Best Kind of Lost

The Mane Event

by Dave

July 23-25

 

Bypassing the popular safari destinations of Kenya and Tanzania, it may seem like we “settled” for the national parks in Namibia for our safari animal viewing. But really, we really did anything but. The national parks of those border-sharing animal havens along the east coast of Africa get much of the attention (and deservedly so) from around the world when it comes to safaris. But we were committed to doing a self-drive instead of a guided safari, and Namibia was the best way to go. And as we quickly found out, Etosha National Park in central Namibia is not to be overlooked for animals.

Out of the entire two weeks in the truck, our 3 nights in and around Etosha accounted for at least 80% of our animal sightings. I was in heaven. During our stops in the Caprivi strip, with a few exceptions, we had to really be looking in order to see animals. In Etosha, it was the opposite – the animals quickly seem to find you if you don’t see them right away.

Etosha means “great white place of dry water” in Ovambo (a local language), alluding to the 5,000 sq meter salt pan that the park is named after. The salt pan meets the horizon with only mirages and cracked earth in between. Very few animals spend time on the pan, and no cars are allowed to drive it. But the surrounding 22k+ sq km of the park are filled with just about every animal you’d picture in Africa – lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, giraffes, even the endangered black rhino, just to name a few.

Once we entered the park gates and familiarized ourselves with the clearly marked map of roads around the edge of the salt pan, we were on our way. For those of you who no comprende how a safari works, these days in the park were solely for game drives. In any other circumstances spending a full day of sunlight in a truck driving anywhere from 10-25mph with minimal breaks sounds miserable. But when you’re doing it on dirt and gravel roads while scanning the scenery for animals of all shapes and sizes it’s pretty awesome.

After spending our first night just outside the park limits, we logged a solid 8 hours touring the waterholes around the park in search of animals. Thanks to extensive research coincidence we were in the park during dry season which is the best time of year to see animals at the water holes since they have limited options to stay hydrated. As you can see from the pictures below, we saw plenty of animals on day 1.

But one of the highlights for animal viewing came from our campsite. Just a short walk from where we set up camp was a waterhole surrounded by fencing and stone-and-mortar walls with plenty of benches to watch the animals visiting the waterhole.

This waterhole also happens to boast floodlights at night, so when the animals that prefer to keep their drinking habits to late nights (I see you, rhinos), we were lucky enough to still see them despite the blanket of star-filled night skies above us.

So the first day and a half seemed to be more than we could have imagined, but there was still something missing. Lions. Big, mean, living, breathing lions. We saw one lioness way far off the road the first morning in the park, but that wasn’t enough for me. Definitely cool, but I wanted to find something closer. After speaking with some park rangers and guides, we found out that the waterhole at our campsite was a lion hotspot in the park, and that they typically wait to visit the waterhole until the middle of the night. Perfect. So all I had to do was wait at the waterhole at night and they’d appear. Easy as that. Welp, those elusive sons-a-bitches didn’t show. And the second night at the campground waterhole I sat at the waterhole. For almost 4 hours. Until 2am. By. My. Self. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Listen, he knew what he signed up for when he married me. Sleep > Animals. This particular circumstance may not have been discussed specifically, but pretty sure it was in the fine print.)

Up at sunrise earlier that day to take full advantage of touring the park, we caught the incredible sight of the sun peeking over the saltpans. We won’t discuss what I didn’t catch sight of this day. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Let’s just say I’m the only one in this relationship that has seen all of the Big Five. Dave still wakes with night sweats over the truck that blocked his view as the crafty leopard made his one leap over the thick foliage. And let’s never speak of it again.)

We had to be out of the park and on our way to the next destination before noon the next day, so it was lion or bust. A park ranger mentioned one area where someone reported seeing a pride of nine lions the day before, so we headed that way. Two hours later we’d just seen a lot of springbuck (snooze), zebras (over ‘em) and giraffes (hard to be bitter toward them, but just get out of my way). Still no lions. Finally, we were about to reluctantly call it a day as we approached a paved road toward the exit. Then we saw a few cars pulled over, their drivers staring intently into the nearby bushes. And then it happened. Trip. Made.

Mufasa himself was pacing back and forth in the same area for a good half hour. We saw him hiding in the trees and didn’t get a good head-on look for the first few minutes, and then when we thought we missed him, I heard some snorting behind us and then saw him in my side view mirror, a mere 15 feet away, before he walked by the truck, all “you like what you see?”-like. So cool.

While some other cars came and went, we were not leaving. For a few of the previous animal sightings in the park we had not positioned the truck that well to follow the animals’ movement (EDITOR’S NOTE: See: Leopard. See Also: Bitter.). Whether that meant a tree, bush, another vehicle or anything else obstructing our view, it was just the reality of driving around the park. This time was different though. The animal sighting gods looked down on us and gave us a perfect half hour of lion stalking.

And I’m prettttty sure I even saw Mufasa wink at us at one point to let us know we earned it. It was either a wink, or the dust from our truck got in its eye. Regardless… And with that, all was right with the world. Two-plus days in Etosha and we saw pretty much everything we’d hoped to see. It was a fitting end, and we were ready to head to the desert and dunes of central Namibia.

Real World/Road Rules: Africa

by Dave

July 16 – 22

 

This is the true story… of seven strangers one couple… picked who chose to live in a house truck… work drove 2,500 miles together and have their lives taped photographed… to find out what happens… when people stop being polite completely run out of ANYTHING new to talk about… and start getting real…

So we drove a pickup truck for two weeks across rural Africa (EDITOR’S NOTE: So we’re going with “rural” are we? That one word…), camped on the roof of it and saw animals in the wild.

Needless to say, it was an amazing two weeks. I could cut this post off at that and then just post a ton of pics, but let’s take a quick collective step backwards and explain a few things first, shall we?

When planning long-term travel on a trip like this the first inclination was to pick a few places that we knew would be hardest to return to later in life. At or near the top of this list was Africa. And you’re not gonna not go on a safari if you have a trip to Africa, amiright or amiright? Once we established that, it was a matter of picking how and where we’d do it. So, naturally, we spoke to some friends who have done this sort of thing before, and all signs pointed to self-drive.

Ryan and Laura over at Round We Go do a great job of weighing the pros and cons of doing a self-drive safari or joining a group safari, and they’d helped convince us that having some more control and privacy during the safari was the way to go. With that said, there were still some feelings of – how do I put this – holy-crap-what-about-all-the-wild-animals-that-can-maul-you-when-you-camp-in-Africa?!?!? Those feelings were shared with us by friends and family (hi, moms), but then I was all “I can choke out big cats, remember?” and all their fears were washed away people still laughed at me.

Things got started at Chobe National Park, where we spent two nights before the reality of living out of a truck would set in. We soaked up the comforts of our air conditioned room with a hot water shower and everything else you’d expect from any standard hotel experience. But the “standard hotel” experience stopped there. Our room was surrounded by all sorts of wildlife literally right outside our door. Upon check-in the woman at the front desk warned us to keep our doors shut because “the monkeys can be aggressive.” And they were. We also regularly saw many of Timone’s (mongooses) and Pumba’s (warthogs) relatives right out our window and on any stroll we took around the property.

Chobe National Park lays claim to having the densest population of elephants anywhere in the world. While they may rule the park, there are many more animals there, too, and we saw plenty of them on a river boat safari – elephants, hippos, cape buffalo, crocodile and all sorts of birds and antelope (EDITOR’S NOTE: Cue Dave’s happy dance. No really.). This was the first of many days where I felt like a kid in a candy store (EDITOR’S NOTE: SEE?? Dancing.). As we’ve touched on a couple times, I’ve been borderline embarrassingly excited about each animal sighting we’ve had, and it was only getting better, as you can see from the photos below:

And then it was time to hit the road. Our truck was dropped off, we got quick instructions on how to set up the rooftop tent and a few other particulars in the back, and then it was just going to be trial-by-fire from there.

Within a half hour of leaving the lodge, we got a quick reminder that this was going to be a road trip unlike any other we had been on – in the form of an enormous elephant crossing the road about a hundred yards ahead of us. In hindsight, I would have liked to have been closer, but instinct tends to take over when you see a 12 foot high elephant who tips the scales somewhere north of 10,000 lbs that’s at least twice the size of your vehicle, and I hit the brakes immediately (EDITOR’S NOTE: Guess who was screaming for him to get closer? I have no such instinct.).

Once we avoided the elephant collision (EDITOR’S NOTE: Lame.) and crossed the border into the Caprivi Strip area of Namibia, we quickly realized how remote everything would quickly become. Namibia has the second lowest population density of any country in the world (somewhere in a frozen yurt in Mongolia – the only country ahead of Namibia on that list – there are people nodding their heads, sympathizing with Namibians), and long, empty roads with wide, empty plots of land on both sides are the norm in this sparsely populated country just north of South Africa.

We spent the next four days logging a lot of driving time, rarely seeing other cars on the road. And those first four nights were split between three campsites where we got our camping legs under us. First order of business was mapping out our menu. As we rushed to beat the sunset to get to our first campsite, all we had time to pick up was white rice and some seasoning. So that was our dinner that first night. And our lunch the following day. As things progressed, we found a good groove of grilling sausages, sirloins and burgers over campfire to diversify our road warrior diet.

And then there was the tent. As you can see from the pictures, we’re not exaggerating when we said we slept on the roof of our truck. Although slightly cramped inside, it actually was not as bad as you’d think. Once inside we were serenaded to sleep each night by wildlife – whether it was hippos grunting in the Chobe River that was a stone’s throw away from the truck (maybe a bit further, but I have a really good arm…), elephants trumpeting across the river, lions growling in the distance, foxes or hyenas howling… you name it, we heard it. And we acted like we weren’t unnerved by it although you can’t help but be a bit on edge when you hear a 4-ton animal as aggressive as a hippo grunting while you’re attempting to catch some z’s.

On the way to our second campsite, we took our first self-guided drive through Mamili National Park. The park ranger (I use the term “ranger” loosely, as she seemed to have just rolled out of bed, still wearing pajamas as she filled out our permit for us) mentioned that she heard lions nearby overnight, so we were excited to get going. While the lions remained elusive, we did have close-enough encounters with a giraffe, a bunch of warthogs, a couple groups of impala, some monkeys and a couple herds of cape buffalo. It was a good drive.

And then we got stuck in the sand.

Mind you, we were in a game park loaded with large animals (some of them carnivorous) and had not seen another human for the hour or two since leaving the “ranger station.” So that’s what we were dealing with when our 4-wheel drive betrayed us (totally the truck’s fault, definitely not user error…) and buried our tires in the deep, soft stuff. After a good 20 minutes of digging some sand away from tires with our hands and a dustpan (a shovel would have been nice, but was nowhere to be found), we wedged some leftover firewood and some nearby sticks under each tire and tried to drive out, but it wasn’t happening. But as luck would have it, we were within walking distance to a small construction project with a handful of men working that morning. After convincing them to help dig us out with our winning personalities the promise of a hefty thanks-for-digging-us-out-of-a-potentially-life-threatening-situation “tip,” they expertly pushed the car to firmer ground.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: We did not photo-document this particular adventure as its contents were not appropriate for children. Or grandmothers.)

By the end of our time in the Caprivi strip, we got into a nice routine of unpacking and repacking the tent and our gear, and an even better routine of campfires, meat and beers under a sky of endless stars. We had found our sweet spot, but still had the biggest attraction of the trip ahead of us – Etosha National Park. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy dance.)

The Smoke that Thunders

by Noelle

July 13 – 15

 

Before embarking on our African safari, we took a few days to gear up in Livingstone, one of the larger cities (and until recently, the capital) of Zambia. Aside from our desire to sleep in one place for more than one night (something that didn’t happen often in July), we had one specific destination in this landlocked African country in mind – Victoria Falls. At the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, this waterfall gets its local name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “the smoke that thunders” in legitimate fashion. Gazing across the cleft of earth with water rocketing down both sides, creating a “smoke” of spray above for as far as the eye can see, you understand. Kind of like reverse rain.

Now imagine it’s 1855 and you’re a Scottish explorer (David Livingstone to be precise), in a canoe guided by two natives. Then, from miles away you begin to hear a strange, thunderous roar, followed by strange columns of what looks like smoke. Finally you come round the corner and see THIS.

It must have been incredible. Now, thousands of tourists from all over the world make the trip knowing what they’ll find (due to photos they’ve seen in guide books or online), but with the strange desire we have for so many things – needing to see it with our own eyes, just as Livingstone did over 100 years ago.

It’s not the highest or widest waterfall in the world, but based on its width (5,600 ft) and height (354 ft), it results in the world’s largest sheet of falling water…that’s crazy. For some closer-to-home comparisons, it’s nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls and twice the width of the Canadian side’s Horseshoe Falls. I visited Iguazu Falls (on the Argentina/Brazil border) a few years ago and felt that a bit more impressive, perhaps due to the difference of perspective. In South America, you can walk along the base of the falls (as well as the top), giving you a precise feeling of the water’s power as it thunders down around you.

We strolled the Zambian side and watched a few daredevils as they bungee jumped from the tall bridge across the border, glimpsed strange birds and monkeys scamper through the trees and even witnessed a double rainbow emerge from the mist. A beautiful (and wet) day indeed.

Also notable of our time here was our first attempt to pretend WE WEREN’T IN AFRICA. We decided to walk home from the falls for some exercise…about 10k (6 miles)…not crazy for two relatively fit, healthy adults. What we DIDN’T take into account was the power of the African sun, the absolute ABSENCE of anything to distract you from your walk (including ANY NOISE from the eerily non-existent traffic) and the fact that there are no sidewalks – all compounded by the fact that Dave and I have been together ALMOST EVERY WAKING MOMENT for TWO AND A HALF straight months so small talk possibilities are at an all-time low. Pretty sure I left half the soles of my new kicks…and my sanity…melted on the deserted pavement that day.

We took in dinner at the same location we would dine each night during our stay, Café Zambezi, where we were treated to food from the braai (their version of bbq), giving us our first taste of crocodile, nshima (a local cornmeal product that looks like a dumpling, but super bland) and peri peri spice (hot! we came to love this stuff…). Not to mention the local beer, Mosi, or “the beer that thunders.” Their words, not mine. No photos of the food, as part of the charm was dining by a single candle’s light under the stars (and Dave prohibits me from using the flash in public places). The night got cold, so they put a bucket of hot coals under each table to keep us toasty as we stuffed our faces.

Our only other adventure in the city was a trip “downtown,” taking all of about 1 hour, roundtrip (more walking – WILL WE NEVER LEARN??). Returning to our cozy hostel, we settled in by the pool, which we shared with 60 British teenage rugby players, whose charm soon waned as their cannon balls continually threatened to drench our persons, not to mention various precious electronics (EDITOR’S NOTE: As the resident “old person” in this relationship, I embraced this brief role reversal, watching Noelle play the role of the crotchety old woman, cursing those “damn hooligans” under her breath the whole time they were there.).  Distractions aside, we prepared for the start of our two-week safari, beginning just across another Zambian border in Botswana. Let the games begin.

 

And at the end of our South African road…Stellenbosch!

by Noelle

July 10 – 12

 

Stellenbosch is synonymous with wine; the mediterranean climate of the region providing hot dry summers and cool wet winters, giving grapes a perfect place to grow. Dozens of cozy vineyards nestle in the mountains, helping form part of the Cape Winelands. So we start on a high note.

Known for these picturesque vineyards and incredibly tasty vintages, we were stoked to make our last stop in South Africa here. As we entered wine territory, we were blown away by the beautiful rolling topography and the GREEN of it all.

Despite the car fatigue of our long drive back from the Garden Route, we couldn’t help but make a stop at a vineyard that has long been on my to-do list, Warwick Wine Estate. Known (to me, and I’m sure, female honeymooners everywhere) for its tradition of the Wedding Cup, I didn’t want to miss it.  Legend has it that a beautiful Princess lusted after a handsome blacksmith, while her father was busy arranging a more suitable marriage, refusing her pleas to choose her own husband. Devastated, she began to starve herself, falling very sick. Her father, in fear for her life, finally issued a challenge he was sure he would win. If her beloved blacksmith could create a wine chalice that two people could drink from simultaneously without a single drop spilled, she could marry him instead. The young man, lovesick for the princess, put his heart into his task, and low and behold, succeeded in a creation modeled after his one true love. Making use of a hinge to ensure the second sipping vessel wouldn’t spill when both took a drink, the challenge was met! Now, they invite couples visiting the vineyard to drink from the cup, claiming that whoever finishes their wine first holds the power seat in the relationship. Guess who won? (EDITOR’S NOTE: Guess who pretended like he had already conceded victory before it started?)

After sampling some of their delicious Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Pinotage (and I finished enjoying the sweet, sweet feeling of victory), we made our way to the heart of town. Late to arrive, we dropped our bags quickly and wandered the streets with the agreement to stop for dinner at the first place that looked good. We ended up at a freaking-unbelievable Lebanese restaurant (EDITOR’S NOTE: The first of four visits we made to the same place. Seriously.), solidifying our love for this tiny Dutch-influenced town.

The next day, I surprised Dave with a visit to the Stellenbosch golf course. Driving through hundreds of miles of green hills, blue skies and golf courses had lent to a broken record commentary from my husband on how sad he was to miss golf season back home this year. We hit the driving range (me, excited to rock my brand new scarf and cute golf attire, him, to actually play), and hopefully put a pause on the tired refrain.

We made haste back into town to meet Hanli, our guide for a Bites & Sites tour, for which we were totally excited. Plus, we were the only folks on the day’s tour, giving us a private escort of one of the quaintest places I’ve ever had the privilege to visit. History, artisan food and a sampling of local wine and beer? Right up our alley. As part of the walking tour, we also got a historic look at Stellenbosch. Like Chicago, they suffered a tragic fire (theirs in 1710) that wiped out the majority of the city, so they rebuilt as they could, leaving a mismatch of architecture in its wake. The second oldest European settlement in the province, after Cape Town, the town has now found it’s sweet spot as a wine region that provides a haven for South Africans yearning for a quiet countryside, and students looking for a storybook locale for 4 sweet, sweet years.

Then there was the food. We likey. We likey a lot. From a taste of their local biltong, droewers, cheese and olives, to freshly baked bread from the ONE bread bakery in town, gelato and thimble sized sweets (featuring some sort of hazelnut/coriander/chocolate flavor combo) and coffee, we were in heaven. Hanli was fabulous and left us planning a way to come back through Stellenbosch before leaving Africa.

Also making its way into our hearts was Brampton’s, a wine shop with its own wine label. Inexpensive and delicious with a hip, cool vibe (plus free INTERNETS!) we spent a majority of our evening there after parting ways with our guide.

Bottom line, we loved it. And our stay was much too short. So? We actually DID come back through town for a few days before closing the book on our time in Africa…so yeah. Basically the same, except enter all college students back from summer vacation.  What’s that Lebanese restaurant? You can’t take us until 11:30 pm? Wild, rabid horses couldn’t keep us away.

 

Big Eyes, Small Brains

by Dave

July 10

 

A day trip to Outdshoorn gave us more information than we ever could have wanted about the odd-looking, expensively-feathered, knee-less, rock-eating (and turns out, delicious) “birds” commonly known as ostriches. During a tour of the Ostrich Farm grounds that felt like a middle school field trip to a petting zoo we stood on their eggs, lost staring contests, and let them bite us with their toothless beaks (which felt only appropriate after one had to put up with me sitting on its back for about 30 seconds).

Oh, and then this happened after Noelle fought off a group of 7-10 year olds (the only other people in the tour group who didn’t exceed the weight limit) for a spot in line…(EDITOR’S NOTE: If they asked for the “attention of parents of all the riders” one more time…)

…and then we dined.

Big Cats on the Garden Route

by Dave

July 7 – 9

 

Oysters digested and disappointments forgotten, we left Knysna to continue our way east along Garden Route toward Nature’s Valley. We stayed at a commune backpackers’ hostel called Wild Spirits. We arrived before check-in so our room wasn’t ready, but we did have time for a quick tour of the grounds which included some wild horses, a hiking path through the “Magic Forest,” a spread of homemade granola and other goodies that were available to snack on and plenty of patchwork pants and dreadlocks.  The place fits just about every laid back, hippy stereotype you can think of. And we loved it.  I could go on and on about it, but I think the pictures below pretty well sum up the type of place it was. (EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re less of a visual person, it can also be summed up by my fear-stricken comment to Dave, “What do we DO if they offer us DRUGS???”)

We had plans for that night (which I’ll get to below), but we had a few hours of sunlight to fill so we zipped further down the N2 to Stormsriver Mouth to check out its well-known suspension bridge and some rocky shorelines. We also took an impromptu hike up to a viewing point where we spotted the only whales we’d see the whole time in South Africa. (Note to our future selves: next time there is even a remote possibility of an impromptu hike and its more than 80 degrees out, do not wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. BIG mistake.)  (EDITOR’S NOTE: …big. HUGE.)

It was brief, but we saw them. They flashed some fin then swam further from shore for what we presumed was some privacy to “expand the pod,” if you will.  (EDITOR’S NOTE: To clarify, we presumed this because it is mating season, not because we could “just tell,” despite what Dave may claim…) Then it was time to keep the sweat going with a healthy hustle back to the car to make it back in time for our sunset date.

Why the rush to get back, you ask? We had a date for a leisurely sunset stroll with CHEETAHS! That’s right, we walked cheetahs. On leashes. Like, full-grown, real, living, breathing cheetahs.

I had read about Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Center on a few “Things To Do On the Garden Route” lists we found, and found out that our friends Ryan and Laura did the cheetah walk a few years ago and loved it. That was all we needed before booking this. After we arrived, we had some free time to check out the other animals before the sunset walk started. There were meerkats (which you cannot help but laugh at), old, crinkly Marabou storks (part of the “Ugly Five” animal group for good reason) and a few other critters. But they all paled in comparison to the cheetahs.

The two we got to walk with (accompanied by trained guides to, you know, keep an eye on these the beastly, carnivorous cats in case we made a wrong move or they were being aggressive) were named Tandy and Shaga. After I was thrown into their cage and hogtied them to allow the guides to put their leashes on a quick orientation video, we were ready to roll. It’s easy to say you’ll be cool and calm about this whole experience, but once you see the size of them up close and hear their deep purr as we walked it’s a whole different story.

Pretty sure they could smell fear, and Shaga (a male, the first one we walked and the larger of the two) had to know he owned me. For weeks leading up to this I had convinced myself that if one of them went after Noelle I would be able to choke it out and tell that story to anyone who wanted to  (or didn’t want to) hear it for the rest of my life. But reality set in when we saw them and my nerves kicked in. I’m pretty sure Noelle would have been the more likely of us to put one of them in a sleeper hold. Sucks to admit, but facts are facts. Any subtle movement from him and I was ready to run for the woods. To clarify, this has nothing to do with strength. I’m totally stronger than my wife.

Eventually we switched over to walk Shaga’s sister, Tandy, who is definitely less unpredictable. She also loves the cameras so we got to pose for a few family portraits with her like these below.

An hour and a half later later we returned the cats to their fenced-in area where we watched them absolutely inhale some raw chicken meat while looking around at all of us like, “Come at me while I’m eating, see what happens.” It was a pretty surreal experience and one we’ll not soon forget.

The next day, after a quick stop at the Farm Stall up the road (of course we bought locally grown foods, per the approval of our Wild Spirits hosts) for some fuel for our drive back toward Cape Town and our final South African stop – Stellenbosch.

 

Emerging from the Wilderness for Oysters

 by Dave

July 4-7

 

If someone told you, “I’m going to Wilderness,” you’d likely either think, “Man, that guy needs to be learned how to talk English,” or “That sounds like a nice place. I want to go to there.” Well we went, and you should also want to go to there. If we’re talking technicalities, this was technically our first Garden Route stop (since the official starting point is in George, just a bit west of Wilderness), and a place we were really looking forward to seeing. I knew it was right on the ocean, it had a huge beach and it was named Wilderness. That was more than enough to pique my interest.

We arrived at our accommodation, Xanadu Guesthouse, under the cover of darkness (a more interesting sounding way of saying the last two hours were pitch black and it seemed like the drive would never end).

As it were, it wasn’t until the next morning when the sun had come up and we awoke in the most comfortable bed we’d slept in since leaving home that we realized what a gem we stumbled upon for our brief 1-night stopover. The guesthouse backs right up to Wilderness beach. As in, right on top of it. After finishing up our coffee while watching the waves crash in front of us, we set out for a few hours in Wilderness National Park.

It was the 4^th of July – the first time during our travels where serious homesickness kicked in. After donning our red, white and blue attire the same clothes we’d been rotating between for the past two months, we decided to celebrate the motherland’s birthday with some canoeing and hiking in the wilderness of Wilderness.  Despite the overcast skies, the paddling was just as relaxing as we’d hoped. After heading inland a ways on the Touw River, we pulled ashore to hike a few kilometers further to the Touw River Waterfall and had our own classic 4^th of July meal of grilled brats, burgers, potato salad and red, white and blue iced cookies all washed down with a few cold beers a block of cheddar cheese, some bland crackers and a granola bar all washed down with a bottle of water. Please, keep your jealousy to yourselves. (EDITOR’S NOTE: It wasn’t even good cheese. That’s important here.)

 

Once we returned the canoe, it was on to Knysna (pronounced like nigh-snuhh), a town about 45 minutes further down the coast that was we caught just as it was holding its annual Oyster Festival. We love us some oysters, so we had to check it out. Opting to make the drive in the daytime, we left ourselves enough time to explore the town the first afternoon we arrived. With rolling hills of coniferous forest as its backdrop, Knysna welcomes the Indian Ocean onto its shores through an inlet that keeps the waters calm and relaxing. The scenic surroundings were good to have when, to our surprise upon arrival, we found out our accommodation was a 40 minute walk into town. But walking along the water made it a bit more bearable. And there were baboons all over the property, including a pack that ran along the roof above our room. So there was that.

After building our expectations up to high-but-not-unattainably-high levels, we set out on the town that night in search of some fresh oysters. After walking toward the main tented area of the festival, we were told that a comedian was having a show that was for ticketed customers only that evening. But all was not lost. The security guard told us to head up to Main Street where “there was a lot happening.” So up we went and found (drumroll please)… a dead quiet main street. This was unfortunately a sign of things to come, as our hopes for a 3-day oyster binge were quickly dashed. We settled on a local food and craft fair with live music (on the top floor of a parking garage of all places) where a few cold, local beers and some mussel chowder washed away our frustration, and it soon became apparent that we’d have to put in some effort on our end to find the best of the Oyster “Festival.”

Days two and three found us going for our first run in a while and checking out the Knysna Craft Beer Project (“project” being a fitting word as it seems like they could still use some work on putting it together for next time, the first step might be finding a location that’s not a 20 minute drive through a private subdivision on a golf course with minimal signage to find it). (EDITOR’S NOTE: The PR event planners in us make us very judge-y.)

We also found a good bar that served nachos, cheap drinks and live music, which found us singing along to favorite tunes (EDITOR’S NOTE: HO! HEY!) from home. The simple things, I tell ya. Seeking out oysters became our Olympic sport. We had a map identifying Oyster Fest “Hot Spots” (thank you, Tabasco), and we’d hunt them down for the chance to enjoy just a taste of the half-shelled goodness. So. Much. Effort.

And on the final afternoon before moving to our next stop on the Garden Route, we did finally hit the oyster jackpot, downing more than a dozen oysters for less than $3 bucks.  Glorious, cold, salty, fresh oysters. So in the end, while Knysna was a bit of a let down overall, we got what we came for and found ways to entertain ourselves to make up for the town’s overhyped festival buzz. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Quit cutting the town a break. We SHAPED our trip around OYSTER FEST because we LOVE OYSTERS. And there were NO OYSTERS. This was not cool, Knysna, not cool.).

Plus, we still had the back half of the Garden Route to look forward to, and it was on to our entertaining commune-like hostel in Nature’s Valley and MORE ANIMALS.

Lighthouses, Penguins and a bit of R&R

by Noelle

July 1 – 3

 

The Garden Route in South Africa has the title of “one of the most beautiful drives in the world.” So one Kia Picanto rental later, and we were ready to hit the road for a 10-day cruise up and down the famous N2. However, there were two things we knew we couldn’t miss before heading out of town. Taking a scenic drive to Cape Point, to check out its old lighthouse, and visiting the African penguins who surprisingly make their home on the sandy beaches nearby.

After a 45-minute drive through half a dozen lazy towns, known for fishing, surfing and well, basically being awesomely lazy towns, we arrived at Cape Point, nestled in the Table Mountain National Park. With nothing but blue skies and gale force winds, we took the short walk up to the top, stopping to brace ourselves against the wind to take in the coastal views. The lighthouse in the pictures is actually no longer used, due to the frequent fog that would render the beacon invisible. The new lighthouse is at a lower elevation and further out into the water. Another must-see spot (crowded with tourists armed with cameras and peace signs) was the Cape of Good Hope, the South-Western most point of the continent (…however not most SOUTHERN point, as popularly misunderstood, as that distinction belongs to Cape Agulhas, 150 kilometers away). Kind of silly, but also kind of cool. Another fun fact? Nearby, the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm currents of the Indian Ocean collide.

And what stop would be noteworthy without at least one incredible meal. Well we found it – at Kalky’s, a tiny fish and chips spot in the small beach town of Kalk’s Bay as we made our way back from the Cape. One of the best meals we’ve had to date, the hot and greasy fried fish had our mouths watering. Plus, watching the local fisherman pull out the day’s catch from out the window left little doubt of the freshness.

Our little Picanto (suited perfectly to its name) wound it’s way back up the coast to Boulders Beach where we hung out with the African penguins, from the grey fuzzy-downed babies to the recognizable black and white of penguins you see during a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was pretty funny to see them waddle up and down the sand, taking quick dips in the warm False Bay waters. And as Dave is obsessed with all things animals (EDITOR’S NOTE: Sorry I’m not sorry.), we took an embarrassing amount of photos before getting on our way. You can enjoy a small percentage of them below. You’re welcome.

As this adventure took most of the day, we decided to make our bed for the night in the Cape Cod-esque coastal town (popular with retirees) of Hermanus, standing between Cape Town and the start of the Garden Route. Never-ending white washed B&Bs and homes lined the coast, and with a reputation for whale and dolphin sightings, we were charmed by this unspoiled fisherman’s village.

We spent the first day catching up on the blog and reading on the peaceful balcony of our room. The evening continued curled up by the fireplace of our cozy B&B, glass of wine and books in hand. With the sightseeing pace of the last month and what we knew lie ahead, this was just what we needed. The town was just as cute as promised, and shortly after arriving to the main square for dinner, we realized what “off-season” really was like for Hermanus. We were one of 5 tables at the sushi restaurant, and the square was eerily quiet (don’t even get me started about the self appointed “car guards” that emerge out of nowhere from the darkness asking for tips for “watching your car for you” while you were eating…I’m like – watching it from WHO? YOUR FELLOW SHADOW-DWELLING FRIENDS?? Anyway….). We’ve learned that small South African towns are not fans of streetlights, and as we made our way home with only our headlights to guide us, we wondered why “winter” scared people off (if anything, it should be the “car guards”). Yes, it was a bit windy and chilly, but the sun still shone, and the restaurants were still open. Better for us with off-season rates and less tourist traffic; just a helpful hint for future travelers!

The next day, we wandered back into the sleepy town to eat at Oskars, a café with a ridiculous menu, including a bacon-fried banana-pecan-cream cheese-honey sandwich (seriously) and a hamburger and milkshake that made Dave a happy man. We couldn’t resist their highly reviewed Red Velvet Cake (I mean, we’re only human), and left thinking we wouldn’t eat again for days…which of course we did.

We left without seeing a whale (spoiler alert: that comes later), but with our tanks recharged and ready for the weeks ahead.

The Garden Route is littered with picturesque towns, so choosing an itinerary, even with the leisurely pace we set aside, is daunting. Our final decision will bring us to Wilderness, Knysna, Plattsburg Bay, Stormsriver Mouth, Nature’s Valley and Oudtshoorn. Most involving animals, but all involving beautiful views. Rev the Picanto and let’s get going!

A Salute to June

by Noelle and Dave

 

It’s been the best of times, it’s been the worst of times. But as you’ve read about some of the latter, we’ll keep the focus of this post purely on the good stuff. Just as with May, we each compiled our Top 10 moments of the month as a way to remember the highlights.

These will probably continue to be the most fun posts for us to write. It’s impossible to explain the mentality that goes along with this type of trip – but it’s easy to get lost in the 24-hour planning, traveling, experiencing, blogging, eating, etc, so this is a perfect time for us to really stop and take a look at what COOL stuff we’re doing. Once-in-a-lifetime stuff. This blog is as much for us as it is for you readers moms, so thanks for letting us indulge in self-reflection here.

As before, we didn’t share our lists with each other until we were ready to post, and have agreed at that point they’re locked in. However, that was before I saw what Dave’s TOP MOMENT for June was while on our once-in-a-lifetime, round-the world adventure…alas, I let it stand in the end, but COME ON.

So without further ado…

 

She Says:

10. I have to say, Dave’s excitement at every animal during our trip is kind of awesome. He’s like a little kid with the camera when we spot anything, asking “did you see that??” and trying to find the source of every bird call. At one point, our Simiens guide asked if we had cows in America because Dave was enthusiastically taking photos of them in the mountains. And we still have the safari (and a full memory card) ahead of us!

9. Getting news that not one but TWO of my favorite ladies had their beautiful baby girls! Isabelle Sunkin and Alexis Joseph were born, and while we had worried about being so far away, the emails with photos and stories made us realize how connected we were, even from across the world.

8. ETHIOPIAN FOOD. That is all.

7. The climb and visit to the top of Table Mountain was really cool. At one point, we perched atop a rock and just sat for a while, taking in the views and being quiet. As you can imagine, we don’t do a lot of that (I realize that sounded ironic because we I continually talk about amazing views…but I meant the being quiet part).

6. Our breakfasts at Villa Sofia (not to mention the views – SEE??) will continue to be a visual I grab hold of when in future stressful moments. For a week, each morning was met with crystal blue waters hugging a town nestled in the mountains while enjoying a melty croissant, fresh fruit and coffee. 

5. This one may or may not be affected by its direct proximity to our departure from Ethiopia. Our first meal in Cape Town was at a sushi restaurant on the waterfront, overlooking our future the moored yachts. Cozied up at a table outside with cold gin martinis, salty oysters and the freshest sushi I had ever tasted (want to note again the potential for dramatic over-exaggeration, but it was truth to me at the time) by candlelight. I never wanted to shed my provided comfy blanket to leave.

4. Lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling of the Selassie Church in Lalibela may not have immediately been in my thoughts for “top 10” but when I thought back to what I will most remember, this keeps coming to mind. As we gazed at the ceiling painted over 400 years ago, doing exactly what Christians had been doing for centuries, you couldn’t help but be moved. Followed by our guide’s reenactment of a service, playing the ceremonial drum and chanting the prayers, the experience is still something I can vividly bring to mind.

3. Our hike on the Amalfi Coasts’s Path of the Gods was hands-down some of the most brilliant scenery I’ve ever seen. I’m a sucker for sea and sky views, and this didn’t disappoint at a single turn. Stunning.

2. The day we toured Rome was pretty awesome. Roaming the streets of such an ancient city and visiting such famous landmarks was an incredible way to spend the day (interrupted with a gelato break, of course). Hearing the history of the Coliseum as you stand inside, tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain and looking up at the Sistine Chapel with only silence surrounding you are things that don’t happen everyday. Plus, that evening we re-visited some of the sites, just us, as night fell, then got lost in the streets and stumbled upon some really cool squares where we listened to live music and watched street artists. Really special.

1. While the first 48 hours in the Simien Mountains still gives me cold sweats to think about, realizing how Dave and I could get through ANYTHING was really comforting. With some of the adventures we still have left ahead, it was a big lesson in trusting your spouse to take care of you (even when that’s particularly hard for some of us to do). HE FISHED MY SHOE OUT OF AN AFRICAN TOILET IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. So, I’d say he’s got my back. 

 

He Says:

10. Our daily breakfasts at Villa Sofia in Positano. Every morning we were treated to fruit, croissants, toast, jam and coffee on a terrace that looked out over Positano and further west along the Amalfi Coast all the way to Capri. Pretty awesome way to start each day.

9. Our very first time having BRUNCH since we left. I finally found a bloody mary, and the food and atmosphere at Manna Epicure in Cape Town (near the base of Signal Hill) were great.

8. Touring the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. After getting past the amazement of how each church was carved out of one giant piece of rock, touring each of the churches and hearing about the history of each was a great experience.

7. Our Path of the Gods hike on the Amalfi Coast. We had a perfect day to do it with clear skies and warm weather, and the views stopped us in our steps more than a few times.

6. The food in Italy, specifically in Rome and Naples. Even though I despised most other aspects of Naples during our quick stopover, the pizza was out of this world. And the food in Rome was just as good, with our pizza al taglia at Pizzarium and the Cacio e Pepe (a pasta dish which I ordered at three different places) making me a happy human.

5. Table Mountain in Cape Town. The hike up was more exhausting than I anticipated, but the payoff at the top was more than worth it. The views over the city and all the way down the coast to the Cape of Good Hope under crystal clear blue skies were amazing.

4. Ethiopian coffee and food. I’d never had Ethiopian food before we went there and was a bit skeptical, but came to be obsessed with all types of it while we were there. Beyond being delicious, it was fun to have something that was so different from any other food we’d had to that point of the trip. The Fasting Platters of injera smothered with all sorts of vegetables and spreads were great, as were the various meats we had. And the coffee is second to none. We will definitely be seeking out Arabica beans when we get home, even if that makes us coffee snobs.

3. The entire day of our guided tour through Rome and the Vatican, followed by our self-guided tour of other parts of Rome. While many things from the guided tour standout, the Sistine Chapel was the best part for me. The history and significance of it, and the fact that the frescos are all original works of Michelangelo made the entire experience truly breathtaking. Making our way back to our B&B through cool side streets, Campo de Fiori and sitting by a fountain while staring at the Pantheon all lit up at night were equally as enjoyable.

2. The Simiens Trek. Depsite some hurdles we had to cross at the start, it was fun to have our first camping trip together. The views were great throughout, but seeing all the baboons and other wildlife is what stands out most for me.

1. The Blackhawks won the Cup!!! Yes, I realize that has nothing to do with our own travels and where we went in June, but nothing tops this. Second Stanley Cup in four years, and all the more dramatic for me due to having had to watch the games in the middle of the night throughout the month. This takes the cake.

Let’s do this July. A month in Africa packed full of road trips, wine country, countless wild animals and taking in a countryside that has so much nature and culture to offer – its bound to be an incredible ride.

Welcome to the Table, Cape Town

by Noelle

June 27 – July 1

 

Table Mountain dominates the cityscape as we arrive in Cape Town, the first stop on our South African itinerary. I let out a mental WOOOHOOOOOOO (or was it out loud? that would have explained the strange looks…) as our plane landed, and I kissed the sweet, sweet South African soil we deplaned for what would be the next two and a half weeks of our journey. Our 5 hour layover in Dubai (bringing Dave the American fast food, and me the Dt. Coke fountain drink we didn’t know we’d been longing for…) and overnight flight had left us slightly ragged, so we were THRILLED to arrive to such a comfortable, welcoming airbnb home where we’d be spending the next four days. Kristin, an ex-pat working for an non-profit that raises HIV awareness through soccer programs (awesome, right??), had a couch that was reminiscent of ours at home, comfy guest bedroom, a Nespresso machine and lived a block from the ocean – perfect!

After settling in, Dave and I took off for a long walk along the water to the V&A Waterfront – eerily reminiscent of the San Francisco wharf. After our Ethiopian adventure, I couldn’t help staring wide-eyed at the plethora of restaurants perched cozily on the harbor, the hum of shoppers as they roamed the small mall and the Polo clad locals as they made way to their yachts. We were home! (To be clear, we never owned a yacht at home, but we always thought we’d be really good yacht people.) Welcome to #3 on the Bauers’ future hometown consideration list.

We immediately sniffed out stumbled into the local V&A Market on the Wharf where we quickly honed in on the first craft beers we’d seen since departing Chicago. Pair that with biltong (like beef jerky, but better) and some cheese from a third stall, and we had the lunch I’d been longing for since Italy. Yes, I realize it’s only been three weeks, but may I remind you of THE AFRICAN JUNGLE WE CAME FROM?. (EDITOR’S NOTE: May I also remind you that we never set foot in any jungles. None.) A stroll home along the water at sunset had me in tears of happiness.

Seriously – Cape Town is a mix of Miami and San Francisco. You have an incredible waterfront, bordered by swanky beaches lined with trendy clubs and bars. Finally, amidst all this, you look up, and Table Mountain rules the skyline. Water AND vivid topography? Chicago, watch your back.

Cape Town is known for it’s rainy, hazy weather in the winter (which is now), so we lucked out with incredibly gorgeous, clear days during our entire stay. We took advantage of this immediately, taking the short ride to the foot of Table Mountain, and selecting one of the more moderate hikes to take us to the top. The climb up Platteklip Gorge offers great views, both toward the top, with Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head flanking the mountain, and back down toward the city. Once at the top, you can see for miles in every direction, from the full of Cape Town to Cape of Good Hope, the most South-Western point of the continent (which we get up close and personal with soon). To keep us company were the dassies, small guinea pig-looking creatures, crazily, the closest living relative of the African elephant. Google it. We spent a few hours walking the length of the mountain and relaxing atop of rocks and solving the world’s problems. After our arduous climb up, we opted for the cableway back to the bottom.

The taxi method was fascinating. They have a mini bus that just cruises the streets between neighborhoods. You flag one down, hop in to join the other half dozen folks, hand the driver 6 Rand (less than $1 USD) and hop out upon arrival at your destination. And you won’t miss them coming, the house music is blaring at top decibel, and the driver yells out the window to attract customers. Just like the CTA…

The next few days were filled with long walks along the coast, dining on the waterfront and in a few quaint neighborhoods and more sushi than we could have asked for (which we didn’t. but the city knew. it knew.). One evening, we explored some of the surrounding beaches, enjoying sundowners (a term for drinks at sunset we’ve come to love) at a peaceful spot on the water in Clifton (a few kilometers south of Sea Point, where we were staying), and (more) sushi at a cozy restaurant in neighboring Camps Bay.

Our local host directed us to our first brunch spot (and more importantly, Dave’s first Bloody Mary) (EDITOR’S NOTE: It tasted so good when it hit my lips!) of the trip on the foodie stretch of Kloof Street, where we dined on sour dough flatbread with tomato, bacon, mushrooms, boerewors, cheddar and free range eggs and a french toast croissant bacon, brie and maple syrup at Manna Epicure. A lot of detail but it was THAT. GOOD. We love you, Kristin. 4 Life. After a quick walk down Long Street, known for its shopping during the day and bar scene after sunset, we wandered up the hill to Bo Kaap, a residential neighborhood and bohemian hang out famous for it’s colorful homes.

Cape Town definitely exceeded our expectations. We were impressed by the modernism of the city, while still capturing the little of what we’d learned of African culture. The city itself was beautiful, and paired with its excellent restaurants and atmosphere, we were charmed. As excited as we were to begin our Garden Route journey, it was sad to say goodbye.