Tanzania (8/25-8/27)

After relaxing in Zanzibar, we landed in mainland Tanzania for quick safari trip to Ngorongoro Crater, but not before first visiting a nearby village of Ng'iresi for a glimpse into the lifestyle of the semi-nomadic Tanzanian Maasai. It was just amazing.
For photos, click here.

Tanzania

Kimberly

For this portion of our trip, we had pre-booked everything with a safari operator. Yes, you can just show up and hope to find something...but that something may be really shoddy-and in August, there may be nothing available. And it is just a better idea to book your safari through a reputable operator. Should anyone be planning a trip to Africa, I cannot highly recommend our safari company and travel agent enough. They were both invaluable. In Tanzania, we booked with Roy's Safaris(http://www.roysafaris.com/), who provided us with a private car and driver (something we realized definitely had spoiled us when we arrived in Kenya right afterwards), took us on guided safaris and visits, and booked our lodging and food. It was certainly not cheap, but probably half the price of the "safari" packages most people book...and the quality was amazing. We booked both this safari and our Kenyan one through a travel agent in the U.S. named Susan Wood. http://www.awaytoafricasafaris.com/) She provided an incredible amount of support and guidance: from articles on the Crater and Wildebeest Migration, to tips on what to pack, to advising us on how to get our passports back from the Kenyan Embassy (who had seemed to have taken them hostage just before our trip!).

After arriving in Arusha, we met our guide, Thomas, who took us to the village of Ng'iresi for a cultural visit. Set on the slopes of Mt. Meru, near Kilimanjaro, the village is home to a group of semi-nomadic Maasi...meaning that they no longer wander the country with herds of hundreds of cattle (used for dowries) and now work primarily in agriculture. We were quite surprised at the incredibly lush landscape--it looked just like the coffee and banana plantations I had visited in Honduras...I had to keep reminding myself we were in Africa. We first met with person who runs the project, who explained how all the proceeds from the "cultural tourism" program go into the community to build schools. Robert, a village resident showed us around, first taking us to the school that was built with the first proceeds of the program. We had the opportunity to meet with a teacher and ask him about the curriculum at the school. We also talked with a few students who were studying for the big test that allows entrance to secondary school. Afterward, we visited a family's home, which was actually a circular hut with a metal roof. The mother and her three daughters all sleep in one smoky room. Her two sons that have already gone through the right/ritual of circumcision live in a brick hut next door. In many ways it felt similar to the villages we had visited in Sapa in Northern Vietnam, but somehow more peaceful and tranquil.

After a good night's sleep at the Impala Hotel, we were awoken to a lone man answering the 5am call to prayer. It was really quite beautiful, if not a bit startling of a wake-up call. We rose for an early breakfast as we had a pretty long drive ahead of us to Ngorongoro Crater. All along the road we saw different Maasai settlements and many nomadic Maasai herding their cattle. We tried to snap some photos, but at 100 km/hour it was a bit challenging.

Ngorongoro Crater is often described as one of the natural "wonders of the world"--and I have to agree. It is simply breathtaking. Much larger than I had imagined, the caldera measures 10-12 miles across and has an area of 102 miles sq. The rim, which rises a whopping 2,000 feet, is comprised of surprisingly dense forest and usually is hugged by a misty fog. As we drove into the crater and reached the floor, the fog lifted, and it was suddenly was warm and bright...and then we saw the animals: hundreds of them. Zebra, Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo, Grant's & Thompson's Gazelles, Warthogs, and many birds, all grazing together in an open pastures. The concentration of wildlife was just staggering. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 wildebeest and 5,000 zebra in the crater alone! Take the number of animals we photographed in Kruger, South Africa...I think there were at least 10-20 times as many animals that we did NOT photograph in Ngorongoro!

The crater floor supposedly has the densest concentration of predators in Africa...and from our experience, we can't argue with that statement! In two drives we saw three different entire prides of lions...and some of them more than once! One of the highlights was watching a pride of lions sleeping only a few meters away from our Landrover. All the adults were fast asleep, but two little cubs were up and hungry. We sat and watched them feed, going around from one lioness to another (It's apparently quite common for lionesses to nurse others' young in the same pride--they share the responsibility.) And then there was yet another pride of lions that barely woke from their afternoon nap to lazily watch an entire herd of Cape Buffalo cross their path. We kept hoping for some National Geographic-worthy footage of a lion hunt, but they had apparently feasted enough the night before.

We stayed just on the edge of the crater at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge. All the hotel rooms are these enormous individual "huts" with large windows overlooking the crater. At night time we took our flashlight and shined it outside to see if we had any visitors and were surprised to find the reflection of the light on an animal's eyes not to far away. The continual crying and howling gave us the clue that our visitor was a hyena...that was enough to keep us inside!

In the morning, we took another game drive on the floor of the crater. Again, we saw hundreds of animals: lions, zebra, buffalo, jackals, hyenas eating their early morning snack.... The real treat of the day was just before we left though. It is actually rather uncommon to find entire herds of elephants in the crater, usually just a few old bull elephants live on the crater floor all alone. So it was an amazing treat to see a whole pack of elephants walking along the crater wall in a single file line. There were two baby elephants who would keep up with the rest of the group by holding onto the adults' tails with their trunks!

Our time was made even more memorable by the great rapport we developed with our guide, Thomas. He was incredibly knowledgeable about both Tanzania and all the wildlife. But more, he was wonderfully personable. On the drive back to Arusha we talked about our recent marriage on our hopes for the future. He shared with us his personal story, about how grew up in Kilimanjaro and why he had become a guide. He even told us about the hardship he faced last year when his wife suffered an eptopic pregnancy. They were planning to try again this year and hoping to start a family soon. We really hope the best for them, as Thomas was a wonderful ambassador to such a beautiful country.

Zanzibar (8/21-8/24)

Oh wow, Zanzibar! It sounds totally exotic and intriguing, right? Well it is amazing! We had only four days, but were able to explore two very different parts of this "Spice Island" in the country of Tanzania. First, the city of Stone Town, with its Arab architecture, street market, and intricately carved doors. Then, the small beach village of Pongwe on the east coast, with its isolated resort and nearby community of seaweed farmers and fishermen.
For photos, click here.

Zanzibar

Kimberly

We arrived in Zanzibar in the afternoon and headed straight for Stone Town. We had decided to split our time here so we could both see the cultural parts of the old city and spend a few days relaxing on the beach. For this reason, we selected a historic hotel in Stone Town, complete with Arab influenced architecture and furniture: The Dhow Palace Hotel. Persian traders arrived iZanzibarar in the 10th century and trade between East Africa, Arabia, and the Persian Gulf reached its height in the 12-15th centuries. The Portugese arrived in the 16th century, followed by the British, and the Omani Arabs...you can still feel the influence from all these different groups today.

It's hard to describe Stone Town, and our pictures don't do it justice. Yes, it is quite run down and dirty. But it is also incredibly beautiful. The narrow, winding alleyways (yes, we got lost many times), the intricately carved doors, the sound of Muslims praying, and the sight of women scurrying from the market--their headscarves blowing in the wind. It was simply unlike any other place I have ever visited.

In the morning before we left for our beach time, we did a short walking tour othete town. We visited the Beit al-Sahel, or Palace Museum, seeing where the sultan and his family lived until 1964, when the dynasty was overthrown. The incredible collection of authentic furniture and a fantastic view of the harbor were the highlights for me. We also saw the Beit el-Ajaib, or House of Wonders, whose entrance supposedly contains the largest carved doors in East Africa.

After spending an hour and a half driving a mere 35 kilometers (yes, the road was quite bad), we finally arrived at our little oasis, the Pongwe Beach Hotel. This place was just what we needed: somewhere to get away from it all and just relax. And that was pretty much all we could do! The hotel had no televisions, no internet, no telephones...in fact, the electricity was run by a generator which stopped at 10pm--meaning we had to take flashlights to see the toilet in the bathroom in the middle of the night! It also meant for a very relaxing three days. We generally took a walk in the morning, enjoyed a seafood lunch, spent most of the afternoon swimming or lying on the beach, and after dinner we would play board games (I kicked Dan's butt at Scrabble, but he beat me at Connect Four!). One night, the staff organized a romantic candle-lit dinner for just the two of us on the beach. They even dug out little holes in the sand and lit candles inside...as if the ambiance wasn't already amazing! As you can see, life was quite laid-back.

I have been to a lot of beaches all over the world, but I really have never ever seen anything quite like Pongwe Beach. It is absolutely beautiful...something about the colors of the water, the formation of the clouds, and the sight of Dhow sailboats passing along the horizon. It also does something rather phenomenal...every morning, the tide goes out for a good mile--every afternoon, it comes all the way into the shore, isolating the hotel from the nearby beaches. The village next door has taken advantage of this phenomenon by setting up seaweed farms that they cultivate during the morning low tide. Needless to say, our photos are amazing...so definitely check them out!

One afternoon, we heard a knock on our door and were surprised to find a smiling Pongwe Employee standing there with an envelope for us. She explained that her birthday was the next day, and she wanted to invite us to her birthday party. Such is how we came to celebrate Leah's 21st birthday with the entire staff and guests of the Pongwe Beach Hotel.

Everyone went all out for the party. The staff set up tables on the beach, made decorations with palm fronds, put together a makeshift Zanzibar band, and even organized a soda chugging contest for entertainment. The highlight of the evening for me was the singing of my new favorite song...the Hakuna Matata song...no, not the one from the Lion King, but the song they sing for everyone's birthday: Jambo Bwana. It's quite catchy, I warn you, but take a listen here if you're interested...and you'll get to see some fun video from the party! (Click here) And yes, they really do say "Hakuna Matata" here...I did a complete double-take the first time I heard it myself!

After three days of relaxing, we set off for the Zanzibar airport to catch our flight to Arusha, Tanzania. We waited and waited as the normal sized planes boarded and took of. Finally, this tiny plane pulls up and they call boarding for us...there were only four of us on the plane (well five if you count the pilot)! It was insane! I don't usually get scared while flying, but something about watching the pilot made this flight so much worse than normal! Needless to say, I was very relieved after our perfect landing in Arusha!

Winelands, Whale Country, & Garden Route (8/18-8/20)

East from Cape Town, we drove along the southern coast in South Africa while detouring through wine country, scenic towns, and coastal parks.
For pictures, click here.

Franschhoek & Garden Route

Daniel

We left Cape Town and spent the first couple hours driving along the scenic coastal highway on our way to South Africa's wine country. We decided to base ourselves in the little French town of Franschhoek...because we had heard the food was better there. :) And the food was quite good! We had made lunch reservations for La Petite Ferme weeks before our arrival. The food was quite good, but it was the spectacular view into the valley that made it so special.

During our stay in Franschhoek we enjoyed a couple wine tastings at Mount Rochelle and Grande Provence. Interestingly many of the South African vineyards put their top end wines in screw top bottles - in an effort to quash the rumor that only bad wines come in screw tops. The town was picturesque and the surrounding mountains highlighted the vineyards flourishing in the valley below. Our B&B - Akademie Street Guesthouse was fantastic. Run by an older couple who (with their two dogs)were extremely accommodating. They lent us a laptop during our stay - so that we could try to catch up with the blog. Obviously that wasn't quite enough to keep us up-to-date...but it was still much appreciated! The full breakfast was amazing with fresh jams and breads - not to mention all the other goodies.

After Franschhoek we set out on another long drive east, passing through Hermanus along the way for some whale watching. I managed to catch only a glimpse of a right whale (only a small part of it's back) during a stroll along the rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. Kimberly somehow saw two whales breach completely out of the water, and told me to turn around just in time to catch the splash as they landed. We decided to try our luck with the local fastfood chain, Steers, mainly because all the other tourist traps looked just as awful.

After many hours of driving, dealing with road construction, and watching the intermittent rain, we finally arrived in Knysna, our jumping off point to explore the Garden Route region. It's another coastal town with plenty of souvenir shops and good ocean views. During our stay there we visited a local farmer's market along the Garden Route, perused the many African craft shops, and hiked around nearby Tsitsikamma Park.

The Wild Oats farmer's market was a great mix of fresh produce and already prepared foods. We tried the fresh orange juice (we went back for seconds), bratwurst, and roti with naan. Since it pretty much rained non-stop during our stay we skipped many of the outdoor hikes and sights. We did manage some shopping and finally purchased a few souvenirs, including a woven Zulu basket traditionally used to cover large jugs of beer.

On our last day, we drove by one of world's highest bungee jump locations, Bloukrans Bridge (708ft). We were fortunate enough to catch someone jumping just as we got to the view point - we got goosebumps just watching the "lucky" jumper. The highlight was when we realized that you get almost three full recoils before the cord finally settles. Average jumps are about half the distance! After the semi-adrenaline rush we trekked around Tsitsikamma National Park, which hugs the coastline and is full of scenic views of streams and waterfalls flowing into the ocean.

Cape Town (8/14-8/17)

We landed in Cape Town one day early - and looking back very thankful that we did. Cape Town and the surrounding region is packed full of history, natural beauty, and amazing cuisine!
We finally started using the video function on our little camera, so there are tons of great videos from this part of our trip. Click on the links in the text below to see a flock of penguins, children singing, and me dancing...or trying to at least.
For pictures, click here.

Cape Town

Daniel

Food, food, and more food...Our first day in Cape Town is best described as pure gluttony. We were so overwhelmed with all our dining choices that we just had more meals (breakfast, lunch, high tea, dinner, & dessert). We had lunch at one of the best restaurants in Cape Town, the highly recommended 95 Keerom. The ostrich carpaccio was amazing, and Kimberly swears her tuna steak with a balsamic vinaigrette was the best seafood she's ever had. (I can't comment on that...although I did try a bite, and it wasn't too fishy...) After lunch, we actually went straight to Mt. Nelson Hotel for high tea. Rumor has it that they refused to accommodate President Clinton during his South African visit when the secret service security requested that they cut down the trees lining their main driveway entrance. Even after the security backed down the hotel refused to accept them as guests. And for dinner, we enjoyed a nice, albeit random, dinner at Cara Lazuli. The food was supposed to be North African/Moroccan, but other than the tagine on the menu, it didn't seem that way. At one point during the meal, they came out with all these funny hats and made all the guests wear them for the rest of the meal...

The next day we had quite the opposite experience, far less indulging in fancy food...and by far the most eye opening and culturally rich day, probably of our entire 2 1/2 month trip...and the longest: we started at around 9am and returned home after 11pm! We spent the entire day with an amazing and enlightening guide, Selwyn Davidowitz(to use just the word "guide" is an injustice) who taught us about South African culture & recent history.

Selwyn is probably the most fascinating tour guide you'll ever meet. A former engineer, who spent a considerable amount of time in Las Vegas playing the house, he decided to show people his home town after his retirement. His tours are very different from others in the area, in that half of his profits go into the township community of Kayamundi. After giving us a historical overview of South Africa, and especially apartheid and the Afrikaaners, he took us to Kayamundi to meet its residents. You can also go to a part of Selwyn's website here where you can read his posting on our tour with him. He makes a page like this for every one of his tours!

We were a little nervous to be going into a township...we certainly hadn't heard that they were the safest places for three white folks to go for the afternoon. But for some reason, being with Selwyn and hearing about the impact he has made in the community and the relationships he has with its residents, we were both completely at ease. And it turned out to be for good reason. I'm convinced we had a view into a part of South Africa that almost no white tourist ever sees. The township was obviously disturbing in many ways: lack of running water in many houses, people living in shacks who cannot afford to build walls, an alarming number of single parent families and teenage pregnancies...but in other ways, it felt like a happier, safer place than most neighborhoods in the U.S. Kids roamed around the streets playing together. Parents watched out for each other and their families. Most of all, there was this amazing sense of community (or Ubuntu as Selwyn explained in the local language). We could really see this just from our first stop in the township. We sat with Lily, a singly mother of three daughters and heard her life story of all the hardships she has faced and triumphed over. And how her community has helped her--and how she has helped the community. Before we left, she asked if she could sing a special lullabye for us. Click here to watch!

Selwyn told us he had a surprise for us, but we weren't prepared for what would come next! We went to the community center that Selwyn built with the proceeds of his tours and watched the group of kids practice their dancing routine...after they were finished rehearsing, we videotaped their performance to send it to another dance troupe in England. The two troupes are part of a cultural exchange where they learn another culture's dance and perform for each other. To see the dance, click here. (You won't believe this, but we posted this on Google Video a few months ago and never sent anything out to anyone to look at it....now 1400 people have viewed the video and four people even rated it!) For an equally good video of the lead boy doing an impressive solo dance, click here.

Then, they started doing another dance and pulled Kimberly in to dance with them. Her former cheerleader days proved helpful, as she picked up the moves really quickly. Click here to watch. When I discovered it would be my turn next, I wasn't so excited. I didn't pick things up quite as well, but did manage to get the kick while clapping underneath my leg move down. What was funny was that the boy kept yelling, "Men don't smile! You must not smile!" So in the pictures, you can see that I'm trying really really hard not to smile... Click here for some amusing video.

After the kids were finished dancing, Selwyn gathered them around and said he had some important news to share with them. This was when he told them that next year they would be getting scholarships to attend a private school...and they could all go together. It was really amazing to see the excitement (and nervousness) on their faces when being presented with such an opportunity.

By now it was starting to get dark, but our tour was no where near over. We went to see how the progress was going on the trash collection that Selwyn sponsors in the township. He hands out plastic bags to all the kids in this neighborhood. The children who return with the bags filled with trash receive an apple each...and he buys the apples from the town shop...to ensure the money stays within the community. It seemed like he had so many little projects going on in the town, so many people knew him, he was doing so much good...so why be nervous that the sun had completely set and we were wandering around in the dark with flashlights...

And there was no reason to worry. The evening passed while we sat in Nosandile's house and watched as at least 20 children (none of which are her own) followed us into the house and made themselves comfortable in her living room. We received a surprise serenade from the kids (click here to watch) and the kids thoroughly enjoyed having us take their photos! And after that, Selwyn took us to an evening church service that was unlike anything I had ever seen. The entire service was a frenzy of singing, dancing, and waving papers in the air. Really, just watch here.

The next day, we set out for Cape Point, the southern-most part of Africa. Along the way, we stopped at Boulders Beach to see the famous colony of penguins (no Great White Shark Sightings, unfortunately). Click here to watch Kimberly's close encounter with a flock of penguins! We continued on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where we drove around the coast, saw some ostriches, spotted a whale off the coast, and avoided a baboon attack in the parking lot!

We spent the afternoon touring the infamous Robben Island where the Apartheid government imprisoned political enemies including Nelson Mandela. The story is bleak and more numbing was that our tour guide spent 13 years of his life on the isolated island. Jobs are hard to come by in South Africa for many people. After years of imprisonment, it's even harder to break back into the workforce. Our guide told us that he had agreed to return to Robben Island for work only because he must provide for his family.

For dinner we went to Africa Cafe offering a wide selection of different local foods from all over the African continent. The name is a little misleading, since it is a massive restaurant (we were on the 3rd of three floors). But the staff was all musically trained and broke into chanting and singing on multiple occasions during our meal, which was fun. Click here for some African song. At times it seems touristy, but we did get a taste of cuisine & culture all at once.

Our last day in Cape Town, the skies finally cleared so we could ride the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The view was just spectacular. It really felt like we were on top of the world! Such a great way to end our stay in this fabulous city.

Namibia (8/11-8/13)

Bright, vivid sand dunes were the highlight of our stay in Namibia. We hope we captured at least a fraction of the colorful contrasts amid the blue skys and burnt-sienna dunes.

Pictures here.

Namibia

Daniel

We landed in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and explored the scene around town. We pretty much saw all we needed to in less than half a day. However we did have lunch at a great German restaurant, Gathemann. The Germans "colonized" Namibia (formerly known as Western South Africa) back in the 1880's, which makes for some confusing street names & unexpected European influences.

Fortunately the reason to go to Namibia - NOT to follow the trail of Brad & Angelina - is found in the desert southwest of Windhoek. So we set off for a three day camping trip just outside the Namib Desert to visit the highlight of most any trip to the country, the Sand Dunes at Sossuvlei. They are most famous for the striking colors and shadows in the early morning.

The site viewing was not as spectacular as we had hoped. However, the people we were with for the 3 days made the experience so much more. Our safari group was mostly American (surprisingly), and our travel mates had tons of insight & knowledge regarding the ongoing African fight against AIDS. Steve and Yuri were avid photographers and probably lived about a three blocks from our old apartment in Menlo Park, CA. Steve, it turned out had spent significant time working at AIDS clinics in Zambia and Ghana. Chris, from Washington DC, was currently working at USAID. He was stationed in Namibia to help the planning and funding for the clinics that help Africans cope with the AIDS epidemic. Needless to say, we spent the days and nights fully appreciating the company. We also learned a lot more about who, what, and how African countries battle with AIDS. Each night around the campfire was interesting and fun.

Our first afternoon near the Naukluft campsite, we explored the Tsauchab River which is swallowed up by the dessert as it travels eastward into the dunes. Centuries ago the it reached the Atlantic seaboard, but now it withers away in the bone dry dessert. Our "guided" hike was very scenic and tranquil. The Naukluft mountain range was highlighted with shrubs and bright golden tall grass. Our guide basically drove us to the river and let us wander freely. As the resident leopard is only seen every few years, we were most likely safe from any danger.

The next morning, we set off for the sand dunes. Much to our disappointment we learned that our camp site was well outside the park gate, which meant we wouldn't be able to enter the park before sunrise, which is the ideal time to view the dunes. We had to drive a few hours before getting into the heart of the desert where all the dunes are located. The desert climate and surroundings changed dramatically as we drove from Naukluft Park into the dune fields at Sossusvlei. As we approached the sand dunes, the landscape became more barren--the dunes made everything else seem insignificant.

We spent the early morning hiking up the ridge of one dune for some good views of the area. After a full breakfast, we ventured into the Dead Vlei - a grove of trees that are over 500 years old. The dry climate has preserved the trees in a petrified state. The clear blue sky contrasting with the bright red dunes made for a beautiful backdrop for the vlei. Afterward, we stopped by one of the more famous dunes, Dune 45, we think it received that name because it is 45 kilometers from the entrance of the park. It was also a mammoth of a dune! After we drove back out of the Sossuvlei Park, we walked the Seisrem Canyon just outside of the park.

Once we realized that we were getting back to Windhoek earlier than expected, we started planning how to catch an earlier flight. With the help of our group, we skipped lunch and sped back to Windhoek (thankfully everyone else was eager to get back to town too). Since there really wasn't much more to do or see in Windhoek (the next best option for food was Joe's Beerhouse), we scrambled to the airport & caught an earlier flight to Cape Town - back to South Africa again.

Johannesburg (8/9)

We had only a half a day to really spend in Johannesburg, so we barely scratched the surface...even though we flew through the Jburg airport several times... Contrary to what other fellow travelers had warned us about security/safety concerns and "nothing to see," we found the city to be interesting and wish we had spent more time there.

For photos, click here.

Kimberly

We had heard the typical warning from fellow travelers when referring to
Jburg...as in, "stay away if at all possible." Despite the well documented dangers, Johannesburg has a lot to offer visitors. We had only a half a day really in the city, so we had our hotel send a driver to pick us up from the airport and take us straight to the Apartheid Museum--for a whirlwind tour in the 45 minutes before it closed (our flight to Jburg had been delayed...as were all our African flights...) The museum was fascinating and chocked full of personal narratives and stories that provide a more poignant understanding of life before, during, and after the Apartheid Era. I had just finished reading a really thought-provoking book on Apartheid written from the White perspective, "My Traitor's Heart" by Rian Malan, which made visiting the museum that much more rewarding.

When you enter the museum, they have you walk through a specific aisle, depending on your racial categorization....they explain how they decided who was "black" v. "white" v. "coloured"--often decided based on things such as "sport preference" or "if a pencil would stay if stuck in your hair." I'm not joking. The museum then takes you through the roots and history of Apartheid. The majority of the exhibition is dedicated to explaining life under apartheid. One picture which I found very disturbing was of a few White men peeking in through a window of another White man's house...who they suspected was having a (illegal) relationship with a black woman. The pictures and videos of the violence in the townships and mistreatment of Blacks and Coloureds in the mines and jails were heartbreaking.

The last section of the museum is dedicated to life after Apartheid, much of which is focused on the "Reconciliation." What is so promising about the situation is that it did end in a peaceful way, the living conditions for Blacks in the country is improving, with many Blacks have now taken over positions of power in the government and elsewhere, and there is very little resentment or discussion of the past. Everyone seems eager to move forward and fulfill the promising future they know South Africa can achieve if they work together. And that is very heartwarming and uplifting. Our entire time in South Africa, we kept wondering what lessons the U.S. could learn from the race relations and reconciliation in this country.

I mentioned we had our hotel send a driver: I have to give him a plug. All he was supposed to do was drive us from the airport to the museum and then to the hotel--and then to the airport the next morning. What we got was a fabulous guide with a very interesting perspective. If anyone is planning to visit Johannesburg, I strongly recommend you call him up and book a proper tour with him, we wish we had made the time to have him take us to the township of Soweto. His name is Blythe: and his phone number is +27 (0)82 695 1987. He gave a lot of interesting commentary on the history of the country and was quite open in sharing his personal experiences as well.

After the museum, we went to our Bed & Breakfast to get settled before dinner. I should mention that anyone planning to visit South Africa should know that the hotels are very overpriced there, where as what they call Bed & Breakfasts are a wonderful deal. These places are beautiful, very well appointed, and nothing like an American B&B....and most of them are around $100-150 a night! We actually stayed in two different ones in Johannesburg during our jaunts to/from the airport and loved both of them. The Guesthouse on 65th in Melville was very modern and in a trendy neighborhood walking distance to a strip of restaurants & bars, the up & coming area. (I don't think they have a website, you can book on www.portfoliocollection.com
And our favorite was The Parkwood, an absolutely beautiful place...we wanted to move in! It is in a more upscale neighborhood, but you can't walk anywhere. It is only a five minute taxi to Rosebank, 10 minutes to Melrose Arch. www.theparkwood.com (also on portfolio collection)

Lastly, I must tell you about our experience eating at Moyo, in the Melrose Arch neighborhood (which looks a lot like those combined residential/commercial districts in southern California, where there are high rise apartments/condos with a little square with shops and restaurants in the middle of the complex.) So, Moyo. It was not just a meal, but rather an experience! When we arrived, we walked downstairs, passing people dressed in authentic tribal outfits, drumming. Soon after we sat down, a woman came over and explained she wanted to perform a traditional hand-washing ceremony. She chanted while she washed our hands at our table, pouring water from a pitcher over our hands into a bowl. Later, three young women dressed all in white came over and sang a traditional African lullaby to each table in the dining room...and we got our faces painted with tribal paint (see our photos!)....and yes, the food was outstanding. They serve African food from all over the continent (we had Ethiopian Sig Sig Wat, South African Kudu, and Moroccan Mezzes). It was a memorable evening, and the perfect end to our short stay in Johannesburg!

Victoria Falls (8/6-8/9)

Thundering waterfalls, rainbows, and beautiful scenery along the Zambezi river - Victoria Falls was a nice change of pace from the dry wilderness in Kruger.

For some shots of the falls click here.

Victoria Falls

Daniel


We hop-scotched our way into Livingstone, Zambia to spend a few relaxing days to admire the famous Victoria Falls. Kimberly worked her magic and got us a last minute booking at the Royal Livingstone. The hotel is a leisurely 10 minute walk to Victoria Falls National Park. Not to mention right smack on the Zambezi River (you can see the billowing mist from the nearby falls).

Once we sipped our welcome drink in the luxurious welcome area, we checked into our river view room. To our surprise, there were two Zebra eating the grass next to our outdoor patio! The reception desk failed to mention that they have a herd of Zebra, 2 Giraffes, and some Impala all on the grounds of the hotel. With everything in order, we set out to plan activities for the next couple days: touring the massive waterfalls, whitewater rafting (or maybe not), witnessing the lunar rainbow (it was almost a full moon), a guided river safari, and finally a tour of Livingstone Island.

We actually walked around the Victoria Falls National Park a few times to see it at different times of day - especially since it was so close to the hotel. The falls are very dramatic. Watching an entire river pour into a narrow gorge that continues almost 130 meters below is impressive. (Note: We both thought that Iguazu Falls in Brazil/Argentina are easier to appreciate for their size & power...and because you can get a better vantage point of hte falls.) That said, waterfalls of this size and nature are a wonder to watch.

We spent one afternoon on a guided river safari. The river tour was on the small side, with about five other guests. Our guide, captain, and self-proclaimed bartender navigated us along the Zambezi river to see the native wildlife in the area. Crocodiles, hippos, and elephants were some of the memorable sites. I also, tested out the local brew (Mosi). A fantastic taste to complement the natural landscape. To top off the evening, we enjoyed sundowners at the hotel river deck and watched the deep orange, red sunset. Nearby, hippos in the river grunted and honked as they popped up from the water.

The next day we woke up bright and early with the intention of going white water rafting for a half-day. What transpired is probably not very exciting to you, the reader. Basically, we did not go rafting because of never ending problems with the activities desk at the hotel. No one could tell us what level rafting was involved-- and, with another month of traveling to go, we did not want any injuries or broken bones. After a lengthy discussion with one of the hotel managers, we were comped a delicious afternoon high tea and an activity for that evening - the Lunar Rainbow Walk (during a full moon you can see rainbows during the middle of the night). We also decided to treat ourselves to a riverside massage for all the hassle we had been through earlier that day.

Later that afternoon, we returned to our room greeted by champagne and fruit (we think the hotel had forgotten until then that it was our honeymoon). Given the nice weather, we opened up the patio door and brought fruit outside to enjoy on our deck chairs. Seconds later, the resident Vervet monkeys deftly stole almost all the fruit. They spent the next 15 minutes staring into our room from outside the glass patio doors after we ran in. They went away after a little bit, but when Kimberly bit into one of the apples she had saved, they all came running back....we were still inside our hotel room...and they were on our patio staring in, drooling at the fruit, even placing their hands on the glass to get a better view!

The Lunar rainbow walk was really neat to see, especially for the monochrome rainbow flicker under the soft moonlight. Since we were served drinks at the falls, another guest mentioned that the rainbow gets brighter as the night goes on. Finally our evening was capped by a special outdoor dinner by the "Monkey Tree." We had our own private candlelit dinner near the river.

Finally, on our last day in Zambia we took a morning tour of Livingstone Island. A quick boat ride brought us to the edge of the very waterfalls - the site of Livingstone Island. Our guide provided us with heavy rain smocks and had us remove our shoes to hike barefoot to the waterfalls edge. The vista overlooking the Zambezi River cascading over the edge was striking. Surrounded by the fine mist and a constant thunder the visible rainbows were all the more enjoyable. After admiring the view for a little while we trudged back (our feet were horribly muddy) for a full breakfast on the island with the swirling mist still in view. It was a great way to finish our stay at Victoria Falls.