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Nancy and Doug Trips
Nancy and Doug Trips

Nancy and Doug Trips

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.
 “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” Read more🇨🇦British Columbia
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  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    Goodbye Africa

    August 4 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Well, it's two hours in the Ethiopian Airlines lounge before boarding my flight to Rome and then Toronto, thus ending my marvelous trip of a lifetime to Africa.

    I think it is time to get home, the trip being just long enough to see a good sample of the place and I don't have any feeling I want to stay any longer. I think the flu/cold over the past few days plus a strained rib muscle show that the trip was tiring enough with the pace of safaris, etc.

    What a fantastic destination. I have seen so much and learned so much and met so many wonderful people. Of course, the scenery / landscape and the incredible wildlife just blows you away. It met or even exceeded expectations, and how many times does a travel destination actually live up to the hype? Africa does! I also just was so excited to have the chance to see the relics of human evolution. You get to see 2,000 year old history in Europe, but here, you get 4 million years of history!

    Finally, the culture. So much energy, colour and vitality. The people here are great, perhaps excluding Ethiopia. South Africans must be the happiest people on Earth, Zambians the warmest and Tanzanians the friendliest. I am not just thinking of hospitality service staff where every contact was Ritz-Carlton level, but cab drivers, store clerks, and just people in the street.

    I love this continent, and especially think South Africa has so much to offer for all kinds of vacations.

    Back in Canada with a layover in Toronto, so time to post this final footprint.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    National Museum looks nice from outside
    4 sections? Only half openActual LucyAustralopithecus mother and child500 BC

    Addis Ababa

    August 3 in Ethiopia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    My plan in Addis was to see two museums and do a day trip to the north, but I was still feeling unwell, and there was a regular succession of thunderstorms coming through. The reports of the road trip are that the roads ore torture with many trucks and the trip is up to 9 hours, so I just did the National Museum, which was very important to me, and rested, recovered and edited photos.

    At the National Museum, I was finally able to meet Lucy. They said they had just re-opened the museum after renovations, but in reality, only the bottom two levels were open, and the modern history of Ethiopia was still closed. These were quite good, and they did a nice job continuing to fill in my knowledge of evolution.

    The ancient history of Ethiopia at the time of the Pharaohs, etc, was also quite interesting..

    Addis Ababa itself is an interesting place. The streets in the centre around the main government buildings and parks are very good, and there is a lot of development with skyscrapers everywhere, and more under construction. But, just a half block off the main streets, the roads and sidewalks crumble, and the street life of marginal existence takes over. My hotel security guard basically denied me permission to walk out into the street due to crime concerns.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    The dining tent at Sero Camp
    Check in "counter"Arrival at ArushaThe Art Gallery at Cultural Heritage CentreArusha road side sellers

    Travel Day

    August 2 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Travel can be hard, too.

    After the great viewing of the Mara River crossing, I was scheduled to see the herds from above by balloon on Aug 1st, but minutes before leaving at 04:30am, I was violently ill and scrubbed the whole day to recover in my tent. Manyama and I thought we could schedule on the 2nd (departure day), but for some reason, the office booked my flight from the Serengeti airstrip at 0830 despite my connecting flight was not until 7 in the evening.

    So on the 2nd, tummy is still bad and now with a head cold, planned to depart at 0630, but the gearbox on the truck was broken. I was very lucky one of the guides had not yet left on his game drive and was able to convince his guests to delay their day by over an hour, so Manyama arranged for him to drive me to the airport, but timing was now tight, so it was a wild and bumpy dash, but I made it on time. Short flight on the Cessna to Arusha, then the driver who was to pick me up wasn't there. Texted and called the office, and they got it sorted. It was still only 11 and if we went to Kilimanjaro airport right away, it would still be a six hour wait for my next flight (again, why did the tour company book the first leg so early??).

    So I asked we stop at the Cultural Heritage Centre to see a large collection (really a store) of arts and crafts. African arts and crafts is quite attractive. Even though I had no interest in buying anything, it would have been interesting to browse around this place as it is huge. However, I was feeling so sick I could not really spend time, and I just went on to JRO, where I had to sit for 2 hours before the check-in counter opened. Flight was then over an hour late, then my checked bag took an hour to arrive, and I could see it had been opened and rummaged through, although I had nothing of value in it, so nothing to lose there anyway.

    Finally, in my hotel in Addis at 11:30. I'm still sick as a dog.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    The crossing begins

    Main Mara River Crossing

    July 31 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After over 3 hours of patience, the main event begins!

    We see the leading wildebeests coming from the right heading across and then climbing the bank. It was incredible how many crossed -- the crossing went on for 50 minutes and I calculate 10 to 20 thousand animals crossed in that time. My guide Manyama said it was the largest he had ever seen in 10 years, beating the 43 minute crossing he had seen before.

    You can see things in documentaries on TV, from St. Peter's to the Great Migration, but seeing an event like this in person just can't be beat. What an incredible day!    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    1Enthusiastic at first, but then wait a minute!

    Great Migration

    July 31 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Soon after leaving camp, we broke the shock absorber again, but he was able to remove it so we could carry on. We drove through huge herds of wildebeests before getting to the river where many safari trucks were already lined up parked side by side in two rows like at a Walmart shopping centre. We drove a bit up stream to find a secluded spot in the trees with an excellent angled view of Crossing Spot #4.

    And Waited.

    There was a small herd on the opposite (Kenyan) side who had crossed earlier and some seemed to be interested in coming back to rejoin the main herd. The vultures and bodies of wildebeest on the opposite shore were testament to the dangers they faced on their first crossing, They kept approaching, then retreating over and over, and a few small groups and one lone wolf did come over. We were still waiting for the main herd on our side to go over. We could hear them mooing in the thousands, so we waited and watched the far side herd go back and forth not able to make up their minds.

    And Waited.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Yes, that is one of the cheetahs under the tree

    Central Serengeti Game Drive

    July 30 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Leaving the camp, we are immediately in the classic Serengeti plains landscape with short grasses ideal for the large numbers of the pretty little Thomson's gazelle. Manyama pointed out it was also the ideal terrain for cheetahs and sure enough we soon saw a pair stalking the gazelles but the they seemed to get active jumping on an animal too small to see in the grasses. They seemed to enjoy this appetizer judging by the blood around their mouths. They then got interested in the main course again, but the gazelles were having none of it and kept away, so we moved on. This sighting was quite a distance and was better appreciated through the monocular than the camera, sorry.

    We soon saw the first of several lion spottings for the day -- a male in the grass, then a female surveying the plains from a rock quite near to the road. There was also a family of six we saw resting under a tree, but to get closer would require going off-road against the rules, which Manyama would not do, although several other drivers did. The company called Leopard Tours was one, and we had noted they were very aggressive and indeed were involved in a scandal the previous week, blocking the animal's route to the Mara River.

    Bit more driving around, and we saw a leopard in a tree with a fresh Thompson's gazelle kill.

    Lots more to see of elephants, giraffes, various antelopes, and of course, zebras. Not large numbers per group, perhaps, as seen in Tarangire, but easy to find and see.. This part of Tanzania (in the Seronera area) is a spectacular game park for sure.

    We had lunch under a tree behind the drew quarters of a balloon outfit while the mount for the shock absorber was welded and headed up to the north, driving out of the park through some busy market towns and back into a smoky area where they are conducting controlled burns -- a constant activity in Tanzania to mitigate risk of larger fires, but also provide optimal grazing conditions, and especially shorter grass to improve viewing for safaris.

    We got to the Sero Tented Camp in Northern Serengeti, not too far from the Kogatende airstrip for a three night stay. This camp is a mobile camp, and it was still good, but a bit more basic. The staff, however, were fantastic.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    1

    Olduvai Gorge Museum

    July 29 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    This is where the Leakey family worked for a half century and discovered Homo habilis, among many other important finds that have greatly expanded our understanding of human evolution. They discovered the Proconsul skull, an extinct ape which is now believed to be ancestral to humans, the robust Zinjanthropus, the earliest type of stone tools are called Olduwan technology after this site and the Laetoli footprints were found nearby.

    The very high-quality exhibits had a great deal of emphasis on HOW early humans lived -- social structure, hunting methods and tool use, etc. They introduced me to the discipline of taphonomy, which looks at marks left on bones to gain insight into these practices.

    The site looks out over the gorge, but we were a bit rushed and had not left enough time to drive down and visit the actual dig site which has not actually been worked since Mary Leakey's death in the 90s.

    We then had a long drive to our lodgings, made longer by a shock absorber mount breaking, causing the thing to drag. We stopped at the park gate, where we got a local mechanic to remove the item. We got into the camp at 9:00, so I did not have much time to enjoy it. Thie Into The Wild Tented Camp was another tented camp and was even more luxurious than the last one. We did see a Mr. and Mrs. Lion walk across the road.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Grant's GazelleCervalCervalLesser FlamingosLesser FlamingosBlacksmith Plover and Great CormorantRed-billed Oxpeckers cleaning ticks of battle-worn hippoGrant's GazelleGrant's and Thomson's GazellesThomson's GazellesSpotted HyenaMale Ostrich

    Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive

    July 29 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Ngorongoro is the remains of a huge volcano which erupted and collapsed, leaving this caldera. It is over 200 sq.km in area and 610 metres from floor to lip. You have to drive up a frightening single lane road at the edge of the cliff used as a two lane road before getting to a viewpoint, at the rim top, then go down an equally scary road to the crater floor.
    Once there, you find a dense population of wildlife. There are no giraffe's, impalas or crocs, but we will see large amounts of most other animals. There are a couple dozen of the rare black rhino and we spent a good time driving around there usual haunt, but no luck. It was interesting seeing a large troop of baboons on the barren floor in contrast to the ones we saw in the forest of Manyara yesterday.

    The large lake in the middle attracts aquatic animals like hippo and lesser flamingo.
    .
    Saw my first serval cat.

    Great spot. We had lunch ending at 2pm and had to move it to Olduvai Gorge.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Yellow BaboonEgyptian GooseL-R Little Egret, Yellow Billed Stork, Great Egret, Juvenile StorkGreat Egret, Juvenile Yellow Billed StorkLittle EgretSecretarybird1 metre long Nile Monitor LizardThe happy familyCottage at Bougainvilla LodgeNo time to enjoy Bougainvilla Lodge

    Lake Manyara National Park Game Drive

    July 28 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We left camp and went around to the entrance to the park by 10, after stopping at a mechanic to have a starter relay replaced as it caused us problems the day before.

    The park is a different ecosystem, being on the slopes of the Great Rift, it has a lot of year-round water. The forest is tropical or near tropical and thicker than the open landscape so the wildlife is more difficult to see, but the overall drive is very pleasant with shade trees, babbling brooks and a lot more green than brown.

    We saw mostly animals seen before, but with a few new water birds. There were more large troops of baboons than I have seen before.

    We stayed the might at the very lovely Bougainvilla Lodge in Karatu after some confusion as the tour office had listed a different hotel on the itinerary, but had to change it apparently.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Vervet monkey groomingVervet monkeyWaterbuckPark picnic area

    Tarangire Park Game Drive Day 2

    July 27 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today is a full day drive in the park, returning to the same camp for a second night.

    Tarangire has a pretty and varied landscape with a resulting diversity of wildlife. We saw decent sized herds of the ubiquitous zebra, and elephants and giraffes in abundance as well. The river and other water features also provide extra viewing opportunities, and just having our picnic lunch in this landscape was a treat.

    Had a chance to see quite a variety of bird species too. We we lucky enough o catch two different lion sightings only 3 or 4 metres off the road. One of the lions had a GPS tracking collar on as part of the national government's conservation program. They were, like my sightings earlier in the trip, of cats laying under trees resting. A lion's day goes something like: Sleep 21 hours. Wake up. Kill something. Eat it. Go back to sleep. Hope to see some moving about.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    BaoBab Tented Camp

    July 26 in Tanzania ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    I will stay here for two nights. This remote wilderness permanent camp has 10 "tents" -- only in the sense they are made of canvas and doors and windows are zippers. In every other respect they are nicer than many hotel rooms. They are really spacious and have wooden floors, ensuite with a very well functioning showers. Electric is solar and there are not a lot of lights or electric power points, or any internet in the rooms. WiFi at the lounge is present, but not very fast, as I will find out through the next week.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    Tarangire Park Game Drive Day 1

    July 26 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Once in the park, we begin right away to see elephants, giraffe, zebras all of which are in great abundance. Not many antelopes and no cats so far.

    Got up to a termite mound and found they are rock hard. The termites colonize a tree stump, chewing the wood and mixing it with a secretion that solidifies the material.

    The landscape is different from previous parks -- a bit more open with individual acacia and baobab trees and less dense shrubs. The river makes a scenic valley.

    By six, it was time to get to our camp, which is actually inside the park,    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Masai hutsRush hour at the park gates

    Through Masai Country

    July 26 ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So I was picked up right on time at my hotel by Manyama who will be my guide and driver for the next 8 days. We have a LandCruiser all to myself so can ride in the front on the highway and in the second row under the pop top when looking for game.

    Drive through Arusha and outskirts was the typical chaotic African street scenes, more so as Saturday is Market Day.

    As we got to the countryside, we saw more and more of the Masai -- this is a real culture, not a tourist show. Herders wearing blankets with small and large flocks of cows and goats. Scattered here and there on the sparse pasture are the stick, grass and cow dung boma huts. Even Manyama says he does not totally understand why this specific tribe has been so able and willing to live this very hard life. A few days later, I met a couple of Masai around a fire and asked them and they say they don't feel it is hard -- it is all they know.

    A couple of hours of mostly highway driving to Tarangire main gate where we are met with a parking lot full of 100 or more safari trucks. Took about an hour for my guide to register, pay the park fees, and line up to get in, but to my relief, once in, and we all spread out over this 25,000 sq. km park, it was not crowded.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    Arusha Natural History Museum

    July 25 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After lunch, I walked the 5 minutes to this quirky little museum. It was built in the old German colonial Boma (fort) and is a collection of individual exhibits.

    The natural history building has a number of animals and birds, but also covering the walls are many photos from an extremely good nature photographer (Dick Persson)

    The history of the Colony is notable for the usual stories of colonial oppression, but even more for how unsuccessful the colony was. They kept bringing in settlers who failed to adapt to local conditions so that by the time of the early 20th century, there were only a couple of hundred settlers.

    They had another human evolution exhibit. Every country seems to have one. This of course emphasizes the findings at Olduvai and the very important 3.2 million year old footprints of Australopithecus afarensis (e.g. Lucy) found at nearby Laetoli.

    Finally there is Tom the tortoise who might be 200 years old.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Hotel's gardenInteresting tree with orange 'trumpet' flowers in my garden

    Morning Walk in Arusha

    July 25 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I had one day in Arusha, mainly to be sure of meeting my safari, but found the city quite charming. There are some very nice avenues with lots of tropical or near tropical trees. Downtown is more finished and less gritty than Nairobi, for example, but still with that African vibe. The street leading to the main market becomes the usual wild market feel.

    The clock tower is said to be the halfway point between Cape Town and Cairo. A number of upscale hotels and resorts are here, too.

    The city is quite large at over a half million and is both a hub for the rich agricultural region (they grow everything from bananas to vegetables to grain, staple crop is maize), but especially a tourism hub from which most Serengeti and Kilimanjaro expeditions depart.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Ginless G&T
    People, bikes, tuktuks, cars and dustWelcome to Tanzania'OneStop' Border formalitiesMt Longido, not KilimanjaroMany cars, buses and trucks decorated with religious sayingsHave seen several large abandoned projects

    To Arusha, Tanzania

    July 24 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After a trip that was more challenge then experience,I have arrived in a paradise.

    The shuttle bus trip was rather long. Boarded at 7:30 and got off at 14:30. it was very hot, bumpy, extremely cramped legroom and driven by a kamikaze driver. Scenery was typical very dry African sparse bush with the appearance of mountains near the end. It is interesting how chaotic and run down the road and the buildings along it were in the villages and towns. Also seeing the Masai in traditional garb, often barefoot, miles from anywhere, so not a show for tourists. Cattle, goats, and donkeys just loose, sometimes watched by a Masai herder, and several times we had to stop or gently force our way through a herd of animals on the road.

    Arusha then shows up as a tropical paradise with lots of trees and greenery and mostly well maintained streets and sidewalks.

    The Equator Hotel is another of these places from a bygone era with its own huge garden, restaurant with a terrace and very welcoming staff at every turn. What a change from Nairobi. The room is comfortable and spacious with a nice balcony. Will get a nice rest up here before the safari.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Biggest stuffed bird display I have ever seen. About 40 casesThe ancestor before apes and monkeys splitHomo erectus "Turkana Boy" 1.6 MYA

    Nairobi National Museum

    July 23 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Before I went in had a nice lunch of traditional West Kenyan food at the Heritage Restaurant.

    Enjoyed the museum. Not too large, and although the building, displays and captions are run down, the placards, when I could read them were concise and well-written.

    Notable sections include a Cradle of Mankind hall. Kenya, of course claims the title over South Africa, and puts the fossils found here more directly in our lineage, but there is much debate.

    The Hall of Mammals has the replica and actual skeleton of a famous large tusker.

    The History Hall did a good job of pre and post colonial history.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    McMillan Memorial Library, 1931
    100 year old Jamia Mosque seats 5,000Huge Marabou stork. Massive 12 foot wingspanCity Market. Fish, meat, flowers and souvenirs (from China!)Only place you can smoke -- only three existCatholic Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family, 1963Supreme CourtKICC - Kenyatta International Convention Centre1You really have to watch your step

    Guru Walk of the CBD

    July 23 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Felt up to it the night before, so I booked a walking tour of downtown with GuruWalks. Met the guide at 0800 - a young woman named Dany. She has only been a guide for two weeks. She was quite good, although did not have the non-stop flow of knowledge a more experienced guide has. However, was a good walk. Downtown Nairobi is commercial only - there are no mixed use or residential buildings, so it is a bit sterile. Nairobi's sidewalks are also atrocious, and I was watching every step I took instead of looking around as much.

    Nairobi was made by the British as a railway town, grew into the capital city of 5 or 6 million today. Dany feels the country is not doing well and there is much unrest among the young as unemployment is very high.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    The Sarova Stanley Hotel

    July 22 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    After feeding the giraffes, I had a cup of Kenyan coffee in their cafe and looked up directions to my planned next stop -- The Bomas of Kenya -- a cultural centre of tribal villages, dance show and ethnic restaurant and was surprised to learned it closed two weeks ago for a two-month long renovation. Darn! So I called an Uber to take me back home to figure my next step As we got to downtown, the driver was fretting a bit about if the traffic police would be present in my street. Apparently, there is a bylaw against dropping off passengers in the streets except in designated drop-off zones. What happens is that in the few seconds the door is unlocked while dropping or loading passengers, a cop jumps in and extorts a bribe! As the big hotels have space for the act, I suggested he drop me at the Stanley, which I knew was not far.

    So, here I am at the top hotel in town at 1:30, and decided to have a leisurely main meal of the day at the legendary Thorntree Cafe. This is a place with a legend. In the 1950s, a small café in the then Stanley Hotel became a hang-out for expats and bohemians as well as a central meeting place in Nairobi. People and travelers met here to swap information, trade stories, bum rides or figure out how to navigate the wilds of Kenya.

    When it was “just a small cafe” in the then Stanley Hotel, it played host to several famous folks like Elspeth Huxley, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt.. It is said that Ernest Hemingway coined the term “safari” whilst seated at this cafe. In 1958, when the hotel was redesigned, a Naivasha thorn tree (Acacia xanthophloea) was planted in its courtyard with the intent of providing a little shade for the tables here. Things didn’t turn out as planned because travelers used the tree-trunk to post notes and bulletins and turned a tree into a post office, leaving messages for travelers. The hotel now has a bulletin board to stick messages to.

    Anyway, a nice dinner, then spent the rest of the day resting.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Dish of treats to feed the animals1Much busier after 11

    Giraffe Centre

    July 22 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I think giraffes are among the coolest animals I've seen here. This conservancy gives one a closer look at these beautiful animals. I'm glad I arrived before a couple of coaches..

    A Kenyan-British-American couple bought the estate, which is now the adjacent expensive Giraffe Lodge hotel in the early 1970s, and learned that there were only 130 Rothschild giraffes left in the world. They caught two and soon had five, so they set up a centre in the mid-70's . There are 10 here now -- a male and 3 breeding females and their offspring who get released into parks and reserves when they are six. There are now a thousand giraffes in the world.

    For your admission, you are given a little bowl of dry treats that you can feed to the giraffes by holding it in your fingers (never on a flat palm) and leaving it on their very long (almost a half metre long!) soft tongue. Lots of interesting facts about giraffes were learned. The centre is part of a Kenyan wildlife program that is trying to do a lot of education, including bringing kids in.

    Some Fun Facts: Giraffes eat 35-65kg per day, mostly tree leaves, their favourite being acacia which are thorny, so their tongues and mouths have a tough lining. They are 2m tall at birth and males grow as tall as 5.5m. They have a 15 month gestation, are sexually mature at 3 years and live to 25 years in the wild. They sleep in 5 to 30 minute naps for only a couple of hours total, sometimes while standing or lying down, but always with heads held up.

    There is a not very interesting but peaceful and cool nature walk across the road.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler

    Travel to Kenya

    July 21 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Uber to Joburg airport at 630, check-in went smoothly and they did not take away my exit row with my sling and crutch just hanging from the backpack. Four hour flight on Airlink -- again excellent performance and service.

    Nairobi airport is not modern. In this day when governments spend billions on gleaming temples of aviation, it was shocking to arrive in a metal shed with concrete floors patched by metal plates, etc. However, the main thing is that it all functions smoothly and I was out at curbside in an hour, especially since I had resumed my sling and crutch for everyday use. and the staff kept whisking me to the front of the lines.

    Found the Uber and was in my hotel around 4. The Jamia Central Hotel is only adequate. Right downtown actually on the second floor inside a mall of shopping stalls. Old and run down slightly, but all seems to work. Have a desk and power outlets but lots of space and it all works. Staff are polite, but not especially welcoming as in other parts of Africa, but I think Kenyans are less openly friendly.

    Went for an hour walk around the block -- very busy, traffic and motorbike chaos etc. On that day, or the subsequent two, I did not see a single Westerner except at the Giraffe Centre and a few at the Museum, so I am certainly not in a touristy zone. Had a decent dinner on a terrace above the street, then to bed.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    The Three RondavalsVast groves often under nettingSchoon Huis ManorElegant setting for fast food from Nando's

    Transfer to JoBurg

    July 20 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    So we said goodbye to our resident tusker at 745 to drive back. Lots of variety of scenery along they way. Mountains and a stop at the Blyde Canyon (third largest canyon in the world). Orange groves, often under netting and roadside stands selling the fruit. Foothills and wide open plains of grain farms.

    Got to my quaint guest house near the airport at 5:00pm. It is isolated, so the manager Alfred used his Uber account to order up dinner. House was a lawyer's and is maybe 50 years old, but done up like an old manor house. Very unique. Not much to do, especially as the power went out due to SA's energy crisis. Tired anyway.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Giraffes and zebras together
    Mom and her kidsBaby getting a drink1The siblingsMom's back. Time for a drinkLeopards with their meal

    Kruger Game Drive Pt 2 -- Afternoon

    July 19 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    We stopped for lunch at Satara Camp which had campsites, restaurants and gift shops, then headed back out at 2pm to track down more animals.

    We came by a giraffe family, this time with a couple of zebras nearby. You will often see a couple different species of plant eaters hanging together as one species may have better hearing, and other better smell or eyesight, so together they are more able to detect predators. This family had two baby giraffes (tall for their age!) and mother nursed one for a bit.

    After seeing another Cape Buffalo, we drove by the den where the baby hyenas were to find Mom had returned and was nursing.

    Finally, before heading to the park exit, we thought we would take one more try at the tree where the leopard had its kill, and sure enough there were a few cars stopped ,and we pulled up to see not one, but two leopards in the tree -- a mom and her cub. Got a great time looking with my 'scope, but at 300m away, the 400mm telephoto had to be enlarged to 1600mm and that was a bit extreme so the photos are a bit pixelated. So we finished off with the most elusive of the Big 5.

    A great day in Kruger, but 12 hours sitting and driving -- a bit exhausted, so asleep soon after a dinner of open-fire-grilled chops.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Sunrise pre-departure
    Warthog.ImpalaImpala kill in a treeImpala are not usually this relaxedPair of 4-week old Spotted HyenaLilac Breasted Roller1Taken down by lion and abandoned for three daysWaterbuck (aka toilet-seat antelope)Down at the waterholeSteenbok -- smallest antelope

    Kruger Game Drive Morning

    July 19 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Loaded up at 0745 for the hour drive to the Orpen Gate of the Kruger National Park itself. We saw many species of animals today. The notable missing was the lion -- there was a giraffe killed by a lion, but although there are many in the park, they remained hidden this day, and from reports of some guests, this had been the case for the week. That;'s the luck part of safaris.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    Cape Buffalo staring us down
    Raymond and our truck1

    Balule Sundowner Drive

    July 18 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Time off after breakfast, then lunch and more rest before meeting up with guide Raymond at 3:00pm for what they call a sundowner drive. Lots of wildlife again of elephants, zebras, antelope etc. The new addition -- another of the Big 5 -- was a Cape Buffalo who stared rather intently at us. They are quite dangerous as they have a nasty temper and attack for no reason and without warning.

    Just before sunset, we find a nice viewpoint facing west and open up a beer or G&T -- the 'sundowner' - is the name for your end of day drink. Nice, then a drive home with a spotter using a flashlight. Saw some hyenas, but it was pretty quiet.

    Dinner was served at picnic tables around a bonfire. The cooking here is nice -- simple home style food. Tonight was beef stew.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsAfricaTraveler
    11White rhinoZulu the black rhino

    Balule Reserve Sunrise Game Drive

    July 18 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Coffee -- instant :( -- served at 5:30, then in the truck with guide Andy at 05:45 for a sunrise game drive. Right away we saw a giraffe against the sunrise. They sleep sitting down, but never lay their heads down as they would be too vulnerable to attack by lions. They only sleep in little naps at that.

    We got very close to a group of elephants that had knocked over a tree and were eating the leaves and twigs for breakfast. A recurring comment from the guides was about how destructive elephants are. They just tear down the trees and eat everything in sight. You see areas that look like clear-cut forest. They eat over 200kg of food a day, because their digestive system is actually inefficient and most gets pooped out -- and there is elephant poop absolutely everywhere in Kruger! This game reserve is over populated with elephants, and in about two decades, this will not be bushveld, but open grassland.

    We then saw a nice white rhino, and were then incredibly lucky to see a black rhino. There are only a few hundred left in Kruger due to poaching. Actually our guide was very skillful to track it down. He spotted some dung as he was driving and got out to show us it had leaves and branches and had been kicked around to mark his territory. This was the sign of a black rhino. He noted the direction the tracks went and in a few minutes we caught up to it, It was a well-known male named Zulu.. Black and white rhinos are actually both grey. Whites are flat mouthed and graze on grass, and blacks are hook lipped and eat leaves and branches.

    Back to the lodge for breakfast at 9:00    Read more

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