. We did find a pressurized can for blowing an alarm horn in case we needed help in the middle of the night. Never know when those vervet monkeys would come inside to finish off the cookies and nuts!

 

We finished packing the last of our things, when one of the fellows came to our cabin and asked if the bags were ready. Honestly, we used small bags that could have counted for carry-ons, and certainly we could pack them to the car ourselves. But no, they insisted and we agreed to let them escort us and our bags to the roomy van that had arrived by 9:45am sharp. We had the whole van to ourselves too. One last handshake from the owner Dave, and many goodbyes from the guests who had just returned from the morning drive, then we were off and running. And by the way, on the drive early this morning, they saw lions, several of them. Figures..........

 

Our driver was nice enough to take the van ride out of the game reserve slowly. We even saw an elephant on the way out. Once we arrived at Shaw's Gate, it only took a few minutes for them to OK our exit. Recalling our entry through this gate a few days ago, we remembered an incident that we had questioned the driver about. A group of native lodge workers had been on their way home for their 7 day break that afternoon. They had arrived to this gate in a local bus, that was stopped and empty. The workers had lined up, and one by one, were being searched as they left the gate to re-board the waiting bus. Why, we asked? Our driver said they were being searched for stuff, but did not elaborate. So while reading safari magazines at the lodge, we were able to piece together enough info to figure out the problem here. The poaching of rhinos is still a major problem for Kruger Park and the outlying areas. An article written in the magazine stated that from the beginning of 2013 to March, over 100 animals had been killed for their horns. It became necessary to explore every area where weapons could be brought into these parks illegally. One of those possibilities was that weapon parts were being smuggled in by some workers in the park. Then handed over to poachers from other countries to use for the kills. Even some of the horns had been found hidden in unsuspecting places to be smuggled outside the park. There is huge money to be made in this horrible business. Thus, the reason for the gate searches. Those that are recruited to do these illegal activities do not profit much...only the gangs involved in the selling of horns for mostly the Asian markets. They are ground up into a fine powder, and sold for a variety of strange purposes. Negotiations are in progress to stop the receiving end of this practice, which is a good thing. Or else, there will be no rhinos for us and our future generations to enjoy seeing. It has already happened in the recent past where black rhinos were almost extinct in parts of Africa.

 

The ride back to Nelspruit took less than two hours. A few obstacles we encountered were domestic cows blocking the road. They are not fenced, but allowed to roam and forage for food anywhere they wish. The nearest town along the way that was more than village-size was Hazyview with modern shopping malls, nicer guest houses, restaurants, and entertainment centers. McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut were on several busy corners. Looked like a good place to shop for groceries or any pharmacy products you may have forgotten. Most of the housing in the outskirts was basically made from concrete speed blocks with metal or thatched roofing. Many had rooftop water tanks, but no indoor bathrooms like we know it. Outhouses were on each property.

 

Once we reached the groves of farmed eucalyptus and macadamia nut trees, the potholes in the road became more frequent and much deeper. Our driver obviously knew where they were and cleverly avoided them most of the time. When he missed, he said sorry, sorry. We were thankful we did not get a flat tire or tyre as it is spelled here in this part of the woods.

 

We arrived in one piece at the Kruger Mpumalanga Airport right on time, allowing an hour ahead of our 1:15pm flight. We seemed to be the only ones waiting in the terminal, when a group of travelers arrived like a swarm of bees. Judging from the name tags hanging from their neck lanyards, they were from a very well-known agency that specializes in land excursions worldwide. This group was on the elderly side, but quite mobile from what we saw. They had little problems boarding the small jet, climbing the steep stairway to enter the plane. That would change once we were in Cape Town.

 

This flight would be a longer one in duration, 2 1/2 hours to be exact. We had left Nelspruit and the Kruger area in the bright warm sun, but as we headed southeast, clouds began to take over that pretty blueness. The pilot had mentioned that Cape Town had been having rain, and we could expect more when we got there.

 

A "snack" was printed on our boarding passes, so we thought that meant a bag of crackers and a drink. No, we were given a choice of a chicken or beef sandwich, with a cold salad of cooked rice, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and a slice of peach for color. A sweet chocolate cookie went well with our cokes, although we could have ordered beer, wine, juice, or water.

 

When the plane landed, we found Cape Town to be very overcast with dark, heavy clouds. It had obviously rained, leaving the air crisp, clean, and cool. Rather refreshing. When we approached the baggage platform, we noticed a parade of airport stewards pushing ten wheelchairs coming for some of the "suddenly immobile" guests from that travel group. Wonder what happened to these folks on the 2 1/2 hour plane ride to require that? OK, giving them a break, perhaps a few may have needed them, but from past experiences, we figured out that these folks get automatic expeditied service out of the airport. Who knows, maybe someday we will need that also?

 

What was nice was to find our driver waiting outside the baggage claim area, with a large card printed with our names. Another sigh of relief. This time we also had a large van with only the two of us. Despite it being close to commute time, we seemed to be heading in the right direction to avoid the backup. It only took 1/2 hour to reach the container pier, which was very close to the Victoria Wharf complex.

 

We and all the other groups returning to the ship were greeted with the "welcome home" sign always tied to the promenade deck of the ship. Yes, it was good to be home, but we will treasure our time we spent in the bush for a long time to come.

 

Opening the door to our room, we were struck with the heavy, pungent scent of 16 tiger lilies blooming in our window garden. Holy cow! These flowers all opened up at once. It was a nice welcome home sign.

 

It took the rest of the afternoon unpacking and filling up two laundry bags to go out for cleaning. This is when we really appreciated having this perk of free laundry. The turn around for the laundry would be speedy, since we think about 200 passengers disembarked yesterday when the ship arrived to Cape Town. A few new folks and crew members joined as well. But the last segment to Ft. Lauderdale will carry the least amount of guests on this particular world cruise.

 

It would have been easier to skip dinner at 8pm, but we had abandoned our tablemates for five days and wanted to catch up on any news we may have missed. Van and Carol had gone overland with our travel agency to see Victoria Falls, Chobe Park, and ride elephants like we had done in 2009. Loved the stories they came back with, as they listened intently to our tales of adventure. Yes, it was nice to be back to continue with the cruise, which is rapidly coming to an end, we're afraid.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Traveling Dot]

Thanks for taking us on safari with you. I really felt I was there seeing the things you described. Love you postings. Thanks again.

Traveling Dot

[WCB]

Report # 99 Cape Town, South Africa April 9, 2013 Tuesday

 

The passengers were well into their schedule here in Cape Town, since they had arrived yesterday. Lying at the foot of Table Mountain at 3570 feet, Cape Town is the third most populated and tourist-sought city in South Africa. This city is a huge commercial and industrial hub dealing with oil refining, food, chemical, and fertilizer manufacturing. Auto making, leather and plastic goods, and clothing are the main industries. Exports include gold, diamonds, and fruit. Wines are huge here with massive acreage dedicated to vineyards. The scenery here and on the Cape of Good Hope side is stunning. Since this is our third visit here, and having seen the famous sites more than once, we opted to spend our time exploring the nearby harbor on the complimentary shuttle. We had booked a tour that would take us to see ostriches and to taste wines, but the more we talked about it, sleeping in later would be the better choice. So we cancelled the tour and took the credit back on our account (it was prepaid).

 

The weather was really cool and windy when we left the ship around 10am. Ther temperature was 64 degrees with a very good chance of rain later. Three large shuttle buses were cycling back and forth to the nearby Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a 10 minute ride one way. Besides a lovely, modern 2 story mall with hundreds of stores and restaurants, there are many things to do and see here. There is Two Oceans Aquarium, the Clocktower Museum, Cape Town Centre, outlying craft markets, and the ferry boats to Robben Island. This is the island where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned in the 1960's, although originally, it was used as a leper colony. Today, his prison cell is a national shrine.

 

Our number one mission for today was to try and find replacement batteries for our small waterproof camera. We had lost track of the time elapsed since we bought this nifty camera, and the batteries had lost their ability to retain the charge, as most batteries do. By luck, we walked into the impressive entrance of the mall, and ran right into a camera supply store. By a miracle, they had the batteries. One job down, and the second one to go.............find a good pizza restaurant, of course.

 

Most of the shops and boutiques were clothing outlets, which you can find anywhere. However, there were a few good souvenier shops with African art and artifacts. Not really looking to buy any more stuff, we did end up with a nice t-shirt actually made in South Africa and a beaded bracelet to match the black and white necklace/earring set from the lodge. Now all we had to do was locate a venue for lunch. Inside the mall, we found convenient kiosks that were automated by touch. We keyed in "pizza" and the map came up with the restaurant name and directions on how to walk there. Pretty good. Actually, several came up, so we zeroed in on wood-fired pizza. That brought us to Balducci's Italian Restaurant, where we ordered one margherita pizza to share. Our time was running short today, since we had to make the last shuttle by 2:30pm in order to be back to the ship at 3:30pm. So we did not linger as long as we would have liked, but long enough for the rain that had started falling to stop.

 

Going outside, we took photos of the nice Victoria Basin, the boats, ferries, the flywheel, and hundreds of tourists enjoying the day. Since this was our final stop in South Africa, we needed to spend the rest of our African rand and the coins. We did not have a lot left, but enough to buy more sodas and some food items for our room. With the rest of the change, we bought some caramel corn in small bags at the pharmacy. Many of our cruise buddies were doing the same thing.

 

We had several jobs to do once back onboard. Since we had purchased that lens and accesories in Richards Bay (also South Africa), we had accumulated quite a bit of VAT or value added tax. At 14%, that added up to over $100. US dollars to be refunded to us. Now that is worthwhile doing, even if it meant standing in a line. Little did we know, it was not going to be so easy. First we had to have a copy made of one of our passports, which the gals at the front desk kindly did for us. They handed us the tax refund form, which we filled out while waiting in the line. Now we were informed that we needed all of the receipts as well as the items we bought with us for inspection by the local customs people. The only thing was, where were the officials? No one was at the desk at 2pm as they had told us. In fact, by 3:30pm, no one had shown up, with all of us waiting for 1 1/2 hours at this point.

 

Finally Henk and Christel (guest relations & hotel manager) came and announced that the officials could not be reached and they were not coming. Disgusted, most folks left. Christel said that in the past, the refunds came in the mail, and their experience with that was it seldom or never arrives. Sure, it won't if we never have the chance to apply for it. Apologizing profusely, Christel said they would announce it if they showed up, and we could come back.

 

A departure immigration procedure was also required before we left today. That's why we had to be back onboard so early. One of us ran up to the face-to-face check and exit stamp, while the other waited in the VAT line. Then I went up at the end of the line to get mine. Another job done.

 

Just as we made it back to the cabin, and put the receipts and items away, Christel announced that the officials had arrived. By now it was 3:45pm, and we had 30 minutes to accomplish this task before we had to attend the mandatory muster drill. So we ran back to deck four, and found the line a mile long. We had lost our places, and had to start over. What a test of patience. Long story short, we moved through the line quickly, and passed the paperwork over to the official. He then told us we needed a copy of the exit stamp in the passport to add to that paperwork. What a pain! The reception gal made one for us, and we handed back over to the official. Now he was happy. Will we ever see that VAT refund? Who knows? Time will tell.

 

The muster drill was already in progress, but we made it in time to register our name and room number. This would be the last drill of the world cruise, and fine with us. We'll have one more before we leave Ft.Lauderdale on May 1st, enroute to the Panama Canal and eventually San Diego.

 

Sailaway was scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30pm, and it was darn cold and windy as we waited for the ropes to be dropped. The Queen Mary 2 made her way into the harbor right before we left. That ship is so large, it had to dock away from the pier where we were, with a long ways for their passengers to go to get to Victoria Wharf. The sun went down about the same time the Amsterdam hit the rough waters outside the harbor. It seemed like we were hit broadside by strong currents as we sailed out to sea. We were in for a really rough night, and Captain Mercer suggested we put anything fragile on the floor of our rooms.

 

By dinnertime, we carefully walked like drunken sailors to our table. The seas were rolling and so were we. What an exciting way to leave South Africa as we sailed towards our next stop in Walvis Bay, Namibia.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 100 Day at Sea April 10, 2013 Wednesday

 

Everybody needs a day where you want to do nothing special. Today was one of those days. Putting the clocks back one hour last night, helped restore our energy. But with the added adventure of the safari and a full day in Cape Town, we needed a day of true leisure.

 

We took our time eating a proper breakfast, then had a long walk on the almost empty lower promenade deck. Looks like most folks were also doing the same thing we were planning.....not much.

 

Downloading and creating photo files and catching up on safari notes, kept us occupied in our room until 3:30pm. Cheeseburgers and fries sounded like a good lunch, so we headed for the grill at the Lido pool. No one was waiting in line, and the nice chef had them turned out in no time. While eating them in a booth by the bar, Mel stopped by with a strange story. He and Helen had been in the mall at Cape Town, where he tried to get cash from an ATM machine. To his horror, the machine took his card, never returning it. The kiosk told him that the card had expired, therefore, it was confiscated. That was a small thing he missed before he left home last January. We're not sure what he will do for a replacement card now, since we have never been in that predicament. We are among the few people that have never used an ATM card, although we have one for emergencies.

 

Other activities included two new exploration speakers. Howard Walker lectured about South Africa's regional great power, assets and liabilities. David Smith, who we met while on the aft deck yesterday, talked about travel photography tips for cruisers. Now he is a most interesting and useful source of information that appeals to almost everyone. Wish he could have been onboard in the beginning, when we could have benefited the most from his tips. Actually, he and his wife, Anna Banana, as he jokingly called her, flew from the Noordam, which was last in Rome. Not a bad job, we think.

 

On April 18th, HAL will be celebrating a milestone....the 140th birthday of the line. We have all been requested to write one paragraph describing the excellent time we may have had on our first cruise with them. Any special moment or event could be of interest to whatever they plan on publishing for that day. We think they are looking for some older clients that may have sailed many, many years ago. Someone we met a few years ago had sailed on the original ill-fated Prinsendam, that sunk in a harbor in the state of Alaska. Everyone fortunately survived. Now that could be a great story.

 

A special South African Dinner was held in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. It cost $69. per person, and we assume that wild game will be on the menu. Don't know who was going, but it certainly was not us. The dining room will suit us just fine.

 

Even though we did not do much, the day still flew by quickly. Tomorrow, we will be in Walvis Bay, Namibia, ready to tour the city and outlying desert.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cubfan63]

Having an ATM card you have for emergencies but have never used may result in it also being confiscated when you do use it as the actual use after much disuse, especially overseas, may appear fraudulent, and inactive cards are deemed expired by banks.

 

Plus, if you are unfamiliar with the procedure, you can make an error that also causes it to be confiscated.

 

It is a really good idea to use it occasionally, even for balance inquiries at home at the issuing bank's machine, on occasion, to keep the ATM cars active and you familiar with the procedure.

 

 

I pray that emergency use is never necessary. But please consider actually trying to use it once and awhile so you don't have a problem if that emergency did occur.

[WCB]

Report # 101 Walvis Bay, Namibia Day One April 11, 2013 Thursday

 

Before we were allowed off of the ship, it was necessary to present ourselves once again to the Namibian immigrations officials, who would be waiting for us in the Kings Room outside of deck five in the dining room. The ship had arrived an hour earlier than scheduled, so this gave everyone more time to clear immigrations. Our number was 8, so we knew we had plenty of time to have a bite to eat in the Lido, and take a walk before attending. As it turned out, the check-in process was swift. However, after going through this process, it was not necessary to keep our passports with us while onshore. Go figure. Four years ago, we did none of this in Namibia.

 

The weather upon our arrival was less than inviting, since it was foggy on the coastline. If we remembered correctly, that fog should lift later in the day. The fog, and a little bit of annual rain, is all the moisture this part of the desert gets in Namibia. What a huge difference in landscape from Cape Town in South Africa. Like night and day. All we could see of the coastline was sand, lots of it in the form of large dunes. And buildings. The town is built on flat ground, with a hint of some mountains in the backround. The terrain sure reminded us of the west coast of South America....dry, wind-blown sand for mile after mile.

 

History of the area shows the first European visitors were the Portuguese in the late 15th century. At the end of the 1800's, Namibia was annexed to the Germans, except for Walvis Bay, which was taken by the British. The local native Bantu speaking cattle herders rebelled, but were brutally put down. Germans took over the area when diamonds were discovered in the Luderitz area, but lost the rule during World War 2. But there is no doubt that the German community stills remains today, especially in the settlement of Swakopmund, 20 miles north of Walvis Bay. And Walvis Bay was finally transferred to Namibia as recently as 1994.

 

What keeps the folks busy here in the middle of the desert so isolated from the rest of Africa? Most of the 50,000 residents work in the port, the fishing fleet, and salt production. Mountains of salt can be seen from the back deck of the ship actually. The attraction of the massive sand dunes brings the tourists here for recreational activities such as dune and camel riding, sand boarding and sand skiing. Further north, the Skeleton Coast National Park is a graveyard for ill-fated shipwrecks and whaling boats. You can take a flight over this area to see the wreckage. The nearby lagoon in Walvis Bay is home to thousands of marine birds, especially the seasonal flamingos and pelicans. The desert holds its secrets as well. We would see some of those strange features on our tour today.

 

Our group met in the Ocean Bar and left for the buses at 10:30am. We did not have the best buses in town, since the step to enter was way too high for most folks to tackle. Especially, the short ladies. Those who had husbands, depended on them to give them a "hinny" boost to get on, when they thpought no one was looking. We miss nothing. Very funny.

 

The guide we had this morning was definitely of German descent, with a very heavy accent. He drove us through the main strip of downtown Walvis Bay, Walvis meaning whales in German. Obviously, in the past, this was a whaling village. Once out of the city limits, the road turned to groomed gravel, and we were off to see Dune # 7, one of the largest and highest dunes in the area. We made a quick stop there to join many other HAL buses also viewing the mountain of sand. Those that had time and the energy to climb to the summit did so by walking a ridgeline, or digging into the loose sand all the way to the top. Unless you were properly covered or had on at least # 50 sunblock, it would be unwise to expose yourself to the glaring rays of the desert sun.

 

Continuing on, we rode the bumpy road to see the pre-historic plants of the desert by the name of Welwitchia plants. World famous, these strange plants are really trees with the majority of the roots and trunks underground. All that appears on the surface are a set of split and leathery leaves with odd blooms. One plant is female, the other male, depending on the type of blooms they present. One a word....they are ugly. But they can live beyond 1500 years, so ugly rules in this case. On our last visit to this site, we saw a sidewinder snake slithering under the shade of the welwithcia plant. Now we took notice of the circle of rocks that surrounded the root area of each plant. They are used to remind folks to stay away from the delicate root system, and as an added protection against snake bites.

 

The next stop was nearby at the moonscape, a vastly eroded valley created by the massive flow of the Swakop River in the ice ages. Guess this valley can be compared to the Grand Canyon of the US, although it pales in size and color. Now this dry river bed resembles the landscape of the moon they say. By the way, the name "Swakop" means brown, muddy water, or something similar that is much more unpleasant when human or animal digestion goes wrong. That was the color of the river, which brought copious amounts of muddy sand to this region ions ago.

 

Our next stop was a long drive on the gravel road to the coastal town of Swakopmind, founded in1892 by German immigrants. Filled with art nouveau-style buildings, this town resembles a Bavarian village. After a quick drive through town, our driver brought us to the former train station, which had been remodeled into a hotel and entertainment center. It was obviously the nicest venue in town, and waiting for the 60 of us was a served lunch in the enclosed courtyard next to the hotel's swimming pool. We thought it was lovely, sitting at large round tables either under a few umbrellas or in the comfortable sun. You would not believe how many folks complained about that. They did not like the bright sun, the glare, the grass, the heat, the shade.....you name it, they complained. We were happy to have been served first, since we skipped the restroom stop in the beginning. Now these same folks had something else to complain about.....being served last.

 

We had all pre-ordered our entrees which included beef, chicken, or fish. It would have worked out fine, if everyone had stuck to their original choice. It became clear to us and our hosts that once the people saw the large slab of char-grilled steak cooked to our desire of doneness, they switched to that, saying nothing to anyone. Therefore, two of our guests had to wait forever for their beef lunches. We all felt bad, since they finally got their food when we were almost finished.

 

The meal began with a hot and creamy white asparagus soup. Served with that were a choice of water, beer, wines, and soda. We were first to be served the Pinnacle grill quality tasty and seasoned steak. Slices of fried potato fingers, and steamed veggies completed our plates. Simply delicious. A dessert of cream-topped chocolate mousse ended the ample meal.

 

We had wisely waited to visit the restrooms, and since we were the first to eat, we decided to go. Or was it a good time? While waiting in a short line, the lights went out, leaving us in total darkness. Some of the ladies panicked, and actually called Henk, our host, who was walking by the door to help. He was reluctantly recruited to hold both doors so all could see inside. This is, as long as he was not looking. Get real.....like did he really want to look, let alone even be there? In a few minutes, a staff person brought two chairs to prop open the doors. The power never did return, leaving a lot of the folks pretty grumpy. Gosh, sometimes you have to roll with the punches when traveling.

 

Since the ship was over-nighting here, the driver kindly gave us an extra unscheduled hour for shopping at the local craft market. Having been here in "05 and "09, we recalled that these particular vendors were the most persistant, almost pushy with hawking their stuff. Most of them were asking outrageous prices for their carvings. Plus, we had all come from places like Madagascar and Mozambique, where the same type of wood carvings were 1/3 of the price. These guys said to go back to those countries to buy them then. How rude.

 

We did end of bargaining for a very large wooden hors d'oeuvre platter with seven bowls carved in it from a much nicer vendor. It weighs a ton, and we hope it fits in the duffels we intend to ship home. (By the way, the vendors did accept US dollars, but preferred to take Namibian or African Rand, which were the same conversion of 9.2 rand to one US dollar.) As usual, we will be surprised to find out how many items we ended up buying when we go to pack. Worry about that later.

 

It was time to leave by 4:30pm, and begin the coastline drive back to Walvis Bay. Surrounded with a range of impressive sand dunes, we passed a few 4 x 4 quad bike parks and even one camel ride park. Patches of seaside homes lined the beachfront for the 20 mile drive back to town. Looking out towards the ocean, we saw some floating platforms, not moving, but stationary. Our guide said they were placed out there for collecting bird poop, then hauled to shore and used for fertilizer. Among other by products of this nitrogen-rich fertilizer is cosmetics. Yes, the same lotions or lipstick the ladies love to use. Our guide jokingly said the ladies were using s--t or poop on their faces! How disgusting, but apparently true. Got to read those labels a little close from now on.

 

We were not done with our tour yet. There was one more stop to make at the Walvis Bay Lagoon, a couple of kilometers from the pier in town. Here we were treated to flock after flock of wading and flying flamingos. This was the first time in three visits that we finally saw the massive amounts of birds reportedly here. You know the usual story, like they were here a week ago, or we are too early in the season to see them. Not so today. Added to this site, we had arrived as the sun was setting, so got some fantastic pictures of the birds in the setting sun, deepening their pink colors.

 

The day ended with all of us at dinner with different stories for the stop here. Barb had gone to Swakopmund with Ellen and Aart in a shared taxi and enjoyed a wonderful lunch with some site-seeing, and of course, lots of wine and beer. Carol and Van had gone 4 wheeling in the desert, and Joan had taken the shuttle for a very brief stay in Walvis Bay then back to the ship.

 

Only two of our group had the energy to go to the big screen movie "Les Miserables", the new re-done play made into a movie. How they will be able to stay awake for 2 hours and 38 minutes will be a miracle.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 102 Walvis Bay, Namibia Day Two April 12, 2013 Friday

 

Our second day in Walvis Bay found us sleeping in and eventually having a light breakfast in the dining room. The weather was much the same as we had yesterday, with the day starting out overcast and foggy, but nothing like the peasoup fog we had last night. After dinner around 10pm, we took our usual walk on the promenade deck to find the fog had swallowed up the ship as well as the entire town. Downright creepy.

 

Anyway, our plan was to take the complimentary bus to the center of town, where the main shopping district was located. The streets and roads are laid out in a grid pattern, made very wide for the big trucks that use them. It gave less than a cozy feeling about the town. Less integrated. And speaking of integration, we had the distinct feeling that there is none with the local tribes people and the existing British and German residents. Our guide had briefly mentioned something about townships on the outskirts of the city, and that is where we believe the native folks live. They are the port workers, taxi drivers, security guards, grounds caretakers, craft vendors, the nannies, and construction crews. We did not see many of the local white folks, as they must tend to stay indoors. Perhaps they do not welcome the rush of sudden tourists from the cruise ships.

 

Once we were dropped off in town, about a 10 minute drive from the pier, we noted what Joan had told us yesterday.......there wasn't much there in town. All the basic stores were there like grocery, pharmacy, clothing, and a few souvenier shops. A few cafes dotted the streets in between the furniture, tire, and insurance shops. So we decided to head back to the lagoon, where we had seen all the flamingos yesterday. It was a long hike but not too uncomfortable, because the sun had not fully appeared yet. Shortly after leaving the commercial area, we came into the more residential streets with neighborhood churches on every other corner. What stood out was the lack of people around. All the smallish homes were surrounded with cement walls with locked gates. Some of the fancier houses had electirc fencing with locked gates and guard dogs. We passed by one man that was pruning his cacti, and talking to his dog. We would have spoken to him, but it was obvious to us that he was speaking strictly German, which we do not. He made no eye contact anyway.

 

With eight long blocks behind us, we found ourselves at The Esplanade, the lagoon avenue with the expensive estates. On the shoreline was about a 3 mile long walkway for running or biking as well as strolling. We were about the only ones there, except for two nannies and their charges of three little girls. A few gardeners were working around the grassy areas set aside for weekend BBQers. Since the tide was out, there were fewer birds there. We still had enough of the flamingos to get some more photos, as if we really needed more. We walked the paved lane for another one or two.

 

It was getting close to noon, and we remembered what a young couple from the ship had told us about having great pizza at The Reef, a seaside restaurant built over the water. We had passed it yesterday on our way back to the ship, but mistook it for a closed down cafe, due to the darkness of the wooden structure, and odd-looking things on the roof. Looked like there had been a fire there. Well, upon walking the long wooden pier to gain entrance to the restaurant, we saw that the roof held rough logs of wood for the wood-fired pizza oven. That was a good sign that the pizza would be great. Since there were only a few customers this early in the day, the waiter took our order right away. Margherita was our choice along with two diet cokes. We have to agree that the pizza was delicious, although this place specialized in seafish and shellfish. A sign advertising a special 30th birthday for someone here tonight looked the the highlight of the weekend. Drinks would be 2 for 1, with dancing and live music. Too bad this wasn't last night instead.

 

By looking at the ship's map, we realized that we were very close to the pier gate and the ship. So we hiked back to find the vendors with their treasures at the fenced dock. Last chance shopping. These people were a little more willing to bargain, not like those guys yesterday in Swakopmund. They had tarp after tarp of carvings, jewelry, and utensils made of more wood. One African animal carving we did not have was an oryx. We found one that was to our liking and priced right... eventually. Picked up two pairs of earrings, one made from coconuts, and from polished horn of some kind. Last items bought were a pair of wooden masks. The bargaining would have been better if another bus was not arriving from town. It stopped, letting some passengers out to shop, while we boarded to go back to the ship. Worked out perfect.

 

All aboard time was 3pm, because we were required to attend another immigration procedure to have the exit stamps given for our passports. We were called alphabetically, and it seemed to work quickly. Really, the officials did not even look at our photos, comparing us to our faces. It felt more like these jobs were created instead of funtional. The passports were then collected from us by the staff to be stored for the remainder of the cruise.

 

We had gotten back in time to catch the end of the local show in the Queens Lounge. Kids from the Bernhard Nordkamp Centre, a safeplace for orphans and vunerable children of local tribes from the capitol, Windhoek area, came to perform for us. This charitable organization lists too many things to write, but it is a very important part in the lives of many lucky kids. As well as a choir, they offer sports programs in soccer, tennis, basketball, cycling, and swimming. And we know we read somewhere in the daily newsletter that the passengers and crew had made a donation to their cause in the tune of $7000. We had seen the kids and their supervisors boarding this morning when we were getting on the bus. They looked extremely excited, because they were going to be able to eat cheeseburgers, fries, hot dogs, and all the ice cream they would handle. Kids are kids everywhere.

 

The sailaway festivities began at 4:30pm. It was starting to get chilly, and was very cold by the time we exited the bay. It was fun watching the buoy markers in the channel, because several seals were laying on them, basking in the sun. They never moved when we sailed by them only a few yards away. So with that, we said goodbye to the continent of Africa for this year. We sure did have a marvelous time visiting the many diverse ports, not to mention enjoying the safari of a lifetime.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ger_77]

It is hard to express how much I am enjoying your travelogue - thank you once again for the time and effort you put into it. I know this has been asked previously, but I don't recall an answer - is there a site that you download your photos to so that we can enjoy some of them also? I'd love to see the places you've been after hearing about them!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[sailinglisa]

A safari has never been on my "to do" list, but after reading about your experience, I think I might have to reconsider it! I would never do a "bush walk" - my knees would not tolerate it, but the rest of it sounds absolutely wonderful!