RHKKMK'S First trip to South Africa
Oct 25th, 2009, 12:01 PM
#101
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Bob will be aghast when he learns that there is a problem with our JFK-BKK reservations. SIA switched times on our SIN-BKK leg.
Selwyn, no amount of information will aid Bob in our ongoing battle of wits. Think Cheetah (Panda) in a race with a turtle (Bob). It's even more unfair in real time.
You are very kind to pretend that he was dancing. We're not buying it.
Selwyn, no amount of information will aid Bob in our ongoing battle of wits. Think Cheetah (Panda) in a race with a turtle (Bob). It's even more unfair in real time.
You are very kind to pretend that he was dancing. We're not buying it.
Oct 25th, 2009, 05:03 PM
#102
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Selwyn, I just pulled up your photos. Fantastic!! Looks like a lovely day for all.
Hello Bob and Karen, or should I say sawasdee kah (from BKK). I must take time to read this entire thread, but it won't happen today. I've only had time to look back a little bit.
Have a wonderful time!
Carol
Hello Bob and Karen, or should I say sawasdee kah (from BKK). I must take time to read this entire thread, but it won't happen today. I've only had time to look back a little bit.
Have a wonderful time!
Carol
Oct 26th, 2009, 04:08 AM
#103
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Hi Bob, We got home from South Africa a few days ago and are up to our ears in mail sorting, laundry and unpacking. I would need another two weeks to get everything straightened out, so I am really impressed that you will be ready to go to Asia 9 days after returning from this trip. We enjoyed our trip for the most part, but other parts were not as fabulous as we thought they would be. I am looing forward to seeing you and Karen so we can compare reactions to certtain parts of our trip. Take care and enjoy the rest of your trip.
Shelley
Shelley
Oct 27th, 2009, 05:41 PM
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Given your directional woes in China (which airport?) and the fact that you and Mrs. Panda resorted to impersonating Canadians on one leg of that same trip, I'd say "tag along" is not necessarily the route to take.
And Bob may be gone, but he left you with us. I may forgive him...someday.
BC
And Bob may be gone, but he left you with us. I may forgive him...someday.
BC
Oct 27th, 2009, 07:50 PM
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Well, RHKKMK, is about 40,000 words behind by now. It could be amusing to see if he can catch up. Won't read it, but it will be interesting to see him try and cover the lost days!!!!!
regards - tom
regards - tom
Oct 28th, 2009, 02:37 AM
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cary999-the sad news is that he is probably typing away his pathetic trip report in a Word document and all he has to do is copy and paste. "Lost days" actually refers to any toime spent with the POB on vacation.
Oct 29th, 2009, 07:05 PM
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B&K, this is for you. Thank you for the report, and looking forward to more from you about your trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUzwfIgtqSI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUzwfIgtqSI
Oct 31st, 2009, 06:31 AM
#114
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Gpanda, ultimately you will also leave this forum and return to the Asia forum, who knows what "the regular posters" here are anticipating more?
I hope B&K post in soon! Aren't they due today to arrive at Smeagol & Muffin's home? Smeagol, dear, belated Happy Birthday wishes to you!
BC
I hope B&K post in soon! Aren't they due today to arrive at Smeagol & Muffin's home? Smeagol, dear, belated Happy Birthday wishes to you!
BC
Oct 31st, 2009, 10:27 AM
#115
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we arrived in ENGLAND after an overnit flight from SA..
i've tried to post my report but we have a format problem so you will HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GET HOME..
We are at smeagol's house, spent the afternoon in the cotswolds and are going for thai food tonight...
more later
bob
i've tried to post my report but we have a format problem so you will HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GET HOME..
We are at smeagol's house, spent the afternoon in the cotswolds and are going for thai food tonight...
more later
bob
Oct 31st, 2009, 12:28 PM
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Exactly where in Africa or the Mideast is England located? Imagine how thrilled Smeagol and Muffin are at the moment.
Alas, it is likely that I too will vanish from this forum. The C in BC stands for Cassandra.
Alas, it is likely that I too will vanish from this forum. The C in BC stands for Cassandra.
Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:50 AM
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Thursday-- a day for travel….
Breakfast is set for 8… There are 6 of us. One of the Belgium women has a birthday so Charles has brought a birthday cake for her. We all sing to her… Then Grace sings to her in English… Then later Grace sings to her again in her native African language and then Charles sings to her in Afrikanas (sp)… By the way Grace’s name is not Grace, it’s Gloria… Well at least I got the first letter right…
On the table was the most beautiful bouquet of huge pink roses. The house is always full of dramatic flower arrangements..
K & I both had the full English breakfast with fresh fruits on the side. There was also a huge wedge of cheese on the table today. We ate in the large dining room.
I paid our bill (522.50 R pp/day—2008 price)..
Judy had left earlier as she was off to Port Eliz. to shop for fabric for a dress for Charles’ wedding… We had sung our praises of her hospitality before she left. I might add that she is a woman with standards, unwavering standards, and it shows in her knack for being a hostess and in the smooth running of the B&B. She is lots of fun, not stiff at all as standards might indicate.
Charles is also a rare breed. He is a former elementary school teacher, with a hearing problem. It was perfect as I talk so loud that he always understood me… His sense of humor and up to date general knowledge made for exciting cocktail hours at which he acted as bartender and host… Twice we were in the bar/pool table area and one nite we sat outside on a small grass area over the garage.
We departed with fond farewells with hopes to return someday… I could easily spend a week + there.
BTW, the other rooms are regular double rooms. The kingfisher suite is where it is at however, imo.. They will do group pricing for families..
I was out of $$ again so we went to the ATM and then headed back towards Capetown. Along the N-2, just before Knysna, there is a small complex of shops on your left---The Heath. We bought 3 small ceramic bowls in the main shop, and in the fabulous furniture shop we bought the round end of a used red wine oak barrel, which has been cleaned up, sanded a bit and made into a cheese serving board. It smells of vintage red.. The oak colors and grain show beautifully, distorted a bit by red and green stains and shading. The surface is a bit uneven with dips, making it really interesting…
Back on the road again we headed out to the Heads, an area just before you reach Knysna, again on your left…. At the end of the road you reach a small parking lot with a couple of restauranrs which look out on a fantastic ocean inlet walled in by high cliffs. IT IS A PLACE NOT TO BE MISSED. We had lunch there. We shared a dozen oysters (216 R)---I mis-understood the price which made me mad at myself. It’s a long story… Anyways, we also had salads… I had salad nichoise (sp) with seared tuna and Karen had a thai chicken … she had wine, I had water… Quite delicious.. 365 R…Ugh
Now finally at 1:30 we set out for Hermanus, our final destination on the coast. It’s about a 5 hour drive, back through the same areas we had taken earlier in the week….Forrest and tree farms, followed by farms for animals and crops…. It was overcast which made the grains look completely different from earlier.. We turned off the N-2 to a side road for about 40 kl. The two lane road took us through farming areas first, then some wine areas and finally through a pass down to the ocean… Veery beautiful.
We reached our hotel, directly on the quay in Hermanus sometime after six… The hotel is called Harbour House and is owned by the same people who own our Capetown hotel… This one is completely re-done and beautiful. Our room looks directly out onto the old harbour and the mountains in the distance.
I neglected to mention that we stopped again at the Blue Crane--- I formally called it the blue heron… Again I was wrong… The owner greeted us by name… I was astounded..
Karen really makes an impression on people. K has another lemon meringue pie and I had chocolate cake, plus a mini strawberry milk shake-- such a bad boy, k had a diet coke. We were given a small present all wrapped up with a live flower on it…. It’s some kind of snack, we have not opened it yet…
After relaxing in the room and having some wine/beer, we went to a fish restaurant about 5 minutes walk up the quay. K ordered a kingclip with fries and I ordered a sole, both grilled. When they arrived the sole was whole and I could not deal with it so we switched… They were very fresh. K had more wine and I had water.. 186 R. Restaurant: Ocean Basket… ok, but not fabulous… All main courses are served in metal frying pans…
The rest. is in a small mall so we walked around window shopping.
The hotel offered us a whale watch at 550 R each for tomorrow but we passed..
Bed
Friday
A VERY IMPORTANT POINT FOR ALL TRAVELERS IS ELECTRIC ADAPTERS. WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE NORM HERE IS A THREE PRONG ROUND PRONG ADAPTER IN A TRIANGULAR SHAPE. I knew this from my internet check of international adapters, but I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE ARE TWO SIZES… I had bought the smaller one which was the one recommended, BUT IT IS THE LARGER ONE THAT HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR ANY PLACE WE HAVE VISITED…. This hotel has been unable thus far to provide me with one that converts to American style plugs, but there is one outlet at the desk which offers multiple plugs, but I need one by the bed for my bi-pap machine, so last night I slept upside down to allow my cord to reach to the desk… a restless night..
We have awoken to sun this AM and haze over the shore. There is some road work in front of the hotel and they started work at exactly 8:30---perhaps the only thing with exact hours in S. Africa…
Off to breakfast.
Breakfast is in the thatched cottage next door, also a part of harbour house.. They have a continental buffet, or several a la carte offerings--- 75 R. We both had the English breakfast—choice of egg style.. very good… This cottage has a swimming pool and 6 rooms, more traditional than the hotel, which is modern…same price… They also own a 2 bedroom apartment (king and twins) next door… its 2800R daily but worth the $$ for its size---complete kitchen…deck… gas grill.. overlooks the water…
We drove west out of town, keeping off the N-2 and going through really nice neighborhoods with big houses… We took a few narrow roads down to the shore and saw lovely small beaches and some big ones too…
We came to a large park with tons of parking… From at least two places we could easily see whales..
We also came across a fantastic true boutique hotel, called the Brikenridge House. We think that tengombre should stay here---its only 2 hours drive from capetown… It has to be 6 stars and is right on the shore above the two best beaches in hermanus.
From there we headed back west to the town of Onrus to the restaurant Milkwood, which Maeri (capetownfolks) had suggested… We met Frank the owner, at Maeri’s suggestion and passed on their greetings…The rest. is located right on the water, above a dark lagoon, and just past yards from crashing waves…
K had calamari, at Thalia’s suggestion (capetownfolks fabulous daughter), and I had delicious seafood chowder with a firm white fish as the main stay.. We shared a fabulous seared tuna steak and chips… This was the best tuna we have ever had ! For dessert K had the malva pudding and I had chocolate cake…. A perfect meal, thanks Maeri…. This town is about a 10 minute deive from Hermanus towards Capetown.
From there we headed back to town and the hotel…We checked out the African open market in the central square---the usual African stuff you see everywhere.
We spent at least the next hour watching whales from the park at seaside in the middle of town… I think we saw at least 10. Some came as close as 50 feet to shore… We were probably back 150 feet on the bluff…
We checked out a few sea side shops and k bought several things for herself. We also walked through the small mall in the same area.. I bought myself a large S African flag…. I fly the American flag over my garage with foreign flags under it…
As it was cocktail time we returned to the a/c of our room and opened the slider to get the full ocean and mountain view…
We had an 8PM res for dinner at Mediterre. This place, on the 2nd floor seaside, is quite lovely and the food is excellent--- the kitchen is very slow however. Food is unpriced… Two courses is 150, 3 is 185, I think. We had two, appetizer and main: I had tuna again—almost as good as lunch, with wasabi mashed pots for my main and a wonderful warm tian of cougettes and eggplant with a mustard sauce on the side and melted goat cheese on top… Both were fantastic…K had mustard and wine steamed mussels, and pork pieces with pea purree and roasted parsnips as her main, also excellent… She had white wine, I had water…~400 R…
Back to the room, I did internet on their machine, K packed a bit…
Crash
Early AM so we bought pastry for the room as we had to get going early..
Breakfast is set for 8… There are 6 of us. One of the Belgium women has a birthday so Charles has brought a birthday cake for her. We all sing to her… Then Grace sings to her in English… Then later Grace sings to her again in her native African language and then Charles sings to her in Afrikanas (sp)… By the way Grace’s name is not Grace, it’s Gloria… Well at least I got the first letter right…
On the table was the most beautiful bouquet of huge pink roses. The house is always full of dramatic flower arrangements..
K & I both had the full English breakfast with fresh fruits on the side. There was also a huge wedge of cheese on the table today. We ate in the large dining room.
I paid our bill (522.50 R pp/day—2008 price)..
Judy had left earlier as she was off to Port Eliz. to shop for fabric for a dress for Charles’ wedding… We had sung our praises of her hospitality before she left. I might add that she is a woman with standards, unwavering standards, and it shows in her knack for being a hostess and in the smooth running of the B&B. She is lots of fun, not stiff at all as standards might indicate.
Charles is also a rare breed. He is a former elementary school teacher, with a hearing problem. It was perfect as I talk so loud that he always understood me… His sense of humor and up to date general knowledge made for exciting cocktail hours at which he acted as bartender and host… Twice we were in the bar/pool table area and one nite we sat outside on a small grass area over the garage.
We departed with fond farewells with hopes to return someday… I could easily spend a week + there.
BTW, the other rooms are regular double rooms. The kingfisher suite is where it is at however, imo.. They will do group pricing for families..
I was out of $$ again so we went to the ATM and then headed back towards Capetown. Along the N-2, just before Knysna, there is a small complex of shops on your left---The Heath. We bought 3 small ceramic bowls in the main shop, and in the fabulous furniture shop we bought the round end of a used red wine oak barrel, which has been cleaned up, sanded a bit and made into a cheese serving board. It smells of vintage red.. The oak colors and grain show beautifully, distorted a bit by red and green stains and shading. The surface is a bit uneven with dips, making it really interesting…
Back on the road again we headed out to the Heads, an area just before you reach Knysna, again on your left…. At the end of the road you reach a small parking lot with a couple of restauranrs which look out on a fantastic ocean inlet walled in by high cliffs. IT IS A PLACE NOT TO BE MISSED. We had lunch there. We shared a dozen oysters (216 R)---I mis-understood the price which made me mad at myself. It’s a long story… Anyways, we also had salads… I had salad nichoise (sp) with seared tuna and Karen had a thai chicken … she had wine, I had water… Quite delicious.. 365 R…Ugh
Now finally at 1:30 we set out for Hermanus, our final destination on the coast. It’s about a 5 hour drive, back through the same areas we had taken earlier in the week….Forrest and tree farms, followed by farms for animals and crops…. It was overcast which made the grains look completely different from earlier.. We turned off the N-2 to a side road for about 40 kl. The two lane road took us through farming areas first, then some wine areas and finally through a pass down to the ocean… Veery beautiful.
We reached our hotel, directly on the quay in Hermanus sometime after six… The hotel is called Harbour House and is owned by the same people who own our Capetown hotel… This one is completely re-done and beautiful. Our room looks directly out onto the old harbour and the mountains in the distance.
I neglected to mention that we stopped again at the Blue Crane--- I formally called it the blue heron… Again I was wrong… The owner greeted us by name… I was astounded..
Karen really makes an impression on people. K has another lemon meringue pie and I had chocolate cake, plus a mini strawberry milk shake-- such a bad boy, k had a diet coke. We were given a small present all wrapped up with a live flower on it…. It’s some kind of snack, we have not opened it yet…
After relaxing in the room and having some wine/beer, we went to a fish restaurant about 5 minutes walk up the quay. K ordered a kingclip with fries and I ordered a sole, both grilled. When they arrived the sole was whole and I could not deal with it so we switched… They were very fresh. K had more wine and I had water.. 186 R. Restaurant: Ocean Basket… ok, but not fabulous… All main courses are served in metal frying pans…
The rest. is in a small mall so we walked around window shopping.
The hotel offered us a whale watch at 550 R each for tomorrow but we passed..
Bed
Friday
A VERY IMPORTANT POINT FOR ALL TRAVELERS IS ELECTRIC ADAPTERS. WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE NORM HERE IS A THREE PRONG ROUND PRONG ADAPTER IN A TRIANGULAR SHAPE. I knew this from my internet check of international adapters, but I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE ARE TWO SIZES… I had bought the smaller one which was the one recommended, BUT IT IS THE LARGER ONE THAT HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR ANY PLACE WE HAVE VISITED…. This hotel has been unable thus far to provide me with one that converts to American style plugs, but there is one outlet at the desk which offers multiple plugs, but I need one by the bed for my bi-pap machine, so last night I slept upside down to allow my cord to reach to the desk… a restless night..
We have awoken to sun this AM and haze over the shore. There is some road work in front of the hotel and they started work at exactly 8:30---perhaps the only thing with exact hours in S. Africa…
Off to breakfast.
Breakfast is in the thatched cottage next door, also a part of harbour house.. They have a continental buffet, or several a la carte offerings--- 75 R. We both had the English breakfast—choice of egg style.. very good… This cottage has a swimming pool and 6 rooms, more traditional than the hotel, which is modern…same price… They also own a 2 bedroom apartment (king and twins) next door… its 2800R daily but worth the $$ for its size---complete kitchen…deck… gas grill.. overlooks the water…
We drove west out of town, keeping off the N-2 and going through really nice neighborhoods with big houses… We took a few narrow roads down to the shore and saw lovely small beaches and some big ones too…
We came to a large park with tons of parking… From at least two places we could easily see whales..
We also came across a fantastic true boutique hotel, called the Brikenridge House. We think that tengombre should stay here---its only 2 hours drive from capetown… It has to be 6 stars and is right on the shore above the two best beaches in hermanus.
From there we headed back west to the town of Onrus to the restaurant Milkwood, which Maeri (capetownfolks) had suggested… We met Frank the owner, at Maeri’s suggestion and passed on their greetings…The rest. is located right on the water, above a dark lagoon, and just past yards from crashing waves…
K had calamari, at Thalia’s suggestion (capetownfolks fabulous daughter), and I had delicious seafood chowder with a firm white fish as the main stay.. We shared a fabulous seared tuna steak and chips… This was the best tuna we have ever had ! For dessert K had the malva pudding and I had chocolate cake…. A perfect meal, thanks Maeri…. This town is about a 10 minute deive from Hermanus towards Capetown.
From there we headed back to town and the hotel…We checked out the African open market in the central square---the usual African stuff you see everywhere.
We spent at least the next hour watching whales from the park at seaside in the middle of town… I think we saw at least 10. Some came as close as 50 feet to shore… We were probably back 150 feet on the bluff…
We checked out a few sea side shops and k bought several things for herself. We also walked through the small mall in the same area.. I bought myself a large S African flag…. I fly the American flag over my garage with foreign flags under it…
As it was cocktail time we returned to the a/c of our room and opened the slider to get the full ocean and mountain view…
We had an 8PM res for dinner at Mediterre. This place, on the 2nd floor seaside, is quite lovely and the food is excellent--- the kitchen is very slow however. Food is unpriced… Two courses is 150, 3 is 185, I think. We had two, appetizer and main: I had tuna again—almost as good as lunch, with wasabi mashed pots for my main and a wonderful warm tian of cougettes and eggplant with a mustard sauce on the side and melted goat cheese on top… Both were fantastic…K had mustard and wine steamed mussels, and pork pieces with pea purree and roasted parsnips as her main, also excellent… She had white wine, I had water…~400 R…
Back to the room, I did internet on their machine, K packed a bit…
Crash
Early AM so we bought pastry for the room as we had to get going early..
Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:51 AM
#118
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Saturday
Up about 7… showers, pack up loose stuff, breakfast… pay bill and we were out of there—1295 R/nite, parking in gated lot 30 R/NITE.
The drive back to capetown airport was about 2 hours… We ran into heavy fog in Lowery Pass--- like England in the old days… It slowed us a bit..
Airport is right off from the N-2. Small irritation—you have to walk from the car return area to the terminal—5-10 minutes—no shuttles…
Mid-size car for 9 days, about $299.—std, a/c, unlimited miles… used www.carrentals.com ---booked with Thrifty—car had 26 k on it—brand new.
Easy checkin with Mango Air---subsidary of SAA.. $143 one way for two—CPT-JNB…. There had been a schedule change and the flt left 90 min. later—never informed..
Great flt, just under 2 hours… Nice SA couple sitting next to me.. lots of chit-chat…
Picked up our Avis car, compact ($99 for 7 days)---same rental agent—toyota yaris… I’m using them for home and overseas now—generally superior rates….
About 3 hours to get there so it was dark when we arrived in Dullstrom.
We were overniting in Dullstroom. It’s a 3 hour ride, ending in the dark.. We wasted a ½ by driving the wrong way out of the airport, but a U turn fixed that…. Drove throughy a huge thunder storm, no problem…
Our room is 900 R at the Cherry Grove, a small complex, also the site of the well known Duck and Trout restaurant.
We had suite # 3… I don’t know how to get rid of the underlining?? It’s quite a large room on the second floor, with a full kitchen and huge bath area and toilet room…
We go downstairs to duck and trout for dinner. I had ox tail stew and K had the fish special of the day… Her’s was excellent, mine was so so… Puddings for dessert…
Crash… A lot of driving for me this day..
Sunday
We are up early… I did not sleep well… No plug adapter for my breathing machine… UGH.. Packed
Downstairs for breakfast…. Toast with cheese sauce for K with bacon…I had a fantastic Ploughmans… 4 cheeses, pickles, marinated onions, crackers, butter, apricot preserves, salami and 2 rolls of proschutto stuffed with sprouts… Fantastic.. 121 R..K had 2 cappichinos…
On the road to Sabi Sands by 8:30. A quick stop to buy the electric adapter I needed and some water, plus cash and gas…
The drive was quite boring, although some of the landscape was interesting… Road bed was good..
Then we arrived at the dirt road leading to sabi sands… First you go about 11 miles on a wash-board road, with some huge mounds… Then you go about 4 miles further on Elephant Plains’ road which is more narrow, smoother but with many huge mounds… We keep telling ourselves it’s all going to be worth it…. Then we arrive at reception at EP, and we know we are in the right place…. Just before we arrive we see our first big game: several giraffes close to the road eating tree top leaves….
We are given a quick tour of the main building and then taken to our to our rondavel #5. We had been told #4 & #5 have the best direct views of the grazing area and the river bed, and 5 is fantastic from our deck which has two chairs. There are several wild animals out there grazing…
Inside the bedroom has a king bed with mosquito netting--- we started malerone yesterday…. There is also a fridge, desk, and 2 comfortable chairs… Behind a tall wall there is a dressing/closet area and a huge, stone bathroom with a bathtub and glass shower room, plus a separate toilet room.
Lunch is at 2, so we head back to the main area and meet some of the others staying here… There are 24 rooms. The lunch is a lovely buffet of hot and cold items. We sit with a nice couple from Vancouver---- they ask immediately if we know gpanda and we say—WHO?
After lunch we have until 4PM when our first game drives starts. We go back to the room and I catch up on this typing…
Before 4 we go back to central and board 1 of 3 open air safari vehicles with 4 rows of progressively raised seating… We are in the next to the last row, and only the 2 of us…It’s very comfortable with the driver, the scout way out on a chair on the front bumper, and 9 of us.
We set off on the tracks around this very large area… Primarily it is low scrub bushes, grasses, watering holes, some tall trees with leaves, bumps, etc. It is all very exciting. We see a number of deer like animals almost immediately, then some warthogs, with babies, then more giraffes, including one young one with birds clinging to it’s fur…We see a few colorful birds. We see several hippos in a watering hole. We drive around until sunset when we stop in a clearing with another vehicle for
un-downers—cocktails…. We get out and stretch our legs and have our drinks…. The driver set out a full bar on a fold-down table on the front of the vehicle…. He even has hors’deuvres…
How could I forget… Before sundowners we participated in observing a 3 year old female leopard. We watched her at maybe 50 feet…. The driver drove off the road, through brush and small trees and bushes to get the best and closest view.. She was very lazy and sort of rolled around, moving once within about 20 feet, and relaxing again….simply fabulous…
We rode around for quite some time after dark but with little luck… The scout uses a strong search light to look for eye reflections in the bush… We saw a few things but not the cats we were searching for. Back to the lodge for dinner… The wind had come up quite a bit so the BBQ which was planned for outside was moved inside with another warm buffet instead….Prior to dinner everyone meets in the bar for drinks… Drums announce that dinner is ready… BTW, all drinks are extra, but all food and drives and walks are included in the daily per person fee… They served the best pork roast I have had in ages---dry.
We sat with the Canadians again.
Back to the room to crash as there will be a 5AM wake-up for the morning drive followed by breakfast about 9.
Monday
We slept well and the guard tapped on our door at 4:55 AM. We were all ready so jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. Up to the lodge for coffee and into the vehicles by 5:25 and we were off. It was light but extremely overcast… There had been sprinkles overnight and for the first hour they returned on and off… It was very comfortable, unlike the day before when it as hot and humid… Even though it is spring here, things are mostly brown and dried…
We see some giraffes almost immediately, including one very tall one… We see various deer like creatures and some fast moving warthogs…We are not having much luck. Some leopard tracks are spotted along the road… Just like the nite before the tracker leaves his seat and with his sling shot, heads into the brush to stir up some game.
At some time, we stop by a watering hole for morning coffee/hot chocolate… One of the rangers warns everyone to get back in their vehicles as one of the leopards is heading this way. Most were finished drinking by this point..
Over the radio there is a sighting of another female leopard, the sister of the one we had seen the night before. We head over there. BINGO…. There she is sitting on the top of a 10 foot high termite mound…. We drive into the area through brush, small trees, etc, plowing down everything in our way. We get to within 30 feet of her,. She is showing off… We get great pics… She is calling out to her daughter… She is sniffing the air, she is peering through the brush… She decides to move on after perhaps 20 minutes..
We also move on as there has been a sighting of her sister and the child of the original. They are not far away. We are the 3rd vehicle to get there.. We move in from the back, again through rough underbrush… crash, bang, crush, scrape… We end up about 15 feet from her on top of a mound (the original leopard). We can see her child up high in a tree. Shortly we see her sister near-by… The ranger says this could be trouble…. Near by is a crouching hyena… All three are looking for a meal… The baby, about 3-4 months old seems a bit uncomfortable up in this fragile tree. It probably knows it could be a meal for any of the 3. It moves around and we think it is coming down, but alas it changes it’s mind and stays put. The ranger was quite excited as he has never seen this before.
Eventually cat #1 moves closer to us, like within 6 feet and lies down in back of us…. Just as before she cries out to her child. The aunt moves closer to the tree. She scopes out the situation and decides to leave. Both posture and mark territories again and again.
Eventually the aunt moves away… Mother does the same, and now its only the baby and the hyaena. They will sit each other out… We move on… While not a morning of great sightings, this leopard series was great.
We drive back to the lodge arriving before 9. Breakfast is served in the dining room: self service: cereals, yogurt, pecans, dried fruits, fresh fruits cut up, warm chive and corn muffins… The staff takes orders for a hot portion: eggs, omelets, bacon, tomatoes, toast, etc. Juice is on the table and coffee and tea ore offered as well…Quite nice and social as well.
Karen decides to take a 45 minute guided walk after breakfast. I return to the room and sit on the deck, review my pics and wait for K’s return. The Canadian man stops by with a map and some info on Kruger for us---our next destination. We chat for quite a while until k returns. We also watch the constant array of animals on the grazing area we can see from our deck…
We relax for the remainder of the morning until lunch at 2….
As we walk to lunch the first elephant of our stay wanders onto the grazing area. We watch him drink water and wander about and in 10 minutes he is gone.
Lunch was another buffet with all different items. The chicken casserole was very delicious… Food is good here but not exceptional..
After lunch we spent a bit more time on our deck.
We go up to the lodge about 3:40 for the 4 evening drive. Several of our group left after the morning drive so I get to sit up with the driver with the rifle… I don’t think I mentioned it but getting into and out of the vehicle is quite difficult even for people in good shape, so I was pleased with my new seat.
I like the new seat a lot… I get to talk to the ranger and also hear some of the radio transmissions… The seat is way more comfortable, and I hardly get hit with any thorny branches… K also moves down one row directly behind me….Some nice English couples join our vehicle.
We set off, the weather is fantastic and comfortable.. Luck was not with us at the beginning--- we saw very little… At one point Morne (our ranger) stopped us along the border with Londolozi, another reserve, which will not allow others on their land… We hear the roars of a lion or two and the painful call of a buffalo… It’s a kill for sure but we are not allowed to visit the scene.. We proceed for a while and suddenly a leopard walks across the road in front of us … It was a large male, who was unknown to the staff… We headed off into the brush behind him, knocking down small trees and climbing over underbrush and fallen logs….Theses range rovers are unbelievable…We never got all that close to him…He finally went down in a gully and we were too big to get down there.
Back to the road…We saw impalas, buffalo, storks, wildebeests, eagles, and finally after dark a bush baby..
In the middle of all of that we had late sundowners: we both had gin and tonics…
What started out slowly ended up as a good drive: 4-7:30PM…
I went directly into the bar and K came along in 15 minutes…We talked to a real nice UK family with 15 & 17 year old sons… Very pleasant..
Dinner was announced by the drum… Again it was too cold for the braai (bbq), so we ate in the dinning room… We were disappointed..
We were disappointed with the dinner choices, but we survived..
Back to room, trip report, crash…
Up about 7… showers, pack up loose stuff, breakfast… pay bill and we were out of there—1295 R/nite, parking in gated lot 30 R/NITE.
The drive back to capetown airport was about 2 hours… We ran into heavy fog in Lowery Pass--- like England in the old days… It slowed us a bit..
Airport is right off from the N-2. Small irritation—you have to walk from the car return area to the terminal—5-10 minutes—no shuttles…
Mid-size car for 9 days, about $299.—std, a/c, unlimited miles… used www.carrentals.com ---booked with Thrifty—car had 26 k on it—brand new.
Easy checkin with Mango Air---subsidary of SAA.. $143 one way for two—CPT-JNB…. There had been a schedule change and the flt left 90 min. later—never informed..
Great flt, just under 2 hours… Nice SA couple sitting next to me.. lots of chit-chat…
Picked up our Avis car, compact ($99 for 7 days)---same rental agent—toyota yaris… I’m using them for home and overseas now—generally superior rates….
About 3 hours to get there so it was dark when we arrived in Dullstrom.
We were overniting in Dullstroom. It’s a 3 hour ride, ending in the dark.. We wasted a ½ by driving the wrong way out of the airport, but a U turn fixed that…. Drove throughy a huge thunder storm, no problem…
Our room is 900 R at the Cherry Grove, a small complex, also the site of the well known Duck and Trout restaurant.
We had suite # 3… I don’t know how to get rid of the underlining?? It’s quite a large room on the second floor, with a full kitchen and huge bath area and toilet room…
We go downstairs to duck and trout for dinner. I had ox tail stew and K had the fish special of the day… Her’s was excellent, mine was so so… Puddings for dessert…
Crash… A lot of driving for me this day..
Sunday
We are up early… I did not sleep well… No plug adapter for my breathing machine… UGH.. Packed
Downstairs for breakfast…. Toast with cheese sauce for K with bacon…I had a fantastic Ploughmans… 4 cheeses, pickles, marinated onions, crackers, butter, apricot preserves, salami and 2 rolls of proschutto stuffed with sprouts… Fantastic.. 121 R..K had 2 cappichinos…
On the road to Sabi Sands by 8:30. A quick stop to buy the electric adapter I needed and some water, plus cash and gas…
The drive was quite boring, although some of the landscape was interesting… Road bed was good..
Then we arrived at the dirt road leading to sabi sands… First you go about 11 miles on a wash-board road, with some huge mounds… Then you go about 4 miles further on Elephant Plains’ road which is more narrow, smoother but with many huge mounds… We keep telling ourselves it’s all going to be worth it…. Then we arrive at reception at EP, and we know we are in the right place…. Just before we arrive we see our first big game: several giraffes close to the road eating tree top leaves….
We are given a quick tour of the main building and then taken to our to our rondavel #5. We had been told #4 & #5 have the best direct views of the grazing area and the river bed, and 5 is fantastic from our deck which has two chairs. There are several wild animals out there grazing…
Inside the bedroom has a king bed with mosquito netting--- we started malerone yesterday…. There is also a fridge, desk, and 2 comfortable chairs… Behind a tall wall there is a dressing/closet area and a huge, stone bathroom with a bathtub and glass shower room, plus a separate toilet room.
Lunch is at 2, so we head back to the main area and meet some of the others staying here… There are 24 rooms. The lunch is a lovely buffet of hot and cold items. We sit with a nice couple from Vancouver---- they ask immediately if we know gpanda and we say—WHO?
After lunch we have until 4PM when our first game drives starts. We go back to the room and I catch up on this typing…
Before 4 we go back to central and board 1 of 3 open air safari vehicles with 4 rows of progressively raised seating… We are in the next to the last row, and only the 2 of us…It’s very comfortable with the driver, the scout way out on a chair on the front bumper, and 9 of us.
We set off on the tracks around this very large area… Primarily it is low scrub bushes, grasses, watering holes, some tall trees with leaves, bumps, etc. It is all very exciting. We see a number of deer like animals almost immediately, then some warthogs, with babies, then more giraffes, including one young one with birds clinging to it’s fur…We see a few colorful birds. We see several hippos in a watering hole. We drive around until sunset when we stop in a clearing with another vehicle for
un-downers—cocktails…. We get out and stretch our legs and have our drinks…. The driver set out a full bar on a fold-down table on the front of the vehicle…. He even has hors’deuvres…How could I forget… Before sundowners we participated in observing a 3 year old female leopard. We watched her at maybe 50 feet…. The driver drove off the road, through brush and small trees and bushes to get the best and closest view.. She was very lazy and sort of rolled around, moving once within about 20 feet, and relaxing again….simply fabulous…
We rode around for quite some time after dark but with little luck… The scout uses a strong search light to look for eye reflections in the bush… We saw a few things but not the cats we were searching for. Back to the lodge for dinner… The wind had come up quite a bit so the BBQ which was planned for outside was moved inside with another warm buffet instead….Prior to dinner everyone meets in the bar for drinks… Drums announce that dinner is ready… BTW, all drinks are extra, but all food and drives and walks are included in the daily per person fee… They served the best pork roast I have had in ages---dry.
We sat with the Canadians again.
Back to the room to crash as there will be a 5AM wake-up for the morning drive followed by breakfast about 9.
Monday
We slept well and the guard tapped on our door at 4:55 AM. We were all ready so jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. Up to the lodge for coffee and into the vehicles by 5:25 and we were off. It was light but extremely overcast… There had been sprinkles overnight and for the first hour they returned on and off… It was very comfortable, unlike the day before when it as hot and humid… Even though it is spring here, things are mostly brown and dried…
We see some giraffes almost immediately, including one very tall one… We see various deer like creatures and some fast moving warthogs…We are not having much luck. Some leopard tracks are spotted along the road… Just like the nite before the tracker leaves his seat and with his sling shot, heads into the brush to stir up some game.
At some time, we stop by a watering hole for morning coffee/hot chocolate… One of the rangers warns everyone to get back in their vehicles as one of the leopards is heading this way. Most were finished drinking by this point..
Over the radio there is a sighting of another female leopard, the sister of the one we had seen the night before. We head over there. BINGO…. There she is sitting on the top of a 10 foot high termite mound…. We drive into the area through brush, small trees, etc, plowing down everything in our way. We get to within 30 feet of her,. She is showing off… We get great pics… She is calling out to her daughter… She is sniffing the air, she is peering through the brush… She decides to move on after perhaps 20 minutes..
We also move on as there has been a sighting of her sister and the child of the original. They are not far away. We are the 3rd vehicle to get there.. We move in from the back, again through rough underbrush… crash, bang, crush, scrape… We end up about 15 feet from her on top of a mound (the original leopard). We can see her child up high in a tree. Shortly we see her sister near-by… The ranger says this could be trouble…. Near by is a crouching hyena… All three are looking for a meal… The baby, about 3-4 months old seems a bit uncomfortable up in this fragile tree. It probably knows it could be a meal for any of the 3. It moves around and we think it is coming down, but alas it changes it’s mind and stays put. The ranger was quite excited as he has never seen this before.
Eventually cat #1 moves closer to us, like within 6 feet and lies down in back of us…. Just as before she cries out to her child. The aunt moves closer to the tree. She scopes out the situation and decides to leave. Both posture and mark territories again and again.
Eventually the aunt moves away… Mother does the same, and now its only the baby and the hyaena. They will sit each other out… We move on… While not a morning of great sightings, this leopard series was great.
We drive back to the lodge arriving before 9. Breakfast is served in the dining room: self service: cereals, yogurt, pecans, dried fruits, fresh fruits cut up, warm chive and corn muffins… The staff takes orders for a hot portion: eggs, omelets, bacon, tomatoes, toast, etc. Juice is on the table and coffee and tea ore offered as well…Quite nice and social as well.
Karen decides to take a 45 minute guided walk after breakfast. I return to the room and sit on the deck, review my pics and wait for K’s return. The Canadian man stops by with a map and some info on Kruger for us---our next destination. We chat for quite a while until k returns. We also watch the constant array of animals on the grazing area we can see from our deck…
We relax for the remainder of the morning until lunch at 2….
As we walk to lunch the first elephant of our stay wanders onto the grazing area. We watch him drink water and wander about and in 10 minutes he is gone.
Lunch was another buffet with all different items. The chicken casserole was very delicious… Food is good here but not exceptional..
After lunch we spent a bit more time on our deck.
We go up to the lodge about 3:40 for the 4 evening drive. Several of our group left after the morning drive so I get to sit up with the driver with the rifle… I don’t think I mentioned it but getting into and out of the vehicle is quite difficult even for people in good shape, so I was pleased with my new seat.
I like the new seat a lot… I get to talk to the ranger and also hear some of the radio transmissions… The seat is way more comfortable, and I hardly get hit with any thorny branches… K also moves down one row directly behind me….Some nice English couples join our vehicle.
We set off, the weather is fantastic and comfortable.. Luck was not with us at the beginning--- we saw very little… At one point Morne (our ranger) stopped us along the border with Londolozi, another reserve, which will not allow others on their land… We hear the roars of a lion or two and the painful call of a buffalo… It’s a kill for sure but we are not allowed to visit the scene.. We proceed for a while and suddenly a leopard walks across the road in front of us … It was a large male, who was unknown to the staff… We headed off into the brush behind him, knocking down small trees and climbing over underbrush and fallen logs….Theses range rovers are unbelievable…We never got all that close to him…He finally went down in a gully and we were too big to get down there.
Back to the road…We saw impalas, buffalo, storks, wildebeests, eagles, and finally after dark a bush baby..
In the middle of all of that we had late sundowners: we both had gin and tonics…
What started out slowly ended up as a good drive: 4-7:30PM…
I went directly into the bar and K came along in 15 minutes…We talked to a real nice UK family with 15 & 17 year old sons… Very pleasant..
Dinner was announced by the drum… Again it was too cold for the braai (bbq), so we ate in the dinning room… We were disappointed..
We were disappointed with the dinner choices, but we survived..
Back to room, trip report, crash…
Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:53 AM
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Tuesday
Our wake-up knock came at 4:50 today… We were ready in 10-15 minutes…Ugh, it is drizzling a bit… We had coffee and loaded up… EP supplied us with nice nylon ponchos…We headed out, it was not bad and within 45 minutes it stopped.. We headed up to the air strip and there we found giraffes, kudu, and other antelope varieties…
We wound our way around and Prince, our tracker, spotted an elephant. We headed for him and went into heavy brush and found about 10-12… Mothers, several small ones, other females and one male (his name is gpanda)…. We got almost close enough to touch them… They were eating up a storm… They are very destructive… They beat up trees, big and small—just snap them right off, twist them, rip them up… You always know when they have been there…
After this it was time for a late coffee break… We stopped in a large open area on top of a huge rock… There were lizards and beautiful birds there…
We did not see much after this… We returned to the lodge and said our goodbyes to the ranger and tracker…. They indeed made our stay fun and productive… Btw, Prince was born in sabi sands and is 37…Morne is Africanz (sp) and was born near Durbin, he is late 20’s? Very nice men…. The lodge provides envelopes for tips for tracker, ranger, spa and general help…
We had breakfast and were out of there by 10:30… My extras bill was about $30 (drinks) and the two day prepaid stay was about $660—they charge per person.
We were very pleased with EP and would suggest that 3 nites there would be perfect… I am a very fussy eater and I found the food, while well prepared and very fresh, just a tad boring… BTW, we are finding SA food to be somewhat bland--- it needs some spice or herbs to excite it….We have not had a bad meal yet, just not many exciting moments…
We left sabi sands via dirt roads eventually reaching a paved road, heading to Kruger Park.. We are spending the next two nights at Olifants Rest Camp, run by SA’s Sans national parks.
The drive took about 6.5 hours with a 45 min. stop for lunch and several game stops along the way… We arrived—must be in by 6PM and are assigned to rondaval #77. It is 2 rows back from the river view units… I had one riverfront unit, but I screwed up the dates and lost it…The unit is small, but will surfice…Cost about $85 per nite..
We had chicken snitzle in the camp restaurant for dinner… not bad..
Crash…
Wednesday
Finally we get to sleep in a bit… I finally got up at 8, K was up earlier… She has a problem with one ear and now pink eye also..
We decided not to do any food prep for ourselves and will take all of our meal in the “restaurant”… So after a shower, a very good one, we went over to the rest. and ordered English breakfasts 38 R each {$5.40}: 2 eggs, bacon, tomato, grilled mushrooms, and toast---it was very good and fresh. We sat outside on the terrace overlooking the river bed below,. Where antelopes, hippos and elephants were grazing and in the water… BTW, a 1.5 L of still water costs 7-12.5 R. Amstel bottles are as cheap as $1., decent white wine is $5-10….
Olifants is a good stop, but bear bones really… The bungalows are small, but clean. The beds are hard but very comfortable. The linen is clean…. The fridge, which is on the porch is decent… the a/c works well, the parking is next to your unit…there are two chairs and a table on the porch…there are dutch doors and a good screen on the door…all windows have screens, and you need them..
We are happy here but not thrilled… We would not return to these rest camps--- we are too old and want more comfort and better food… There is daily maid service- makes the beds and mops the floors…
After breakfast we hit the road moving more to the north. At first we saw very few animals, except when our path was near to the river…. Finally we saw several elephants, they eventually crossed the road in front of us…. We saw small herds of antelope often… We saw hippos both in and out of the river…There were a few zebra….
We took our lunch at the Letaba Rest Camp… A similar menu to the other camps, but a few more items… I had grilled bacon and cheese sandwich and K had grilled chicken salad—quite good and both are reasonable… We had ice creams out of the frozen chest… Again a lovely spot overlooking the olifants river… They were putting a new roof on the restaurant---thatch—very interesting…
BTW, I am typing this on our porch, overlooking the reddish brown hills across the river---can’t see the river…
As I said above, occasionally I make a mistake, like befriending gpanda… Originally I booked riverfront rooms, but not until about 8 weeks ago did I discover that I booked both stays in the kruger area for the same dates… So I decided to change the olifants dates, and of course all waterfront choices were rented, so we have ended up in the 2nd row… S --t happens… It’s ok really…
So after lunch we hit the road again and our luck changed a bit… We saw more elephants, antelope, hippos, and finally LIONS—2 females… We watched them twice, at least ½ hour each time, and we shared the spot with 2-6 other vehicles, including two buses..
They were about 50 feet off the road and for almost all the time were resting…Occasionally the nearer one would stand up and reposition herself..
On our return visit we discovered that the nearer female was sitting with a kill. She would occasionally tear at it or move it around… It was a grey/black animal with large horns---K thinks it was a Roan Antelope, based on it’s horns and colors… Finally we decided to move on… We may return in the AM to check it out..
We are having drinks on our porch and then will go to the rest. for dinner… There are no other choices---they lock you in the camp at 6PM… Karen has finished off a bottle of Gordonia Perle Wine/ a bit sweet with bubbles… I have enjoyed Castle lite, a nice larger..
Off to dinner as it is getting dark…. We leave the park in the AM, driving a long way back to Dullsdroom….
The food in kruger in general is not all that great… In some cases the service is horrible…
We were very lucky tonight… All the outside tables were taken so we sat inside, the first to do so…Construction noises continued as they add on and rehab the main building, even at this hour..Our drinks were delivered in 15+ minutes and our dinners came along shortly… We both had the chicken snitzle again--- please tell them they need to change the grease… Not so lucky the others… The boss man was yelling at everyone—staff…
Little or no food came out of the kitchen… One German man came in from outside and said he has waited over an hour for his food Ten or so minutes later it was delivered.. His wife came in screaming for her bill later and threatened they were going to leave without paying…. The two Brits next to us waited about 45 minutes for their meals.. We decided it was our evening entertainment so we just sat there and observed and listened… Finally we had had our fill of comedy…
Crash after packing up a bit…,
Thursday Oct 27
We woke to overcast weather… Drove over for breakfast after packing up the car… English again… We were there when they opened at 7…. We were first to be served..
Set off to Dullstroom taking the main N to S road in Kruger… But first we headed back 5 miles north to see if the lions were still eating their kill… Sure enough they were both laying there, “fat as cats”… Some of the kill was in evidence, but not much… Many of the vultures had left the trees and were approaching for their picking of the remains.. We stayed 10 minutes and then were on our way… By this time it was sprinkling. We headed south. We did not see much until we came upon a man made watering hole: There were tons of animals there: hyenas fat and lazy from a kill—all were lying down ; tons of antelope, zebras, buffalo, and a few others… Later we saw 3 warthogs in a field… Then a few elephants and the largest tusks we had seen…. Then finally we saw one rhino way in the distance---that completes the so called big 5… Karen was delighted!!
We stopped for lunch at the Skukuza Rest Center… By now it was full rain… Same lunch offerings… The shop here is the best stocked one by far---food and gifts…At one point I got out of the car briefly---K yelled at me and a black man drove up and yelled at me too… I was just getting our exit paperwork out of the trunk… We were right outside the rest camp gate, so I did not consider it dangerous…
We continued on and finally reached the Paul Kruger gate and exited the park… We are glad we had done this part of the trip but do not think we would do kruger again… We disliked the strict 50 kph speed limit, at times.. You cannot drive off the roads…The camps are just not our style… The staff are poorly trained… It is a dice roll as to what you see… Many of the animals are way off in the distance--- but not all.. On the other hand we loved our time in sabi sands….
At the exit we stopped to take pics of flat Stanley with the sign… About five minutes later all cars were stopped by the police…The officerr asked where I was from, asked to see my license… we had chit chat about obama… He looked at the windshield decals… he asked why I was not wearing my seat belt?? He did not buy, “because I am fat..”. He said in SA they are serious about it… I put mine on… He said I would not be charged the 300 R fine… I asked about the peanuts he was eating… He gave each of us some, twice… I smiled frequently, and so did he…Evidently, “he knows who I am…”… FOP…
So now the drive was a couple more hours… we stopped for gas before crossing the mountains, 90% of which were covered in a dense fog…not the most fun to drive…
We got to D about 6:15… We went to check in and they had long faces… They were over sold, BUT had arranged an alternative for us about ¼ mile away in a gated compound of individual houses. We have a car port, a large porch with a built-in braai, a huge living room/kitchen/dining room with a fireplace…. A huge bedroom, also with a fireplace… and an even bigger bathroom with a huge glass shower stall and lounging tub… Its an upgrade for sure…. 700 R (weekday price)… they also threw in 100 R for breakfast at their complex… We are very pleased..
Back to Duck and Trout for dinner… It’s a pizza nite—all fresh made and loaded with toppings…plus beers.. yummy.. We had a nice chat with the manager/owner and the chef… We sat near to to domed pizza oven cause it was damp and cold… I befriended the 3 pizza makers and we had fun fooling around with them..
Back to the house, fire, candles, tv, and this report…. Very very comfortable…
We leave SA tomorrow nite at 8:15 for England…. It will be Halloween and Smeagol’s birthday (24)—haha… It will be fun celebrating it with her and muffin and some other friends we have previously met… So the day we start slowly.. We will get to poke around in the local shops, have lunch here and then head for JNB….pray for seating for two!!!
Crash
Friday--- our last day in SA
This has been a wonderful trip… First it was beautiful Capetown, with all it offers; then the mini-GTG; then dinner with Capetownfolks; then the drive to Plett, where the best B&B awaited us; then back to Hermanus and the whales and beautiful beaches (also in Plett); then the flt to JNB and the road trip to Elephant Plains in sabi sands (6 leopards in 2 days); then finally Kruger, the wild live park of parks; and finally 5 days in England visiting friends, and even another fodorite…
SA is a vastly differing place… the sights are fantastic, the people generally very nice… there is still tension here however---lots of it… We never once felt unsafe, but we were very careful at all times… IT IS A PLACE EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT… It is far less expensive than Europe… We have had very little outstanding food and only 2 bad meals, but all were edible… We rate the food as a 6… So many other things make up for this however…
We are up by 8… It’s a grey day thus far but not raining.. This house is very nice accommodations, with lots of comfort, just no heater other than the bathroom floor and a wall heater in the bathroom…There is also a portable gel heater which could be moved around and of course the two fireplaces with plenty of seasoned wood available… The bed has an electric blanket and a warm duvet…
We shall go to cherry grove for breakfast and a bit of shopping, return to the house to pick-up and have some lunch and then head for JNB…. I hope to have another Ploughmans… K will yell at me..
The drive to JNB is about 2-3 hours, all highway. Our next report will be from England..
Our wake-up knock came at 4:50 today… We were ready in 10-15 minutes…Ugh, it is drizzling a bit… We had coffee and loaded up… EP supplied us with nice nylon ponchos…We headed out, it was not bad and within 45 minutes it stopped.. We headed up to the air strip and there we found giraffes, kudu, and other antelope varieties…
We wound our way around and Prince, our tracker, spotted an elephant. We headed for him and went into heavy brush and found about 10-12… Mothers, several small ones, other females and one male (his name is gpanda)…. We got almost close enough to touch them… They were eating up a storm… They are very destructive… They beat up trees, big and small—just snap them right off, twist them, rip them up… You always know when they have been there…
After this it was time for a late coffee break… We stopped in a large open area on top of a huge rock… There were lizards and beautiful birds there…
We did not see much after this… We returned to the lodge and said our goodbyes to the ranger and tracker…. They indeed made our stay fun and productive… Btw, Prince was born in sabi sands and is 37…Morne is Africanz (sp) and was born near Durbin, he is late 20’s? Very nice men…. The lodge provides envelopes for tips for tracker, ranger, spa and general help…
We had breakfast and were out of there by 10:30… My extras bill was about $30 (drinks) and the two day prepaid stay was about $660—they charge per person.
We were very pleased with EP and would suggest that 3 nites there would be perfect… I am a very fussy eater and I found the food, while well prepared and very fresh, just a tad boring… BTW, we are finding SA food to be somewhat bland--- it needs some spice or herbs to excite it….We have not had a bad meal yet, just not many exciting moments…
We left sabi sands via dirt roads eventually reaching a paved road, heading to Kruger Park.. We are spending the next two nights at Olifants Rest Camp, run by SA’s Sans national parks.
The drive took about 6.5 hours with a 45 min. stop for lunch and several game stops along the way… We arrived—must be in by 6PM and are assigned to rondaval #77. It is 2 rows back from the river view units… I had one riverfront unit, but I screwed up the dates and lost it…The unit is small, but will surfice…Cost about $85 per nite..
We had chicken snitzle in the camp restaurant for dinner… not bad..
Crash…
Wednesday
Finally we get to sleep in a bit… I finally got up at 8, K was up earlier… She has a problem with one ear and now pink eye also..
We decided not to do any food prep for ourselves and will take all of our meal in the “restaurant”… So after a shower, a very good one, we went over to the rest. and ordered English breakfasts 38 R each {$5.40}: 2 eggs, bacon, tomato, grilled mushrooms, and toast---it was very good and fresh. We sat outside on the terrace overlooking the river bed below,. Where antelopes, hippos and elephants were grazing and in the water… BTW, a 1.5 L of still water costs 7-12.5 R. Amstel bottles are as cheap as $1., decent white wine is $5-10….
Olifants is a good stop, but bear bones really… The bungalows are small, but clean. The beds are hard but very comfortable. The linen is clean…. The fridge, which is on the porch is decent… the a/c works well, the parking is next to your unit…there are two chairs and a table on the porch…there are dutch doors and a good screen on the door…all windows have screens, and you need them..
We are happy here but not thrilled… We would not return to these rest camps--- we are too old and want more comfort and better food… There is daily maid service- makes the beds and mops the floors…
After breakfast we hit the road moving more to the north. At first we saw very few animals, except when our path was near to the river…. Finally we saw several elephants, they eventually crossed the road in front of us…. We saw small herds of antelope often… We saw hippos both in and out of the river…There were a few zebra….
We took our lunch at the Letaba Rest Camp… A similar menu to the other camps, but a few more items… I had grilled bacon and cheese sandwich and K had grilled chicken salad—quite good and both are reasonable… We had ice creams out of the frozen chest… Again a lovely spot overlooking the olifants river… They were putting a new roof on the restaurant---thatch—very interesting…
BTW, I am typing this on our porch, overlooking the reddish brown hills across the river---can’t see the river…
As I said above, occasionally I make a mistake, like befriending gpanda… Originally I booked riverfront rooms, but not until about 8 weeks ago did I discover that I booked both stays in the kruger area for the same dates… So I decided to change the olifants dates, and of course all waterfront choices were rented, so we have ended up in the 2nd row… S --t happens… It’s ok really…
So after lunch we hit the road again and our luck changed a bit… We saw more elephants, antelope, hippos, and finally LIONS—2 females… We watched them twice, at least ½ hour each time, and we shared the spot with 2-6 other vehicles, including two buses..
They were about 50 feet off the road and for almost all the time were resting…Occasionally the nearer one would stand up and reposition herself..
On our return visit we discovered that the nearer female was sitting with a kill. She would occasionally tear at it or move it around… It was a grey/black animal with large horns---K thinks it was a Roan Antelope, based on it’s horns and colors… Finally we decided to move on… We may return in the AM to check it out..
We are having drinks on our porch and then will go to the rest. for dinner… There are no other choices---they lock you in the camp at 6PM… Karen has finished off a bottle of Gordonia Perle Wine/ a bit sweet with bubbles… I have enjoyed Castle lite, a nice larger..
Off to dinner as it is getting dark…. We leave the park in the AM, driving a long way back to Dullsdroom….
The food in kruger in general is not all that great… In some cases the service is horrible…
We were very lucky tonight… All the outside tables were taken so we sat inside, the first to do so…Construction noises continued as they add on and rehab the main building, even at this hour..Our drinks were delivered in 15+ minutes and our dinners came along shortly… We both had the chicken snitzle again--- please tell them they need to change the grease… Not so lucky the others… The boss man was yelling at everyone—staff…
Little or no food came out of the kitchen… One German man came in from outside and said he has waited over an hour for his food Ten or so minutes later it was delivered.. His wife came in screaming for her bill later and threatened they were going to leave without paying…. The two Brits next to us waited about 45 minutes for their meals.. We decided it was our evening entertainment so we just sat there and observed and listened… Finally we had had our fill of comedy…
Crash after packing up a bit…,
Thursday Oct 27
We woke to overcast weather… Drove over for breakfast after packing up the car… English again… We were there when they opened at 7…. We were first to be served..
Set off to Dullstroom taking the main N to S road in Kruger… But first we headed back 5 miles north to see if the lions were still eating their kill… Sure enough they were both laying there, “fat as cats”… Some of the kill was in evidence, but not much… Many of the vultures had left the trees and were approaching for their picking of the remains.. We stayed 10 minutes and then were on our way… By this time it was sprinkling. We headed south. We did not see much until we came upon a man made watering hole: There were tons of animals there: hyenas fat and lazy from a kill—all were lying down ; tons of antelope, zebras, buffalo, and a few others… Later we saw 3 warthogs in a field… Then a few elephants and the largest tusks we had seen…. Then finally we saw one rhino way in the distance---that completes the so called big 5… Karen was delighted!!
We stopped for lunch at the Skukuza Rest Center… By now it was full rain… Same lunch offerings… The shop here is the best stocked one by far---food and gifts…At one point I got out of the car briefly---K yelled at me and a black man drove up and yelled at me too… I was just getting our exit paperwork out of the trunk… We were right outside the rest camp gate, so I did not consider it dangerous…
We continued on and finally reached the Paul Kruger gate and exited the park… We are glad we had done this part of the trip but do not think we would do kruger again… We disliked the strict 50 kph speed limit, at times.. You cannot drive off the roads…The camps are just not our style… The staff are poorly trained… It is a dice roll as to what you see… Many of the animals are way off in the distance--- but not all.. On the other hand we loved our time in sabi sands….
At the exit we stopped to take pics of flat Stanley with the sign… About five minutes later all cars were stopped by the police…The officerr asked where I was from, asked to see my license… we had chit chat about obama… He looked at the windshield decals… he asked why I was not wearing my seat belt?? He did not buy, “because I am fat..”. He said in SA they are serious about it… I put mine on… He said I would not be charged the 300 R fine… I asked about the peanuts he was eating… He gave each of us some, twice… I smiled frequently, and so did he…Evidently, “he knows who I am…”… FOP…
So now the drive was a couple more hours… we stopped for gas before crossing the mountains, 90% of which were covered in a dense fog…not the most fun to drive…
We got to D about 6:15… We went to check in and they had long faces… They were over sold, BUT had arranged an alternative for us about ¼ mile away in a gated compound of individual houses. We have a car port, a large porch with a built-in braai, a huge living room/kitchen/dining room with a fireplace…. A huge bedroom, also with a fireplace… and an even bigger bathroom with a huge glass shower stall and lounging tub… Its an upgrade for sure…. 700 R (weekday price)… they also threw in 100 R for breakfast at their complex… We are very pleased..
Back to Duck and Trout for dinner… It’s a pizza nite—all fresh made and loaded with toppings…plus beers.. yummy.. We had a nice chat with the manager/owner and the chef… We sat near to to domed pizza oven cause it was damp and cold… I befriended the 3 pizza makers and we had fun fooling around with them..
Back to the house, fire, candles, tv, and this report…. Very very comfortable…
We leave SA tomorrow nite at 8:15 for England…. It will be Halloween and Smeagol’s birthday (24)—haha… It will be fun celebrating it with her and muffin and some other friends we have previously met… So the day we start slowly.. We will get to poke around in the local shops, have lunch here and then head for JNB….pray for seating for two!!!
Crash
Friday--- our last day in SA
This has been a wonderful trip… First it was beautiful Capetown, with all it offers; then the mini-GTG; then dinner with Capetownfolks; then the drive to Plett, where the best B&B awaited us; then back to Hermanus and the whales and beautiful beaches (also in Plett); then the flt to JNB and the road trip to Elephant Plains in sabi sands (6 leopards in 2 days); then finally Kruger, the wild live park of parks; and finally 5 days in England visiting friends, and even another fodorite…
SA is a vastly differing place… the sights are fantastic, the people generally very nice… there is still tension here however---lots of it… We never once felt unsafe, but we were very careful at all times… IT IS A PLACE EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT… It is far less expensive than Europe… We have had very little outstanding food and only 2 bad meals, but all were edible… We rate the food as a 6… So many other things make up for this however…
We are up by 8… It’s a grey day thus far but not raining.. This house is very nice accommodations, with lots of comfort, just no heater other than the bathroom floor and a wall heater in the bathroom…There is also a portable gel heater which could be moved around and of course the two fireplaces with plenty of seasoned wood available… The bed has an electric blanket and a warm duvet…
We shall go to cherry grove for breakfast and a bit of shopping, return to the house to pick-up and have some lunch and then head for JNB…. I hope to have another Ploughmans… K will yell at me..
The drive to JNB is about 2-3 hours, all highway. Our next report will be from England..
Nov 3rd, 2009, 12:54 AM
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Friday and Saturday
The drive was fine and easy…tons of fog at the beginning… Finding a gas station near the airport took a bit more effort…
Easy checkin at B/A…. Seats not what we wanted or had requested… ended up one in back of another in rows 52 & 53, both aisle seats….rhk lucked out with no one beside him…. Boarding was a mess… Heavy rain and a bus gate… we were on first bus… take off delayed 15+ min. and then very rough because of thunder and lightening… rough ride lasted ½ way up the Africa land mass… Arrived heathrow almost on time… 3rd in line at immigration…fantastic…rental car from Alamo, now our fav at heathrow…
It was wet and foggy all the way up the M-40 to Henley in Arden, where Smeagol lives…We arrived at their house way tooooo early for any guests to arrive, but they were gracious as always…. We chatted for a while , then took a stroll down their main street to get fresh croissants at a newly opened lounge/bakery…. Candelabras with lighted candles greeted us at this unique place.. Bad news, the fresh Cs had not arrived….BUT up pulled the delivery truck… They were yummy and we had a very relaxed time filled with chat: Gpanda, Pook, Mango7, Fodors, the car industry (their occupations), SA, etc---plus tons of laughs…They are simply the best couple, even though quite a bit younger than us…
At some point we had well received showers, and a bit of a nap, some tea, some more tea…We were amazingly awake having come off an overnite flight..
They asked what we wanted to do---anything was fine with us…It was decided we would have a motor trip into the cotswolds, one of our favorite places…
Before we left we sampled a fabulous chocolate cake muffin had made, sang happy birthday to nicky and had more tea, etc…
For the drive David/Muffin had parked the very latest Porche, a fantastic 4 door lux model, only available for two weeks in the drive… We used it for our tour… It was sleek shinny black with fantastic styling… The only thing it lacked was indoor plumbing…We turned heads everywhere we went …. Muffin is so shy he was embarrassed by all the attention---Naught…
We checked out a few shops, ending up in Broadway, considered by many to be the most lovely of the costwold towns, and the place where I once shared a toilet room with Rod Stewert. It was a very fun afternoon… we had tons of laughs.. We ended up at the Swan pub/restaurant at the lower end of the main street. Very good late lunch with cold beer on offer…
Returning home I did a bit of internet, but my XP system seemed to have a problem interfacing with Nicky’s Vista system so I was unable to post more of this report…??? K & M had a bit of a layabout, while nicki and I chatted a bit and fooled with the computers… Good to knock off our E-mails however…
At 7:45 Craig and Katie, two of N&D’s friends arrived… We have met them previously... We drank some champagne and later some prosecco, extended our congrats to them (they are recently engaged) and eventually walked up the main street a block to Thai Cottage, where we had a fabulous Thai meal: shrimp and chicken satay, chicken laab salad (new to them and they loved it---it was also the best we have ever had); masasman curried beef, black pepper pork, 2 phad thais, asparagus and shrimp, white rice, curried mushrooms, sweet and sour chicken---in honor of mango---chinese food… We had so much fun…drank way tooooo much…laughed continually and made tons of noise….IT WAS A PERFECT EVENING WITH PERFECT FRIENDS…
We returned to their house where we were treated to their vintage 2003 sloe gin, home made and savored….Had slices of the chocolate cake and laughed more until we were all falling asleep…. Katie and craig had brought carved pumpkins with candles as it was Holloween---we enjoyed them..
Crash
Sunday November 1
We all awoke refreshed but lazy…. Muffin had promised us his famous English style breakfast… He is a master and pays attention to every detail---no drips on the plate before serving, perfect plate arrangement--perfection…His sous chef (nicky) is ordered around with sharpe orders and is occasionally corrected for lack of prompt follow-through… The breakfast was a delight in every way!! More laughs and fodors was never far from the center of conversation…
We packed up and pushed off by 1PM on our way to the Bexleyheath Marriott, our one nite stop, where we visited with old friends and enjoyed a fantastic Indian meal… It was raining on and off all day…
After coffee at our friend’s new house we returned to the hotel for a good nite’s sleep…
Monday
Mcdonalds for breakfast followed with a luncheon with another friend, before heading to Oxted in Surrey for our last two nights with some other friends… The sun is out this AM, but rain is promised for the rest of our stay…
We had had a wonderful trip and are looking forward to our own bed on Wednesday nite, but that only lasts for 9 nites as we then head to Thailand with the Gpandas… We are REALLY looking forward to that trip….we do have so much fun with A&B… another friend will be joining us as well…
With any luck I will be able to post this later today???
The drive was fine and easy…tons of fog at the beginning… Finding a gas station near the airport took a bit more effort…
Easy checkin at B/A…. Seats not what we wanted or had requested… ended up one in back of another in rows 52 & 53, both aisle seats….rhk lucked out with no one beside him…. Boarding was a mess… Heavy rain and a bus gate… we were on first bus… take off delayed 15+ min. and then very rough because of thunder and lightening… rough ride lasted ½ way up the Africa land mass… Arrived heathrow almost on time… 3rd in line at immigration…fantastic…rental car from Alamo, now our fav at heathrow…
It was wet and foggy all the way up the M-40 to Henley in Arden, where Smeagol lives…We arrived at their house way tooooo early for any guests to arrive, but they were gracious as always…. We chatted for a while , then took a stroll down their main street to get fresh croissants at a newly opened lounge/bakery…. Candelabras with lighted candles greeted us at this unique place.. Bad news, the fresh Cs had not arrived….BUT up pulled the delivery truck… They were yummy and we had a very relaxed time filled with chat: Gpanda, Pook, Mango7, Fodors, the car industry (their occupations), SA, etc---plus tons of laughs…They are simply the best couple, even though quite a bit younger than us…
At some point we had well received showers, and a bit of a nap, some tea, some more tea…We were amazingly awake having come off an overnite flight..
They asked what we wanted to do---anything was fine with us…It was decided we would have a motor trip into the cotswolds, one of our favorite places…
Before we left we sampled a fabulous chocolate cake muffin had made, sang happy birthday to nicky and had more tea, etc…
For the drive David/Muffin had parked the very latest Porche, a fantastic 4 door lux model, only available for two weeks in the drive… We used it for our tour… It was sleek shinny black with fantastic styling… The only thing it lacked was indoor plumbing…We turned heads everywhere we went …. Muffin is so shy he was embarrassed by all the attention---Naught…
We checked out a few shops, ending up in Broadway, considered by many to be the most lovely of the costwold towns, and the place where I once shared a toilet room with Rod Stewert. It was a very fun afternoon… we had tons of laughs.. We ended up at the Swan pub/restaurant at the lower end of the main street. Very good late lunch with cold beer on offer…
Returning home I did a bit of internet, but my XP system seemed to have a problem interfacing with Nicky’s Vista system so I was unable to post more of this report…??? K & M had a bit of a layabout, while nicki and I chatted a bit and fooled with the computers… Good to knock off our E-mails however…
At 7:45 Craig and Katie, two of N&D’s friends arrived… We have met them previously... We drank some champagne and later some prosecco, extended our congrats to them (they are recently engaged) and eventually walked up the main street a block to Thai Cottage, where we had a fabulous Thai meal: shrimp and chicken satay, chicken laab salad (new to them and they loved it---it was also the best we have ever had); masasman curried beef, black pepper pork, 2 phad thais, asparagus and shrimp, white rice, curried mushrooms, sweet and sour chicken---in honor of mango---chinese food… We had so much fun…drank way tooooo much…laughed continually and made tons of noise….IT WAS A PERFECT EVENING WITH PERFECT FRIENDS…
We returned to their house where we were treated to their vintage 2003 sloe gin, home made and savored….Had slices of the chocolate cake and laughed more until we were all falling asleep…. Katie and craig had brought carved pumpkins with candles as it was Holloween---we enjoyed them..
Crash
Sunday November 1
We all awoke refreshed but lazy…. Muffin had promised us his famous English style breakfast… He is a master and pays attention to every detail---no drips on the plate before serving, perfect plate arrangement--perfection…His sous chef (nicky) is ordered around with sharpe orders and is occasionally corrected for lack of prompt follow-through… The breakfast was a delight in every way!! More laughs and fodors was never far from the center of conversation…
We packed up and pushed off by 1PM on our way to the Bexleyheath Marriott, our one nite stop, where we visited with old friends and enjoyed a fantastic Indian meal… It was raining on and off all day…
After coffee at our friend’s new house we returned to the hotel for a good nite’s sleep…
Monday
Mcdonalds for breakfast followed with a luncheon with another friend, before heading to Oxted in Surrey for our last two nights with some other friends… The sun is out this AM, but rain is promised for the rest of our stay…
We had had a wonderful trip and are looking forward to our own bed on Wednesday nite, but that only lasts for 9 nites as we then head to Thailand with the Gpandas… We are REALLY looking forward to that trip….we do have so much fun with A&B… another friend will be joining us as well…
With any luck I will be able to post this later today???
