Mamalene Has Arrived

After nearly 6 months of not seeing her and some broken Skype sessions, Mamalene was finally coming to see us in South Africa. We decided to take advantage of her newly acquired Portuguese and head into Mozambique. But we weren't going to let her leave without a taste of safari here in Southern Africa. First stop: Kruger National Park.

Every time in the park is different, with this time as no exception. (And I can't seem to tire of sitting in a car all day to see animals.) Mamalene was treated to a 4 out of Big 5 sighting on her very first day. The elusive rhino never made an appearance. Sadly, on our way out we caught an eagle and vultures feasting on an impala that was clearly run over by a car on the road.


Mamalene realized quickly how addictive game viewing can be and so we indulged her with one more day in the park. Given the choice, she might have stayed in the park for the full two weeks of her vacation!

Third Time's A Charm

Okay, so a week with a trusty Garmin (we would have been stuck or very lost without it), a comfy bed and breakfast, a haircut, a Thai massage, a visit to some galleries and the Apartheid Museum (how awful doesn't begin to express it), Bambanani in Melville and Asian food (duck over rice and bokchoy!)… I have to admit, I was beginning to love Jozi. We were trying to get some rest and get our last fill of western comforts before picking up Mamalene and heading into the rougher parts of Southern and Eastern Africa.

Any cities or places you thought you wouldn’t like but surprised you did?

They Got Game

Oryx or Gemsbok

Southern Africa is not for vegetarians. This is meat country and people here are prepared to braai anything that moves! All the animals we've seen in the parks and reserves are usually available on the menu in most restaurants. Here are my favorites ranging from okay-glad-I-tried-it to I-could-eat-THAT-at-least-once-a-week.

9. Impala: grilled, bit too game-y for me
8. Crocodile: ribs were half-fish, half-chicken consistency, mild tasting
7. Kudu: sometimes game-y, sometimes not, best as a burger
6. Warthog: think roast pork, it's a hog after all.
5. Springbok: mostly smoked, like a charcuterie, often called carpaccio on a menu, good in a salad
4. Eland: just plain grilled over a wood fire
3. Zebra: had it at the famous Joe's Beerhouse, medium rare, melts in your mouth
2. Ostrich: the best in the Karoo and up there with their lamb, even better that it doesn't contain all that artery clogging bad stuff
1. Oryx: as good as a filet mignon, would raise them in the back yard if I could, they look as good as they taste

Birthday at Rehab

Although, there are times when I'd like to drink to oblivion (especially when Alex is acting up), I haven't gone Betty Ford (yet). And if I did have to go to rehab, I'd certainly wouldn't mind having the Drakensberg escarpment as a backdrop.

We spent the day tagging along with the staff of the Kubu Safari Lodge near Hoedspruit for a field trip. We took our chances the day before and rushed to pick a place off a tourist map as nightfall began. Great dinner, some traditional dancing to entertain us, enormous rooms, helpful and thoughtful hosts, and you can't beat seeing giraffe and warthog as you come up the driveway as well as a resident hippo. Wish we found this place earlier! They were celebrating the end of the season before a month break by taking their entire staff to the Moholoholo (yes, sounds Hawaiian) Rehab Center.

Before you are able to ooh, aah and even pet the animals you could previously only see from the safety of your car, they give you a whole spiel on their mission. In short, they talk about how humans have impacted upon the habitat of these animals (or how much we've screwed up the environment for these creatures) and how since animals cannot change, we must change for them. Often, animals such as cheetah or leopard search for territory, find a farm, become unwanted and shot or snared, and finally taken to the rehab center. Post recovery, they are placed in their natural environment or kept at the rehab center for education purposes.

Kruger National Park: Day 2 and 3

We decided to venture on our own towards the northern part of the park. With Kruger being about the size of Belgium and the speed limit no more than 50 km/h or 30 mph, it took a while to get to the less populated (by both people and animals) areas of the park. Early on, we completed our quest to find the Big 5, finally checking off my favorite of the 5 - rhinoceros. Although I really wanted to spot a black one, a white one was exciting enough.

Before dark, we made it to the Olifants camp, situated high above the Olifants River. A morning river walk broke up our long sessions in the car concentrating on finding game. Elephants made sure we didn't forget their presence on our way out of the park.

Kruger National Park: Day 1

The smoke coming from the hood of the Bushwise safari truck was not a promising start. Groggily, we were cocooned in our fleece and jackets. The open vehicle left us blanketed with a brisk, early morning chill. With not enough sleep, caffeine-less, and still dark, we patiently waited as Ric, our guide that day, attempted several times to cool down an overheated engine. When you have a broken fan belt, it's useless.

Plan B got us into another vehicle already in the park watching a pair of mating lions. Gavin, our knowledgeable guide, a couple originally from San Francisco and a Danish mother-daughter pair from the Royal Kruger Lodge were joined by us. And somehow from that point on, things only got better.

Since we were hitching a ride, our originally scheduled half-day drive turned into a full day one. Slow driving and lots of patience pays on a game drive. Here were some of our rewards on day one of Kruger.

Where the WILD Things Are

Okay, so it took over 6 hours of waiting, only to get the wrong one, then having to fill out an application for a new one and then filling out a refund form and still giving more information through e-mail to complete the refund. Does this bureaucratic nightmare sound like the IRS or the DMV? Nope. This was all for a South African National Parks membership, otherwise known as the WILD card. (Let's not even discuss the fact that it cost us 4x more than a South African family to get one.)

And was it worth it? Here are the beautiful parks we drove through, hiked and had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the animals. Just a warm-up to the mother of all parks: Kruger National Park.

Valley of Desolation at Camdeboo NP

A couple out on an afternoon stroll at Karoo NP

Half Indian-half Atlantic at Agulhas NP - the southern-most point in Africa

The no-longer endangered Bontebok at Bontebok NP

A chilly dip on the Storms River mouth trail at Tsitsikamma NP

Chacmas grooming at Tsitsikamma NP

Watch out for tortoises crossing the road at Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

The early bird catches the lions at Addo Elephant NP

Zebras at Addo having their lunch

Gentle giant beside our car

Echo ravine trail end point at Golden Gate NP

The Other City By The Bay

San Francisco's twin city is right here in Cape Town. You have the beautiful bay and ocean, steep, hilly streets, diverse and well preserved architecture, a lively arts scene, great food, a cold fog that hovers over the city, wine country literally next door, and a laid-back vibe. If I had to call another urban place home, this is one that I'd definitely put at the top of my list. Just a few things to seal the deal: good public transport so that I can leave the car at home and better service in the restaurants - lunch can easily take 2 hours and even after those 2 hours, you have to hunt your waiter down to pay the bill.

Bo-Kaap's colorful Georgian homes

Looking into the City Bowl from Signal Hill where we sampled some Cape Malay cuisine at Noon Gun

A yummy, healthy lunch at The Kitchen in the Williamsburg-ish, artsy Woodstock.


The plant-knowledgeable Dot giving us a cycad anatomy lesson

Boulders Beach - home of the African penguin

The "tablecloth"

Outside Franschhoek, at the entrance of the La Motte Estate

The Cape of Good Hope - the most southwestern point of continental Africa

Chapman's Peak Drive

Sunset at Chapman's Peak

Western Civilization

Electricity that doesn't turn off at a moments notice? Drinkable tap water? Buttery soft cotton sheets and down quilts? Rose-and-gardenia-smelling, spotless bathrooms with flushing toilets? Are we still in Africa?!

After 2 days of travel from Ouagadougou to Lome to Addis Ababa and finally Johannesburg with very little sleep, we were happy to arrive at the first of the many quaint guesthouses that dot the South African landscape. I have to admit, I enjoyed the many western comforts we lacked these past few months...

Here are the charming places where we rested our heads (and tried not to break the bank) on our drive from Jozi to The Mother City.


You can take your breakfast on the sun-soaked porch at Ginnegaap Guesthouse in the trendy Melville suburb of Johannesburg. South Africa's version of eggs benedict or uitsmijter: toast with ham, cheese, pickles and two fried eggs on top. Corlien provided us with great suggestions on what to see and do for the 3 weeks prior to my parents' arrival.



Raisa and her hearty golden retriever in Bloemfontein welcome you with motherly, Ukrainian hospitality at Odessa Guesthouse. Alex left with some Easter goodies, but Raisa was willing to give her everything she touched in the house. Without many sights or places to eat, we dined at the mall (gasp!) for a surprisingly good oxtail stew.

Once you enter the arid Karoo, the historic town of Graff-Reinet is full of adorable Cape Dutch style homes. Morven and Don (who was away) have 2 spacious flat roof cottages at Carrow-Veld Cottages with loft like ceilings and surrounded by a beautiful garden. Morven was happy to point out some great places to eat Karoo lamb (Pioneers), a bacon/cheese/mayo/banana tramezzini (Sarmies) and ostrich fillet (Die Kliphuis).

Here was Alex's room at the Cape Karoo Guesthouse, at the north end of Beaufort West. And just a few hours before we sighted Mountain Zebra at Karoo National Park! Sorry Rikus, for breakfast we cleared the jar full of rusks (South African biscotti).

Marc and Alex on a lazy Sunday at the The Olive House in Montagu. Bright, white, airy rooms with a quiet garden behind. Kati will make you feel at home in the lovely yard full of comfy couches and hammocks while George prepares your hearty dinner.


And where was this cozy fireplace when we needed it in the freezing Free State and the Karoo? Right here in Cape Town. Meditate, watch TV, or make a fire in our zen Buddha room at Villa Belle Ombre in the Tamberskloof quarter. Marco shows you how make your own crepes and you get to choose whether you want Nutella or fig and walnut jam inside. The best part - a half a block away is a playground with Table Mountain as a backdrop.