"The Big 5"

South Africa

Africa.  We never thought we’d get there after two attempts last year.  But three times is a charm.  It was our third continent we’ve visited, and what an experience it was.  Ten days, three different regions, and a lifetime of memories. 

Cape Town

We flew 10 hours into Cape Town, S. Africa’s second largest city.  It’s known not only for the harbor but also for its natural surroundings as its set in the Cape floral kingdom.  It’s so beautiful with the mountains in the background, and the palm trees and Atlantic Ocean at the base; it couldn’t be more picturesque.  

We went to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.  It was a somber tour, but one we all enjoyed so much.  Even the kids said it was the best tour we did.  Brendan wants to write about it when we get back to school and Ryan forgot about his rough start in South Africa – a blossoming cold, plane sickness, and an injury to his foot, which landed him on crutches for 3 days.

Nelson Mandela's cell

After a visit to the chemist, we explored the V&A waterfront, which resembled many luxurious shopping harbors  – Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, San Francisco’s Warf, New York City’s South Street Seaport, you name it.  It was lovely, and a nice way to unwind and enjoy the scenery and live music.

We started our third day at the top of a mountain and ended at the bottom of the cape.  Table Mountain was definitely a highlight. We queued and went up on the cable car that takes you to the top.  The lines are long and the mountain is often closed due to poor visibility, but fortunately we bought our tickets ahead of time and picked the perfect day.

We ate lunch two hours away in Simon’s Town where I had ostrich, and Mac and Ryan tried warthog.  It didn’t seem so off the mark until later in the trip when we toured an ostrich farm and were face to face with warthogs in the safari.  Then I felt a bit remorseful.

However, after lunch we went to see the African penguins at Boulder’s Beach and I am proud to say we didn’t sample any.  They are adorable creatures and although they seemed out of place without snow or the arctic temperatures, they were quite happy in sunny S. Africa.

We finished the day at the Cape of Good Hope National Park.  It was closing in 45 mins so we did a quick drive through and took lots of pictures.  Can you say gorgeous?  South Africa is truly beautiful – so vast and diverse.  You have the mountains, the coast, and the desert just miles apart.

Franschhoek, Wilderness and Knysna

On day four we left Cape Town and headed for the wine region.  We could have stayed for days but we only had an afternoon to enjoy the wine country.  Stellenbosch is perhaps the most famous town in the area, but we toured Franschhoek, a lovely small town known for its wineries and fine food.  It reminded me a lot of Tuscany, although we were only there for a day as well.  We met friends and ate at Moreson Farm.  It was so picturesque; the food was fabulous and the wine was paired perfectly – of course!

Unfortunately, we had a five hour drive ahead of us so we headed east on the N2.  It sounds like any other highway, but really it was a paved one-lane road in the middle of the desert.  Mac cracked the code for passing cars.  Remember there's only one lane, so if you want to pass you move into the middle of the road (when the coast is clear), the car you are passing hopefully moves over to the left shoulder (because you're driving on the other side of the road), and once you've passed you flash your hazards to say thank you.  It took hours to figure out the whole sequence, but we joined the locals and followed suit. 

We drove for miles on end in the midst of vast nothingness.  We kept checking the gas gauge for fear of breaking down.  But low and behold just when you thought there was nothing around, a town would pop up with a gas station, a plant or factory, and a couple of stores. This was perhaps the most interesting part.  This is truly Africa.  The couple of shantytowns we saw were desolate.   The one-room houses were made from tin and were paper-thin.  I can’t imagine living in one especially in the heat in South Africa.  No shelter from the elements with the sun just beating down on your back.  I felt hot just thinking about it - and it was cool by African standards.  They were heading into Fall.

We got pulled over several times – the first one was a firearm check. They checked our license and waved us on.  The same thing happened several more times over the course of two days, but this time they were looking for poachers.  The ranger from the safari told us poaching is a huge problem in S. Africa.  People are killing rhinos for their tusks, which are being sold in Asia for large sums of money. The sad part is that hundreds of rhinoceros have died already in S. Africa this year, and it’s a painful death.  Poachers use a chainsaw to cut away the rhino's horns, after darting it with a tranquilizer - drugged and helpless the animal bleeds to death.  It’s a horrible story and one we knew very little about.  However, after spending three days in the game reserve we learned so much about bush life – the good and the bad.

The next town, Wilderness, was wonderful but not what the name implies.  We were not out in the bush but rather right near Tsitsikamma National Park, a gorgeous park that abuts the Indian Ocean.  We spent two days touring the area.  We went to an ostrich farm, which was great fun.  We learned all about ostriches, fed them, examined their eggs (which were enormous!) and were offered ostrich rides.  However, after seeing the ostrich take off on the first ride, we all declined.  Ostriches are crazy birds – big, fast, and aggressive.  

The elephant sanctuary was equally impressive but a little less hokey, and the kids did take the elephant ride.  The sanctuary has six elephants which are in rehabilitation because of a genetic defect or because they have been hurt in the wild.  We fell in love with these gentle giants.

The unexpected gem though was our short hike to the suspension bridge in Tsitsikamma State Park.  Mac was determined to do a hike and squeezed it in before we headed off to the safari.  Ryan was off crutches now so we thought we’d give it a go.  It was the most spectacular hike we ever took.

Pumba Game Reserve

We arrived at Pumba not really knowing what to expect.  At the gate we were given a scroll with a welcome note from the lodge.  They asked if we wanted to be escorted in but we declined.  How difficult could it be? Exciting is more like it.  We drove off road, sliding in the mud and passing numerous animals, for about 20 mins.   It was exhilarating and a bit scary, but we loved every minute.  We were served the customary warm towels and hot chocolate, and then whisked off on our first game drive.  

We traveled into the bush and saw the animals, close up and in their natural habitat.  We went out on two game drives each day, at 7 am and 4 pm and the drives lasted two and a half hours.  Pieter, our ranger, was our window to the wilderness.  He taught us everything and answered all our questions, which at times were redundant.  We picked up the terminology, “male dominant lion," "female lioness," "boma" (where they incubate the animal before its released onto the reserve).  We traveled for miles off road in an open jeep weathering the elements.  We hit rain, wind, and chilly days, but for the most part it was beautiful weather. 

I thought by drive #6 we would have grown a bit tired of bush life.  However, it’s a jungle out there and every day is different.  The first day we were enamored just to see any animals, and if we got close we were overjoyed.  We saw impala and bushbuck, warthogs and wildebeest.  They were a dime a dozen.  We also spotted a giraffe on the way in and an elephant walking in the distance – that was a treat as it was the first of the big animals.  We learned about the Big 5, the five animals that are the most difficult to hunt.  Ryan featured them at the top of this blog – leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant and lion.  We saw all five but not without perseverance.  The leopard is the hardest to find, probably because it is the fastest animal in the jungle.  The buffalo was tricky as well but mostly because there were not many living on the reserve.  The others were a bit easier to spot and we got to see them in their herds, which was a special treat.

After a few days, we became accustomed to seeing the animals.  The warthogs grazed on the meadow alongside our cabin. We were free to walk to and from the lodge during the day.  However, at night we had to be escorted as the animals could be lurking about and we didn’t have the protection of the jeep.  One drive we followed the female lioness who was pregnant and on the prowl.  We found her and her cub sitting on the hill looking for their next meal - the herd of impala.  (Luckily, the impala knew she was there and were on full alert.)  We were so close to the lioness she actually brushed alongside our jeep and looked right at us.  I thought, “Why not take us?  We’re right here and certainly a lot easier to catch than those deft impala.”  But Pieter explained that the animals are used to the trucks and they view the jeep as one big unit – one that they can’t take (except for the elephant).  If we stay still and keep our bodies inside the perimeter of the jeep then we will be fine.  Pieter didn’t carry a gun and for some reason I felt completely safe.  Clearly, we were getting a little too comfortable there.

Our experience at Pumba Game Reserve was one we will not forget. Everyday was an adventure, and we were pampered and treated like royalty. All the reserves in S. Africa are 5 stars, which means you stay in the most luxurious accommodations, bask in your own splash pool on your private balcony, eat gourmet meals, and have unlimited cocktails before, during and after the drives.  Kids get hot chocolate, muffins, and homemade cookies.  They were given gifts upon arrival and the staff did an Easter egg hunt just for us. They warmed our beds with hot water bottles and left chocolates on our pillows.  Every wish was fulfilled.  One day I said, “I wish that giraffe would turn around so I can get a better picture," and Pieter made it happen.  Don’t ask me how.

Impala or as Pieter called them, "McDonald's"
because of the "m" on their bottoms.

South Africa was truly amazing.  It was not without its mishaps; I think the first aid kit came out everyday. Fortunately, the cuts are fading but the memories remain.  We took close to 1,000 photos so we have a lot to look back upon.  It is one place we will always remember.

As they say in South Africa, "Baie dankie" (buy-a-donkey) which means thank you very much.