South Africa-Addo Elephant Park

Well finally a new computer with some but not all of my photos from the time in and near Addo Park recovered. Load shedding, a process where the South African government cuts off the electricity in one area to share with another, plus a variety of different electricity levels while in various areas in Africa, contributed to doing my computer in. So now to catch up. Interestingly many of the photos from this time did not make it but most of the videos did.

Addo Elephant National Park

We visited this park on our way to Kruger National Park. The numerous opportunities to get close and observe elephants, not to mention other animals, were amazing. This guy walked right alongside our car.

It is wonderful to be able to get so close!

This group had just finished a mud bath.

A tiny pool but enough mud for everyone.

During our 2 day visit we saw 9 different species of birds, 8 mammals 1 amphibian and 1 insect: the very interesting dung beetle.

The warthogs were incredibly numerous. Fun to watch them get down on their knees to eat.

While driving through the park big signs told us to give Dung Beetles the right of way.

The dung beetles live on elephant dung, which here is plentiful. It rolls a small amount into a ball and proceeds to then push it to its burrow where it feeds on it and also uses it as a breeding chamber. They are fascinating little critters, who work tirelessly, as you can see from the two video clips. They never give up until their mission is accomplished!

The Addo 100 Mile Run began the second day we were there. The participants run overnight through a designated section of the park. We were assured that it was so well controlled that they they wouldn’t encounter any wild animals. Judging by the profusion of wildlife that we saw, we wondered.

South Africa – Western Cape Province

We are now 7 months into our 14 month journey.

Today when we picked up our rental car; before we even got out of parking lot, the wind was so strong it swung John’s door open which hit the adjacent car door denting it. Good thing we bought full coverage.

Then when we arrived in Franschhoek a young girl watching me parallel park accused me of hitting her car, I had not even touched it. She took a picture of our licence plate saying she was calling the police. Her behavior was so smug and negative we left. John wrote up what he figured might be a scam and sent in to the car company so they were aware in the likelihood she pursued a claim.

The day got better after that.

Franschhhoek is a wine growing area and one of he oldest communities in the Republic of South Africa settled by the Hugenots. Gorgeous town and surrounding area.

We stayed in this cottage next door to Sir Richard Branson’s winery and walked to the restaurant at the winery that evening.

We awoke a 5:30 to the sound of a rooster that started crowing then and every 45sec thereafter. In the unit below us were 2 couples from Canada, one from Kelowna and one from Calgary so we had great chats in the morning.

Drove to Welgeluk Cottage in Oudshoorn. Incredible cottage complete with three kudu in the front yard.

We had a super tour of their ostrich farm which has been in the family for 4 generations.

They raise three different ostriches on the farm, as well as emus.

Standing on ostrich eggs which are extremely tough.

The manor house on the farm was built in 1916 with the money from the sale of ostrich feathers. At that time they sold for the same as gold. The home is now being converted to an Airbnb as the drought is creating severe financial strain on the farm. The cottage we were staying in had been their farm manager’s home and was converted to a successful Airbnb 8 months previously.

On the farm they had many rescue animals

and other farm animals.

Heading toward Addo Elephant National Park we stopped at Mossel Bay.

Climbing toward the lighthouse

we met many of these furry creatures, hyraxes.

That evening we stayed at a cottage with 10 km of beach front and barely a soul on it. The artist owner bought it to turn into her studio; however as an Airbnb it was so successful she changed her mind as she lives next door and was enjoying the social aspect of renting it out. Lovely town, Plettenberg Bay, with a really fun little market place we really enjoyed.

South Africa – Cape Town

Cape Town is the most spectacular location for a city, with the extensive coast line and spectacular mountains.

We stayed in a high rise 13 floors above the city so enjoyed the lights of the city at night.

There were many old buildings in the area we stayed that is called Zonnenbloem but historically it is District Six. This once vibrant multi-ethnic neighbourhood was cleared of about 60,000 of its residents in the 1970’s to make room for redevelopment under the rules of apartheid. Most of those relocated were sent to the Cape Flats, a desolate area 25 kilometres away. Since the fall of apartheid, efforts are being made to relocate many of the former residents.

The District Six Museum tells the story of the relocation of these individuals and includes many personal memories of those who were forced to leave.

These are some of the building that were left in the area.

Very artistic murals.

Downtown street entertainment.

Wonderful singing but my video wouldn’t down load.

The Truth Coffee Roasting by our place made puppy dog expresso, kept their menus in an old baby pram, had tables made from circular saw blades, kept their coffee in an old washing machine and had a very creative bar.

We went to Mozart’s Requiem in the Lutheran Evangelical Church. The oldest church in CT.

We took full advantage of the Hop On Hop Off bus activities for the city. It was one of the best systems for tourists we have experienced in any of the cities we have visited.

Heading up the gondola on Table Mountain