AH SURE AZURE

Tag: Southern Africa travel

  • Day 5 Namib desert

    Day 5 Namib desert

    Quiver tree sculpture at Desert Lodge

    Our day started with a forgettable breakfast at the Seeheim. 

    We crossed the disused train tracks and we were buoyed up by Swise’s promise of the best Apple Pie in Namibia, in a town called Bethanie. 

    Our route on ‘gravel roads’- bumpy

    A German missionary called Schmelen tried his best here for a few years, in 1814, until he went home, discouraged by the lack of cooperation from the Red Nation tribes that lived in the area. The oldest building in the area is the church built by him.

    A historic agreement whereby Luderitz bought land from the local chief was signed at a house in Bethanie. He later sold it on, claiming he had bought a much larger piece of ground due to the difference in the definition of a German mile and a South African mile.

    The town of Luderitz on the west coast is called after him.

    Namibia was known as Namaland after the Nama people who live there. Its name was changed to German South West Africa when it was taken over by the Germans. It gained full independence in 1990, some very recent history.

    In any event, the apple pie was delicious and the surroundings – a beautifully tended garden with cacti, succulents and trees for shade, made it a pleasant stopover.

    View from our bus that we dubbed the ‘Red Elephant’
    Oryx at the waterhole
    Sociable Weaver Bird nest
    A little bulbul finishing off the apple pie

    On the road to our destination, we spotted a Pale Chanting Goshawk, doing what the bird book said he does – sitting on top of a telegraph pole.Ostriches were seen along the edge of the road. 

    Pale Chanting Goshawk

    We had our first glimpse of an antelope, however, as we settled into our chalets, right on the edge of the desert at the Desert Lodge.

    In front of the chalets was a watering hole, where Oryx had just returned after the winter. The first night, we saw only a single one. Next morning, I spotted six.

    Oryx or Gemsbok with three twists in his horns

    Some wildebeest or Gnu gathered further down the long sandy drive to the Desert Lodge.

    It was all about sand here. It builds up, blown by the desert winds that come up from the rapid cooling and heating of the air every night and day. The contrast was extreme and definitely made us understand how rocks would shatter with the differing temperatures.

    Every day, sand piles against the door, around the swimming pool, into machinery, the battle goes on with sweeping being a major task. 

    In the morning, I noticed hoof marks around the pool where animals had come for water the night before. We spotted wild dogs close by and we were warned to keep the zips on our bags closed at all times because of the number of scorpions.

    Our guides made us dinner and we washed up and settled down for the night. Our accomodation was modern and comfortable. The sky was spectacular with the moon waning on the wrong side. In the southern Hemisphere, it wanes to the left. We saw little slivers coming off the left every night, so you could hold the moon in your right hand while it’s waning.

  • Algeria, Cederberg Day 2

    Algeria, Cederberg Day 2

    A glorious buffet breakfast in the V and A got us off to a good start.

    As instructed, we placed our bags next to our tour lorry, to be loaded by Swise and we were off again.

    We soon learned that seating on the bus must rotate in a clockwise direction. Once that was organised , we set off.

    Our guides proved taciturn about the day ahead. We drove North out of Cape Town, stopping for shopping and Bushie bushie- loo stop- and we were advised to get enough booze and water to last three days. 

    I got a couple of six packs of the local Castle beer and a nice bottle of Robertson wine with five litres of water, portered out to the bus by an obliging attendant.

     We were to get enough Rands for Namibia too- SA rand being accepted there.

    We passed  through Citrusdal, so called because of the vast amounts of orange and lemon trees. The fields were covered with white sheets of netting that looked like water, to protect them from insects.

    White nets to keep flies off citrus trees driving north on the west coast of South Africa

     Soon, as we moved into the Cederberg mountains,we saw the Roobois tea plants, unique to this region, lining the roads.

    Eventually, we stopped at a lodge called Algeria, after the town of that name in the area.

    We set up for lunch, then Swise dropped the bombshell that the hike that afternoon was a three hour one.

    We all opted to try it except for two German ladies.

    It turned out to be a difficult hike in the hot sun, up rocky terrain with loose rocks making it more difficult. We got strung out along the trail and soon, four decided to go back to the camp, while the rest of us, about six, continued on with Tawanda. Swise had actually found it difficult himself and he took shelter from the sun in a rock like cave along the path. 

    We made it to the fork in the road where we could continue on up to the waterfall at the top of the mountain or take the circular route back to camp. We opted for the latter and from then on, it was downhill. Still tricky, as it is as easy to fall downhill as uphill.

    Looking at the mountain from a distance, it seems to be all rocks with the occasional low bush or shrub. Once you are on it though, you see lots of colourful plants and trees. The Cape is known for its huge array of indigenous or endemic flowers and plants. 

    Back at camp, the group that had turned back were only just in before us. We still had an hour’s drive to our lodge for the night, Highlanders, further north, in the middle of a vine growing region.

     We were greeted in  Highlanders by Raul who showed us our rooms. They were simple and decorated with old wine barrels for bedside tables and headrests for the beds out of cask boards. 

    The day wasn’t over yet! 

    Next ,we had a wine tasting with the aforementioned Raul, an Afrikaans/ English speaker who was a witty and charming host.

    Highlanders in Cederberg mountains

    Next was dinner by a wood fire, prepared by our guides . Chicken casserole with rice was very welcome after the day’s efforts and, of course, the wine. 

    I had to turn in early as I was totally exhausted. 

    A super night’s sleep followed in the comfort of our lovely chalet.

  • Sweeping Southern Africa in Twenty One Days

    Sweeping Southern Africa in Twenty One Days

    Cape Town to Victoria Falls. My Itinerary

    It started with a cocktail in the tranquil setting of Domes Miramare, in the heart of South Corfu, where the date palms tower above the bamboos that lead to the sand and the blue sea stretches away allowing us to imagine and dream.

    ‘A three week tour from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, passing through the Okavango Delta – sounds marvellous’ my friend Jan said

    ‘ it does ‘ I replied ‘ I’ve only been to Africa once – Kenya- 1985…’

    (at that stage I had never heard of the Okavango Delta)

    ‘Would you be interested – really?’

    ‘Of course. Lets look more closely at the itinerary’

    And that was it. Plans were made, Deposits sent, vaccinations booked. Then disaster. Jan had a fall, leaving everything undecided while she had physiotherapy As the weeks went passed, Jan made steady progress, but not enough to allow her to travel.

    So I’m going on my own. In a group of twelve. I’ve packed already. I’m using things directly from my washbag. A real sign of excitement. The only way not to forget things.

    It’s a 21 day trip, on a lorry. The safari vehicles used by the company look a lot like lorries. They are custom built to withstand the roads of Africa and have air con, fridges and cooking stove. Large windows to allow you to get a good view. I wonder how they decide who gets to sit by the window. Maybe it’s rotated.

    My first leg of the journey is to get to Athens. From there I take a four hour plane ride to Doha, thence to Cape town on a nine hour forty five minute minute leg. Basically, we fly the whole length of Africa. What an enormous continent to say it takes almost half a day to fly over. That’s overnight tonight so I’ll be wearing my eye mask and hoping to get some sleep. It’s fun to think I won’t be driving a car for three weeks.

    Our vehicle for the next three weeks.
    Weaver Bird’s nest

    So follow along with me, and let me share my discoveries along the way. I’ll be finding out more about the bird who makes this nest and why and how if it’s not perfect, the female refuses to use it and the male must start again.

    Me at 2am in Doha en route to Cape Town

    View from my room V and A City Lodge at Waterfront Cape Town
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