Grandson Rob and his wife, Karen, spent two years in Windhoek, Namibia, Africa, at the American Embassy. The many trips they took sounded so interesting that my friends, Marilyn and Trevor Rowland, and Marilyn's sister Judy and her husband, Rob, teachers from Denver, and I reserved space on the Shongololo ("millipede" because of the many train wheels) Express Hotel for a 19-day tour of South Africa and Namibia last July. We flew on American Airlines to Miami, then on South African Airways to Cape Town a few days early to get over jet-lag. Cape Town is one of the loveliest cities in the world, along with San Francisco, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney. The cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens were our favorites.
The train tour was started three years ago by a 27-year old German man from Namibia, with some rather old cars and a fleet of six VW vans, which have now been replaced with new ones after our tour. We ate breakfast and dinner and slept on the train, which moved at night, and then toured during the day in the vans, mostly on bumpy gravel roads.
We saw a great deal of wonderful country, very ancient mountain formations, high passes, deserts with interesting fossils and Welwitschia plants (400 years old) and best of all, fascinating wildlife parks.
In South Africa we visited Boschendal, a Cape Dutch manor house, now a museum, a Huguenot memorial and museum, and the winelands. Stellenbosch charmed us with many Cape Dutch houses and its first Afrikaans language university. In Beaufort West, the town where Dr. Christiaan Barnard of heart surgery fame was born, a museum featured his operating room and awards, as well as a large display of ostrich products, feathers in the "olden days," and leather and meat today. One night we luxuriated in a "real bed" in a round mud and thatch "rondavel" and visited a Bushman settlement in Kalahari Gemsbok desert the next day. Another night a tent camp was set up for us in the petrified red dunes country where we photographed the sunset and sunrise. The owners had a pet Zebra they had raised from one-day old, a pet Meerkat, and also domesticated Kudu (large antelope).
Crossing into Namibia we saw the Fish River Canyon, second to our Grand Canyon in size, but not nearly as colorful. Near the first German coastal town of Lüderitz we visited a ghost town which was once a flourishing diamond mining area. In Swakopmund, also very Germanic, we watched talented natives weaving beautiful nature-inspired rugs and wall-hangings of karakul wool, and I bought two small ones of birds. In Windhoek we shopped the native Arts and Crafts Center for small baskets. Then the tour took us to an historical museum, church, and parliament building, where I was allowed to ride the elevator marked "For Prime Minister only," since it was Saturday and all offices were closed. (Rob said he hadn't been in it himself!)
I must mention that we were not altogether isolated, as Trev sought out an Internet Cafe everywhere we stopped! Sometimes there was one, and he received messages from their family and mine, and he was able to tell them of our latest adventures.
Up to now we had been on a night game ride and three daytime game rides and had started animal and bird lists which included: Aardvark (Great Anteater), Giraffe, Black-backed Jackal, Mongoose, Bontebok, Duiker, Springbok, Steenbok, Wildebeest, Zebra, Seals, Flamingo, Penguin, Sociable Weaver Birds, Korhaan, and Kori Bustard, which is the heaviest bird that can fly, plus many more.
When we came to Etosha National Park in northern Namibia we added: Chacma Baboon, Elephant, Impala, Leopard (in a tree with a "kill"), White Rhino, Eland, Warthog, Vervet Monkey, many varieties of eagles, hornbills, storks and vultures, and my favorite Lilac Breasted Roller, with turquoise wings. We had five white guides who spoke Afrikaans, English and German, and a very talented black guide, who was extremely knowledgeable and far-sighted too. The tour gave us only two days at Etosha, so we extended another two, with Trev driving a rented vehicle, and all of us trying to be the first to spot an animal!
We flew from Windhoek to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, for two days at the Ilala Lodge. We were amazed at a 1000-year old baobob tree and the impressive Falls and rain forest. We attended an African native dance performance. We sailed on a Sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River and saw Hippo and Crocodile, Cormorant, Darter and Hamerkop birds. At the Carnivore restaurant we ate Eland, Kudu, Ostrich, Springbok barbq. At 3 a.m. Trev saw Cape Buffalo on the lawn!
A drive to the border, a change of vehicles and another stamp in our passports, and we were in Botswana headed for Chobe National Park and superb accommodations at the Chobe Game Lodge. There we added to our list: Sable Antelope (largest herd our guide had seen!), and finally young Lion, going out for their evening hunt, plus many new birds (many antelope, elephant, giraffe, hippo, and birds too). On our return (again changing vehicles at the border) we finally saw the Ground Hornbill. The BIG SIX birds are: Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard, Marabou Stork, Martial Eagle, Ostrich, Secretary Bird, and we had seen them all! The BIG FIVE animals are: Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Rhino (saw all).
We flew from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg, had a seven-hour layover, flew to Cape Verde Islands (off the bulge of Africa, formerly Portuguese) for refueling, the to JFK-NY. We paid to spend our eight-hour layover in comfort in the Admiral's Lounge. Three bags were missing when we arrived in San Francisco Airport, but they were delivered on Monday. From Chobe to San Jose elapsed time: 48 hours!
We saw and learned so much. Africa has cast a spell and we speak of returning! We encourage all of you to consider making a similar trip!
