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Rio-Capetown

March - April 2023
32 Day Cruise from Rio de Janeiro to Capetown, plus a Safari at Madikwe Game Reserve Read more
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  • 44footprints
  • 14countries
  • 41days
  • 244photos
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  • 52.0kkilometers
  • 34.9kkilometers
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  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 29

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 30

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 31

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 32

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 33

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 35

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 36

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 37

    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

  • TravelerRio-Capetown
    Day 38

    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

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