Surfers' Corner

The beach at Muizenberg is also called Surfer's Corner. On Thursday, while Nathan and I went to see the penguins, Steve and Tyler and Isaac took surfing lessons. They had such a great time they wanted to repeat it immediately. After lunch they convinced Nathan and I to take lessons also while they surfed. Although it wasn't my cup of tea, all my boys loved surfing and long to go to the beach again as soon as possible.

Penguins Galore

 
On Thursday Nathan and I drove to Boulders Beach - about a 20 minute drive. This area is protected by the National Parks as a sanctuary for the endangered African Penguin. There is a boardwalk from which visitors can view the breeding ground of thousands of penguins. We were also able to enter a beach where we could wander in among the penguins which live there. We were hoping to swim with them, but none were in the water at the time.

When we first arrived it was blustery and raining. An hour later the sun came out, so Nathan played in the sand and splashed in the water, exploring the boulders that give the area its name.

Cape Town

Boxing Day on December 26 is a big holiday in South Africa. The beach was very crowded, so after a swim in the morning we opted to drive the 30 minutes to Cape Town.

We attempted to take the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain but the winds picked up and it closed it for the day just as we were about to purchase tickets.(We attempted to go up again the morning we left, but the line was too long).



We went to the Green Market where local people sell their arts and crafts and it is easy to bargain with them. We went out to dinner on the wharf and ate seafood for Tyler's birthday. There were some excellent street performers that would draw large crowds: a magician, a troupe of acrobats, and a living statue.

Christmas - Cape Town Style

Christmas morning
we emptied our stockings and opened the small gifts inside them. After a few hours of game playing we went swimming in the bay. We were not alone.



For Christmas dinner Steve baked a ham and I cooked potatoes. Our meal was delicious. Although we had a nice day, we missed the snow and the traditions we have become accustomed to at home.

In the Spirit of Christmas

Steve and I were hoping we could find ways to keep Christ in our Christmas celebration while we were away from our traditional celebrations at home and spending time at the beach. We were able to attend a local church service on Sunday where we sang Christmas carols and heard wonderful messages delivered.

Steve had arranged, with a colleague of his, to help with a service project on Christmas Eve. We drove to a nearby township, which was originally a squatters community and now a neighborhood set apart for the local people. Frygrond, meaning free ground, was land given to the people by the government. The lifestyle of the people living there is so far removed from anything we have seen. The homes, if you can call them that, are made of sheets of tin, plastic, cardboard, or wood. Many don't have windows, electricity, or running water. The nicer ones have a cement floor and have been painted and fenced in.

Many of the adults are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Abuse is rampant. Unemployment is very high. Although most children receive early education, it is not likely that they will attend secondary school.
We went there with a couple who work with a nonprofit organization whose cause is to help the people help themselves so they can help others. After a tour of their trailer which housed a library, computer center, community center for teens, and an office, we toured the community garden.

We then helped them move donated furniture and other items into a home they had quickly built for one of their volunteers who desperately needed a place for herself and her children, one of which was four days old. It was a Christmas present for her. It was like an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition on a small scale. The home was dedicated with prayer and all the glory was given to God and His mercy. It was wonderful to be a part of it. Later in the week we returned to the township with some books, toys and clothes that we weren't going to fly home with and gave them to the center. Even the worst of what we have would be a bounty for most of these people. It made us feel fortunate and so grateful for our many blessings.

Muizenberg Beach

The week of Christmas we spent on Muizenberg Beach on False Bay in the Indian Ocean. In the distance we can see Cape Point and the southernmost point in Africa. The sand is very fine and soft. The first morning I awoke around 5 a.m. with the light coming in our beachfront window. I went and strolled the beach for more than an hour, walking in the tideline and collecting shells.

From Botswana to the Beach

We opted to sleep in rather than going on a final morning safari. We leisurely packed, ate breakfast, and played games with the staff.

Midmorning we took a small plane from Savuti to Johannesburg, South Africa, transferring to Cape Town, where we would stay for the remainder of our vacation.

By the time we got our luggage, rented a car and drove to our place on the beach at Muizenburg it was late and dark.

Safari - Day 4

While out on our third morning drive we came across an old male hippo alone in a small watering hole. We were near him and were able to take a number of good photos. A bloat of hippopotomous typically live in and around a river. In the group there is one male, a number of females and some young. When an older male is challenged and conquered by a younger, stronger male, he leaves and lives the rest of his life in a solitary manner. This seemed to be the case for this fellow.


We received a radio transmission from another guide saying that his group had spotted a pride of lion which included cubs. It would take nearly two hours through the bush to see them since they were near the next encampment and not in our area. One of the staff met us at the airstrip with a bag of snacks to enjoy since we would not make it back until after lunchtime.




Tyler, Nathan and I chose to go and see the lions. It was a highlight of our stay. In this pride we could see the male, two females, an immature male, a cub of about 8 months, and two small cubs of a few weeks. We couldn't see them all at once. Carlton drove into the overgrowth so we could get a good look. Although we were driving over trees, snapping dead wood and making a ruckus, they didn't seem to notice us much. In time, the cubs came out in the open and we were able to see them climb all over their sleeping mother, wrestle and frolic-basically, act like a couple of brothers.


In the afternoon we came across the herd of elephants we had seen on day one. We were able to stop and observe the baby with its mother. We were soon noticed by a young bull elephant. He trumpted and, when we didn't leave, he charged us, flapping his ears. Just as he was about to reach Nathan and the back seat, Carlton turned on the truck and sped off.

Before we turned back for camp that evening we came across a man camp of lions, no women allowed. We watched them for some time and never saw the females. No idea where they were. Then the sun set.

 

That evening we went on a short night safari after dinner. We were hoping to spot a leopard, which had remained elusive. We saw some night birds, impala, hippos in the water. The only new species we spotted were Springhare, a rabbit with short front legs and longer hind legs and a flowing two-toned tail. The boys were falling asleep in their seats so we quit before we lost one in the bush.

Safari - Day 3

 The morning of our third day was spent following the pack of wild dogs. It appeared the day before when we saw them that they had not been successful in their hunt that day so our guide said that this would be the day for them to hunt aggressively. We found them early in the day and they were actively moving along looking for prey aka impala. Carlton drove the Land Rover right through the bush, driving over the small trees at times when the overgrowth was heavy. The trees would just snap back up after we went over them.

There are 21 dogs in the group, seven of which are pups, just learning to hunt. The African Wild Dog can travel long distances and run up to 35 miles per hour. It was an exciting challenge to follow them in the hunt. We lost them for a moment, but saw a fish eagle and some vultures in some trees not far off so we knew which way to head. Sure enough they had been successful and were disemboweling a baby impala, fighting over the small thing. The vultures, now on the ground, closed in waiting for the leftovers.

In the afternoon we came across warthog, those hideously attractive creatures that I hate to love. There were birds aplenty, many of which are brilliant in color. We saw a couple of rare Ground Hornbill in the trees either looking for a nesting spot or guarding one they already established.

By far, the favorite bird for all of us is the Southern Carmine Bee-eater. As the truck moved through the tall grass, insects would rise up into the air. The bee-eater would fly alongside and around the truck, snatching up the tasty things.



For our sundowner that evening we stopped at a small dock along a waterway, ate some nuts and dried fruit, had a drink, and enjoyed the beautiful sunset, once again.

Safari - Day 2

It was a little tough to arise at 5 a.m. when we had just finished dinner 8 hours previously. It seemed too dark, but by the time we had eaten breakfast and were on the road it was a lovely time of day for viewing wildlife and the surrounding landscape. Just look at the feast for the eyes with which we were met once we were out.



Most animals are the most active in the morning before the temperature gets too hot. We immediately came across a journey of giraffes moving along through the bush and were next met in our road by an elephant taking the easy way. It stepped off into the mupani trees which grow prevalently in the area and which they eat.

A beautiful dragonfly landed on the seat pocket in front of me. It was one of the more pleasant insects we saw. Our guide was constantly swerving to miss crushing the dung beetles in our path. The male creates a ball of elephant dung and rolls it along making it larger all the while. A female climbs aboard the ball and gets rolled along with it until they find a spot to bury it in the ground along with the eggs she lays, which will hatch and feed off the dung some time later. Since the beetles are about two inches in length I preferred seeing them on the ground rather than flying towards me.

Carlton was in constant contact with the other trackers in the area over the radio, so we soon learned that a pack of wild dogs was in the area. The wild dogs are endangered and it is not common to see them on safari. We took off in the direction they had been spotted to see them for ourselves. There were only a couple out hunting that morning, but later in our stay we would have the opportunity to see many more. While tracking the dogs we spotted a gnu making a stand and a herd of kudu dining in the bush.

We heard a call over the radio saying that a pride of lions had been spotted nearby so we followed the call and went to see them for ourselves.  I was surprised that we could drive up next the the lions and not disturb them. They simply glanced up as we approached and then went back to sleep. Carlton told us that as long as we held fairly still and didn't make much noise that the lions see us as part of a large thing that approaches, stays still without threatening them, then moves on. So we quietly took photos and enjoyed the view.










In our afternoon drive went and observed the pack of wild dogs, but they were just laying around trying to keep cool in the shade. We saw impala and more impala, which are quite skittish and wouldn't hold still for a photo shoot. We passed by a troop of baboons moving through the bush.

When we returned to the camp for dinner, we relaxed in the main lodge and the boys played a game of chess. Other games that they had on hand, which we played at other times, were bocce ball and Uno.


We were always called to dinner by the playing of drums. The dinner menu was announced to us before we filled our plates at the buffet. We usually drank water because we were so thirsty. Some of the dinner items served were chickpea, potato, butternut squash, salad, and meat from the grill. We did eat a dish made with springbok one night.  The food was delicious and nutritious, although it wasn't always what we are used to. The chefs made Nathan pizza a couple of nights, which he devoured. The hospitality we enjoyed was beyond our expectations.

Safari - Day 1

Our first evening in Savuti we climbed into the 10-seater Land Rover and Carlton drove us into the bush. Almost immediately we came across a herd of elephants crossing the water in front of us.  I'm afraid my photo didn't do justice to the baby elephant who crossed head underwater holding its trunk up like a snorkle to breath. We then came across a tower of giraffes that ignored our being in their neighborhood and kept on eating. The impala we soon encountered were more skittish, running off as we drove nearby. Most of the birds we saw were very colorful and a delight to observe.

We learned about the local topography, plantlife, climate, insects, seasons, as well as the wildlife. As our guide drove the truck along he would pull over to the side, look out his door and point out the tracks of various animals, indicating how recently they would been in the area.

As the sun was setting we stopped for a "sundowner", a snack and drink, at a watering hole. We scared away a troop of baboons which were on their way to bed down for the night.

 

We discovered that we like safari.