Flashback Friday - Shalati Safari Lodge 2021

We had an afternoon safari with the Shalati Lodge, my sister and I were the only ones in the safari vehicle so we both had excellent views.  The southern end of Kruger is much busier, with a little town in Skukuza and close enough for people to come in who are staying outside the park.  Also as it’s part of the publicly owned part of the park, the vehicles are more limited and required to only stay on the main roads.

Elephants in Kruger are fairly safe from poachers.  The park is busy and well staffed so it’s a much bigger risk for poachers and the ivory isn’t worth the risk usually.  Rhino however are still at risk.  The guides won’t talk about them on the radios, nor is anyone supposed to post on social media or any of the animal spotting apps about them.  The guide was optimistic that there were a couple in the area we could hopefully see.

In the evening the big find was a leopard.  She had made a kill and pulled it into a tree close to the road so was a little easier to spot, even as she hid in the grasses near by.  Unfortunately that meant there was a huge crowd of vehicles all along the shoulder.  We moved along before too long, and saw a few hyenas as well as a Warthog being followed by her litter of piglets.

We stopped for our sundowners, I had a G&T again, and our guide told us that the gates to the park close around sunset so all the people staying outside had to be gone.  We drove back past the kill site and were pleased to a lot less vehicles.  Then the leopard also decided she was hungry and leapt up into the tree to feed while we took watched.  It was pretty intense. 

Back at the lodge we had dinner and more wine that we should have with another early morning. Our room on the train was absolutely beautiful. The walkway to the rooms was along the west side of the rail bridge, so the east wall of the room had big beautiful windows.  We were up before sunrise for our safari, but did the lightening of the sky to greet us in the morning. 

This was the first morning where we were actually out before sunrise.  I was excited (but tired) at the idea of getting some pictures of the sun breaking the horizon, maybe with a solitary tree or an elephant near it.  And as the moment got close, they spotted a rhino.  It was off in the distance, and took me forever to pick it out of the scrub.  Then I realized I had missed the sunrise!  Ah well, we did see a Rhino!  It was a black rhino, and we also got to see a white rhino that morning.  So it was a special day. We also stopped back by the leopard kill tree, she was lounging in the grass below it this morning. 

We had a great safari, had an amazing breakfast at the lodge and then lounged for a few hours before check out - I really wanted to try the pool.  We didn’t have a long drive that day as the plan was to stay one night in Mbombela (formerly known as Neslpruit) so we didn’t have to rush.  My sister also wanted to do some shopping before we left as meats and booze were a lot cheaper there.  We grabbed a couple bottles of Moët for $50 cdn!

Then it was a drive back to Maputo, and back to work for my sister.  Not for long though, our mom was coming to visit and with the bit of overlap we had one more little excursion planned!

Flashback Friday - Hamilton’s Tented Camp Safari 2021

As I left the cabin to head back to the main lodge I was confronted by the most incredible sight.  Several elephants had walked up past our cabin and were standing right beside the walkway.  I was just stunned by how close these magnificent animals were.  Staying as still as possible, I took a bunch of pictures.  I then wanted to go back to the room to let my sister know what was just outside.  There was on elephant who got a little close to the walkway and did not seem pleased with me trying to slip by.   

When I managed to safely get back to the room I opened the door and was quietly calling for my sister to come see.  Eventually I realized I was hearing her equally firm calls to come in the room.  She was at the balcony door watching another elephant just outside snacking on a tree!  It was just amazing that several elephants just decided to explore the foliage around our cabin while we were there.  To my sister’s consternation I slipped on to the balcony for some more pictures.  If I had been dumb enough to try it, I probably could have touched her!

It was becoming one of those trips where just when you think it can’t get any better, the universe throws a surprise at you!  Well after that amazing morning, a delicious lunch, we still had another safari.  We had another wonderful trip with just the three of us in our vehicle.  We saw more of the same animals, and such beautiful birds.  There was another G&T watching the sunset, and a fabulous dinner.  One of those evenings where I don’t recalling anything that stands out, but that everything was simply wonderful. 

Another early morning was our last at the camp.  Our new friend had an early flight and had decided to skip the morning safari so she wouldn’t risk being late to the airport. So it was just my sister and I for the morning safari.  And it was beyond amazing.  Early on we were alerted to a pack of Wild Dogs (also known as Painted Dogs) in the area.  There were a few adults and a whole mess of young pups just playing and bouncing around.  The Wild Dogs are endangered in Africa, so it was pretty special to see a big pack with so many young.  Then after watching them play for a while we continue on seeing what we could see.

With amazing timing, we rounded a corner to see a group of male cheetahs crossing the road way.  A few minutes earlier or later and we might have never seen them!  Our eagle eyed guide spotted them, and then we followed them through the landscape for awhile.  All four of them had large bellies, they had just eaten and were looking for a quiet place to nap.  One safari vehicle, quickly followed by two more, seemed to be a minor annoyance to the boys.  They eventually settled for a nap under some trees, allowing us to admire them before it was time to head back for breakfast. 

After breakfast it was time for us to pack up.  We weren’t quite done with Kruger, but had decided to spend one night at the luxurious Shalati Lodge in the southern part of the park.  So after another short drive to our new hotel we had time to settle in before another safari.  Shalati is absolutely incredible.  It’s in a fairly busy part of the park called Skukuza, the hotel itself is built from old train cars and parked on a disused rail bridge over a river.   The railroad used to be the main way through the park, and for tourists to arrive.  Since it was shut down the whole thing was repurposed for a luxury hotel.  The car in the middle was also the bar area, with a huge pool over looking the wild river below.  

The lunch at the hotel was lovely.  Thought we had a bit of a laugh. As food was included it was a fairly set menu.  About to order the dish with venison, we realized that the North American definition of the word might not apply!  When we asked, venison can really mean any game meat sometimes.   I don’t think we figured out exactly what it was, but it was tasty. 

Flashback Friday - A Safari in Kruger 2021

For the second part of our sisters vacation, we drove from Maputo into South Africa.  Crossing the border was a different experience for me, involving a lot different steps on both sides.  We got through easily though and were on our way before too long.  We had a fairly long day of driving ahead of us as our first stop was in the more northern part of the park.  We were driving up to the Hamilton Tented Camps which are on private concessions so they are a little more isolated.  I had been lucky enough to go on safari once before when I was a teenager, it was very cool but we didn’t see too many of the Big Five, so I was excited for another try.  

Things started very well as we saw hippos floating in the river as we crossed into the park.  This was quickly followed by giraffes, zebras and plenty of antelope.  The drive got more exciting when we had to stop for a train of elephants crossing the road in front of us, including some adorably tiny babies!  However, time started getting tight.  We wanted to be at the resort in time for the afternoon safari, so we decided we couldn’t keep stopping for every animal near the road.  Our decision was put to the test when we saw several cars pulled over, and they told us there was a lion near by.  Shaking our heads we had to keep going.  And then it seemed that around every corner there was an elephant in the road.  You just can’t rush an elephant that wants to take the easy path!

Our grit paid off, we arrived just as the guests were gathering for the safari.  We had enough time to introduce ourselves and drop our bags in the lobby and join the tour.  It was a great start to the safari, with more elephants and plenty more antelope.  So many colourful birds, and we saw a male lion relaxing under the shade of a bush.   We stopped for a sundowner at sunset.  It was something different to be served a Gin and Tonic in a crystal glass while standing in the middle of a clearing in Africa.   We then cruised back to the hotel for dinner.

During the safari my sister had been chatting with a single traveller.  She was a doctor that had come on safari after a conference in South Africa.  A lovely woman and interesting to talk to, when we saw the tables were set to have her sitting alone, we invited her to join us.  The dining area was a gorgeous open air spot overlooking the riverbank the camp was built along.  As it was the dry season the water levels were quite low.

After an amazing dinner, we were escorted to our cabin.  There was a slightly elevated walk way, and we were told not to go out alone at night as the camp is open to the animals.  It was an absolutely stunning room, with a gorgeous deck, a deep old bathtub and an outdoor shower.  The cabins were all nicely spaced for privacy and we had a small carafe of sherry waiting for us.  Everything was decorated with a colonial era feel.  Which was beautiful, with old trunks and binoculars, but slightly unsettling with the knowledge of the history of colonialism.   We still had a small toast with sherry for our vacation of course. 

Safari vacations are not for people who don’t like mornings.  We woke up much too early to get a good start to see the animals before the heat of mid day.  There was a very light breakfast for us to have before loading the safari vehicles.  As we were a touch crowded yesterday, there were two vehicles for everyone today.  My sister, our new friend and I were assigned to one.  This was a treat as they are three tier vehicles so we each got a row to ourselves to scoot back and forth depending on where the animals appeared. 

For the morning safari, we went down to where there was a large watering hole.  By the time we got there we had been driving for a bit we had our morning coffee break there.  It was just incredible because we had followed a herd of wildebeests to get there, and shortly after a large herd of elephants arrived too.  They were followed by a massive group of zebras.  The smaller animals all stood back and waited for the elephants to finish.  So I got to sip a nice mug of tea and just watch all of these amazing animals milling about.  It was just a fantastic morning.

When we got back to the hotel, we had a late lunch.  Then it was a few hours to relax before lunch and the afternoon safari.  My sister and I spent the time cooling off in the small pool and reading our books before going to get dressed for the afternoon.  Sis wanted to spend a little more time in the room but I decided to go back to the main lodge to see what could be seen from the deck.  When I started the walk back I got the absolute surprise of my life!

Flashback Friday - A Lakeside Resort in Africa 2021

I still find it a bit funny that while visiting the beautiful coastal country like Mozambique, and we went to a lakeside resort.  While planning the trip to take with my sister there were quite a few options, but she was very drawn to this one resort as she has been missing the lakeside summer options from home.  It was an excellent choice, it was an absolutely beautiful spot.  Although we had to take a rough and sandy road to get there.  It might not have been so bad, but it was only one lane wide and if you had to stop for an on coming car it would be easy to get stuck!

It was not a busy time, so the resort wasn’t busy.  We each had a gorgeous little cabin, and every morning a tray of tea or coffee and a pastry would be waiting on the little patio.  It had a gorgeous view in the morning.  I am NOT a morning person, but I enjoyed sipping my tea on the little deck.  

The afternoon we arrived was a pretty day, so had a swim in the lake and then read our books. Which is another theme for this trip.  We had a great dinner and then played cards in the evening at the little restaurant on site.  There was some disappointment from my sister that I didn’t want to share the seafood platter with her, but the other options did not disappoint. The wine selection was excellent as well. 

The first full day there dawned beautifully sunny.  We spent much of the day rotating between poolside and lakeside.  We took one walk along the road.  We did see one small village with a number of little huts.  As we walked along the road we saw a number of horses wandering around too. 

The next day we had planned to go to the beach.  Some on from the resort we were at drove us to the seaside, which wasn’t too far away.  It was pretty special.  They packed us a little cooler of drinks and snacks.  When we got to the spot, the man set up some hammocks for us.  It was a perfect little spot.  Though the weather was not great.  It was overcast and cool.  At least for an Africa seaside.  For a couple Canadians, well I would have preferred to have some sun.  It was still lovely.  We read our books and enjoyed a couple drinks.  We did swim in the ocean, though it was rough enough one had to be careful.

 My sister enjoys long walks so this was a great spot for it.  We had the whole beach to ourselves, so she took a long stroll while I tested out the hammocks.  Though eventually it did get a little cold for us in the wind, it was earlier than we had scheduled the pick up, but we had noticed a truck parked up the beach.  As we hoped it was some on from the resort who was just hanging out and waiting for us. 

That evening it rained as well, but once we were back in dry clothes and enjoying some wine at the bar it was an absolutely beautiful atmosphere for our last night at the resort.  I thought the water on trees just sparkled.  It was a fabulous phase one of the really special trip we had planned.  In the morning we would head back to Maputo, but just a stopping point on our way through to South Africa and Kruger for a safari.

Flashback Friday - Mozambique 2021

The next stop on my trip was Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to stay with my sister. I was lucky to be able to visit while she was working in Maputo.  She, of course, was very busy with work, but had planned to take some vacation while I was visiting.  To start with she met me at the airport, which was very helpful as the visa requirements are very strict.  Since I didn’t have a hotel reservation I had a letter from her explaining my stay.  It got a little confusing, but I made it through customs.  That evening she took me for dinner and showed me around the area near her home so I could explore by myself when she was working. 

It was my first time there, and the main European languages is Portuguese.  I had hoped to use my terrible Spanish to at least be able to remember the courtesies.  But failed miserably.  The worst that happened though was instead of ordering a glass of wine for my lunch, I ordered a bottle.  Luckily it was a good bottle.  

Another day my sister had arranged a tour around the capital for me.  I went through some of the main buildings, the markets and saw the main train station which is a breathtakingly beautiful old building.  We finished up at an old colonial area fort that is now the local museum.  Mozambique is interesting as it is a communist country.  There were several statues of current leaders and all were done in a familiar style - as they were gifts from North Korea. 

I spent much of the first week there just relaxing, reading by the pool.  It was really hot when I was there at the end of October., which was really only the springtime. Even the breeze off the sea was HOT.  It was easy to just sit and do nothing with a good book, and in the evenings catch up with my sister who I hadn’t seen in a while.  Thanks to both her job and the pandemic it was not a good time to be travelling back and forth across the Atlantic. 

I really enjoyed sitting in the various restaurants by the sea.  It’s a pity I do not like fish, as there was an abundant supply on the menus.  I do enjoy shellfish and managed to have a fair share of mussels, clams and the like.  It was a treat to have leisurely lunches.  The exchange rate was also very generous for Canadians so even the flub of ordering a bottle of wine was not out of my budget.  It was fun to feel fancy, which definitely became a theme of this trip!

Flashback Friday - South Africa 2021

Another beautiful morning in Cape Town, which slightly worked against me.  I had planned today to do the Hop On Hop Off bus tour, starting at Table Mountain.  When I arrived there was a massive line waiting for the cable car.  As I waited 2 hours for my turn, I made friends with the family in front of me and learned the weather had been terrible recently so everyone was taking advantage!

There were two cable cars to the top of Table Mountain, or one could hike.  So of course I took the easier route.  I could see the paths to the top - they are not for the faint of heart! The views from the were amazing, and there were lots of easy trails to explore the top.  The sun was strong that day, so I did a stroll around many of the basic paths.  There were some more complicated trails to go further along the mountain top but that was more than I was up for. 

After heading back down, with a much shorter line for the cable car, I took the tourist bus to the harbour.  My Hop On Hop Off ticket included a short boat tour from the harbour.  More great views, and lots of seals in the harbour.  I walked around the touristy harbour area and did lots of shopping for little souvenirs too.   I got back on the bus to head to the ritzy part of Cape Town, lots of fancy hotels and where the celebrities tend to stay.  

I found a nice restaurant with a view to the west to watch the sunset.  I had another delicious gin and tonic before having a steak for dinner.  It was absolutely delicious and I was so excited as it used similar spices to biltong, an amazing South Africa jerky.  Well, I got my beautiful sunset with my dinner.  I happily took a taxi back to my hotel for a nightcap at the bar there. 

In the morning was a big event.  I was doing the tour to Robbin Island.  That is the location of the political prison that held many notable prisoners including Nelson Mandela.  The island is now a museum and the guides of the tour are former prisoners.  I’m ashamed now to realize I forgot the name of the man who did our tour.  He was amazing to listen to.  Brought there as a political prisoner as a young man, he had a lot of stories to tell.  What is amazing to me is the hope that many of them held on to.  The more learned prisoners created a “University” to pass on knowledge to others kept there.  At one point the prisoners were mixed with the general, more violent criminals, hoping they would smash the hopes and souls of the prisoners.  Except many were able to win over the criminals and included them in the “schools” they created.

The prisoners had “jobs” also meant to crush their souls.  Some many quarried large rocks.  Others smashed them to small rocks, and still more ground them down to gravel.  It is amazing they survived, that Nelson Mandela survived 27 years of that, and emerged as a leader for all hoping to make a greater South Africa.  There are so many stories there, some terrible, some just awful, and some a little surprising.  Even our guide talks about being a little lucky.  He had a bad knee injury and was sent to a main land hospital for decent care.  A situation that didn’t always occur, depending on the mood of the guards that day. 

I was so honoured that he was able to tell his story.  He says that many of them stayed to work on the island as they weren’t able to find work else where.  Their stories are powerful and should never be forgotten.  So I will always be grateful to hear first hand what life was like there, and overcoming the experience and being willing to teach the next generation.  In fact when the guide asked where people were from, I was one of few foreigners.  He was pleased when the pandemic stopped a lot of international travel, a lot of locals were taking interest in seeing their own home.

Coming back to shore, there was a man selling some art, it was probably mass produced but a local style and beautiful.  I am terrible at haggling, which has gotten me laughed at by some friends.  So I did my best and knocked the price down a fair bit.  As I was paying him, my brain caught up with the currency exchange and I realized I was not giving him very much money at all!  So I managed to “find” more cash and gave him some extra.   The pandemic had been kind to me, but not people who rely on tourists!

Next was a walking tour of Cape Town.  There were lots of monuments and art work, seeing some of the beautiful parts of history and some of the shameful parts.  Though it is important to remember it all.  Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. 

That night was dinner with a cousin.  I had only met her twice, the first time was 25 odd years ago so we had changed quite a bit!  She picked me up and took me too a gorgeous restaurant on a beach.  We had some pizza and spilt a bottle of wine.  It was so fun to catch up and spend time with family that live so far away.   That was my last night in Cape Town.  In the morning I would be flying to Jo Burg to see more family!

I spent several days in Johannesburg with my cousins.  It was really just family time, dinners out and a huge family BBQ with my elderly Aunt whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.  It was just a special time, but not much to write about as I don’t really remember doing much except catching up with each other!

Flashback Friday - Africa 2021

Everyone struggled at lot during the pandemic, I certainly had some tough stuff.  In the grand scheme I managed well, with a steady job. But one of my biggest blows was I had a flight booked to Africa for March 21th 2020. I cancelled it on the 16th.  I was lucky to get a fair amount of money back, and some generous airline credits.  So about a year and a half later I planned to go again.  The pandemic was in a downswing, and my sister was still working there and happy to host.

My sister was working in Mozambique for several years, and I have cousins in South Africa so I was very excited for this long planned trip.   I was very lucky to start when booking my flight. Travelling with Ethiopian Airlines I got a business class ticket for about what the European airlines would have charged for economy! They had a really great deal on for Johannesburg which helped a lot as it was 13 hours to Addis Ababa and then five more to Cape Town.

I landed in Cape Town in the evening and checked into the lovely Cape Heritage Hotel.  I was absolutely exhausted, as I sleep badly on planes.  Even in a lie flat seat.  I was just looking forward to falling into bed.  I did have a peak at the mini bar, though I know it’s never worth it.  A quick bit of mental math with the conversion rate and I realized a bottle of beer was $3 Canadian.  So I popped the top and crawled into bed to wind down for an early night. 

In the morning I had booked a private tour with a local photographer guide.  We started early enough to watch sunrise over Table Mountain. He had some fun tips about looking for different angle. Next we drove up to a lovely beach, which I later realized was where some of my family lived!  It was a beautiful spot, with a large tidal pool for swimmers. 

We continued driving up the coast to Boulder Beach and the penguin sanctuary, where I got some amazing photos, before going to Cape Point and the Old Cape Point lighthouse.  Driving around the Cape Point Nature reserve, and the Cape of Good Hope was just stunning.  My guide was very knowledgeable about the local flora as well as photography.

We then stopped for lunch, saw an ostrich farm and then drove back along a coast road with lots of stops for stunning landscapes.  Back in Cape Town he gave me some tips for safer areas to explore near my hotel.  He recommended walking a few blocks of the Bo Kaap neighbourhood.  The houses are all painted bright and beautiful colours.

I had dinner by the hotel that night, and an early evening.  I wasn’t too keen about wandering Cape Town alone after dark.  As well I still pretty tired from the trip out! So I had a local gin and tonic at the bar before heading back to bed.  At least in the morning I didn’t have to be up before sunrise!