It's the Final Countdown!!! :(

Jackass penquins in Cape Agulas
sunset from our deck
our deck
Cape Town from the boat to Robben Island
Mandela's prison cell
De Hoop Nature Reserve (wish we could have spent more time here!!)
Ted at De Hoop
Karen at De Hoop
Indian Ocean at De Hoop
the real tip of Africa where the 2 oceans meet...Cape Agulas

Alas, the end is near. Hard to believe though. We've had such a wonderful holiday and have managed to fit incredible experiences in less then 4 weeks!! We are now in Cape Town and have been here for 2 days. We lucked out and booked into a wonderful apartment right across from the ocean. The deck is huge and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset on our first night. We spent yesterday going to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was held in prison with other "political" prisoners) and then toured around the waterfront. Had supper last night a Mexican restaurant (of course...the only one on this trip!!) We woke up today to a foggy day which is trying to burn off. We haven't been up Table Mountain yet because of this fog but hopefully sometime in the next 3 days it will be clear. It's also a holiday weekend here...Freedom Day. The day the apartheid supporting government was voted out. Seems to be quite a celebration and Cape Town is celebrating their city festival at the same time. Looking forward to participating in those festivities as well. We just spent the last 2 hours wondering around the city market and managed to do some damage although we had no intentions of buying anything. We've done well up until now. Anyhow, this may be our last posting so I will leave you with some pictures. I'll do a final wrap up after we get home on Tuesday. Bye for now, hope you enjoyed our travels and thanks for your comments!!

On our way to Cape Town

Yeah...the pictures worked!!! Enjoy them. Karen and Ted An Ostrich for which Oudshoorn is famous

Working our way up Swartberg Pass
Made it to the top!!
Working our way down Swartberg Pass
Nice road, eh!!
Full moon in the southern hemisphere

along the Garden route
Ted and his Toyota Yaris
still Swartberg Pass
another windy stretch of road
self portrait Mark...no need for a baboon!!

enjoy a cool one at our safari tent at Hluhluwe park
lions waiting for us to leave so they can cross
lion cub part of this pride of 6
our accomodations outside Durbin
who's that animal in red???

part of a herd of elephants crossing the road

our diggs in Swaziland-Gary!!!
view from Overwin Country Lodge in Ubombo
another safari tent shot in Hluhluwe park

the end of the herd

Buffalo during our morning buh walk
Thank God someone has a gun!!
a lion cub searching for mom on our evening drive
think this is a picture of rocks???
our diggs at Berg-en-dal in Kruger National park

giraffes in Kruger
zebras in Kruger
Ted in Kruger
a picture for Kim
a hyenna on our night drive

pretty cool, eh??

We are in Swellendam at the moment. We spent last night in Oudshoorn and explored that area in the drizzle as well. We spent most of the day travelling thru the Swartberg Pass which reaches a height of 1600 m (about 5000 ft) and is quite an engineering feat. The roads wind and turn thru the mountains with rock walls put up at each curve. How they managed this is anyones guess. Today we'll hang out here and enjoy the sunshine. I want to try and d/l the pictures again. Had to find a place with working internet so Ted has gone to get the car. Some shady character was hanging around it anyhow so I'm sure Ted's glad to move it. This is a one street town so I don't think anything would happen during the day but one never knows here. Here goes thepicture trying.

Pictures

Apparently Blogger is having a problem with d/l pictures. I will have to try next time. Have some great pics (including elephants Kim!!) Bye for now. Karen

We've started the Garden Route

Damn Gary...we're holidaying at Fox Lake, don't you know!!!

For the rest of you we're in Knysna at the moment. Today was a drizzly kind of day. We checked out the waterfront here before the rain and then tried to head up to Prince Albert's Pass (closed due to wash outs...figured it out when we got there!!) I sent Ted on another one of my famous off the beaten track drives...the first one of the trip!! Kind of like a back gravel, mud road at home!! We usually do one each trip. Sorry, no pictures this time...it was raining and I wasn't getting out!! Besides, thought someone might run me over if I got out!!

We have a had a great time overall. This country is in the midst of big changes. People are quite worried that the same will happen here as in Zimbabwe. The writing seems to be on the wall. The country experiences rolling blackouts daily for hours at a time. People are leaving in droves or are in the process of trying to sell everything and leave. Very interesting to see how this will continue but quite scary as well for the people who live here.

Tomorrow we head out to Oudshoorn...home of the Ostriches. Kim you can't believe the Ostrich eggs!! Ted had Ostrich yesterday for supper. I tried it and well, I guess if I hadn't known what I was eating I would have said it was quite good!! Pia, was fuer Fleish soll Ted jetzt probieren?? Lass uns wissen. Thanks Mark for the Baboon comment it was either from you or Gary!! Kelly, we're keeping our laundry inside and holding on to our lunches!!

Now, that I'm at an internet cafe I can d/l some more pics. Enjoy and take care. Bytheway, we've moved up in the world to a more modern car...a Toyota Yaris. Picture will follow when the sun comes out!! Go Habs Go!!! Pics not working will try a new post.

Back to Civilization

Our Chico Volkswagen

Ted's favourite the Rhino!!

Well, we have arrived to Uhmlanga just outside of Durban...lot's and lot's of people compared to where we've come from.
First off, Kruger National Park was everything we thought it would be and more. Driving along and seeing elephant, giraffe, etc. just hanging out on the side of the road was just what we imagined. We did an early morning walk with a guide where we were tracking rhinos. That was quite exhilirating!!! The accomodations were great and we met and shared a potluck dinner with a wonderful couple from Johannesburg. That was at Olifants camp and then it was on to Berg-en-Dal which took us the whole day to get to since we were watching the sights as we went. It was a great experience and more time must be spent in the park..next time!!
From there it was off to Swaziland. We stayed at a nice resort...we were the only guests. We hung out there because it was storming outside and we were a bit wiped from so many very early mornings. We spent the evening watching African Idol with the staff and had alot of laughs. They are wonderful people...we swapped stories and lot's of laughs!! The next day we moved on to Ubombo where we spent the evening with the Iron's who own Overwin Country Lodge. Also great and interesting people. Dawn, the wife, has started an orphanage for children who are the victims of HIV/Aids. Their parents have died and there is no one left to take care of them. All the children are HIV+ as well. They range in age from a few days to 14 years of age. There were 18 children who live there when we visited but the also run a school and service about 300 children a day with food and schooling. Quite a remarkable lady who is trying to make a difference!!
Then it was off to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. This was also quite an experience since we were tenting it of sorts. Check out the pictures. I had ear plugs but still managed to hear things roaring in the night!! It was here that we were charged by an elephant and a rhino in 1 day. Somehow we managed to piss them off!! We also seen a group of lions with cubs in the early evening hours. Also a very neat experience.
This brings us to our present dwellings. We arrived around 2 pm and checked out the area which is right on the Indian Ocean. I'm currently using the B&B owners computer to write this, so I'm hurrying a bit. It has been difficult up until now to get online and then they have regular power outages as well.
Here are a few pictures to enjoy until I get on again. The picture d/l is slow so I will do it later. Bye for now!! Karen

We made it to South Africa!!

Well, we made it to South Africa safe and sound!! We arrived yesterday morning after an 11 hour flight...most of which I slept as we flew thru the night. Ted was not so lucky and had to drive...on the wrong side of the road no less!! But alas we made it after many detours...shopping, coffee, American Express, coffee...you get the drift. Had a great sleep last night!!
Today, we toured the Panarama which is around Blyde Canyon. The views are fantastic with beautiful waterfalls everywhere. The weather was good on one side but no so good on the other. This seems to be typical based on the mountain range. At the moment, we are having thunder and lightening with rain. This was the case last night at this time. Tomorrow we're off to Kruger National Park for the next few days. We knew we were in South Africa when we saw a baboon crossing the highway in front of us...not moose or deer!! Neat to see.
Not sure what the internet situation is in Kruger so you may not hear from us for a few days. Bye for now!! Here's a few pics to enjoy...check out our car...cheapest one with A/C...it shows...looks like from the 80's!! A Volkwagen Chico!!
Tried to d/l pics but the storm keeps cutting the internet out so that is not going to happen. Thank God I save what I wrote before. Bye for now. OK..it worked..enjoy!! 1 worked...the end They all worked..no titles though..sorry..nest time.