Cape Town, South Africa

Who would have thought you could top gorillas, lions and all the amazing things I've seen since this trip began?  Well, that was before I arrived in Hout Bay near Cape Town!  The beauty of this place is unbelievable and no photos do it justice.  There are mountains surrounding the most beautiful clear seas and it's warm and sunny almost every day!  It really is paradise.  And if that isn't enough, I have had the amazing good fortune of staying with my dear friends, Sue and Vince who have so kindly opened their home to me and shown me all around.  It has been an outstanding time!  When I told people along the way that I was going to Cape Town, everyone without exception said, "You'll love it!", and they weren't wrong. I have seen penguins, taken a cable car to the top of Table Mountain (one of the natural wonders of the world), spent a night and two days with friends in Hermanus which is further South than the Cape of Good Hope, had several scenic tours, visited the World of Birds (which has much more than birds) and walked Chapman's Peak several times as well as walking the beach at Hout Bay (also many times).  Below are some photos of Hout Bay and one of me with Sue and Vince.  As you can see, the clouds change dramatically from moment to moment but only one day it drizzled and one day was windy.   

Hout Bay

With my dear friends and hosts

Table Mountain
 

Cape Town from Table Mountain and Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated

From the top of Table Mountain, 12 apostles in the foreground and Cape of Good Hope in the distance

Hermanus

Hyrax on the beach

The Grotto at Hermanus

A very windy day

A Cotton Top Tamarin at World of Birds, Hout Bay

 

Saddle billed stork

 

 

Meerkat

 

From the top of Signal Hill

A colorful neighborhood in Cape Town

Blouberg Strand Beach looking back at Table Mountain, Lion's Head & Signal Hill

The end of an amazing trip

Kruger National Park, South Africa

The first thing I noticed after visiting uganda is how different South Africa is. Uganda is a very poor country and here you can get cappuccino, butter, things that it just aren't available there. There were even two places within Kruger where you could get ice cream and coffee drinks! The park itself is huge! I'm sure I saw only a small portion despite doing 3 game drives and a night Safari as well. The guide I had all to myself except for one day shared with 2 others was great. We saw so many animals with the exception for me being the leopard. They can be quite elusive and that was the case for me although thanks to a new friend, I was able to see videos of the elusive leopard and even some wild dogs!

Despite having great reviews on TripAdvisor, I found I could/should have booked directly with the lodge where I stayed which offered everything without the necessity of the "tour" company.    Due to this, I missed the leopard and dogs but it was still quite lovely and I saw many animals and met some very nice people.  Ah, well - live and learn and I have no regrets.  

Night Safari

Martial eagle with monitor lizard meal

European roller

 

These guys were very close!

A friendly hyena

Another kingfisher

Wildebeest

Ground hornbill with snake dinner

 

 

Lastly a few shots of Blyde River Canyon, Potholes and Lisbon Falls

Potholes

Blyde River Canyon

Lisbon Falls

Of course there are 100's more photos of giraffes and many of the same animals I saw in Uganda but no need to publish more!  I am now in Hout Bay, Cape Town which is incredibly beautiful.  Blog to follow.

Uganda- The Pearl of Africa

 Where to begin about this amazing country? I came here with a bit of trepidation but it has turned out to be the trip of a lifetime! I'll try to keep the dialogue short. 

The people: I have never seen so many happy, smiling, innovative, singing, dancing, joyful, friendly people. They make things out of nothing. I have seen shepherds brick makers, farmers of all kinds of crops, beer makers, artists, sewers, basket, weavers, and even a person who makes beer and gin out of bananas! 

The country: There's a great deal of beauty here. The cities are pretty terrible- crowded and noisy, but there aren't very many of them. The countryside is hilly with farms and banana plantations and tea plantations and coffee plantations and mountains and the thickest Forest /jungle I have ever seen. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is so large and thick with the most sweet smelling fresh air I have ever breathed. There are also many lakes including lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River and lake Bunyoni where I spent the night last night, one of the deepest lakes in Africa. It has a river flowing in and out of it so the water is fresh and cool and because it's over 6,000 ft in altitude there are no hippos or crocodiles and the swimming was so refreshing! 

The wildlife: This is why I came here and I have not been disappointed! I have seen Lions up close, hippos up close, elephants up close, giraffes, zebras,in addition to waterbucks, Impalas, elands, Bush bucks, warthogs, baboons, colobus monkeys, red tail monkeys, one blue monkey, cape Buffalo and so many birds and other wildlife too numerous to mention. And of course The reason I came to Uganda, the gorillas!

In short, I have fallen in love with this place and highly recommend it to anyone with an adventurous spirit. You will need that because the roads are the worst I have ever seen in my life! My Fitbit said I got over 12,000 steps yesterday when I hadn't walked at all! My driver and guide, Derek, calls it the African massage. 

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The photos below are from a walking tour at sunset with a park ranger that was incredible. To walk amongst these animals was something I didn't ever dream of... Awesome!

And this morning....

Shoebill stork, Lake Victoria