Introduction
This page is an index for entries relating to the trip to South Africa. Bookmark this page and come back in February or so when I get back. The newest stuff will always be at the top of the page so if you want to start from the beginning, go to the bottom of this page.
Robben Island
Posted: 2/28/2005 10:30 PM (Permalink)
Our last day in South Africa we went to Robben Island, the famous island 12 kilometers off the coast at Cape Town which is known best as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. (more)
Wine Country
Posted: 2/27/2005 11:30 PM (Permalink)
South Africa has a very proud tradition of wine making, a fact that you get reminded of almost everywhere you go as a tourist. Well, wine is good so we booked two nights in Stellenbosch, the heart of the wine country. (more)
Owl House/Valley of Desolation
Posted: 2/23/2005 11:30 PM (Permalink)
On the 21st, we took a day trip about 60 kilometers out of Graaf-Reinet (the G is pronounced as if you were trying to cough up a fish bone) up a bumpy gravel road to a very small town named Nieu Bethesda. What’s so special about this little town? Read on and find out. (more)
Karoo Drive
Posted: 2/21/2005 11:30 PM (Permalink)
The N2 highway snakes its way along the Indian coast through an area known as the Garden Route. Here the warm, moist winds from the ocean flow on shore and encounter the Great Escarpment; the Swartberg and Langeberg mountain ranges. The mountains wring out the winds, giving the Garden Route its name, but leave precious little moisture for the high plains beyond. This area is the Great Karoo; A Xhosa word meaning “land of thirst”, and this was the route by which our return journey began. (more)
Life in Mthatha
Posted: 2/20/2005 11:30 PM (Permalink)
From the 16th through the 19th of January, we spent our time in Mthatha. I’m going to cram a bunch of stuff relating to our week there into one long post. (more)
Coffee Bay
Posted: 2/15/2005 10:30 PM (Permalink)
On the weekend of January 15th and 16th, we drove out to Coffee Bay on the coast. Brian and Lynell were there to attend a wedding, we were there to hang out on the beach. (more)
Mthatha Song
Posted: 2/15/2005 8:00 PM ( Permalink)
Posted below for your enjoyment are the lyrics to the Mthatha song, written by my nephews with a little help from their mother. It is sung to the tune of the Oom-pah-pah song from the musical Oliver! (more)
Village Hike
Posted: 2/13/2005 11:30 PM ( Permalink)
As of January the 13th, I can add another line to my resume. Goat herder. (more)
Inkwenkwezi
Posted: 2/12/2005 4:00 PM (Permalink)
We went to one more game reserve during our trip; on the 12th. This time, we went along with Brian, Lynell and the nephews. It’s a private game reserve called Inkwenkwezi. Here are some photos. (more)
East London
Posted: 2/8/2005 11:45 PM ( Permalink)
After a week of touring, and about 1000 kilometers of driving, it was time to meet up with my brother. The plan was to get up and have breakfast at our B&B and then drive to East London and meet up with Brian, Lynell and the boys at the zoo. It didn’t quite work out that way. (more)
Schotia
Posted: 2/7/2005 11:00 PM (Permalink)
Our trip to Addo lasted only to mid-afternoon because we went to another park in the evening. Schotia is a private game park as opposed to the state run Addo. What this means is that instead of driving around yourself, you get driven around on some sort of 4X4 vehicle by a guide or ranger. There is also a greater emphasis on the safari experience. At Schotia, for instance, our guide took us around for a while then we stopped at a lata, which is a traditional open air structure, for tea. Then some more animal viewing and back to the lata for a chuckwagon style meal. It’s really quite enjoyable. (more)
Addo
Posted: 2/6/2005 10:00 PM (Permalink)
On the 10th of January we went to our first game reserve, Addo National Park. Addo is the elephant park. They have over 400. The way it works is you go to the front gate and pay your entrance fee, then you drive to the gift shop place. Right from the parking lot, you see your first elephants. (more)
Mossel Bay
Posted: 2/2/2005 11:15 PM (Permalink)
On the 8th, we left Cape Town and made our way down the coast. We ended up at in the city of Mossel Bay along with legions of tourists. There was a camp trailer park by our hotel that was absolutely packed with campers. The school holidays were still going on. (more)
Penguins
Posted: 1/31/2005 10:30 PM (Permalink)
South Africa, or more specifically, the area around the Cape of Good Hope is one of the few areas in the world where one can easily view penguins in the wild. We spent one day doing just that. Here are some penguin photos. (more)
Cape Town
Posted: 1/30/2005 10:30 PM (Permalink)
Cape Town was a great town to visit. We spent a total of 4 days in Cape Town and could probably spent more. Here’s a short pictorial tour of the city. (more)
(Re)Learning To Drive
Posted: 1/29/2005 10:50 PM (Permalink)
By far the biggest thing that worried me about going on this trip was that we were renting a car in a country where they drive on the left side of the road. Well, after 3000 plus kilometers of driving I thought I’d report on what it’s like. (more)
Traveling Is Fun
Posted: 1/29/2004 6:00 PM (Permalink)
One of the things I noted during the trip was that we didn't see many Americans while we were in South Africa. Lots of Germans, English and Irish people, but very few of our own kind. It’s pretty easy to figure out why this is the case. (more)
We’re Back!
Posted: 1/26/2004 10:30 PM (Permalink)
After 30 hours of sitting in airports and airplanes, we are finally back home in Seattle. I am currently in the process of recovering from jet lag while at the same time catching up on all the stuff that fell by the wayside over the last three weeks. Not an easy thing to do as it turns out. As a result, it will take a few days to start getting postings up here. I promise it will come soon though. In the meantime, I’ll post a picture that proves we actually went to South Africa. (more)