Cape Town

May 23rd to 25th

Arrived at the Cape Town on May 23rd. Zambia to SA is a big change. SA seems so disconnected with the rest of Africa. Apart from its own natural history, it had Dutch occupants and then the Boer wars between the Dutch and British. After 200 years of Dutch ruling them and 100 years of English, their language and accents are very unique. The primary language - Afrikaans is a strange dialect of Dutch. All the names of the towns/roads are in this language.

The vestiges of Apartheid are still visible in the society. Suleman came to pick us up at the Cape airport. He had attended a massive rally by the UDF (coloured, blacks and Indians) all united together against Apartheid. He was so animated in telling us the story. Its only been 15 years. Most of the people here lived through history. They all have tales to tell and I decide to ask for stories from anyone I meet.

Its late evening and I am hungry. We were told many crime stories in the Cape and I was reluctant to head out on foot for dinner. The person at the guest house told it was safe and we walked out to a nice Thai place close by. I guess I would say B’lore is safe too! But the tourists who stop by will think different!

On 24th morning we get a shiny new Honda CRV delivered to our door. Nice to be pampered! I get familiar with the maps - being navigator and all! We start our trip here from the Table Mountain - its right outside our Welgelgen Guest House. The cable cars are visible and it looks clear and sunny. The cable cars here have huge water tanks on the bottom – to carry fresh water to the mountain top.

We set off in the cars – the floor revolves so that the people inside can get a 360 degree vista!

The table cloth – is the name given to the clouds covering the table mountain – was everywhere when we got out. We just walked about in the mist and exited cold and wet!

The company gardens are a nice place in the center of the downtown. A strip of greenery that connects many places. That day we ran out of luck. The planetarium had just completed a show. The District 6 museum had closed minutes before!

District 6 is a classic ‘apartheid’ story which SA is ashamed of today. A huge area near Cape’s downtown was evicted – mostly blacks. Families living there for ages were thrown out and homes bulldozed. After the country became democratic, there are some laws that say if you were forcibly evicted and have proof of that and also proof that you had a title deed, you may get back your home/land.

District 6 is being rebuilt and people are returning – but the process is taking time. The area now is largely empty. Its proximity to Cape’s downtown means the land is very dear to current owners. So you can imagine. Suleman just shrugs’ at the word ‘rehabilitation’.

After all our misses we headed to the waterfront and selected Indian dinner.

Late night conversations at the guest house with other guests – mostly from USA. We met one guy who had visited India in 1978. He took a train from Kabul to India! I asked him to come back to see a new India.

The Peninsula drive was spectacular. There are many routes to head out south to the Cape of Good Hope. We took a scenic drive hugging the Atlantic Coast - Chapman’s Drive, Simon’s Town, and finally the cape point.

It’s a desolate kind of place – with veld forests – that have only bushy plants. The winds and seas are roaring close by and the place is known to get mean and beastly during storms! There are hundreds of wrecks hugging the cape – the legendary being the Flying Dutchman! Flying Dutch man wrecked off the Cape of Good Hope and legend has it that the ship itself is now seen haunting the cape! Wonder why they call it ‘Good Hope’?

After all those years of geography, we were made to believe this is the southern most tip where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Its not! I want my money back!

The cape here is just like finger out in the Atlantic. The southern most point is actually more to the east and south! Cape Agulhas – and its also the ‘official’ place where the Atlantic and Indian ocean meet.

Lunch at the idyllic Simon’s Town was slow and easy. It was cold and windy when we went to visit the Penguins at the Boulders close by. Jack ass penguins – braying to declare territory. Its so surprising that the penguins decide to colonize this place – so close to humans. The penguins arrived here 1980!

Took a faster route N2 into the town and headed out to eat Ethiopian dinner! One of my favourites because it offers veg options and very tasty – different from Indian but still yummy.

Planning our long drives for the next day. We are driving towards Eastern Cape via the Route 62.

Vic falls Helicopter ride

May 23^rd

Early morning walks along the falls. The falls are throwing some beautiful rainbows in the sky!

Just finished the helicopter ride. I started feeling sick the minute we took off. The views are great and that kept me from throwing up. We did a shape of 8 over the falls. So much water – just give me the mist and I can run my farm! This isn’t a glacier fed river – just rains and springs! What a river!

The pilot did some cheeky stunts – tilting it one way and another over the gorge. The sights were amazing, but it did funny things to my stomach. Disha next to me was going green too! I was glad when we landed and the ride was over.

Back at the hotel, we decided to walk over the Victoria Falls Bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe. The bridge is over the gorge that lets the river down after the falls. Lots of mist and we were shivering in the cold. The sunset over the mist turned the mist into a fiery red color. How can I describe this? Tongue tied. Can you people hear me sigh?

Gayi, Pandita, thinking of you at every step! I will come with you and 'guide' you when you are headed here next!

Victoria falls - Guided Tour

May 21^st

Victoria falls is in full flow. It’s the highest levels in the last 30 years for this season. They have had good rains since Nov last. She is pumping and how! You have to scream over her thunder to be heard. There are a whole of statistics for her – but you will always fall short of adjectives.

We started a walk on the far side of Zambia. Stopped by the edge to see where she falls off! There is a Livingstone island in the center, which can’t be accessed in high waters. There is also a devil’s pool at the edge where you can swim – again in low waters. Vic’s moods change with the seasons. She is thundering now and when she is mellow, you can try many more activities.

We walk down the opposite cliff. She is visible only for the first 100 meters. After that, the mist is so high and so much, you can only hear her and see the mist. Then as you walk along, the mist – you can no longer call it mist – it turns into torrential pours. We are soaked wet – through our raincoats. The falls are lashing at you – you can feel her mood here. I felt like a part of the waterfall. The mist is so strong that it lands on the opposite gorge, and it falls again into the gorge, creating many smaller falls as it goes back into the river.

We cross a small footbridge between the gorges – this is the closest you get to the falls. The hoods of our raincoats are blown away. There is two inches of water on the bridge flowing like the river. She wants to grab you and take you with her. Our cameras are tucked away in plastic – there is nothing you can capture anyway.

We had started our walk from the east at evening. When we get to he west, we see the rainbows. They seem to start from the gorge and continue until the mist in he air. We have seen the 1.2 kms on the Zambian side. There is totally 1.7 kms of falls to see. She is so big and mighty that we can only see her better from the top. Going on a helicopter ride tomorrow!

Vic falls, here I come!

May 20^th

Returning to civilization. Don’t feel like coming back. I have already begun to miss the birds flying next to our jeep. There is nothing to look out for – nothing to spot. If my next destination weren’t something as spectacular as Vic falls, I wouldn’t have left this place.

Cheetahs At Last!

May 19^th

On our way to Lake Manyara - we go back to the place where we left the cheetas yesterday. There were two small hills in the sea of grass. We perched on top of one hill. A family of mongoose occupy a termite mound and engage our attention. But all of us are scanning he grass for the cheetah! The place were we left her yesterday has some zebras now. On the opposite side I spot some gazelles running away in a hurry. I focus my binocs in that direction and see a familiar stance of a spotted cat. Its blurred and I am not sure. I ask Ezeck for confirmation and he is excited! We start driving in that direction. No one in the group has spotted them yet! Ezeck loses direction after some time. I am focused in the general area and now can see more movement. It’s the same cheetah and her cubs. We pull over right next to her. She has managed to bring down a wildebeest calf and her calves are feasting on it now. She is alert and watchful. Never lets down her vigil. I have goose pimples as I film her! What a beautiful moment.

I have been dreaming of animals all the days of my trip. I tell my kids I want to stay back and become a safari guide. People reading this – check with me before you make your travel plan to Africa – I may be a safari guide by then! At least I am a good spotter – I got the Rhino, jackal and now the cheetah!

We drive off and come by a spotted hyena. He is following a scent – Ezeck tells me that hyenas can smell a kill over large distances. He may be headed to the cheetah’s meals. I pray that the cheetah’s eat well before the hyena gets there!

Serengeti - Day 3 - hunt for the cheetah

May 18^th

That morning we again packed a picnic lunch and went off – wanting to see big cats. We took a route to cheetah country. Short grass and antelopes are a cheetah’s forte. We spent the entire morning hunting for the cheetah. Our jeep got stuck and we had to use the four wheel drive to pull it out. Landed in the path of the great big miration! Millions of beests and zebras are spread out everywhere. The calves are all the same size – so you know they migrated to the north for breeding. Now they are on their way to Kenya. I got off the jeep – wanted to migrate with them!

Stopped by a kopje for our picnic lunch. On our way in search of the big cats again. We are just cruising along and the driver pulls over – a big lioness sitting by the road. She was lazing after a meal. The radio crackles and we are asked to go to a certain place – a cheetah is seen!

We were rushing in a hurry. Cheetahs are known to hunt everyday and they move quick. So off we went to join a whole lot of other vehicles at a hill. A cheetah with her four cubs are seen far away from the road. They are at least 300 mts away. We can see her well only with our binocs. She was stalking some antelopes further away. We wait for over an hour to see her moves. She just moves into a bush and hides. We came away – our last day at Serengeti and we had seen them all! 300 mts is far – but a cheetah and cubs in the wild! We’ll remember that forever!

On or way back we see two lions sleeping on a tree! Strange sight! The lions go up there to escape the flies.

Serengeti - Day 2

May 17^th,

Morning in Serengeti was unhurried. We are staying put here for three days, so the packing and lugging luggage was not there. The mornings are clearly the birds time. We spotted so many birds – Tawny and Fish Eagles, bare faced go away birds, starlings, cocaous – the call of the birds filled the skies.

Even the larger mammals are out grazing in the open- Giraffes’, elephants, a whole lot of antelopes. Spotted a wildebeest kill abandoned by a predator. By now our group is OK with animals dying! Ezeck tries to reason with Disha. They are all not killed, some of them die of oldage!

Lions sleeping in the morning. They all looked well fed and contend. With so many prey animals in the open plains, it must be an easy life for them. Stopped by the Seronera airstrip for coffee. There is a open jeep that goes along the runway to clear the wild animals before landing or take off!

When we reached the plains, we saw the entire horizon spotted with animals. Thousands of wildebeests and zebras crossing the plains. This is not the same migration we all see on TV. A smaller migration within the Serengeti. The ‘Migration’ has millions of animals!

It was a very spectacular experience. We joined the path of wildebeest for some time. It crossed an area called Masai Kopje. Some lions were perched on the top having fed on the wildebeests.

Headed back to the lodge for a hot lunch and some snooze.

Evening we went to see a hippo pool. Got attacked by the tse-tse flies. They are bigger than the housefly and chase and enter the jeep. Very difficult to get rid of these. They try and get in your eyes, nose, ears! Awful.

Some good old lady who stopped by the hippo pool asked if we were prepared and them sprayed repellent on kids and me! The return journey was in peace!

The hippo pool is large and full of – well – Hippos! So many together. It was wake up time for them. They feed by the day and get into water by day break and stay there. The yawns and cries were awesome!

Disha and I made a strong context at dinner. We will see cheetahs with cubs and lions with cubs tomorrow. We are yet to see the lion pride!

You must set your expectation right when you come here. Don’t expect a Nat Geo one-hour production! I was open to see what ever Serengeti shared!

Serengeti - Day 1

May 16^th

A wake up call from India – someone I don’t remember. Just mumbled I was in Africa and hung up. It was 5:00 am. Looked out and the sky was filled with stars. Stepped out to see the milky way and a whole lot of constellations. Waited up for the sunrise. The room balcony overlooked the crater and we were facing east. The sun slowly came up over the crater. Some sunrise! The sky looked painted in oil colors. I had to tear myself away to go to Serengeti!

Visited a Masaai village on the way. We pay 50 USD to visit – a standard rate. They put on a song and dance show! Seemed like a routine display. The village head says 3-4 jeeps stop by a day. Kids until 7 are in the village and others are shepherds. Wealth in measured in how much cattle you own. I told them I have 3 cows and they weren’t impressed. (Didn’t I mention this before? Our cow at the farm had another calf – girl, they day we left. A good sign! )The headman had 200!

I can’t find words to describe Serengeti – it means the land of endless space in Masaai and that is he closest description I will ever find. The plains stretch from horizon to horizon and are a huge sea of grass. Sometimes you see rocks rise up – like islands in a sea of grass – these are called kopjes. This place needs some description to let you know why it is so.

Millions of years ago, when the rift valley was formed, the Ngorongoro craters erupted. Even before that, the rift valley was formed when the land masses separated. Africa broke away and there was a lot of activity. The volcanic lava and ash fell over the Serengeti plains. As they hardened, a tough, cement like layer formed which no tree roots can penetrate. That explains why there is only grass. Trees are found only near the kopjes, where there are come cracks for the roots to penetrate.

Grass brings all the herbivores and the carnivores can’t be far behind. We are entering lion, cheetah and leopard country! Ecezk knows the water holes in the grass – which we lay men can’t spot. The first water hole we stop we see two spectacular lions. The safari guides are connected to each other over radio and they inform each other of the ‘sightings’. Soon there were 3-4 jeeps seeing our lions! One got up and came close – I could reach out and touch it.

Elephants, hippos, zebras and wildebeests – they are all around. All kinds of antelopes. They are feeding all the time. Can this place sustain so many? Stopped by the road to let a herd of elephants cross. Excited at the first sight of giraffes!

Picnic lunch somewhere in the forest and off to see a leopard sleeping in a tree. They are nocturnal and they don’t do anything much but sleep during the day.

Spotted some vultures and then more and then the stench of decay. It’s a kill we said and chased the vultures. Found them by tree loads! There were thousands as we got closer! So many of them for an abandoned kill? Didn’t seem right. Then we see the Seronera River. A fully fed large crocodile was snoozing with his mouth open. Suddenly we see dead wildebeests in the river bed. There were 8-10 of them – all drowned! It had rained heavily a few days ago and the river must have been full then, Ecezk wisely puts. Can’t help feeling sad for them. Disha had a lot of questions on death and why did these have to die! The vultures had barely managed to get past the skin.

Reached Serena in the middle of Serengeti. Tired and ecstatic! What will see tomorrow?

Ngorongoro

May 15^th – Ezeckiel – or driver for the Safari arrived when we are at breakfast. We call him Ezeck for short. The drive to Ngorongoro is about 4 hrs – 240 kms from Arusha.

The roads are good. Masaai people in their costumes again by the road side. If you want to take pictures, they ask for money. Apart from cattle, they don’t seem to have any livelihood. The villages are small with fewer than 10-20 huts arranged in a circle. Typically located near a pond/stream. Reminds me of the Gaul village in Asterix/Obelix comics.

At a break we had one shepherd come over for a picture with Aiah. We gave him Subbamma stores snacks and money.

The kids are being themselves – How long now? How many Kilometers? Have we reached there yet? Even I was very impatient. I had studied the route and the Ngorongoro crater in Google maps for many days. The first view of the rift valley had me asking – is that the rim of the crater?

We had to cross the rift valley, and enter into the Lake Manyara Area. The lake is alkaline and huge. Saw it from a distance. Very close to the entrance, the trees are filled with yellow-billed storks. So many that the road and area below is white – with bird droppings!

The Ngorogoro conservation area is about 8000 sq kms including the crater which is about 250 sq kms. The first view of the crater is quiet sudden. We are climbing through a thick equatorial forest and suddenly the crater is out there. After severe volcanic activity, the crater collapsed and now we have a huge caldera with it own ecosystem – the rivers, lakes and animals.

The safari jeep opened up and we were climbing down a rim. The route we choose had the slopes covered in small yellow flowers. We could see wildebeests in the distance. Just being there was giving me such a high. Our first sight of a zebra was so exciting. It was hidden among the yellow flowers and the black, white and yellow was a good combination. As we got to the crater floor, its secrets were out – hoards of zebras, widebeests together. Our guide Ezeck says, they help each other. The zebras can hear and smell danger better and the widebeest can see better! So they typically migrate together. The zebras eat the tall grass and beests eat the short grass. I cant even begin to list the animals in the crater. Many prey animals and birds.

Stopped for lunch by a hippo pool. We had packed lunch and saw some great many kites, eagles, hippos, starlings, cormorant, bee eaters while we had lunch. When will I again eat on the floor of a crater by a pool with hippos? I am on a high!

A lion pride with one male and three females all sleeping. A solitary male elle and later a herd. A black Rhino with her calf. She was very alert and looked like might charge if we went any near. Ostriches so huge! Legs so powerful. They all don’t startle at the jeep sounds. So they stay put and just be there.

A great many flamingos and crested cranes in the alkaline lake Magadi. We had a small bird called the winding cisticola following us. They flew very close to our jeep and had a very nice call. It’s a birder’s paradise!

A spotted hyena ran away quickly. The hours just fly past in here. It was soon time to head back. We must leave the crater rim by 6:00 PM. Spotted some baboons and elephants on the way back. We all were sighing when we left the crater behind us.

The Serena lodge is at the rim of the crater. All the rooms overlooking the crater. I had left the curtains open – we were facing east. Wanted to catch the first rays of the sun over the rim.

Arusha

May 14^th – The Kilimanjaro airport – so beautiful – located between the peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. It was a cloudy chilly day. Couldn’t see the jaro peak. Drive to Arusha took about 30 mins. Glimpses of Masai wearing brightly coloured clothes in the villages on the way.

Arusha Mountain village – the Serena lodge – it’s a gateway to the Safari in Tanzania. Nicely located at the edge of Lake – another conservation area.

We walk out of our room for lunch and see a large bird fly past and perch on the tree right outside. A huge black and white hornbill! It was the first bird we spotted! If this was Africa’s promise to me, I am thrilled. This hornbill is much larger than the ones I have seen in India.

We were tired from our journey – so decided against a walking tour around the lake for two hours. Decided to walk around in the forest. Kiran tried to avoid some termites and asked the kids to follow him. They refused, and wisely so. In two mins, Kiran was jumping around in pain. There were many ants – huge and pinching him around his feet, legs and places I cant mention. We called this the Attack of the Ants! Waiting for our Safari to begin tomorrow!

Planning my travel

A life time dream for most of us. We have been drooling over those Discovery and Nat Geo programs for ages now.

Kids below 7 are not allowed in some parks and the road travel involved was scary with our father in our team. And the costs!

We decided to jump all the barriers and here we are - going to Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa - starting May 13th.

Despite the fact that our to pack lists include mosquito repellents and malaria kits, we are super excited! 

Here is a summary of our trip:

1. May 14th to 20th - Tanzania

• Arusha
  
• Ngorongoro Crater
  
• Serengeti
  
• Lake Manyara
  

2. May 21st to 23rd - Victoria Falls
3. May 24th to 29th - Cape Town and surroundings

Yellow fever shots are compulsory if you are going to Tanzania. You actually need it if you've been there and then heading back to India, South Africa and whole other countries.

Shabari from Travel by design helped me with all my bookings. Its mind boggling - we are taking 12 flights in the entire trip!

Next posting hopefully from Tanzania.