Botswana to Cape Town

Mark and I arranged for a final game drive in the morning before our departure for Cape Town.  Linda and Patti elected to rest--Patti tested the spa and loved it.  Our drive with Watch was relatively mundane until the last hour when, noticing vultures circling in the cloudless blue sky above, Watch guided the vehicle beneath them.  The sight was both fascinating and gruesome.   An elephant had died, by natural causes according to Watch.  Lions had found the carcass and fed, consuming most of the head and chunks of its midsection.  No question it was lions, as two females, bellies distended, kept guard not ten feet from the corpse.  As we watched, the male of the pride approached and reclined in the shade of a nearby tree, confident that the females could handle any interlopers.


Watch explained that the lions would feed for 3-4 days before they moved on and the hyenas and vultures moved in.  Marc and I had seen nature channel shows with glimpses of kills or dead animals, but being so close to the stench and the flies and the blood was something that effected us at a far different level.   It was perhaps fitting that this was the last animal encounter we had before leaving for Maun and on to Cape Town.

After too many changes of flights and long delays at Botswanian airports, we arrived in Cape Town and the contrast with our morning game drive could not have been more stark.  The Ellerman House hotel, perched on a cliff overlooking the city,  is a treasure.  The staff made us feel immediately at home despite the fact that we didn't arrive until nearly 10:00 p.m., and the rooms are fantastic.  Both of our rooms have wrap-around balconies with stunning views of the ocean and the city below.

This morning, we met our guide after breakfast at the Hotel and proceeded to Table Mountain.  Cape Town is, essentially, a city surrounded on three sides by verdant and towering mountain peaks, and on the fourth side by the Atlantic.  A cable car is the favored mode of transport to reach the peak of Table Mountain, as the only alternative is to climb.  No thanks.  The cable car itself was interesting as the floor of the circular car revolves, affording everyone a view from every angle.  The peak is lined with a series of paths and extraordinary views over the city, the ocean, and the Cape of Good Hope beyond.

Our guide, Carol, took us downtown after the tour of Table Mountain and the City.  We were impressed, but I will need to write more later.  Too much needs to be said, and Marc awaits me poolside with a fine cigar...

Day Two: Botswana

I'll focus this entry on two game drive highlights which will be lasting memories.  The first involved compassion and strength, the second nature at its most primal.

In the morning drive, as the sun broke over the treetops and bathed the forest in a soft glow, we encountered a herd of at least fifty elephants.  When the saw us approaching, mature females quickly herded all calves to the middle of the pack and mature bulls turned, shoulder to shoulder, to face us.  The spectacle was moving and intimidating at the same time.  Watch braked as soon as the bulls moved into formation and we watched as the entire herd blended into the forest.  We drove back to the trail and parked after a short drive, watching from a distance as the elephants ambled from the trees and followed each other, nearly single file, around the far shore of a clear blue lake dotted with tiny islands and thick reeds. 

We've learned that elephants have become a controversial topic throughout Africa.  A herd is capable of destroying acres of forest, literally eating everything that is green and leaving denuded trees and broken tree trunks in its wake.  Botswana now has so many elephants that it tried to give some to Angola, which declined because it is having difficultly dealing with herds which have migrated from Namibia.  No one is sure what to do now.  Tourism is growing, and elephants are certainly an important part of that trade.  But when the elephants begin to devour the crops of villages there are growing calls for culling of the herds.  This has become a difficult subject and we'll see how the African nations deal with this in the coming years.

Our afternoon drive brought us face-to-face with a male lion patiently devouring what was left of an impala carcass.  Other than the occasional glance, he ignored us as he crunched through bone and flesh.  A mask of bright red covered his snout and jowls and the smell of blood was redolent in the thick air.  It was a stark reminder of how unforgiving nature can be.  Back at camp, the four of us sat huddled around the fire pit and talked about the lion and the impala, of lives and deaths, late into the night.

Botswana: Full Day Game Viewing

Our day began at 5:30 when a sharp rap on the door rousted us for coffee, tea, and biscuits in the room, to be followed by a light breakfast in the lodge and a departure at 6:30 sharp.   Bleary-eyed, we trudged along and clambered aboard the four-by-fours.  The vehicles are well-designed to comfortably accommodate six people, with each seat elevated higher than the one before it so that no one's view is obstructed.  With just four in our party, and our guide--whose name is Watch, yes, like what is worn on one's wrist--we have plenty of room.

Watch has worked as a guide for over 11 years and knows so much about the animals here it is incredible.  We are fortunate to have him.  As a bonus, he seems to enjoy the sense of humor which Marc and I possess and Linda and Patti tolerate.  In the first half hour of our drive, we encountered skittish zebra, cape buffalo which were decidedly non-skittish and seemed to dare us to come closer, and three female lions.

The lions, blending in so well with the savannah grass that we would not have seen them absent Watch, appeared amazingly docile and unfazed as we approached.  Watch explained that not only are they accustomed to vehicles, but they think that we are just one large clanking object that does not smell like game due to a combination of DEET, deodorant, soap, and the vehicle's gasoline.  If you stay in the four-by-four there will be no problem, a reassuring thought when one of the females arose and passed by less than two feet away.  I carefully positioned myself behind Marc. 

Step out of the vehicle, however, and the cats will prove they are not so docile.  Watch related the story of a tourist two years ago who, convinced that the sleeping cats posed no threat, hopped out--ignoring the guide--for the ultimate photo op.  What he got was ultimate, but it wasn't a pretty picture.  The lions were on him in seconds. 

After a time spent watching the lions loll about, we were rewarded when they arose, in unison, and marched off to hunt.  They appeared to glide through the tall yellow grass, one following the other, and I could only imagine the three of them descending upon an impala or zebra.  Hundreds of pounds of guile and muscle on a deadly prowl.

We returned to the camp for brunch and an afternoon break.  Following a late afternoon tea (or a beer for the guy from Cleveland) we headed out for the evening drive and one of our best experiences yet.  Watch spotted leopard tracks and, not long afterwards, we saw the leopard itself strolling along the edge of a clearing.  Watch positioned our vehicle directly in it path.  I kept waiting for the cat to break away as it approached but it marched to within a yard of us before turning.  Its patterned coat gleamed in the late afternoon sun and its dark eyes were captivating. 

Watch expertly followed the leopard for the next hour, anticipating where it might reappear from the forest when the growth was too thick for the four-by-four.  At one point, with an alacrity that was difficult to comprehend, the leopard raced into a flock of birds and attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to swat one from the air.  Eventually, the cat crawled atop a fallen tree, arched over the forest floor in a clearing and, with a casual look at us, stretched into a rest.  We had a great photo op handed to us and took full advantage.  The leopard seemed to relish the attention so much that Patti nicknamed it Zsa Zsa.

As the sun began to set, we had no choice but to leave Zsa Zsa to its own little kingdom and wish it successful hunting.  The drive to camp took longer than expected because the route Watch had chosen was blocked by foraging elephants.  They weren't moving, so we did.  Our reward for the delay was the sighting of an elusive civet, a small animal that looks like a cross between a cat and a raccoon.  Watch had not seen one in fifteen years. 

Upon our return to camp, we adjourned after dinner to the fire pit and, as Marc and I puffed on cigars, we stared at the brilliant night sky which seemed to stretch forever.  The stars, like diamonds sprinkled on a dark cloth, gleamed and twinkled.  Our conversation drifted away as we all reflected on what we'd seen and what treasures remain to be discovered as our adventure continues.

Khwai River Lodge, Botswana

This lodge, in the Moremi Reserve, is striking.  It is situated right on the lip of the delta and the sight of grazing elephants greeted us as we checked in.  The 'tents' look rustic from the outside but are luxurious within, including polished wooden floors, double sinks, and all the amenities of a fine hotel.  The porch, facing the tall grass of the delta, features a hammock strung beneath a thatched roof.  Linda climbed in and was asleep within minutes.  Can't blame her.

Marc, Patti, and I stayed awake for a sundown game drive and it was quite the experience.  Elephants were everywhere, exceeded in number only by the omnipresent impala with the resemblance of the letter 'M' etched in brown hide on an otherwise white rump.  Our guide explained that this makes the impala the McDonalds of Africa because they are such a common food here.  We saw other variety of antelope, hippos, and exotic birds fluttering away in every color imaginable.


After cocktails and snacks in the bush, we headed back to camp while our guide used a searchlight to spot for animals.  A skulking hyena darted across our path, and we then came upon a honey badger eating a cobra--the badger is immune to the cobra's venom.  The snake was still alive, writhing, as the badger ate away.  This likely sounds quite gruesome, but none of us were particularly disturbed by witnessing it in person.  The spectacle reminded us all of the cycle of life.  If I've taken away anything in a few days here, watching the hunter and the hunted, it is a new appreciation and acceptance of my own mortality.  The vast diversity of nature and the uncertainty of the next moment of life serves as a constant reminder to, indeed, focus on the journey and not the destination.

This point was reinforced when we returned to the lodge just as a bull elephant strolled across the grounds.  It turns out that this particular massive beast has a taste for palm fruit.  Just such a tree stands next to the administrative office of the lodge.  As the bull approached, our guide urged us to get out of the vehicle and into the lodge.  There was no argument from any of us.  We watched from ten feet away as the bull placed his head against the palm tree, which has a diameter of at least a foot, and braced himself like a gigantic football lineman.  With an incredible heave, the elephant rocked back and forth, each time shaking the tree like a human being would shake a sapling, to dislodge the fruit.  The resort says that he does the same thing nearly every night, has destroyed the garden they once planted below the palm, and in general does what he wants.  As the guide explained, "No one stops the elephant but the elephant."  We were ignored by the bull as though we weren't there.  Of what consequence to him were we?

Night brought an excellent meal, chats with some fellow travelers, and the anticipation of another day.  We were told we'd see lions, and none of us could wait.  The camp insists upon escorting all guests to their rooms after dark.  Thinking of the elephant, none of us disagreed and we strolled to our tents to imagine what wonders we would encounter on yet another day.

On to Botswana

I'm writing now after finishing breakfast on the wooden deck adjacent to the Zambezi.  The weather so far has been picture perfect and today is no exception.  All of the meals and service at the Tongabezi have been great, but we've been particularly impressed by the guides.  We had two yesterday, one Zambian as we toured that side of Victoria Falls, and the other a Zimbabwean for our tour on that country's side of the Falls.  We discussed not only the geologic features of the waterfalls, but also the history of the area and customs of the local people.  The devastating impact of malaria remains a real problem here, claiming more than two million Africans every year.  Few can afford anti-malarial medications, and long term use harms the liver in any event.  For this reason, Africans say that the deadliest animal on the continent is the mosquito.

Following our Falls tour, we enjoyed tea at the Victoria Falls hotel, built in 1904, on the Zimbabwean side of the Falls.  While the hotel has been well maintained and the grounds are gorgeous, our trip through customs was not pleasant.  The administration of Robert Mugabe--President for Life--has destroyed the economy of what was once the breadbasket of Africa and signs of this were present in the border area.  Touts were omnipresent, hawking cheap carvings or trying to get us to buy worthless Zimbabwean currency as a souvenir.  The customs official took forever to allow us to re-enter Zambia, and young soldiers with machine guns lolled about at the gates. We were glad when we were finally waved through and the gates closed behind us.  Once we passed through and began the drive back to Tongabezi, however, we were rewarded with the sight of an elephant herd crossing a road near the highway and any inconvenience at the border was quickly forgotten.

Yup! They jumped into that!

High tea at the Royal Victoria Hotel.

Breakfast on the Zambezi River 

You want me to fly in that!!!!!!!

Linda's knee was bothering her during one part of the hike at the Falls, so she stopped to rest near the entrance way.  What she thought would be a relaxing bit of time soon turned interesting when a young soldier, armed with a rifle, slumped down beside her and fell asleep.  Moments later, a baboon tore the top off a nearby garbage container and raised primate hell in general, shrieking at the top of its lungs.   The soldier never moved and the baboon continued its antics until some of the park employees chased it away.  Linda has handled a lot in life but, despite being married to me, wasn't sure how to take on a baboon.

We are headed to Botswana this morning, although our travel schedule is apparently being changed and no one has any specifics.  I suppose we'll get there one way or another and we're all looking forward to it.  Our first two days here have been nothing short of spectacular.  The scenery is magnificent, the Tongabezi  stellar, and the wildlife fascinating.  And we never saw ourselves leaping into the Devil's Pool as the roaring waters of Victoria Falls thundered past just inches away.  We saw a sign in the Jo'berg airport that read "Life is not about the destination, but about the journey."  Here and now, for all of us, nothing seems more apt.

Victoria Falls

We arrived yesterday, exhausted from the long flight, but Tongabezi Lodge quickly perked us up.  Perched on the banks of the Zambezi River, the accommodations--all private lodges--are stunning.  Ours is a two-story open air structure with sweeping views of the Zambezi and constructed of wood and stone to blend in with the surroundings.  Tired though we all were, we booked a sunset cruise and could not have been more pleased.  As hippos grunted in the background, we boarded a small motorboat and, within an hour, had seen hippos, baboons, warthogs, impala, and a giant fish eagle.  We stopped for cocktails on an island with beaches of brilliant white sand.  Upon returning to the lodge we had a great dinner in the private boathouse, built on pilings above the still water of the Zambezi.

Today was a day that was simply incredible.  I'm exhausted tonight and will write more on all of this later, but imagine a day that begins with a boat ride to Livingstone Island where we swam across part of the river near Victoria Falls, climbed onto rocks jutting out of the water, and dove into something called The Devil's Pool--a small, pool where a natural cliff wall stops you from plummeting over the Falls.


Okay--power just blew out twice in  a row and the resort in running on generator now.  I'll post this and write more as soon as I can from Botswana.  Today ended with a herd of elephants traipsing past on our way home...

London in a Flash

Our 24 hours in London raced by, but delightfully so.  The Dukes Hotel, which screamed 'Old England' from the white columns framing the entrance, the dark green carpet  in the sitting room, and the gleaming wood of the aged bar, was fantastic.  The martinis lived up to the superlatives we'd heard, with the secret ingredient being the surprisingly sweet twist of a lemon imported from Sorrento, Italy. 

We spent the day strolling the streets of St. James Place and marvelled at block after block of luxury stores.  A very dangerous place to be as eyes grow wide and credit cards seem to materialize from nowhere.  We ate lunch at The American Bar, which is part of a St. James area boutique hotel where the rooms have been transformed from former stables.  Trust me, it looks better than it sounds.

We're now in the Virgin Air Lounge awaiting the overnight flight to Jo'berg.  We're all excited, wondering what to expect and how we'll react to a place so radically different than anything that any of us have visited before.  Tomorrow, another continent...stay tuned....