Day 22 - Trip Home

Day 22 - Trip Home

We awake early, and after a shower and packing, go down for breakfast where Tim and Mike join us shortly afterwards.

At breakfast they want us to sign for it, which we do, but it is upsetting as we have paid 280 bucks and they are not including breakfast?  When we were here before it was included and also the rooms were cheaper at 220 per night.

Prior to returning to our rooms we stop to see about the charge for breakfast. It looks like it will take a while, so Bob stays in the lobby to clear it up and I go up to finish my packing.

Bob gets it cleared up and we check out, leaving our bags in a room until we return in the afternoon.

All 4 of us once again head down to the waterfront for some last minute shopping and sightseeing before our long journey home.

We have a nice lunch down at the waterfront and get our photos taken by a very outgoing young lady who showed us our table. We wander about some more, killing time now, and end up at a small place overlooking the crowds and have a last drink on the waterfront before heading back to our hotel.

Tim has a taxi provided because he flew business class so he leaves us waiting for our van, which does not show up. There is another taxi there so we hire him to take us to the airport.

Once at the airport, it is thru customs again and there we meet up with Tim.  Too late, Bob and I discover that the VAT we have paid on our purchases and were supposed to be refunded are to be done BEFORE you go thru customs and cannot be done now.  It is a bit of a bother, as Bob has about 200 bucks coming back to him.  There is an option to fill out forms and have customs in Canada fill out a form and we can mail it back for a refund..... Tim has done that in the past and is still waiting for him money some 10 years after the fact.

Mike has an option to upgrade to business class for 1000 bucks, which he does..... Bob and I, meanwhile, in economy, finally get to board about 15 minutes after they have. lol

I take the window seat this time and our long trip home begins.

Cape Town - Dubai = 9 hours

We arrive in Dubai at 530 AM and it is 31 C outside and VERY VERY humid.  They load us onto a bus, which takes a good 20 minutes and finally we get into the airport.

There is a 4 hour layover here, but we waste no time in going thru customs to get to our boarding gate where we wait for our flight.

Dubai - Seattle = 15 hours

This is a long, long flight, but Air Emirates is a very good airline with excellent service. Bob manages to sleep quite a bit, and I watch a number of movies in between small fits of restless sleep.

Seattle - Vancouver = 1 hour

We say Good-bye to Tim and Mike as they have their luggage before ours arrives.  My suitcase arrives and then we wait, and wait, and wait for Bob's luggage..... it is the last suitcase off this plane, and the plane holds 350 passengers!  We are now rushing a bit as we don't want to miss our connection to Vancouver.  We have to take to tram to another terminal and finally get to Air Canada kiosks where we get our boarding passes.  We had to do our Check-in during our layover in Dubai and the internet connection was not that great there. lol.

I get my boarding pass first, but there is no seat assignment. We are told they will do that at the gate before we board.

When we get to the boarding gate, we find out they have overbooked the plane and are looking for volunteers to take another flight. Obviously neither of us is interested.  We sit down and after awhile they call Bob up to ask if he would be interested in a delay..... no..... Then they call me up and give me a seat assignment.  Bob is not called up and there are a couple of announcements where they are offering 400 bucks on another flight if you will give up your seat.  There are no takers.... Finally we board, and Bob is left behind.

My flight to Vancouver is short, and going thru the customs is relatively quick and automated to a large extent. I have to go thru a second set of customs and this is the Air Canada part and it is packed and I don't know if I will make my connection to Edmonton.  Finally I get thru and rush to my gate as the last people are boarding.  This is the last leg and I feel exhaustion washing over me as there are no more connections, no more flights, no more hotels, no more worrying,.... 

Darlene and TJ are waiting for me and it is good to be back home.  It has taken me 35 hours to get here from the time I arrived at the airport in Cape Town.  That is now so far away ......

Day 21 - To Cape Town

Sun. 21st Sept

The last day of our trip, and once again I have weird dreams going back a long time to when I worked as the Chief Dispatcher at LMC.... I get up, shower and meet the group for breakfast at the late hour of 8.  Bob elects to stay in bed and then pack before coming for breakfast.  Judy and Chris have elected to sit by themselves again as I believe they have had some argument with Misheck, our guide.

After breakfast everyone says their Good-Byes, and I must confess to knowing that I will miss some of these people, and their humour as you start to bond over the many dusty miles we have put on over the past 21 days.

We finish packing, Bob pays for our meals and drinks for the past 2 days (149 US) and the 4 of us get on a shuttle for the airport. On our way to the airport we come across a bunch of baboons along and the road so we slow so I can take some iphotos of them. It is 15 each for the shuttle and after we get there it is not that long a wait before we board our plane and take off for Johanessburg, or Jo-burg as the locals call it.

The flight to Jo-Burg is 2.5 hours long and we have a meal on board. Somehow we got the last 2 seats in business class which was kind of neat. There were curtains behind Bob and I and we were offered drinks before the plane even took off. We were given a choice of our meal and I noticed that the economy class people got no meal. 

At Jo-burg, which is a large airport and we have to go thru customs into South Africa, retrieve our bags, go thru customs to leave South Africa and then wait by the boarding gate for about an hour before our plane leaves.

It is 6 PM when our plane leaves and it is soon dark outside, although we can see the setting sun for some time as we climb to 30,000 ft.  We will also have a meal on board which is being served as I type this, trying to bring my blog up to date.

We land in Cape Town, get our bags and then get a van to take us to the Protea Breakwater Lodge where we had stayed before.  It costs 350 Rand for all of us and I give the guy a 100 Rand tip as we arrange for him to pick us up tomorrow at 3 for our flight back home.

As we are driving to the lodge, I turn back to Tim and mention that it seems like we have been out in the bush for the last 3 weeks. I feel this way because suddenly we are on nice paved roads, surrounded by traffic, lights and we have A/C in the vehicle as well. Tim laughs and agrees, as he had been thinking something similar.

Once in our rooms, Tim, Mike and I go down to the bar for a drink while Bob elects to stay in the room and re-pack again as he has big concerns about his weight on the plane.

Back in the room, Bob has the TV on and we watch it for awhile before drifting off to sleep.

Day 20 - Victoria Falls

Sat. 20 Sept.

This is our second last day of the Safari, and I have elected to pass on Elephant Safari and also on the Lion Walk, which others in our group are going on. Instead, it is a morning to sleep in a bit and then do some relaxing before our long journey home commences.

I am up at 6:30 and wander up for breakfast beside the river by myself. The Elephant Safari left at 6 AM and Bob is still asleep.  As I sit enjoying a coffee and the early morning sun, a young man calls over to me that there is an elephant on the bank across the river.  He was the teacher I was talking to yesterday and I end up enjoying my breakfast whilst watching the elephant across the river for about 20 minutes before he ambled off.

Bob and I catch the shuttle downtown to do some shopping at 9 AM.  We are dropped off at the open market and as soon as Bob buys something. there are about 5 guys wanting to sell us things. The only way we can get rid of these street vendors is to duck into shops nearby. We soon become engrossed in what is available and I am quite taken with the ironwood carvings. A young fellow named George (after King George) tries hard to sell me a carving, but it is too expensive and too heavy for the plane. I then mention I am looking for a child's T shirt, and he says he knows a good place.  Well, he ends up shepherding us all over the place and also keeps the street vendors at bay.  We find most of what we are looking for, and give him a nice tip for his trouble.  One of the big items tourists purchase is the old Zimbabwe dollars.  During the Mugabe years, inflation became out of control and skyrocketed to 1600 percent. They were printing money like it was going out of style, because it was!  You were lucky to find anything in the stores to buy.  If you went to the store to buy a loaf of bread in the morning, it might cost 50 dollars.  By nighttime, if you wanted another loaf, it might cost you 300 dollars!  For that reason, people spent their money as fast as they could, as it would buy nothing if you kept it for very long.  I purchased as set of the old money and have a couple of Trillion dollar bills for TJ.

We take a taxi ride back to the hotel and have a couple of drinks with Bill and Cheryl. Bob relaxes while I go for a swim. Afterwards we go back to the room as it is getting humid outside and Bob sleeps while I go over my photos. At 5 in the afternoon, I take a look out our front door to find a small herd of Warthogs outside with a setting sun lighting them nicely.  Photo-op I think, and grab my camera for some shots.

Supper is once again a buffet but it seems some of our group have had it with buffets and instead want a regular meal where they don't have to get up and wait in line.  Misheck hands out questionaires on the tour he wants us to fill out.  It seems a couple of our group are not pleased with something and they elects to sit by themselves for upper.

We have a chance to catch up with everyone else during supper and it seems the group that went on the Elephant Safari were not that happy with it.  The only wildlife they saw was the elephants they were riding. lol. 

The Lion Walk was interesting but did not get any big rave reviews from those that attended it, so I was kinda happy that I took the day to just relax.

We crashed early, as Bob wanted to pack and I was also wanting to do the same. This was our last night of the safari and I think most of us were getting a bit anxious to be heading home.  Misheck has arranged our ride to the airport at 11 as our departure is 1:30.  

Bob has packed and re-packed as he has purchased a couple of items that might weigh him down. This suddenly reminded me of a joke Tim had told prior to our helicopter flight yesterday about a young girl who, when asked what she wanted to do on her date said "I want to be weighed" ..... She is oriental and ..... Chris does not get the joke for awhile which is kind of funny. The reason Tim told it was because we all had to be weighted prior to our flight to ensure we were in the correct seats in the chopper.

Day 19 - Into Zimbabwe

Day 19

We head for Victoria Falls today, which is a short drive, but we have to go thru the border in order to do so.  We are up and on the road by 9.

Within 15 minutes we are at the border crossing and have to get our passports checked in order to leave Botswana.  This is fairly painless. We drive a couple of hundred feet and get to the border to enter Zimbabwe.  There are lines of trucks waiting to be processed and lots of safari vehicles. There is a long line of people waiting to get into the building and we go stand in line. Misheck shows up a couple of minutes later and gets our passports along with our Visa money to see if he can get it processed faster.  Judy raises her concerns about letting go of her passport but Misheck is patient in explaining why he needs them.  Some of the people had already paid for their Visas (100 bucks each on line) while the rest of us had to have the exact US cash.  It was weird in that Australians and US citizens had to pay 30 bucks while Canadians had to pay 75 bucks.  We felt bad about this but not nearly as bad as those who had got their visas ahead of time and paid more!

Customs took about 1 hr. and once thru, we were off for our final leg to Victoria Falls.  It was only 70 km and we were there. We took a short drive thru Victoria Falls, stopped at the Victoria Falls Hotel for a 15 minute walkabout and then boarded the bus to go to Victoria Falls, which is next to Niagra Falls in size.  The cost was 30 bucks (US) to in to the Falls. We walked around, took some photos and then met at the restaurant for some lunch.  It was quite hot by this time (1 PM) and we were all anxious to get to our lodge.  The Akizuma Lodge is very nice, but our rooms are not ready for about 45 minutes.  There is a pool, warnings about crocs, and the rooms are quite nice.  Wandering about the place are monkeys, baboons, and warthogs!

We get into our room, and just relax, as it is quite warm outside and the room has A/C and also wifi, which is a treat.

At 4 PM some of us meet Misheck at the lobby and he drives us up the road to the helicopter pad.  There is a choice of either a 15 or 25 minute helicopter ride, and Tim, Mike, Bob, John, Chris and I have all signed up for the 25 minute ride. I get a really good seat beside John and Chris. Time and Bob are across from us and facing backwards which is not that great for photo taking. Mike was lucky and got the shotgun seat beside the pilot. The flight is really neat as you get to see the falls from the air after you have walked around them a couple of hours prior. We also flew over the Chobe National park which we had viewed the day prior. We say some large herds of Elephants and Water Buffalo as well as Giraffe during our flight. None seemed bothered by the chopper as they are up there all the time, catering to the tourists.

Supper is a buffet again, and we get a supposed deal on it (35 bucks knocked down to 25) There is also a show of some young Africans singing, dancing and playing drums around a large fire which is quite entertaining.

After supper, everyone heads back to their rooms in fairly short order. Tomorrow is a 

Day 18 - Chobe Safari Lodge

Day 18 at the Chobe Safari Lodge

Everyone has signed up for the optional Game Drive in the morning and it leaves at 6 AM due to the heat later in the day.

We get into 2 Safari vehicles and head out. Once again, we are putting blankets over ourselves in the early morning coolness as the vehicles move out.  Soon we are entering the park and find there are about 10 other vehicles waiting to get into the park. After the guide has paid the entrance fee we are once again on our way. There are a number of different dirt roads you can take thru the park and we take a number of them in our search for wildlife.  We have yet to come across Water Buffalo and we are not to be disappointed on this drive as we spy a number of them, as well as Giraffes, Elephants, Springbok, etc.  We also come across a female lion and her cubs hiding in the bush, but it is very difficult to see them.  We see lots of baboons, some eagles, vultures, warthogs, grouse, and some zebras as well.  Our driver is a tad fast and it is a very rough ride as I am in the rearmost seat with Judy and Nik on this trip.  Tim and Mike were in front of me but we picked up another couple at another lodge and Mike ended up in the front seat with the driver.

The game drive finishes up around 10 and we are back at the Lodge around 1030, in time for a late breakfast at the buffet. I load up on breakfast as I will pass on lunch and spend some time chilling in the afternoon, before we head out on the included Sunset Boat Drive,

There are 2 large pontoon boats that we head out on. Each one is carrying about 50 people and has 2 decks on them.  As we head towards the pool where we are to meet prior to boarding there is a fellow with a Nikon D4s and a HUGE lens attached to it.  He tells me it is a 600 mm lens and that it is simply a hobby with him. Pretty serious hobby as the lens alone runs about 12,000 dollars!

Anyway, we get on board, and head out onto the Zambeze River.  We cruise along and stop to view Hippos, Elephants, Water Buffalo, Crocs and a number of different birds and waterfowl.  There are drinks on board, and I get some great shots of the wildlife as we cruise and stop along the river.  Finally sunset is approaching and the boat goes up a narrow channel before stopping to watch the sun set in the distance.  There is a herd of elephants making their way across the marsh and I get some really cool shots as they move across the plain in front of the setting sun, which has turned red as it nears the horizon.

By the time we get back to the lodge, it is close to supper, and, once again we enjoy the buffet. Everyone leaves fairly quickly after supper as it seems we are all tired what with 2 large excursions that day.  We don't have an early start tomorrow, but it is nice to have some down time in a nice room.

Day 17 - Into Botswana

Day 17 (Tuesday)

Once again I am awake before the alarm as I relish being up to welcome a new day in a strange environment. I turn off the alarms to not waken Bob, bang my crocs to ensure no scorpion has crawled into them overnight and then get stung by a bee which has hung on to the inside of the left shoe as I put it on. I give a yelp as it is a shock, capture the offending beast for proper identification, which wakes Bob and he is very helpful by getting some polysporin which I apply before putting on socks and getting dressed. 

We go outside to be greeted by a gorgeous sunrise and playful hippos in the water. We take some photos, I get the bee identified before we release it, have breakfast and are on the road just before 8 AM. 

We do not drive far before our first stop, which is where we go thru the border to enter Botswana. There are Baobab trees here and in the distant I take some photos of them.  We have to carry a spare pair of shoes and wipe them off on a wet pad and then wait while the truck drives thru this shallow pool of water.  In the distance, we can see a large herd of elephants in a field that has a shallow river running thru it.

Once thru customs, we continue on our way to the Chobe Safari Lodge.  It is mid afternoon when we finally arrive in this small town and Misheck parks the bus in a small, dirty parking lot behind a small mall and takes off to see about our rooms.  There are baboons and warthogs wandering about freely as well as quite a few locals who look a bit shady as well. Bob decides to stay with the bus while everybody else wanders up to the small mall as we all need to get some money changed into Pulus, which is the currency in Botswana. 

En route to our Lodging for the next 2 nights we drive thru a part of the Chobe National Park, which is known for its large herds of elephants.  We see a Sable Antelope as soon as we enter the park and then nothing the rest of the way. The road is paved, and it is exciting, knowing that this is one of the better known parks in Africa which we have entered.

Once again, it seems we are wondering about our lodging for the night as this parking lot does not bode well for where we might be staying.  When Misheck returns we all board the bus once again and it is a very short drive to a magnificent lodge on the banks of the Chobe River.  It has a large pool, wooden walkways thru the trees, wifi, A/C, and even a refrigerator in the room. The shower is huge, there are mosquito nets over the beds and a small veranda, as Bob and I are on the second floor.

We settle in quickly and head down to the bar for a couple of drinks to cool off and also to check our email as that is where the wifi is located.

Supper that night is once again a wonderful buffet, yet even tho it is wonderfully set up, I think we are all getting tired of the buffets as time rolls on.

During supper some dancers and singers come out and perform. Their music is magic and very African. I let my supper get cold as I use my ipad to film parts of their performance. Afterwards, Bob and I spend some time in the lobby catching up on email before heading back to our room.

Everyone has signed up for the optional Game Drive in the morning and it leaves at 6 AM due to the heat later in the day.

Day 16 - Ochavango River

Monday 15 Sept. 

I believe I am the first to waken as it is still dark outside and there are the new sounds that I listen to in bed before getting up to photograph the sunrise as it rises across the river. It is quite beautiful but a bit eerie as I am aware of the potential of a dangerous encounter with a hippo at this time of the morning. One has been sleeping in the yard the last couple of nights and the local guide instructed us to ensure we are not between it and the river as there are more people killed in Africa by Hippos Than any other animal. They are very territorial and quite aggressive. They have no natural enemies. 

Coffee was supposed to be ready by 6, but the dining area is deserted when I get there. The sun is blood red and just coming up so I decide to go out on the deck over the river to take some shots as I step onto the deck something gives me a push on the back of my leg, above the knee. I am shocked and scared with a lot of different scenarios of my death racing thru my mind as I stifle a scream and jerk my head around to discover the boxer wagging his tail and looking for a pat on his head. So much for my wake up call, heh heh. 

I shoot some shots, and head back to the tent to see Mike and Tim are up and down by the river getting some nice close ups of the hippos. I join them for a bit before we go to breakfast as we have an 8 AM game drive to go on. 

The game drive lasts until noon and is pretty good as we see some animals we have not come across yet. We see Sable Antelope which are quite rare, some monkeys, and have a close encounter with an elephant who shakes his head and rushes the vehicle in a very threatening manner. Luckily he stops about 40 ft. away, as the motor is not running and he would have had no difficulty I trashing the vehicle and us. We had just been watching him uproot a small tree and pulling up the roots to munch on when he apparently got annoyed with our presence. 

We stop and have a drink near some water and a 1000 yr old Baobob Tree. It is spectacular and I take some photos of it and some other misshapen trees in the area. 

At 3:30 our group has a meeting where Mishek goes over our itinerary for the remaining days of our trip. We are to enter Botswana tomorrow and they will not accept Namibian dollars so we should get rid of it prior. 

I am booked on a river cruise at 4:30 which is quite disappointing as there is little to see, the driver doesn't seem to have a good grasp on the boat and I felt my time would have been better spent at the lodge relaxing. Those that stayed were treated to a sight of a couple of elephants coming down to the river to drink. At least this sunset cruise only cost $20.00. 

Supper is Oryx Stroganoff over rice and very tasty. It is a late (8Pm) supper once again. I mention something about supper and am corrected by our Australian friends that it is dinner lol. 

I am finally able to get on the wifi which is not very good here but at least we finally have some internet. I get a couple of emails and blogs off to Darlene and also get an update on how everything is going back home. 

We leave our canvas curtains up this evening to allow fresh air to come in which makes for a pleasant night's sleep. 

Day 15 - To Ochavanga

It is Sunday, 14 Sept. and the 15th day of our safari adventure. Everyone is getting along well on the trip and we are all very satisfied with what we have seen and experienced to date. 

Breakfast, packed and on the road by 7 once again as Mishek takes us to visit a couple of waterholes prior to hitting the pavement for our long drive. 

On our second last waterhole we come across a pack of Hyenas which is epic! One of them has a nasty gash around its' neck and we can see others trying to console it, or so it seems so to our domestic minds. While looking at our photos close-up, we can see the gash goes completely around his/her neck and there is wire there as well, probably from a poacher or trap. 

We see quite a few giraffes also and stop at the gate when we leave Etosha for a pee break. There are a couple of vans there with quite a few black children on board also stopped as they are just entering the park on a school field trip. Some in our group have their photos taken with them and I wonder about this as we really don't know them but later discover it is the African children who are requesting the photos as they often don't see white people. Some of the kids even have parkas on, although the temperature is already in the high 20,s at 9 in the morning.  

We soon are on pavement which is a blessing as the dusty dirt roads are tough on the body after awhile. 

It is around 5 PM when we arrive at Ndhovu Safari Lodge.prior to arriving there we see a lot of litter on both sides of the road and people lined up for water. We pull into the lodge and are greeted by 2 large dogs. One is a boxer and the other is a huge Great Dane. No one is overly anxious to get off the bus at first. Once we are off we go into the dining area which has an honour bar and a nice deck over the river. It is on this deck that we will later view hippos frolicking in the shallow waters of the Ochivango River. 

Bob and I are given tent #3 and see that it has a small patio, mosquito nets over the beds, a an outside bathroom and one outlet we are supposed to use in the bathroom. 

Supper that night is at 8 PM which is also where we gather to learn of our agenda for the next day as we will be spending 2 nights at this place. 

It is hot and humid as we drift off to the new sounds of the river, with thoughts of hippos and crocs in our dreams. 

I believe I am the first to waken as it is still dark outside and there are the new sounds that I listen to in bed before getting up to photograph the sunrise as it rises across the river. It is quite beautiful but a bit eerie as I am aware of the potential of a dangerous encounter with a hippo at this time of the morning. One has been sleeping in the yard the last couple of nights and the local guide indpstructed us to ensure we are not between it and the river as there are more people killed in Africa by Hippos Than any other animal. They are very territorial and quite aggressive. They have no natural enemies. 

Coffee was supposed to be ready by 6, but the dining area is deserted when I get there. The sun is blood red and just coming up so I decide to go out on the deck over the river to take some shots as I step onto the deck something gives me a push on the back of my leg, above the knee. I am shocked and scared with a lot of different scenarios of my death racing thru my mind as I stifle a scream and jerk my head around to discover the boxer wagging his tail and looking for a pat on his head. So much for my wake up call, heh heh. 

I shoot some shots, and head back to the tent to see Mike and Tim are up and down by the river getting some nice close ups of the hippos. I join them for a bit before we go to breakfast as we have an 8 AM game drive to go on. 

The game drive lasts until noon and is pretty good as we see some animals we have not come across yet. We see Sable Antelope which are quite rare, some monkeys, and have a close encounter with an elephant who shakes his head and rushes the vehicle in a very threatening manner. Luckily he stops about 40 ft. away, as the motor is not running and he would have had no difficulty I trashing the vehicle and us. We had just been watching him uproot a small tree and pulling up the roots to munch on when he apparently got annoyed with our presence. 

We stop and have a drink near some water and a 1000 yr old Baobob Tree. It is spectacular and I take some photos of it and some other misshapen trees in the area. 

At 3:30 our group has a meeting where Mishek goes over our itinerary for the remaining days of our trip. We are to enter Botswana tomorrow and they will not accept Namibian dollars so we should get rid of it prior. 

I am booked on a river cruise at 4:30 which is quite disappointing as there is little to see, the driver doesn't seem to have a good grasp on the boat and I felt my time would have been better spent at the lodge relaxing. Those that stayed were treated to a sight of a couple of elephants coming down to the river to drink. At least this sunset cruise only cost $20.00. 

Supper is Oryx Stroganoff over rice and very tasty. It is a late (8Pm) supper once again. I mention something about supper and am corrected by our Australian friends that it is dinner lol. 

We leave our canvas curtains up this evening to allow fresh air to come in which makes for a pleasant sleep. 

Day 14 - Etosha Park

Day 14- West  Etosha Park to East Etosha Park

The drive today is not so long, only 70 km, but takes all morning as we make a game drive out of it while we make our way to the East side of the park. 

During this game drive in the bus/truck we visit about 5 waterholes to see some incredible sights. We even come across a mother Lion with 3 cubs lying in the shade about 40 ft. from the road. Also present, (because predators are a big draw), were about 6 other tour/safari vehicles of varying sizes. A male Lion slowly strode thru the thick bush covered plain in the background which caused some momentary consternation for the female as she perked up until she could determine that he posed no threat to her or her cubs. It was difficult to get a shot and I am feeling rushed as the rapid fire clicks of my friends' Canon cameras is causing me to be concerned that I may not get "The Shot". 

While visiting the waterholes we see Elephants, Springbok, Oryx, Steenbok, Giraffes, Zebra, Wildebeest, banana beak birds, a Secretary bird, and some other critters that I cannot recall at this moment. Suffice to say that everyone was pretty pumped by the time we checked in at the Lodge, which is on the east side of Etosha Game Park. We had lunch (grilled ham, cheese and tomato for the 4th day in a row), at the lodge, and checked into our rooms. It is getting quite warm and one of the staff said it was in the low 40,s at noon. 

The rooms were quite a bit larger and more upscale than the previous evening as we had a desk and also a tub and even our own little rock covered yard!. 

We had finished lunch by 1:30 and Mishek was going on a game drive at 3:30 so we could join him or have the afternoon off. Bob elected to rest and relax while I took the 2 hours to have a quick shower, charge some batteries and download some photos before the game drive. 

At 3:30 I rushed out to the bus with my camera bag and lots of enthusiasm. There were only 8 of us going which meant everyone had a window seat. Mike, Tim, Rick, Bill, John, Chris, Frank and myself were taking the game drive. 

This game drive would last until 6:45 and was quite leisurely as we were not rushed and looking for game rather than trying to make as many waterholes as possible.   In some places the bush was very thick and in others it opened up to large Savana like plains with scattered Acatia Trees dotting the landscape. 

While in the thick bush we came across a couple of Warthogs who settled down once they realized we posed no danger. I was using my Loupe Viewfinder and along with taking my time, was getting some very nice results. 

On this outing we saw Ostrich, Oryx, Wildebeest, and the usual assortment of deer-like animals. We also saw a gorgeous Rhino and even came across a Cheetah by a waterhole. It was quite  a distance away and had its' back to us most of the time. We stayed there about 1/2 hr watching to see if this Impala would get the courage to come down to the waterhole to shake his thirst. Finally, the Impala decided he wasn't that thirsty so we moved on also. 

Supper was quite a nice buffet and everyone called it an early night as we had to have eaten and be on the road by 7 as we wanted to do a bit of a game drive in the morning before we did our drive. It was supposed to be a long drive tomorrow with 660 km of mostly paved road ahead of us. (Yay)

I downloaded my photos and got most of my charging done overnight as the excitement was tiring me out quite a bit.    

On a very happy note, slowing down, and using the loupe viewfinder has resulted in some very acceptable photos!

Day 13 - To Etosha Park

Day 13 - Ugab Terrace to Etosha Park

The drive today is not so long, only 370 km, on dirt road that is quite washboard composition at times, but the shaking, rattling and bone jarring ride is worth it, as the landscape flattens out and the rocky outcropings are replaced with Mohab and Acatia trees dotting the plains with numerous small, thorn-covered brushes everywhere.

We enter the park and are given 1/2 hr to visit the store for ice cream or to wander down to the waterhole as there may be elephants there. Not only are there 3 elephants there, but also Springbok, Zebra, and a couple of Giraffes. 

The time went by far too quickly and soon we are back in the bus, with excitement building, as we have seen some of the "Big Four" this park is known for. 

It is Dusk by the time we finally make our destination in the park as we have stopped numerous times en route at waterholes and along the road to view, photograph and marvel at the diverse creatures that inhabit this park. Even the trees are fascinating as they are gnarled, twisted works of art to me, bereft of any foliage, and covered with spines for protection. 

We check into our rooms quickly, and then go for supper. There is no desk in the room, but it does have a mosquito net and power, which the last place did not. We have lots of photos to download and we do that after supper. It is quite warm out and it is not until 1/2 hr before crashing that we discover that the room has air conditioning. Not like Tim and Mike who found theirs just before departing to our next destination. Once again we have an early morning, so we have no time to look at our photos or anything before crashing.     

Day 12 - To Ugab Terrace Lodge

Day 12

It is Thursday. 11 Sept around 9 Am as we leave Swakopmund and head up the coast. We stop at a shipwreck for some photos early in the day. Although it is in the middle of nowhere there are a number of guys trying to sell rocks there. The unemployment rate is high in Namibia, even though the mining industry is expanding. 

As we continue, the pavement turns to a hard sandy road, then gravel, then washboard. The coolness of being near the ocean fades to warmth and then hot as we leave the coastal region. The landscape has become hilly and infested with rocks and boulders once again.  

We have lunch at a small town and see numerous Himba tribe people around and along the road as we continue. 

By the time we reach Ugab, we have covered 430 km.  The drive was worth it as we have an awesome view of the fingerling terrace in the distance. I take numerous photos of it, despite the wind, as it is quite the site for me. 

Supper is great, Mike brings his laptop afterwards and it is neat to see the shots he took of the red dunes. 

The room is great, but there are no outlets that work so my photo upload time and battery recharging is going to have to wait for another day. Outstanding place to stay!!!

We have to meet for breakfast at 0645, packed and ready to go. 

Day 11 - Swakopmund

Day 11 Swakopmund Wed 10th

 This was our free day with a number of optional activities that we could do. I had booked the Sossusfly flight over the desert and along the coast.  The cost was 350 bucks and we were to leave the hotel at 9 AM. 

We were picked up at 9:10, driven a block where we paid and then waited for 1/2 hr for the overcast weather to change before heading to the airport about 6 km away. Once there we waited until just after 11 before finally taking off in a small Cessna. 

Our pilot was French and very nice. My partners on this were John, Chris and Judy. I ended up in the backseat all by myself with both cameras. Photographically, the trip was a bust as the sun was now directly overhead giving no shadows or depth to the landscape. There was a lot of low fog as well and dust over the desert. From a tourist point of view, it was very nice however and amazing to marvel at how massive the desert is. 

We got back to the hotel around 1:30 and I saw Tim and MIke heading to the adjacent bistro for lunch so went up to our room and got Bob so we could join them. Following lunch we went up to bank to exchange some money. both the South African Rand and Namibian Dollar are valued the same and honoured in Namibia. The exchange rate is roughly 10 Rand to 1 US greenback. 

Shopping was next on our agenda so we wandered about looking for gifts but found everything pretty expensive. One of our group had done research and said there was much better selection and price in Victoria Falls. 

Bob and I wandered down to the local jetty for a few pics and then went back to Bistro for a light supper (fish and chips) before back to our room for some internet and photo uploading time. We have a late departure tomorrow so it was 11 before I crashed. 

Day 10 - Tent to Swakopmund

0645 was our time to load up. Once done we drove to breakfast and then headed down the dusty road. We stopped for a 3 ft. Fat Puff Adder that was slithering slowly across the road and made a bathroom stop a mile further at Solitaire that had a bunch of old vehicles for decoration. 

Once on the road again, we settled in and I put my jacket up against the window as the sun was making it quite warm by the window. 

At one of the few curves in the road we came across an overturned vehicle with a number of people around. They had recently crashed probably due to washboard condition of the gravel road. We stopped but other than being shaken up they were ok. 

In the middle of nowhere we came across a pullout with a road sign. .... TROPIC OF CAPRICORN so we all got out for a group photo that took quite a while as no one was that familiar with their self timers and my camera was set up with the big lens. 

The next landscape change happened as we entered the Badlands of Namibia. The badlands consists of numerous small hills with sharp rocks. All the rock here is at a 45 degree angle when some massive geological event raised up part of the earth here. We made a couple of photo stops in this area before getting back to flat dessert with nothing but small rocks around. 

The landscape slowly changed once again as we neared the coastal town of Walvis Bay. We were now in desert country similar to what I had experienced in Saudi Arabia.  There was a lot of flat ground that was comprised a hard beige coloured sand with rolling dunes in the background. 

About 10 minutes drive south of Walvis Bay it started to get noticeably cooler and the sun was obscured by a low dense cloud or fog since the first time since we arrived in South Africa. At  first it was welcome but when we got out everyone was now cold lol. 

Lunch was a very long affair and delayed our arrival time in Swakopmund by a couple of hours. 

We were staying at a nice hotel by the waterfront and it even had wifi!

We had a couple of hours where we just relaxed and then went out for a supper that was mostly seafood. Supper was too close to lunch though and both Bob and I wanted a break from the late dinners tomorrow night.  

Day 9 - The Dunes

0615 was our meeting time on this day as we had to drive 3 km for breakfast and then drive 1/4 mile to the entrance of the park. By the time we had finished breakfast there was already a line of vehicles at the park entrance as they open at sunrise. 

Once inside we had a 64 km drive on paved road to where the dunes were. We made a number os photo stops along the way and on one of them there was a hot air balloon over the distant dunes which looked really cool and caused me to re-evaluate whether to try it or not. 

Once out at the dunes some elected to pay 100 Rand for a 4X4 ride to the dead lei area where they still had to walk 1.2 km to get to the site. The rest of the group paid 50 Rand for the ride back and set out on foot over the red sand for the dunes. 

There were too many photo opportunities along the ways and Mike, Tim and I fell back from the main group who patiently waited for us to catch up a couple of times. We had been told to wear long shirts and pants, sunscreen and hats for this trip. Closed shoes were a must as the sand would get inside your shoes and be very uncomfortable. Bob elected for the ride as he only had water shoes. We we were also to bring at least 1.5 litres of water as this was going to be a 3 hour hike if you went the whole way. 

As we neared the deadvlei Mishek informed our group that we could climb the one dune and go down the other side, something we had already done on a much smaller dune. Going down you slide a lot and this is where your shoes fet filled up with sand. Thanks (and I mean a BIG thanks to Darlene and Missy for helping me on choosing some great hiking boots and urging me to get some "good" socks as well. I got hardly any sand in my shoes and the socks somehow stayed dry, even tho it was starting to get really hot. 

When we got to the big dune, Tim elected to go with some others for the shortcut rather than attempt the dune. In the end, Terry, Sue, Frank, Mike and I were the only ones who made it to the top. 

It was quite a hike but the view was worth it. Going down to the deadvlei flat was fun and the dead trees were fascinating to view. 

On a side note, if a walk on the red dunes of Namibia is not on your bucket list, maybe it should be. 

By the time we made it back to the vehicles that were to take us back to the bus, everyone was very hot, a number were limping a bit (my right knee was getting a bit sore) and Bill's wife Cheryl was suffering from heat exhaustion. 

On the way back we were to go on another hike down some canyon but everyone passed in favour of going back to the tents. Instead we had lunch, photo stop at canyon and then back to tents for cold beer, a sleep or dip in pool for others. 

Supper that night was a repeat of the previous evening and we were back to tents by 9:30 pm.  

Day 8 - Sunday drive to Tents

Once again it was a 0630 breakfast followed by hitting that dusty trail at 0730 for our long, long drive. 

Flat scrub brush with rock covered soil was the scenery. We came across a couple of baboons early by a dried up riverbed that still had some green trees along it, and also an Oryx and a couple of Springbok. 

We are becoming accustomed to seeing Oryxx and Springboks as they are the most common in this area. Today was to be a long, boring day that would be spent in the bus looking out over rock covered flat terrain. There were these odd shaped rock hills everywhere and it is a very inhospitable area overall. Lunch is in a hamlet sized place. While waiting for our sandwiches to be made I ordered a Shandy and wandered up the street with Bob to visit the local hardware store that had a bit of everything. 

 The time we reached our tents everyone was tired of the bus, although in the last couple of hours the landscape now had some mountainous hills and there was much more dry grass than rocks. 

Our tents were a mix of Adobe walls, cement floors and canvas roof and windows. There was electricity, no internet or air conditioning. It was a long walk for Bob and I to the reception which is where the pool and small bar were. I went for a dip in the pool which was about the size of 4 bathtubs but very cool and refreshing. We relaxed in the tent until 6:45 PM which is when we met to be bussed up the road about 3 km for supper. Supper was at the sister lodge to where we were staying and quite up scaled in features. Dinner was an extravagant buffet outside with candlelight and an almost full moon for light. There was quite an array of salads including Sushi, salmon, and soup. The main course was cooked in front of you at a station where they had 2 chefs. At one grill there was a selection of beef, chicken or pork, bbq'd to your desire. At the other grill you had a choice of 9 different types of wild game, including gazelle, impala, Oryx, ostrich, eland, kodu, Wildebeast, springbok and I can't recall the last one lol. On this night I tried the impala and eland, neither of which I liked that much.  There was another station where you could choose your selection of western stir fry. 

Our dinners seem to take about 2 to 2.5 hours and it was 9: 30 before we were paying our bills. The place was packed and the waiters did an amazing job of reading the bills by candlelight and adding up individual bills by hand. There were a lot of Germans in this lodge. 

We were not up to late as we had an early day again tomorrow to visit the red dunes of Namibia. 

Day 7 - Fish River Canyon

0730 was breakfast but it was really 0630 S African time. The agenda for today was to have breakfast (buffet style with cereal, fruit, and eggs available), followed by a trip to Fish River Canyon which included a 3 hr. Walk along the rim. This canyon is second to the Grand Canyon and quite spectacular in its dept and width. The land is flat all around it so when you do get there it is quite a surprise. I took quite a few photos and also a group photo from the top of the bus.  There were some beautiful red leaf cactus blooming with a brilliant yellow flower at certain points of the rocky walls of the canyon. 

Every day on the bus we had been rotating seats clockwise and today was our day for the front seat! When we returned to the lodge it was free time until 7:30 for a briefing by Mishek and then supper at 8 PM S African time

We spent the afternoon in the lounge moving photos for Bob as his portable hard drive would only work on a Mac so it was a bit of a long process. While in there I had a   "Beer Shandy" which is 1/2 beer and 1/2 lemonade. It was so refreshing I had 2! 

Oryx was the main course along with pork for the buffet that night. I went for the Oryx (Rapier Horned Gemstock) which was cooked in a tasty broth and almost rare. Although it was rare, it was very tasty. So tasty that both Mike and I went back for seconds. 

Afterwards, Bob and I went to lounge and tried contacting home on the spotty wireless they'd had. 

Once again tomorrow was to be a long day (500 km of which 400 was dirt) to get to our next place which would be "Luxury Tents". Obviously we were asleep by 1130 PM. 

Day 6 - !Xaus Lodge to Namibia

Fri. 5 Sept

 Although the alarms were set for 4 AM, I awoke about 10 min. prior. Perhaps it was the anticipation, or possibly my internal clock is starting to work again, but for whatever reason, I was awake and anxious to see what the midnight sky would look like with no moon (it went down around 1 or 2 am) and with all the lodge lights out as well. Both Bob and I had brought along miners' headlamps for precisely this reason, and they worked like a charm. The lodge generator was not scheduled to start until 6 today, so it was very dark, quiet and serene. I must confess to a bit of concern when I first walked out of the room and onto the catwalk as the lecture about lions being present at night was still very fresh in my memory.

We took a number of photos, sharing Bob's tripod, and experimenting with what we had studied up on from the internet on Astrophotography. The "500 Rule" was designed to limit your shutter speed to prevent any star motion. It basically said you divide 500 into your focal distance to tell you the slowest you could go. 

I was using an 11-16 mm lens so I stayed around 25 - 30 second exposure. .... The pics look great on the small camera screen so hopefully there will be one to show when we are back to civilization. 

Everyone was at breakfast by 0615 and we were on the road by 0730 in the 4 X 4's the lodge uses. The /Xaus Lodge is pronounced as "house lodge", only with a "click" in your tongue before "house".

The 29 km drive out over the 90 dunes was not only as rough as when we came in (same road), but now it was quite cold as well as they are open air affairs. There were blankets on the seats so Bill, Bob and I pulled it over us to try and keep warm. It really was quite chilly on that drive!

Mishek was already waiting for us at the entrance to the lodge so after transferring our small packs and the box lunches from the lodge, we were back down the road in Transfrontier Park, heading for Namibia. 

Did we see game or what? It was early, and as we drove down the small valley, we came across quite a few different species. By 10 AM we had seen Spotted Hyenas Feeding on a far off ridge, Steenbock, Gemsbock (Oryxx), a Marshal Eagle, a couple of Vultures, Wildebeest, Osttrich, a Giraffe and some bird species I cannot recall. 

We went thru customs into Namibia around 1030. Mishek informed us Namibia time was an hour ahead of S African time but Daylight Savings was ending in Namibia in 2 days so not to bother changing our watches. S,  Africa does not utilize daylight savings time. 

In Namibia we had a 260 km drive over dusty, bumpy dirt road so I packed my camera away and got caught up on my blog on the iPad. 

Namibia is called the land of changes, and it does change as you drive thru it. The soil got progressively rockier as we neared Fish River Canyon. It also got flatter and more devoid of trees, if possible. By the time we rolled into Canyon Lodge we were all tired and a little dusty. 

The staff here were very accommodating and Mishek informed us they would be expecting 5 Rand for hauling our bags to our rooms. 

There was 2 single beds in our room placed about 6 inches apart. There was a mosquito net over the bed as well. They had a outdoor swimming pool and there was internet in the lounge. We dropped off our bags and headed for the lounge/bar for a quick drink. 

A sunset walk was planned for 4:45 so Mike and I headed out on that. It was short but enjoyable as they had drinks on top of the hill where we stopped to watch the sunset. 

Supper was quite nice with Kudo being the main course. Kudo is a cross between a camel and a deer I looks. The meat was good and not gamey at all, tasting something like beef. The supper btw, was a buffet and overall quite nice. 

After supper we had another drink and then we headed off to bed. Apparently there are no mosquitoes out this early in the season so we left the net up. Also, the net makes it quite warm as. It also traps your body heat.  I slept on top of the covers as it was quite warm there, in the middle of this strange desert. 

Day 5 - !Xaus Lodge

It is early morning, and I meet some of the others who have elected to go on the early morning Dune Walk.  We enjoy a quick cup of coffee before heading out over the grass and shrub covered dunes. We have a guide who gives us a quick rundown on what the rules are befoe we leave,  and another guide who will be bringing up the rear and keeping an eye out (with binoculaurs) for lions and other predators.

What are the rules?

- Follow my footsteps, as there are 3 types of snakes out there, and they are all dangerous. If you step on one of them you could have serious problems.

- If we come across a lion, or if a lion approaches us, DO NOT RUN.  Get behind the guide and let him deal with the predators.

- Be careful of the grasses, bushes and trees. They just about all have thorns, prickles or some other type of protection to ensure they survive.

- There are also scorpions about.  They become a problem when it is windy, as it becomes cooler on the ground then, and that is when they become active.

Once we had covered the rules we headed out over the dunes, which didn't seem like dunes due to the grasses and bushes all over them.

It didn't take long for our guide to start making stops and pointing out all kind of interesting things about the plant life, animals and also about how the indigenous people survived this tough climate.

We did not see any animals during our trip, but it was quite rewarding nonetheless as I learned a lot and have a new appreciation for how tough this land and these people are.

Once back at the lodge we joined the rest of our group for breakfast. At mid-morning there was an option to join a tour of the local Tribespeople which Bob and I declined as it seemed like it had a "set-up" feel to it. Instead, we relaxed, played with our cameras taking some photos, and enjoyed, the day of rest.

Later in the day there was a Sunset Drive which we joined. It was interesting to go over the dunes and see some of the desert creatures, although our glimpses were somewhat fleeting.  We came to a small hill and stopped there to unload a cooler and table, which the guides set up to serve drinks where we could watch the sun go down.  The sun goes down very fast here, and afterwards, we high-tailed it back to the lodge for supper, which was served in the regular spot.

After supper, everyone retired to their huts. Bob and I had wanted to photograph the Milky Way and this would be an excellent place, as the generators go off at 10 PM and the moon, according to Mike, goes down about 4 AM.

We got up at 4 to go out and shoot the stars.... It was very dark outside and a bit eerie. Bob and I got some excellent shots and before you knew it the sun was coming up and it was time to go for breeakfast

After breakfast, which was at 6:30, we had our gear loaded up onto the safari vehicles and headed out in the 2 vehicles over the 95 dunes.  The second vehicle had to turn back, as Tim and Mike had been left because there were 2 older women who were on it and the driver was just counting spaces. lol

Day 4 - To !Xaus Lodge

0600 was the time the alarm went off and I jumped in the shower as the next 2 days' showers would be highly salty in the desert. Breakfast started at 0645 and by 0745 we were on the road heading for Uppington, which was the commercial centre for this area. There are large salt mines here and a huge volume of fruit is dry packed here during the season. 

We stopped for 1/2 hour at a Pik n Pak mall for lunch supplies, bank Atm's and a bathroom break where there was no toilet paper lol.  

Once back on board I jumped up front with Mishek for the short drive to the border stop where we were to enter the Kgalahari Transfontier Park, which is jointly owned by Botswana, Namibia, and S. Africa. 

Once they the border we stopped for a picnic with our food supplies at a small camping spot. It was interesting to see some of the different types of RV's in use over here. 

After lunch we drove in an old river bed that was quite smooth. A couple of water holes were present and now I started to feel like I was on Safari as we came across small herds of Wildebeast, Springbok, Gemsbok, Steenbok, Ostrich, Orynx, and we also saw a very sick Lion lying in the shade close to the road. He was basically skin and bones and it was a very sad sight but also indicative of what life in the wild is really like. 

This was quite exciting as Mishek stopped the vehicle a number of times so we could watch and take photos. 

It took about an 2 hours of driving and stopping before we pulled off to meet the Xhaus Lodge safari vehicles which were to transport us to the lodge. These jeeps were open and after we loaded all our gear we took off across the reddish coloured dunes heading for the lodge. These dunes had lots of different grasses, shrubs and small trees everywhere. This journey would cover 29 km one way, over 90 dunes, along a narrow road built for 1 vehicle. I had managed to snag the front seat again which was more comfy than in the back. 

Once at the lodge, everyone had a drink and we got a brief talk about snakes (3 types here, all deadly), scorpions (2 types, 1 deadly), and the presence of lions around the lodge at night.

We were shown to our rooms and relaxed for a couple of hours before supper (African style), around a fire burning Acatia tree wood. Supper was an African dinner with lamb, rice and vegetables. It was very good. 

After supper we retired to our rooms as we were tired and the generator shut down at 10:30. 

There was a half moon with a lot of stars out. Bob and I tried some night photography with varying degrees of success.  

Day 3 - Augrivie Falls

0745 was the time breakfast was ready and the group gathered in the small square in front of our rooms a few minutes prior. Breakfast was in the same restaurant/heritage site as last night's supper. Once again it was buffet style with an assortment to choose from. The poached eggs looked inviting but the green broth they were floating in left me with a big question, the answer to which I would not get until after I had consumed one. The green broth was a spinach and feta cheese concoction that was actually quite tasty, appearance notwithstanding. 

Following breakfast we quickly loaded the bus and were soon on the road following a short talk by our guide Mishek. 

On this day, Bob and I declined to rotate and change seats, feeling this would provide an opportunity to interact with some different people during the course of the day. 

More flat plains greeted us with many different sized rock hills interspersed throughout. We made an early morning photo stop to view the Quiver Tree as well as some large nests with multiple birds called "Social Weavers".  The Quiver Tree was so named because the bushmen would take a piece of it (hollow inside), take the bark off and use it to store their arrows. 

It was shortly after 12 noon when we pulled into a small town called Veg... Or something where our lodging was to be for that night. We had a wonderful lunch there. Interesting prices though as Tim's ham and cheese cost 2.90 whereas my ham and cheese AND tomato was cheaper at 2.80!

Following lunch we got into our rooms, unpacked and than we took off for Augribie Falls, which was about a 20 minute drive.

The Falls were nice but not spectacular as I am somewhat spoiled from living in Canada. What was interesting was the marmot like creatures all over the place again, similar to Table Mtn. They are called "Draxx".  While looking around we also saw quite a few small 6 inch long lizards or geckos. The females were a grey colour whilst the males were covered in brilliant multi-coloured scales. 

While roaming around the d

Falls, 4 of our group also came across a couple of baboons. These I did not see but am hopeful to see and photograph some during this trip. 

Supper back at our lodging was quite long in being prepared but was most definitely worthy of the wait. I elected to have "Springbok Capaccio" (antelope) for an appetizer followed by Ostrich (200 g) as the entree. Terry and Sue were 2 of my dinner companions from Australia who have eaten lots of Ostrich recommended I have it either rare or medium but not well done as the meat would be quite tough. Apparently Ostrich is very high in protein with little fat OT cholesterol as that is all put into the egg  the meal was superb and extraordinarily tasty. Neither meat was gamey and the ostrich tasted a bit like a fine cut of beef if I had to compare it to something familiar. 

Following supper everyone retired as tomorrow also promised to be an early start with a lot of activity for tomorrow we were to "officially" leave S. Africa at a border crossing when we entered the transfrontier Kgalahardi desert park.   

Day 2 - To Calvinia Monday 1 Sept

0730 Monday 1 Sept

We Met in the lobby after breakfast and checking out of breakwater Hotel.  By 0750 we were all loaded up and on the road. Mishek gave a short talk on where we were going that day, what we would see, and also said we were to change seats each day. 

Table Mountain as we leave on our Safari

As we left Cape Town I felt a sense of anticipation for what the coming days would bring.  There were a couple of "townships" next to the highway as we neared the outskirts, and I took a few photos from the moving bus, mindful of how fortunate we were to be born in N. America to a middle class family

South African township for the poor

Further along, the landscape changed more as the land flattened out, and boulders with frequent piles of rocks became prevalent.

Grape fields for the wineries that are everywhere

It is the end of winter here in S. Africa, which is high tourist season. There were lots of wildflowers along the roads which were quite pretty and we stopped a couple of times for viewing and pictures.

Nice farm at one of our leg stretching breaks.

Stops were made every couple of hours either for leg stretching, bathroom breaks or photo ops. One of our travellers, Mike Dority , was keen about photographing the wildflowers which were in bloom and present everywhere for a couple of hours. We crossed this huge plain and finally came to this large hill. Mishek, our guide, later said it was a 2400 ft.  climb. Once on top I was expecting to go down again but we were greeted by another large, seemingly endless plain.

Switchbacks of the big hill we climbed up to get off one plain and onto another!

On left is road we just came up after crossing that large plain at the bottom

There was a LOT of construction later on that day which caused considerable delays in our progress.
Not very much machinery as it is cheaper to have manual labour than big machinery I guess.

Crews on road construction.

400 km was our mileage for the day when we finally pulled into this small town called Calvinia. It was 4:30 in the afternoon when we disembarked in front of the local museum. It was very cool inside which was a blessing considering how warm the bus had become inside over the hours. Normally a museum is a so-so item to report on but this one only cost 5 Rand (50 cents) and housed not only a.profound amount of sheep data but outside, around a corner was an old Blackstone stationary Diesel engine, a control panel and generator similar to what Bob and I worked on early in our careers with the Armed Forces.

My friend Bob in front of the control panel for an old Blackstone diesel we both used to work on.

Calvinia is not a large town, nor is it wealthy. Payday had just occurred which was evident by the lines of people in front of the local bank. Some individuals appeared to be drinking their monthly wages in a fairly rapid manner. Mishek picked us up at 5 pm and drove us down the road to a small Dutch motel that he had already registered us in with our names on the doors. It was with a bit of trepidation that I opened my door.

Motel in Calvinia, S. Africa

Quaint was an easy description but would not do it justice. It was comfortable and held all kinds of stories from decades of use. If only the walls could talk.

My room in Calvinia

We had a beer with Bill and Cheryl and were soon joined by Rick and Wendy. They were all from Ontario, retired, and were teachers except for Rick, who was an engineer involved with the production of steel over the years.

Dutch doors and an outside gate that had a separate lock as well. That is Bob, locked himself in, he did.

It was wonderful getting to know some of our fellow travellers and we joined them for supper, which was Dutch in nature and served at an old 1853 House which is not a restaurant and national treasure. The meal was excellent, with chicken, spinach soup, a curry flavoured shepherds pie. Dessert was an amazing rum cake with ice cream.

Group getting truck packed up in the morning. That is Bill from Ontario looking at me.

We were to meet at 6:45 the next morning so we all crashed to our rooms around 9:30 pm.