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Rio-Capetown
  • Carhmil

Rio-Capetown

32 Day Cruise from Rio de Janeiro to Capetown, plus a Safari at Madikwe Game Reserve Read more
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  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    LOME, Togo

    March 24, 2023 in Togo ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We were welcome to port with Togo dancers and drummers. I think they played non stop for hours. We road the Oceania's transport to the Market.
    This city is motorcycle madness. Not like Asian countries with scooters. The motorcycles are for hire and used for main transportation. The Market was the usual hub bub of activity. As you see just about everything on top of women's heads, the one that got me was a sewing machine. Voodoo has a long tradition in Togo. The country is long and narrow. 317 long miles x 87 wide with 35 miles of shoreline.Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler
    The bucket on the ladies is cheese

    COTONOU, Benin

    March 25, 2023 in Benin ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We are once again on African time! Our tour to the Ganvie Village on Stilts this morning was delayed as 2 busses arrived an hour late. Leaving the port we pasted thru an area with well maintained flowerbeds. Such a contrast from the previous Afican cities. Woman are highly revered in Benin and can even have more than one husband. Stopped at the statue of the Amazonian woman. A 45 minute drive to the lake then a 20 minute boat ride to the village. The village is located in the lagoon of Lake Nokoue. It was created for the Tofinu people to stay safe from slave hunters. The teetering houses, schools and other structures form a ramshackle village. Depending on your tour guide, population of the village is from 30,000 to 45,000 people. Villagers' main lively hood is fishing.Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    SAO TOME, Sao Tome & Principe

    March 27, 2023 in São Tomé and Príncipe ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Hot, hot, 🔥
    Originally planned a private tour but were not comfortable with the company providing the tour. Then we were going to do a ship tour of the city but decided there really wasn't that much to see. We tendered in and joined a group and did our own. And as it turned out, it was so hot that it knocked the stuffing out of us. We soon headed back to the ship.
    Sao Tome was founded in 1485 by Portuguese.
    After leaving the port, we soon crossed the Equator. There was the usual Equator Crossing Cermony, kiss the fish.
    We came across another ex RBC employee today. Gary didn't recognize Astrid, but they worked together eons ago. I think they both might have changed a little bit. What a small world    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    Cruising the Atlantic

    March 28, 2023, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Sea Day with a little twist. Apparently, some cruisers have gastric issues from eating off the ship. It's not a problem with us. Lecture today on future technology.
    Tidbit - in Gambia we saw a lot of parked cars that were covered in dust. Obviously, they had been there for some time. Our tour guide told us 2 reasons. First, the police have stop checks, and if you haven't paid a tax, your car is seized. 2nd, if a vehicle breaks down, they don't have mechanics with the knowledge to repair them.Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    Cruising the Atlantic

    March 29, 2023, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Our day, breakfast with Gran from New Zealand and Grandson Julian from South Africa. Lunch with Kim and Ray from YYC. Dinner with Diane&Don SC/ Alaska
    Things that other cruises experienced but we missed.
    Togo - Voodo Market sells dog and cat heads. Glad we missed it.
    Tour bus visiting a fishing village got stuck in the sand. The villagers helped push the bus out.
    Benin - Toll booth broken down, Tour bus had to back up for abt a mile, spent around 1 hour to get thru the other Toll booth.
    SaoTome - A tour bus limped back into port on its rim.
    I am sure there are more stories out there.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    Cruising the Atlantic

    March 30, 2023, South Atlantic Ocean

    A little rock and roll today. Tomorrow Namibia.

    Gambia,Togo, Benin, Sao Tome are hardly bigger than the province of NB.
    Ghana was flying the Chinese flag in port. Many of these countries have the Chinese for backers.
    In Benin, if you don't paint your house, your taxes are cheaper.
    SaoTome has a renowned chef that has prepared meals for the UN.
    One cruiser got his hair cut in SaoTome for a dollar, with a tip cost him $5.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    WALVIS BAY, Namibia

    March 31, 2023 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    What a change in temperature! It is a jacket day for our tour in the Namib Desert. Namibia is a unique country.

    We had a memorable off-road tour. First stop at the rusty-hued sand dunes, whose colors vary due to the iron in the sand oxidizing to darker shade. Next to Namib-Naukluft National Park and the moon landscape that is similar to the lunar surface. Lunch was at green oasis in the middle of nowhere. Another unique stop with many artifacts that were used to display plants, etc.
    For me, it is one of the most interesting plants you will ever see. The Welwitschia plant is only found in Namibia and Angola. The plant I have pictures of could be up to 500 years old. Then on to the oceanside town of Swakopmund. It would remind me of a beach town in California. The last stop was a visit to see the flamingos, 2 varieties, one has pink tones the other more white.
    The area has abt 60,000 flamingos.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    WALVIS BAY - 2nd Day

    April 1, 2023 in Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Another adventure in Namibia. Six of us loaded into 2 4x4, heading south to Sandwich Harbor. Our destination was to the some of the worlds highest dunes that decend into the Atlantic Ocean. We were pushed a little for time as the tide was coming in and would soon reach the dunes, making it impassable by vehicle. Although that really won't stop you from getting to our final destination, as we soon found out. The ride back was thru the dunes and very excelarting. Up and down the steep dunes, more or less like a roller coaster. The dunes were mesmerizing, some how they just drew you in. Our treat was a champagne lunch in the dunes.
    We had a guide that was very persistent. He wanted to show us a Namib Sand Gecko. During the day, they bury themselves under the sand up to a meter deep. On the 4th try, our guide found one. Also, our guide showed us how a magnet would pick up the iron from the sand. He then put the iron in my hand and ran the magnet along the back. Weird, weird the magnet made the iron do strange things! The final stop was at the salt fields and the red water. And more flamingos    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    LUDERITZ, Namibia

    April 2, 2023 in Namibia

    A nice leisurely walk thru Luderitz visiting various landmarks was our adjenda for today. The town is known for its colonial architecture. The Lutheran church had an interesting stain glass window with the face of Martin Luther in the center. He was one of the founders. We were intrigued with the rock formation that formed part of the town and did a little exploring. Arriving back to the ship, we were greater with a tour from a young group of local students.Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa

    April 4, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We had a pleasant day in Cape Town taking the Hop Of On Bus. Table Mountain is on the route, arriving shortly after 10, and planned on taking the aerial cableway to the top. But the lineup was about 2 blocks long. Needless to say, we just kept on going. On to Clifton Beaches, that has a collection of beaches, named 1st to 4th. Each beach attracts a different crowd. The backdrop is stunning with Lion's head, directly behind, and Twelve Apostles to the south. The beaches with white sand, jagged rock formation, and Atlantic Ocean smashing waves are very scenic.
    Then, back to the ship. It was a little chaotic on the Pier as Insigna was restocking. It's hard to believe we have been on the ship for 32 days.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

    April 5, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We arranged a tour from the airport to Soweto Township. An enlightening day. Population of Soweto abt 1,200,000. Housing ranges from upper middle class to ramshackle homes. It has one of the biggest hospitals with over 3,400 beds, and the site has 430 buildings with various medical services. The lower income has their own justice system. You better not get caught! Officials are trying to remove people from the first housing development that was started when the blacks were removed from Joburg. It isn't working, so they brought in port-a-potties. There is no electricity. Now, in contrast, there are a couple of upper middle class homes that are used for TV soaps. You can see the slums from the upper middle class homes. We toured the Hector Pieterson Museum that commemorates the role of students in their fight against Apartheid. A couple blocks away is a street where Hector lived along with Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Visited the site of decommissioned cooling towers, 100m tall, that was a coal fired power station. From the top you can bungee jump, the bottom there is a pub. The last stop was the soccer stadium built for the World Cup. It can seat 95,000 people and is an impressive building. Then on to Joburg, population abt 6,000,000. The city skyline has some unique architecture. After checking into the hotel decided to walk to the mall. That lasted abt 2 minutes. Security guard at the hotel wanted us to call him so he could pick us up. We don't have cell service, so we decided to walk. Got to the first corner, made the decision to just go back. Didn't feel comfortable with the looks of Security posted at each corner.
    Early evening for us.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    MADIKWE, South Africa

    April 6, 2023 in South Africa

    A slow start to our amazing day. We arrived over an hour late from our scheduled time. Immediately after entering the Madikwe Game Park was an elephant. It was within 10 ft of the vehicle, next came baboons, Loads of Impala. Then, on to the lodge and lunch. Just before our outing at 6 pm, the elephants arrived at our doorstep. The evening was very eventful, more elephants, Impala, then a white rhino, blue wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, kudus, interesting bird, warthog, pride of female lions and cubs. Viewing the lions, we were off the beaten track, in the scrub brush, abt 10 ft away. In between, we stopped for snacks and an elephant that just saunyeted by. Then came out the search light, and a hyena was spotted. The sunset was stunning as was the full moon. Both red. What away to end the day. Oh yes, then there was dinner. Not tired much!!Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    MADIKWE 2nd Day

    April 7, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Up and out by 6 am. Blankets were provided , thank goodness. We had a wild ride, tracking cheetahs thru the tall grass, but they were elusive, when spotted, but got away. The morning animals, black rhinos, so many zebras wildebeests and Impalas, a number of Jackals, elephants. We had a coffee break. Returned for breakfast at 10.

    Evening was the usual suspects, with 3 of the big 5 at one watering hole (elephants, rhinos, giraffes). The female lions moved from the night before and were more visible. 3 females and 2 cubs a year old. Only 3 vehicles at a time are allowed for viewing so as not to intrude in their space. They seem obvious to us. Darkness upon us, Safari Guide spotted a poisonous puffer adder snake, an African Buffalo, finally and I don't know how he saw a 4" chameleon in a tree.
    Then, back to the lodge for dinner.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    MADIKWE 3rd Day

    April 8, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Another early morning.
    Surprised to see a leopard tortoise. Just mossin' down the road.
    Next, a pile of dung. We watched the dung Beatles finish its ball of dung and roll it down the road!
    Our guide was notified this morning that the three male lions were close by. First visit, they were just laying by the road having a cat nap. The older lion is 14 yrs, the younger 2 are abt 4 yrs. When we returned, one of the younger lions was more alert, and you realized how massive the males are.

    The morning was definitely a giraffe day. The elephants were on an eating frenzy, trees were being demolished.
    Final spotting, water buffalo in daylight.

    Returned for breakfast. We were entertained by the resident Hornbill. When he couldn't find any more food that might have been dropped, he would head to the sliding glass door and peck at it.

    Off to Joburg! Bitter sweet day leaving Madikwe, an amazing experience.    Read more

  • CarhmilRio-CapetownTraveler

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

    April 9, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Trip to and from Johannesburg.
    Our driver on the way to Madikwe dawdled along. He was 40 minutes late picking us up, didn't have money for the toll booth, and missed the turn to Madikwe and had to back track 10 miles. Now, on the other hand, our driver on the return trip thought he was an airplane pilot without a plane.
    The speed limit was 120 km, and we averaged 160 km. So yes, we sort of flew. The two lane highways with shoulders are used as 4 lanes. Slower vehicles move to the shoulder when someone needs to pass.

    The area we passed thru on our journey is where 70% of the worlds chrome reserves are. It runs abt 78 km long and 45 km wide with a number of companies mining.

    Town of Zeerust was packed with people lined up for ATMs and trying to get into stores. It just happened to be the wellfare payday, and money was deposited to their bank accounts.

    South Africa's power grid has issues. Power can be turned off at anytime, usually just for a few minutes. Where you really see the impact of the issue is at traffic lights. We saw very few that were in use. The corners became either a 4-way stop or directed by security personnel.

    Flying to Amsterdam this evening.    Read more

  • Trip end
    April 10, 2023
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