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Eight Countries in 41 days

August - October 2023
A 41-day adventure by Karla Read more
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  • 31footprints
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Couple, Sightseeing, Vacation
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  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 2–6

    Cape Town, South Africa

    September 1, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    We flew Delta Airlines from Phoenix to Atlanta. Then, nonstop from Atlanta, Georgia, to Cape Town, South Africa, at 5:50 pm. on Thursday, August 31st. It took 14 hours and 45 minutes. After three movies, reading a book, and several meals, we arrived. We were surprised the long flight really wasn't that bad. We took a taxi and arrived at the Marriott Crystal Towers in Cape Town around 7:00 pm. on September 1st. It was a lovely hotel. We were happy we were staying put for four nights. Hussar Grill at the hotel was open, and we had a wonderful time chatting with the bartender over dinner.Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 3

    Animals in the Wild

    September 2, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    It was a spectacular drive along the coast with our guide from South Africa, Willem Swanepoel. After our coffee break, we hadn't gone far before we saw hundreds of baboons just wandering along the roadside. We were excited when we reached the Cape of Good Hope, the most southern tip of Africa. We were later to learn that, in fact, that was not the case. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa based on the misbelief that the Cape was the dividing point between the Atlantic
    and Indian oceans. In fact, the southernmost point of Africa is about 150 kilometers (90 mi) to the east-southeast. This created some confusion and early deaths for some very early sailors. As we traveled to the Cape, we were surprised to see so many ostriches and zebras. That picture of the zebra hardly looks real. On the way, we stopped at a cove where the penguins hang out. It was so cool to be so close to penguins in their natural habitat. On our way back getting ready for our lunch, we saw some other wild animals preparing for a lunch of their own. It was quite fun to see where the local sea lions found food to eat and how they chased the man with a bucket of leftover fish that he threw in the ocean. The sea lions weren't far behind, climbing the ledge and jumping in after them.
    A delicious meal for us, too, ended a beautiful day with an amazing view.    Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 4

    On our way to the whales

    September 3, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We started our adventure today seeing beautiful canola fields. While we waited for our whale watching boat trip, we saw lots of rock rabbits, they are very common in this area. After a short introduction, we boarded the boat in search of whales. We had hoped to see lots of whales on our Hermus whale watching boat trip. The ride was beautiful, a bit long, and it was hard to get a good picture of the whales. We saw a few flap their tails. We were lucky enough to see some breaching but never caught it on our camera. After our boat ride, it was time for lunch. Our guide knew of a restaurant in a cave that he thought we might enjoy. There was a history about the cave that many years ago it was home to a lady who loved the ocean. Now it's a restaurant for lunch.
    We sat outside at a table on the rocks with the waves rolling in. At one of the tables, a man had to lift his feet as the waves rolled in, or he could have lost his lunch. Luckily, that wasn't our fate. We shared shrimp and fish and chips. Some of the best I've ever eaten. While eating, we could see the whales breaching in the distance from our table.
    On the road back, we were surprised to see so many baboons. Another day full of beautiful scenery and animals!    Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 5

    Table Mountain Bo Kaap African wineries

    September 4, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    It was a short trip with Willem, our guide, to Table Mountain. Up to the top in the cable car we went. Amazing views! It was hard to believe all the lush vegetation when we reached the top with interesting rock formations. Upon descending Table Mountain, we were on our way to the Bo Kaap neighborhood of Cape Town. Bo-Kaap is known for its narrow, cobbled streets lined with colorful houses. Local Cape Malay culture is represented at sites like the 1790s-built Auwal Mosque and the Bo-Kaap Museum, with exhibits about the achievements of Muslim immigrants. I loved to see the locals in Bo-Kaap, and I was able to purchase a small bracelet one of the local ladies made. Nearby, simple restaurants served curries, roti, and other Cape Malay dishes. Unfortunately, we couldn't stop for lunch as we were on our way to the wineries of Stellenbosch. We were able to visit three very different wineries, a modern, very beautiful winery, a winery from the 1600s, and a modern bare bones winery. Each had their own charm. We stopped in the middle of our winery tours for a light lunch, which was a treat as well. Another lovely day with our delightful guide, Willem Swanepoel!Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 6

    Travel Day

    September 5, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We loved Cape Town, but at 2:30 p.m., we left Cape Town on Kenya Airlines for Nairobi, Kenya, eager to catch up with Nick and Jolene. We landed at 10:20 p.m., got our bags, and had a driver take us to the Hilton Garden Inn in Nairobi. It was a lovely hotel, much better than the Hilton Garden Inns in the United States. Nick and Jolene were to arrive there early the next morning. We were so excited to meet them in Africa. What a wonderful reunion it was when we saw them in the morning! Unfortunately, with some kind of a little snafu, we were only able to stay at the Hilton for one night before heading over to the Pride Azure Hotel also in Nairobi for two more nights. We're standing on the steps outside the Hilton for one of our first photos together in Africa before leaving for our next hotel.Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 7

    National Museum of Kenya

    September 6, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Amazing museum! 2 1/2 hour tour with a Kenya native tour guide! We experienced the history of Kenya and its people. There are 43 different tribes within Kenya today. Joy Adamson had significant influence in Kenya. She came with her first husband to Africa in 1935 to escape Jewish persecution in Europe. After his death, she married a botanist, which led to her life-long career. Unfortunately, she was murdered in the 1980s. She has her amazing works of art on display at the museum. We finished with the Big Five lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo animals of Africa along with smaller species of animals. It was good to note that 80% of Kenyan people today are Christians ✝️.Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 7

    The Carnivore Restaurant

    September 6, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Dinner at the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi was such a treat. The four of us ate outside. It was like a Brazilian steakhouse with exotic meats from Africa. We thought the crocodile meat was a little tough. The only unfortunate thing was, it had rained earlier in the day, and the mosquitoes were quite nasty. They really bit up my feet and legs. On Friday, I saw a doctor at one of the safari camps, not ours. She gave me a shot of prednisone, 4.5% hydrocortisone cream, and extra strength ibuprofen.Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 8

    Elephants and Giraffes and Market shop

    September 7, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    On Wednesday and Thursday night, we were staying at Pride Azure in Nairobi, Kenya, with Nick and Jolene. We had an amazing time with the giraffes and elephants on Thursday, September 7th. We saw a baby black rhino that was very afraid of the elephants. We even adopted an elephant 🐘 😅. Her name is Mushuru. We'll be following her for the next year. We had lunch outside at an amazing restaurant. That white item on the plate is called ugaIi, a traditional African food. Our driver, John, had lunch with us and loved ugali. I had Kingklip. It's a species of cusk eel. A common table fish eaten in South Africa. It was delicious. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures of the cool markets. We were too busy shopping.😁Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 9

    Safari Day Amboseli and Kibo Saari Camp

    September 8, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    It was a bit cloudy as we left Nairobi in our own private plane on Air Kenya to Amboseli National Park Airstrip. Here, we met our guide that took us to our first safari camp, Camp Kibo Saari. On our way to camp, we saw a flock of flamingos. Millions of them flew as we pulled away. It wasn't long before we saw gazelles, wildebeest, elephants, zebras, hippos, water buffaloes, warthog, giraffes, impala, ostriches, and massi tribe members herding their cattle. The terrain was flat, open, and dotted with acacia trees. It was very easy to see animals everywhere! Meals at camp were served buffet style with the best homemade cooked to order pizza.Read more

  • TravelerEight Countries in 41 days
    Day 10

    Maasai tribe

    September 9, 2023 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It was day two of our safari in Amboseli at Camp Kibo. Today, we saw lots of cheetahs and hyenas, too. A highlight was meeting the members of the Maasai tribe.They met us as we pulled up in our Land Crusier. The head of the tribe spoke very good English and was happy to take us around their camp, showing us how they lived. This particular tribe had around 180 members. There were thousands of tribes around the area. At two years old, the Maasai people are marked on their face with a symbol. It's burned into their skin; sort of like I imagine branding cattle. Men often had more than one wife. Hair on a woman was considered unclean even on their heads. That's why they shaved their heads. Their dowry included paying 5 to 15 cattle to the father of the bride. With each new bride, they needed to build a new home. Their wives were responsible for building the home, cleaning the home, cooking all meals, and caring for the children. The men provided the food to eat and care for the cattle. Often, a man had 10 wives if he could afford it. That also meant ten homes. The roofs of their homes were thatched. Elephants would keep those roofs manicured. We met the principal of the school at the Maasai camp. He showed as the school buildings. Jolene is standing outside the walls of one school building, emphasizing dental health. They cleaned their teeth with a stick.
    When we traveled to Maasai Mara, our next camp, we were met and chauffeured by a Maasai tribe member. We found out that some of the practices from one tribe to the next differed, especially the branding on their face.    Read more

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