A Southern Circumnavigation (At Last!)

Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya  from the Zimbabwe side

• Warning! - This blog is pretty long (some might say too long). I guess I felt I had a lot to say and show from our African trip. As a bit of orientation, this is divided into basically 4 parts:

  The cruise Mauritius to Cape Town;
  

  Cape Town;

  Victoria Falls;

  Chobe National Park, Botswana (lots of animal and bird photos)

Prelude

In 2010 as we prepared to come to New Zealand for the first time, our concept was quite clear: we would take a one-year sabbatical, I would work six months in New Zealand and then we would continue to travel westward until we circled the globe and returned home.That plan was scratched fairly early as I really liked working there and was asked to extend for a total of eight month. We then spent time in Australia, Bali, Cambodia, and China and returned home across the Pacific and the globe-spanning plans were put on ice. Our last major exotic trip was in late 2019 to Vietnam and Malaysia, the pandemic hit and everything was put on hold, as were my hopes of visiting southern Africa. With things loosening up, and our inability to reverse aging, now seemed like the best opportunity to visit Africa on our way back to New Zealand for what may be my last working year. I had booked a cruise from Mauritius to Cape Town and arranged a few extra days in Cape Town, then Victoria Falls, and a one-day safari in Botswana before flying back to NZ.

The first week of 2024 was spent tidying up things in California, then one week in Georgia with Sofia and the Grand-kids, before a non-stop flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, RSA.

Lunch with Emma and Bill Nestler and David N. at her favorite place in Watsonville.

 

An early birthday dinner for me in Point Richmond

And of course cake(s).

With Sofia, Fayne, Kimarra, & Isaiah

Off to Africa

Colossal statue of Oliver Tambo

After a long overnight flight from Georgia to Johannesburg, we spent the night at the Airport Intercontinental Hotel before connecting on to Mauritius. It was a good thing too as tropical cyclone Belal was slamming into the island, causing significant destruction and a few deaths. I couldn't ignore this 30 foot tall statue of the man for which the airport is now named, Mr. Tambo. He was one of the co-founders of the African National Congress (ANC) and anti-apartheid leaders along with Mr. Mandela (more on this later on my Cape Town notes).

The Cruise

Part 1- Mauritius

We arrived in Mauritius late at night Thursday January 18, 2024 as the flight was delayed due to the cyclone. The plan was to adjust to the time change, a full 12 hours later than CA time, and see as much as we could. To confess, I knew very little about the country beyond:

1. The distinctive four-striped flag (for vexillology/quiz purposes),
2. It is NOT Mauritania!
3. The former home of the long extinct dodo bird.

I did learn a fair amount more although time to explore was limited due to cyclone-related clean-up and our fatigue. We surveyed the surroundings of the hotel on the 19th, and then hired a cab on the 20th to drive us around for a few hours before we had to board the Norwegian Dawn. The island is of volcanic origin, with lovely craters, waterfalls, forests, and beaches, and is a favorite vacation spot for South Africans. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to venture far beyond the capital Port Louis.

What I learned was that like other places on the Indian Ocean, there were many visitors over the years, initially Arab sailors, Chinese explorers, and from the early 16th century on a succession of Europeans: Portuguese, Dutch, French and eventually the British in 1810-1968, after which Mauritius became an independent nation. The culture is a mixture of all these influences, as well as Indian, Chinese, Malay, and continental Africans, many imported as enslaved peoples. The cuisine is a fusion of all of the above plus Persian, especially the street food.

A worthwhile place to visit is The Blue Penny Museum housed in a century-old basalt stone building. It is named after a very rare and expensive stamp printed in Mauritius in 1847. Like the legendary UK Penny Black, they are highly treasured by philatelists and mint-condition Blue and Red Pennies were purchased for $2,000,000 in 1993. Those two are on display here, but there are also well-presented displays on the history of the island, explorers and maps, and art works.

Thr Red Penny (more orange really)

Blue Penny Museum-(Blue & Red Penny images from Wikipedia)

We visited L’Aventure du Sucre Museum in an old sugar cane mill. Mauritius was one a major world source of cane sugar and even today it is the major exporter of gourmet sugars. I had no idea the process of making sugar from sugar cane was so complex. Where there is sugar cane, rum can't be far away. We had an opportunity to try some of the local product including, naturally, Lazy Dodo Rum.

The Chateau de Labourdonnais is nearby, a colonial mansion built in 1856 by a sugar tycoon. The family lived there for over 150 years, recently converting into a tourist attraction. In addition to visiting the house and the gardens, there is a well-respected restaurant where we had lunch.

The mansion

My lunch

I was lucky to snap this avian photo.

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Part 2- Réunion Island  

We boarded the ship the evening of the 20th, a chaotic time-consuming, hot and humid affair (more on that aspect of the cruise a bit further on). After unpacking we were quite bushed, but had a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, that left little time for exploration. The history, geology, and culture are very similar to Mauritius: volcanic in origin, multi-cultural, tropical scenic beauty, sugar cane, etc. The main difference is that it is still an overseas department and region of France, like French Polynesia and New Caledonia. It was only under British control 1810-1814 during the Napoleonic Wars. 

We did catch a shuttle to L'ermitage Beach, one of the nicest in the island.  We ate a picnic lunch under the trees along the shore, walked through to town a bit, and I even took a dip in the ocean.

L'ermitage Beach, Réunion

Part 3- Nosy Komba, Madagascar

On Day Five of the cruise after two days at sea, we finally took a proper shore excursion to Nosy Komba, literally "island surrounded by rocks". It is also called the Isle of Lemurs. I was determined not to miss lemurs on Madagascar. After about a 30 minute boat ride we waded ashore to the small village. The people were friendly and there were lots of babies. We walked past the stalls of mementos for a short walk into the protected area.

There were plenty of lemurs as advertised. They are able to leap several feet onto the tourists for a photo op. I was warned "don't touch their tails", so I didn't.

They also have chameleons, and Seychelles tortoises.

I was intrigued by this statue below. The inscription on the base says "Miaraka @ Aly Aboudou, Yehivavy 8 Mars 2016 Nosy Komba". The woman is feeding a lemur a banana and has traditional white painting on here face. If my research is correct, Miaraka translates to "ensemble" and may refer to an annual Madagascar arts festival. Is Aly Aboudou the artist or the woman or both or neither?? Beats me. I am open to suggestions.

Before the ferry back to the ship traditional snacks were served. Overall is was a memorable day.

Part 4- Richards Bay, South Africa

So please indulge me if you will as I engage in some truly "First World" complaining about the cruise. As I mentioned above things were quite chaotic on embarkation and the crew seemed quite ill-informed. I believe this was the first time Norwegian had done this itinerary to southern Africa, and it showed. They provided no information about what to expect in the ports of call and offered no cultural or historical context.

Many passengers selected this cruise for its exotic itinerary. However, initially we were make two stops in Mozambique and an additional stop in Madagascar. These were cancelled without explanation. But worst of all, the times in port were unusually short making it difficult to see anything of interest. The worst example was at the next port of call, Richards Bay, RSA. We arrived at 10 am, but every passenger had to be cleared by South African immigration, which took forever! We were in the last group to be called and were not allowed to disembark until 2:30 with a planned departure at 5 pm. So instead of going to Hluhluwe Game Park to possible see the "Big Five", cruise the World Heritage site iSimangaliso Wetland Park, or visit a native township, our only option was to find a cab and go to the mall. (We were told later that South Africans are very proud of their malls.)

The Boardwalk Mall, Richards Bay

African kids enjoying VR at the mall

Part 5- Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha, South Africa

Our luck began to change at the next stop and got better every day throughout our journey. We booked a "Walk with the Giants: a trip to the Bellevue Forest Reserve" ("giants" refers to giraffes). It was 1.5 hour drive inland from the harbor, near the more famous Addo Elephant Park. It was the hottest place in South Africa that day, >104'. We drove through areas which were previously wheat farms and citrus orchards needing water brought in by canal from many miles away. This was not the most sustainable idea, and lately more farmers have been converting into animal reserves. They find that in addition to helping preserve indigenous flora and wildlife, they make more money!

We saw native species in a natural habitat, but didn't manage to photograph all of them (many more elephants and Cape buffalo to come later).

Mama and baby giraffe

"Sweetie" the ostrich

Impalas

Springboks, the mascot of the national rugby union team

View from the back porch of the lodge where we had lunch

 Part 6- Mossel Bay, South Africa

Next stop was Mossel Bay, Afrikaans for Mussel Bay. We had to tender in from the ship and we were excited to connect with Amanda H. who lives in George, a nearby town. Amanda is an old friend of the family and works with Safari True, a company based in Alameda CA that helped me plan this trip.

With Amanda

It was a beautiful day to walk along the St. Blaize Hiking Trail These photos don't really do justice to the rocky cliffs and the seascapes. The hike starts underneath the lighthouse which crowns a large cave found to have ancient artifacts. You could literally walk for miles, but after a reasonable time we turned around and headed back for lunch.

Photo 55144629 | Blaize Lighthouse © Grobler Du Preez | Dreamstime.com

 

It was our first encounter with the rock hyrax, called dassie locally. They live in small groups and peek out of crevasses in rocks. You might swear they are rodents, but apparently are most closely related to elephants.

Amanda had to return to work so we explored the city on foot. There is a museum dedicated to the Portuguese Bartolomeu Dias, the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope and who landed here in 1488, thus demonstrating a pathway to India. They have a replica of his ship on display.

Another Portuguese sailor sought refuge here after a severe storm in 1501. He chronicled his travails for any future captain to find, put them in a boot and nailed it to a milk-wood tree. It worked, and this method was used as a de facto post office for decades. Now known as the Post Office Tree, if you mail a card from the  boot-shaped mail drop underneath the tree it will be marked with a unique postal stamp.

The boot

The post-mark

 Cape Town, South Africa

Table Mountain, Cape Town landmark, on arrival of the Norwegian Dawn

We arrived in Cape Town the last day of January and spent the first night on the ship then an additional two nights at the Welgelegen Guest House. What a beautiful and exciting part of the world! 

My #1 priority was to visit Robben Island, the infamous prison that held Nelson Mandela from 1963-1982, 18 years of his 27 years of incarceration. I am so glad I booked this because I learned so much.

Robben Island with Cape Town in the backround: Photo taken from: https://www.southafrica.net/gl/en/travel/article/be-humbled-by-the-heroes-of-robben-island

The tour is in two parts: a drive around the island and then a tour inside the prison walls. The second part is conducted by a former inmate/political prisoner held there relating his own story. Like many people, I have a familiarity with the outline of Mandela's story, but as I realized at the Johannesburg Airport with the Oliver Tambo statue, the struggle against apartheid involved many many heroes and martyrs.

The story of Robert Sobukwe in particular should be more known outside of Africa. As a teacher and university lecturer, he became more political and helped found the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), and in 1960 inspired a non-violent protest against the Pass Laws, which required black South Africans to carry a "passport" to travel out of racially-defined zones. He asked people to present themselves to police stations without their papers and ask to be arrested, hoping to overwhelm the system. This prompted a severe over-reaction by the authorities leading to the killing of 69 people and injuring 180 others in what became known as the Sharpeville Massacre 21 March 1960. Mr. Sobukwe was charged and convicted of incitement. After his sentence was served the National Party parliament passed the secret General Law Amendment Act, which introduced a clause allowing for political dissidents to be indefinitely detained without trial. This law was applied only to him and led to six years in solitary confinement on Robben Island and then being held under house arrest until his death 1978. He was deemed too dangerous, influential, and powerful a voice against the apartheid regime. 

Joseph "Dede" Ntsoelengoedeify was our guide inside the prison walls and gave a first-person account of his experience.

Dede describes his time in this cell...

... which he shared with others.

Despite a clear effort to not deify Mandela as a savior figure, and even some quiet criticism from some South Africans, it is still a highlight of the tour to peek in his cell #5, identical to all the rest.

Cell #5

Dede & me

In order to get to the dock for the ferry to Robben Island the shuttle from the cruise left us off in front of the Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, and I have to admit this is a mighty fine mall. The whole area is quite nice, with museums, hotels, restaurants, a drawbridge, painted rhinos, a scuba-diving penguin, and an iconic Clock Tower from 1882.

The pedestrian draw-bridge to let small boats into the canal

The Clock Tower

Southern Africa features lots of large sculptures for sale.

Our second day in Cape Town featured a marathon 8½ hour tour of highlights of the Cape Peninsula, and believe me there is a lot to see and do. Carol was our excellent guide and driver, and she was determined we see as much as possible. Firstly, it is spectacular to drive along the coastline with its dramatic cliffs and alluring beaches.

Hout Bay

False Bay

 

We stopped by an ostrich farm. Although the ostrich feather craze in late 19th century fashion has passed, there is still demand for feathers, eggs, and meat from these very large birds.

 

Next stop was the Cape of Good Hope, originally named the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas) by Captain Dias in 1488 but was given its current name by King John II of Portugal in basically a PR move. I had this photo op and a hike up to the lighthouse for the view.

BTW There are lots of baboons throughout southern Africa. In urban settings they are quite the pests as some tourists insist on feeding them. Not a good idea.

On to one of few colonies left of African penguins as they suffered losses recently from a flu epidemic.

Completing a circle around the Cape, our next stop was one of the oldest wineries on the Cape, Groot Constantia for a six-course wine and chocolate tasting. We were tired and fearful that we would fall dead asleep, but soldiered through with a fair amount of swishing and spitting and we managed to gain momentum. Highlights were South Africa's signature red, pinotage ( a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut) and their Grand Constance, "the wine Napoleon drank until his death on St. Helena Island in 1821". I wondered if that's what killed him, but it was all quite good.

Kristenbosch Botanical Garden was our last stop. It was nice to stretch our legs under the cool foliage. 

 

Surveying Cheetah II by Dylan Stewart

Boomslang (Tree Snake), the tree canopy walkway

At the end of a long day.

Cape Town- Day Three

After a good night's sleep, Fayne had computer work to do in the morning so I went out exploring our neighborhood. My first stop was Iziko South African Museum. It had a bit of everything including fine examples of African rock art, of which there is a lot in caves around the Cape.

Other attractions I could not miss were the clay ritual masks, putting my head inside the megalodon jaws, and the African Coelacanth, an ancient fish thought extinct for 88 million years until caught in a fishing net off the East Cape of South Africa in 1938. My prior knowledge of this fish consists of catching it while playing Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons with the grandkids during the pandemic. I also stopped by the Holocaust Museum in honor of the Blums.

 

 

In the late afternoon we did the #1 tourist activity in Cape Town: the cableway to the top of Table Mountain. The compartment rotates 360' so you never far from a spectacular view. Then we had a lovely dinner  a fish restaurant, Miller's Thumb, recommended by Carol. (For those Kiwis, it had a bit of Fleur's Place in Moeraki vibe.) It was an ideal way to end our three days in Cape Town.

View of Lion's Head from Table Mountain

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe  

 or Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke That Thunders"

It has been a long-time goal of mine to see Victoria Falls and it did not disappoint. The experience reminded me of the Grand Canyon in that you approach it from a plateau and you have get up to the rim before you can see it. Unlike the Grand Canyon, you are aware of the ever-present mist and the loud roar. Over 360' high and 5,600' wide, more water flows over this falls than any other. It is truly a miracle. The north side of the falls is in Zambia and the south Zimbabwe. We chose the south side for better views and the posh Victoria Falls Hotel (1904). Some of my pictures and a video may give a hint of its grandeur.

View downstream from the Victoria Falls Bridge

View across the gorge to the our Hotel

View from the backyard of the Victoria Falls Hotel with mist and a faint view of the Bridge crossing the gorge

Our guide "Big Boi" and the Dr. David Livingston statue

Our first night at the Hotel featured a program of local traditional singers and dancers. It felt a bit like a Hawaiian luau, definitely a show for the tourists and yet also partly culturally sincere and genuine.

The hotel pool

Out last night we treated ourselves to dinner in the Livingston Room. Noted for formal fine dining, it turned into a very surreal yet not unpleasant meal. The previous night the restaurant was packed with a large tour group, but we were the solitary guests in the 120 capacity room until later one other couple was seated. A host of staff served us and a gentleman serenaded us with classic numbers on the piano. He even got around spontaneously to "our song", The Girl From Ipanema.

 Chobe National Park, Botswana

The plains descending to the Chobe River

Four countries are within a one-hour drive from Victoria Falls: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. I arranged a one-day safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana hoping for a last chance to see as much African fauna as possible. I was warned that it might not be the best month to see wildlife and there is never a guarantee as to what you might see. It turned out to be an amazing day far exceeding any expectations I had.

The excursion was split between a land safari in the morning and a river cruise in the afternoon. The day started with a rumbling and shaking of the trees as a bull elephant came bursting through. I did not realize that this would be the first of hundreds of elephants sighted.

Peek-a-boo

We proceeded to spot multiple species of African wildlife. It was magical to see the elephants, baboons, and impalas frolic.

We had a "circle of life" moment when we passed a decaying carcass of an elephant we were told died four months ago of old age and was being allowed to decompose naturally.

Our experienced guide noted a herd of impalas on alert and communicating that danger was nearby. He suspected a lion. I had a great deal of difficulty spotting it hidden in the bushes but later found it in my photos.

Wary impalas

 Can you spot the predator?

Closer....

Eureka!

Here is a bit more of the plentiful wildlife I saw.

Impala

A kudu from the rear

Mother monkey & baby

Termite mound

Warthogs    

(Photo 2356586 © Ecophoto | Dreamstime.com)

Mongooses    

Photo 24141627 | Mongooses © Joan Egert | Dreamstime.com

In addition to our morning safari guide, my traveling companions were a Bulgarian couple on holiday. We had an interesting conversation over lunch. She (Velina P.) has lived and worked in the USA and Washington DC for years, is currently the Knowledge for Impact Director for Oxfam, the international confederation founded for famine relief. It was from her I learned about the spreading cholera outbreak in southern Africa. He (Peter P.) is a photographer.

Peter took the selfie.

  After lunch we got a different perspective from the Chobe River.

The Birds of Chobe

More than 450 bird species have been recorded in Chobe. I am no ornithologist but I will try my best to identify those I was able to catch on camera. I am open to any feedback.

Black Heron

Great egret

Spur Winged Goose

Lilac-breasted Roller

Kingfisher (Pied?)

African Darter

Reed Cormorant

Egyptian Goose

Marabou Stork

L to R: Glossy Ibis, African Jacana, Sacred Ibis

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)

More Egyptian Geese

African fish catcher eagle

The river was the place to find this Nile crocodile.

It was notable how often large animals were associated with small birds in a symbiotic relationship.

Cape Buffalo with Cattle Egrets

Oxpeckers looking for ticks and a Cattle Egret with a hippo

Red-billed Oxpecker on a young Impala

We finished the cruise just ahead of an incoming summer thunderstorm.

Post-script

The African adventure was over and it was time for the grueling two-day five-flight trek back to Timaru, New Zealand. We spent a few hours in Changi Airport, Singapore, where there are plenty of diversions like the butterfly garden. 

Butterfly Garden at Changi Airport, Singapore

P.P.S.: A Tale of Two Hats (Redux)

(I previously posted this on FaceBook, but I re-post it here with an update.)

We are just finishing 18 days of touring Southern Africa by cruise ship and by land and air, from Mauritius to Botswana. Like any trip there have been highs and lows, and things started off on a disturbing note: I lost my 49er hat. We were in the airport on Johannesburg, having a bite at Wimpy’s when a member of our party was getting increasingly anxious that we might miss our connection (although it was never in doubt). In a rush, we hurried through international security, only to realize I had left my Niners cap at the table. Distraught, I knew I would need proper headgear for our weeks in the tropics, so I popped into a hat store and bought a bright yellow hat at a deep discount.

This cap had the logo “Bafana Bafana” (meaning The Boys), the name of the national football (soccer) team, whose greatest achievement was winning the Africa Cup of Nations at home in 1996. Futball lags way behind rugby and cricket in the hearts of South Africans, but there were two unexpected consequences of wearing it.

1. The vivid yellow color made it easy for my wife to spot me in a crowd; and,

2. Puzzled locals thought perhaps I was from there and I was greeted warmly with the refrain “bafana bafana!".

Later in the trip, we transited again through the Johannesburg airport, and Fayne suggested we inquire as whether anyone had set the former headgear aside. I was skeptical, but we dropped by Wimpy’s again and lo and behold, it was tucked under some counter there.

Any sports fans who say they are not superstitious is either not a fan or lying. I have no proof (yet) but I consider this a very good omen heading into SuperBowl LVIII. Go Niners!!!

 

Here is the Update: Most of you know the outcome of SBLVIII. I had some foreshadowing on our last day in the airport in Johannesburg. Still wearing my Bafana bafana hat while eating dinner, a large yell went up. It turned out that the S.A. futbal team was playing Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final and they scored a late goal to tie the match. I learned the next day that after a scoreless overtime they lost 4-2 in a shootout. Had they won that game and the finals it would have been their greatest victory since 1996, but alas it was not to be.

 

P.P.P.S.: (March 1, 2024)

Just an update on our recent trip to Africa when I learned of a serious epidemic of cholera in southern Africa, 188,000+ victims and counting. Just this week news came out the Norwegian Dawn, the cruise ship we spent 12 nights on, was quarantined of the coast of Mauritius for suspected cholera. We dodged a bullet! 😟
Read about it here:

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/3-000-tourists-stranded-as-luxury-cruise-ship-denied-entry-over-health-risks-4717262.html