TravelStream™ news feed for member mills01480 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mills01480 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:49:58 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850678/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850678/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850678/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:49:58 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa

x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1249904651/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1249904651/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1249904651/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:45:21 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

X
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850761/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850761/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850761/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:42:59 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, South Africa

x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850762/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850762/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850762/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:38:04 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245849652/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245849652/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245849652/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:37:30 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Swaziland, Swaziland


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850300/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:29:45 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245851006/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245851006/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245851006/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:26:09 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

We changed over groups in Durban, Herbie & Joe left us and Larissa joined us so down to 3 people for the last week....Larissa was advised it was not safe for her to wander around by herself after dark (6pm) so she joined us most of the time.

Durban was a beach side city that looked to us like it had seen better days, only had 1 day and started the next leg travelling back inland through Kwazulu (not sure of spelling)......

Colin was desperate to get to see Rourkes Drift & Isandawala the famous battles between the Brits & Zulus (1 all draw) but there just wasn't time as we headed to the famous Sani Pass, without doubt the worst road we have ever been on, the pass takes you into Lesotho, we did a tour lasting 9 hours, visited the highest pub in Africa and it was actually snowing as well as being very windy...to make things worse, the guide thought we were Larissa's mum & dad !! but well worth going as it has spectacular scenery.

The only sign of Africa is the poverty in the townships where the black people are forced (based on wealth or lack of it) to live, close to the rich white towns where they try to get work.....it was very sad, shocking and uncomfortable for us to see that the gap is so huge and doesn't appear to be getting any better.....those people must look and wonder how so few can get so much.....not unlike UK in some ways, but with much more extreme.

Another day, so must be time to travel on again ........we got to visit a cheetah sanctuary, this was part of the breeding programme to help safeguard numbers....WOW.......we went inside to spend time with 2 juveniles and then with a fully grown female....never done anything like it before. Then to finish off they had 2 lion cubs of 3 months old, mischievous or what...they were all over you, what a handful. The guide said another 2/3 months and no one gets to go in with them....so we were very lucky. This was wthout doubt the highlight of our week.

The final part of the tour took in Plettenberg, not too much to say about it, you could have been anywhere.......full of white(of course) people with million pound plus second homes......Colin suggested to our guide that maybe they need to pay more tax.....he thought Colin was mad, but maybe reducing the gap between rich & poor has a bigger upside than paying a little more tax ? Afterall look at the crime rates, there were even security guards stationed at traffic lights in Jo'berg !!

We visited a large monkey sanctuary and next door was one of the Worlds largest averies, they must have had every type of African bird.

Then to Cape Town.....the British & Irish Lions were in town so the red shirts were everywhere in their thousands.....didn't help though as we all know. Botanical gardens are well worth seeing depending on time of year, Table mountain was spectacular, the water front was lovely and of course the trip to Robben island was sad & moving.....we took the hop on hop off bus routes which was great value......and the place has some nice old buildings...........but time to go home !!



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850956/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850956/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850956/tpod.html Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:25:42 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850197/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850197/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1245850197/tpod.html Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:35:46 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Well the 5 days in Mozambique were disappointing to say the least, no animals at all in the NP, Maputo the capital was very tired and under invested in, people and chaos everywhere and some very funny smells coming from the broken sewers and running water along the roads. There was the obligatory rubbish in huge heaps.......no wonder people get diseases !

But this is Africa so none of this was a surprise really.....the people were friendly although keen to provide services (we had policemen who wanted money to look after the coach while we walked around) and a lot of hassle. Tourism hasn't taken off since the civil war some years ago, so white faces were a bit of a novelty. But a place with a lot of potential.

Some of the problem was the time of year, as we were delayed a month and had to go in June, middle of winter, so it was cold, wet and most of the limited activities closed.

We moved back into SA for 1 hour before passing through the border control to enter Swaziland, most people think it is part of SA but it never has been, it is a mountain kingdom with a distinctive culture. The people are warm and very friendly and it appeared to be more affluent.

Same old problem though, out of season so activity choices were limited, we settled for horse riding in the beautiful mountain scenery but it rained a lot !! so enthusiasm was dampened.......and it was bloody cold.

The only warm place to be (including the rooms) was the dining room where they had a log fire, so drank too much but enjoyed the company.

We drove across Swaziland and entered SA again heading for the coast to a place called Haga Haga, a very small village with spectacular coastal beaches, crashing waves and hillside walks, we enjoyed it all for a couple of days.....we were the only people staying there so fortunately we were lucky to get on really well with the other 2 people in the group, Herbie & Joe plus of course our courier & driver who were more than keen to join us for the drinking part.

We were back to the coast staying at St Lucia, a real holiday place, they had a Hells Angels meeting going on, basically over 50's still pretending to be young and of course noisy.

We did a cruise to see Hippos, Crocs and so many species of birds. The next day up at 5am for a day on safari at Addo elephant sanctuary/NP, another 12 hours but we were lucky to see so many elephants, in fact 4 of the big 5 (no Leopards)......all in all, a very good couple of days that went all too quickly.

You would be hard pressed to know you were in Africa as you head along the coast heading south to Durban and then to Cape Town, it is affluent, mainly white or mixed race with some really nice towns along the way.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1243977120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1243977120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mills01480/3/1243977120/tpod.html Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:18:58 -0400 Got the travel bug !!

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Kruger national park, South Africa

We arrived at Jo'berg airport tired and planned to use the lodges free shuttle service....this wasn't as simple as it sounded, we couldn't find a phone, Information was closed, but eventually got through to lodge, couldn't understand the accent that well so got confused about where they would pick us up so ended up hanging around outside for an hour in one of the most dangerous places around !

The lodge was set in it's own small game reserve, the first of many stops where the humans were behind fences ! it was much colder than anticipated so we were grateful for the fan heater. Relaxed for a while then did a tour of Jo'berg which included Constitutional hill (old prison) a place of great suffering during apartied era....where Gandhi & Mandela were held, now the high court for SA.....overall Jo'berg had little to see and was run down and dangerous, we stood out like a sore thumb.

The GAP tour started so next day we were off heading for the Kruger park area on a luxury coach for 23 people with just the 4 of us !! so choose a seat & get comfy.
There were many stops at incredible scenic areas such as Bourkes luck potholes, Gods window & 3 Rondellas.....where water had sculptured the landscape....after 13 hours, we arrived in the dark at Manyaletti game reserve, this is part of the greater Kruger park where we were staying at Shalati lodge for a couple of days.
We tried the local PAP (this is like some stodgey food) downed a few local beers and went to sleep in our very small hut at slightly above freezing to the sound of Hyenas at the fence just behind us.
The next day we started with a walking tour to the local village and visit to the Pre-school full of orphans due to parents dying of HIV......kids all under 8 and brimming over with energy and excitement at more visitors bringing gifts.....we loved it. The local shop (only shop) was run by Asians.....can you believe it.
Back for lunch and then off on a long game drive.... this was our first ever, now we were brimming over with excitement (no sweets required) and we were rewarded with seeing 3 of the big 5.......Elephants, Buffalo & White Rhino, plus too many other animals to mention. An abundance of birds including the rare hornbills....we enjoyed a glass of wine at sunset surrounded by all the danger (imagined rather than real)....what a couple of townies we are !!!

The next few days were traveiing through Kruger itself which is a game drive in it's own right...we stayed at Letaba rest camp in the park where the restaurant overlooked the river, so at night we watched Elephants ripping down branches off the trees & Hippo grazing....amazing.
We did another night drive, there were so many Impala that they don't even stop to mention them....
Please note: they have what looks like a Mcdonalds "M" on thier bottoms, a sign for Lions to pick up fast food.......
This time we saw 50 Hippo, at least 50 Elephants, and hundreds of Buffalo crossing the river AND this is where we saw the LIons following along behind looking for dinner. They were completely absorbed with stalking prey to even notice we were there !

This was a great start to our tour as the parks were a big reason why we came....we crossed the border into the Mozambique side of Kruger (called Limpopo) and did not see anything but domesticated cows, wild animals were killed off during the civil war some time ago and nothing wild goes there now !! The road came to a halt after several hours due to a large crater like hole, we watched a truck get stuck so had to turn around and divert through a village....not a great start to the next leg.




]]>