Day 10: Pretoria

Not much time to post - I'm in Pretoria; flew to Johannesburg, and met up with one van; we went to pick up a cargo van to transport 30 singers' luggage;it took 2 hours at the trucking place; many mixups on the paperwork! We have been joined by Raymond, one of our South African drivers, and Rose, one of the singers in the Polokwone Choir. .

We spent the early evening making dinner and eating at a friend of Ken and Larry's - Americans in Pretoria; really nice folks, great dinner, and first exposure to a dessert: "malva pudding." (Hmmm...custardy and sweet!) Three of us are going to someone else's house to sleep tonight.

We are going back to the airport to pick up some other singers tomorrow morning, and then driving 3 hours to our game reserve!

Day 9 - Last Day in Franschhoek

First I'd like to note that I probably will not be able to post regularly for a while - on the 14th we are flying to Johannesburg, staying in someone's home, and then off to our Game Preserve (see link below). I have heard that there is NO Internet at the Game Preserve at all.  I had hoped to post via my phone, but it may not work either.



 I'm posting early in the morning for yesterday's adventures, as the computer at my guest house was in constant use last night! Yesterday was another wonderful day. We set off for Stellenbosch to try to retrieve Monika's ATM card which got stuck in a machine at a bank (no success so far!). Then we drove in a large loop through the 4 mountain passes - incredible climbs, incredible views. The mountains around Cape Town rise suddenly, and are rugged - no "foothills" to speak of, so the views are amazing once you get up high.

As we came out of one of the passes, we passed through an area of fruit production - a large reservoir allows irrigation...we saw peaches, apples, pears, and apricot trees, many growing close to each other, supported by wires. We pulled over to an estate, and drove up into the estate itself to see if we could purchase some peaches. We were met by an American woman who was staying at the estate, and she was able to radio to the guys in the field, who were just bringing some in. The peaches were yellowish-orange in color, no "blush" that we are used to - flesh was the same color. We bought 2 for each of us - what a treat to see the orchards up close and have fresh peaches!

We continued on our loop, and it was early afternoon before we returned to Franschhoek. We found a restaurant/small vineyard tucked back down a windy road that was still open for lunch, and...what a find! The food was exquisitely prepared - each of us had something different, but it was all memorable. I had a chenin blanc (one of theirs), a swiss chard salad with cous cous, pomegranates, with a surprise dollap of fresh goat cheese (hiding in the cous cous), as a well as a rissotto of truffles and peas (with a "pea mousse" on top). All of this for around $20!!!

After this amazing meal, we strolled over to their "Exotic Plant" greenhouse - they grow, sell, and ship orchids to parts of South Africa.  We rolled into the car, and went off to take a nap prior to our evening hike.




The hike itself was up Mont Rochelle, one of the peaks towering above Mont Rochelle. There are no trees, and the climb was steep. I was still feeling a little stuffed from our meal, so I took it even more slowly than the others - I never did reach the peak, as they did. But...the hike took us through amazing vegetation. At first it was low scrub and wildflowers, but as we rounded the ridge, we came to a microclimate which had the fynbos vegetation at shoulder height - the soft reads brushing our sides as we walked; delicate wildflowers all around. It was a "meadow," unlike any high mountain meadow I have ever hiked in. It was so lovely. I enjoyed being surrounded by so much beauty - for most of the hike I was by myself, and it was peaceful and lovely.

Sunset on Mont Rochelle - Franschhoek in the distance

We hiked down just in time for sunset, and drove home for a light dinner. A beautiful ending to a beautiful day.

Day 8 - Franschhoek & Stellenbosch

Today was a WONDERFUL day. It started with an amazing breakfast at my guest house in Franschhoek (see previous posting for today). We then drove to Stellenbosch, a small city about 20 miles away, where we got on the bus for our 5 hour wine tour. In this time, we visited 4 wine estates, tasted 21 types of wine (wow!), had lunch, and a cheese tasting.

At an estate; you can see the vineyards & mountains in the distance.

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, 90 miles from Cape Town,  are both known for their wine estates; Stellenbosch was settled by the Dutch, and Franschhoek by the French Hugeunots, in the 17th century. Most of the Hugeunots returned when their persecution ended in France in the 18th century, but French names abound in the village. The terrain is Mediterranean: hot, dry summers, but perfect for growing grapes and olive trees. We have also seen many fruit orchards/espalliered fields: apples, peaches, apricots.  Commanding the whole view, though, are incredible mountains, with craggy peaks - it's a breathtaking sight to have the mountains in the near distance and the fields of vineyards running up the lower sides of the mountains. Temperatures today were in the 80's, with a strong breeze.

Gabriel, our driver and guide, was knowledgeable, and had picked out the wines he recommended for us at each estate, but we were free to actually taste any that were available at each estate. We started our tour with a lesson in how to "taste" a wine; this was informative for me, as in the past I have usually just sipped it down! No, no - you are to swirl it first, then tip the glass to get the "nose" of the wine; then swirl it around in your mouth so all of your taste buds can experience it, and, finally, swallow it for the "finish."

Typical tasting room; this one at Fairview, Stellanbosch

Besides the lesson, I learned today that I actually like some red wines... in the past, I've always wimped out, sticking to whites and roses. The Stellenbosch/ Franschhoek area specializes in a red grape called the "Pinotage" ( a cross between a Pinot Noir and Hermitage), and I  liked some of the wines, especially the blended ones. Nonetheless, my favorites were still the chardonnays which had been aged a little in oak, a Gewürztraminer, and one champagne. My companions were all red wine afficianados. And, although we had 21 opportunities to taste different wines, I did not taste 21 - after a while, I just couldn't do it!  (I almost forgot to mention that at one estate, I purchased a small dark chocolate bar with pink peppercorns, which we enjoyed with the red wines.. a nice break from simply tasting wine after wine!)

Garden in the foreground; vineyards in the back

The wine estates were also all in beautiful settings, with amazing architecture and world class restaurants, to attract the wealthy tourists and South Africans. Art on the walls....friendly pourers... modern logos... beautiful gardens around the buildings... all combined to make a memorable experience.

We also had a "cheese tasting", which consisted mostly of goat cheeses - my favorite was a soft cream cheese with "Chakalaka" spices - I'm really appreciating the Malaysian-influenced South African spices here!


When the wine tour was over, we spent some time walking around Stellenbosch, a charming city with a large university. I took a few pictures of the architecture. Having eaten our way through the day, we returned to our homes with no dinner - but I did purchase a Ginger Beer (yum, tastes like ginger root), and had a small amount of cheese and a mini-baguette to take home for a light snack at my guest house.  I also spent a little time walking around my little touristy village, taking in the architecture there.


            

Typical Dutch architecture - Stellenbosch



School-turned-museum, Dutch architecture, Stellenbosch

                                          

Tomorrow our plans are uncertain, but I know in the late afternoon we are going to try to hike up part of one of the mountains here. All of the terrain is exposed (no trees!), so we have to do it either in early morning or  late afternoon.  One more day in this area, and this part of the adventure will end!

Day 7 - off to Franschhoek!

Tonight I am posting twice: one for yesterday, and one for today.



Fabrics a-plenty at the Mnandi fabric shop

 Yesterday was our final morning in Cape Town. We got up, packed, and I went out shopping to the fabric store - what an amazing place! There were rolls of fabric, but also African clothing, sarongs, and tablecloths, most of which is made in the Observatory section of Cape Town. You can walk into the shop and order an outfit made from a bolt of clothing - if only we were going to be there longer!






Noemi with wire lizard, 33 Backpackers South

After saying good-bye to the wonderful, energetic staff at 33 South Backpackers ("Backpackers" is the word used for hostels in South Africa), we took off for Franschhoek, a village in the wine country about 90 minutes from Cape Town. Most of the day we settled in; we are now separated by 1 mile; the 4 others have a condo outside of the village, and I am in a guest house in the village. I was a little concerned about safety by myself, but my worries were unfounded; Franschhoek is very touristy. I took a walk this morning by myself, but I would not do so after dark.

After staying in the hostel, the guest house is PURE luxury - I have my own DOUBLE bed, my own bathroom, and even a little sitting area! The guest house has a lovely garden with a small pool. This morning I had breakfast around the pool: granola, yoghurt, juice, french-pressed coffee, incredible fruit salad, followed by scrambled eggs (hold the bacon!) And, as the proprietess is English, of course a "tomahto" on the plate. I think I"m going to like it here!

Day 6 in Cape Town

Today was a laid-back day. Monika, from Switzerland, had not had a chance to see the penguins, so we drove back up to see them again. Our intention was to just spend a little time there, but we had so much fun, we spent the better part of the day! As it was cooler today, there were fewer people out on the beaches, which allowed us to actually get out on the rocks and enjoy the beach with the penguins.

The penguins are unfazed by people!

I sat on a rock with my feet in the water, and the penguins dove and swam around me; it was great fun ~ they are amazing swimmers!

Ken, Monika, Karyn on the terrace

After a couple of lazy hours cavorting with the penguins, we went to a restaurant in Simon's Town for a leisurely lunch, something we have never done midday(we usually just pack apples or small sandwiches). We sat up on a terrace overlooking the ocean, people-watching and drinking wine and cappacinos. Such a life!

We drove home a different way, gawking at the wine estates up in Constantia. Tonight we went to a local African restaurant/bar, and sampled some of their food - my favorite was the curry-flavored bobotie, similar to meatloaf, but with a milk/egg custard on top. It was served with two chutneys - can't wait to get home and try making it!

Back at the hostel, we finished off the night with several games of Banagrams; some of the younger adults staying at the hostel played with us. Tomorrow we are off to wine country(on the map above, it is the second marker east of Cape Town near the tip) I'll be staying by myself in a guest house in Franschhoek, 1 mile away from the rest of the group. Now that I have been in South Africa a week, I feel acclimated and perfectly safe; in fact, I think it will be great fun having a little independence!

Day 5 in Cape Town


 Zowie! I LOVED our day today! Our group split up; Larry & Ken went hiking again (even more challenging than yesterday), while Monika, Karyn, and I spent the day at Kirstenbosch Gardens.  When the group reunited, Karyn and I opted to spend even MORE time there; she and I were there for 9 hours!

I'm pretty tired tonight, so I won't spend a lot of time putting up as many pictures as I'd like; instead, I'm going to try to make a separate page with just my botanical pictures...stay tuned for that.  Meanwhile, look below for just a sampling of what we saw:



Protea repens (a fynbos plant)



Leucospermum "Pincushion Plant"



Cape Chestnut blossoms

  



Alan cutting meat in the kitchen for the Braai



When we returned from the Gardens, our hostel had a traditional Cape Town "Braai", which is a traditional barbecue...heavy emphasis on the meat! We had barbecued sausages, beef, and chicken, as well as roasted veggies (they do love their butternut squash!), potatoes baked in the coals, and salad. What a meal!

Day 4 in Cape Town

Today we spent the morning at the "Saturday Neighborhood Goods Market"; to get there, we walked through an older Muslim neighborhood; most of the architecture was vintage 1900-2910. The market itself was an amazing assortment of foods from around the world, fabrics, clothing, jewelry, etc. I would have been happy to stay all day, but nobody else in the group likes to shop, boo-hoo!

After lunch and a short rest, we tackled Lion's Head, which is the rocky precipace across from Table Mountain, a 2195-ft rise! It is called Lion's Head because it is part of a rocky structure that roughly looks like a resting lion, with a raised head. (yes, I know, it doesn't really look like a lion, but the "head" is on the left in this view, and the "tail" is on the right.)

Even though we started the walk at 4 PM, it was hot - 86 when we started, no shade most of the way. The trail started out as a wide path, but evolved into walking on mostly flat rocks, to edging along ledges to scrambling over boulders near the top. There were two 10-foot ladders to climb on the sheerest of the rock faces, and three-fourths of the way up, the trail divided into the "long" way around (more scrambling), OR you could hoist yourself up via chains and handholds. Three of our group chose the chain route, but Karyn and I took the longer way.



Ken, Barb, Karyn on Lion's Head (I'm standing on a rock)



The hike took four hours total, and I lost my gardening hat on the way.  It was grueling - I'm exhausted  tonight, and my calf muscles are killing me. Tomorrow we are going to the Kirstenbosch Gardens (a botanical garden) and  3 of us will tackle another tough hike (not for me - I'll spend the day in the Gardens, perhaps will buy another hat!)

Day 3 in Cape Town

Typical Victorian building (Mexican bistro!) next to 70's building

The newest member of the team, Monika from Switzerland, arrived this morning. We spent the earlier part of the day walking around the center of Cape Town. It is a mixture of architectural styles and neighborhoods; we visited the Malaysian "Bo-Kapp" neighborhood, which is Muslim; many folks walking to the call to prayer. We also spent time in the center of town "City Bowl," admiring the mix of architecture and experiencing the clash of cultures. One of my favorite places we visited was a bookstore, where the proprieter recommended fiction worksus, and I also bought a used book on South African trees (which I'll donate to the last place we go).

We also walked down to St. George's Cathedral, which abuts the section of town where the colonial buildings are (Parliament, courts). There is a long, lovely garden called the "Company's Gardens," which includes a pear tree in cultivation since 1652! This huge garden started by the Dutch East India Company, features South African trees/shrubs/flowers, but also has quite a few North American trees, notably Cypresses and Magnolias. I particularly enjoyed seeing the native South African flowers I recognized from our own gardens in the USA - pentas, geraniums, small everlastings.

View of Cape Town from Gondola

After a lunch of "butternut quiche" (mostly butternut squash and feta, very little egg; gotta make this one when I get home!), we drove up to the gondola station for Table Mountain. Table Mountain looms 3000 ft. over Cape Town, and is so named for its relatively flat top...looks like a table from below. You can either hike up or take the Gondola - we took the Gondola - great fun, as it rotates as it lifts you to the top (only takes about 5 minutes, but it is a thrill!) Once up on the top, you can walk around - there are many trails, but it is quite rocky.  The views are breathtaking, no matter where you look.

Watsonia (pic would not rotate) - so lovely!

I particularly enjoyed the incredible flora up there, in particular the Watsonia (a type of bulb), and the King Proteus (out of bloom, but still very cool - I believe the national flower of South Africa). We spent 3 hours up on Table Mountain, hiking the rocky trails; although the sun was beating down on us, there were cool breezes.

Monika and Karyn enjoying the view

We came down and went back to the hostel, where we feasted on our leftovers (yes, we are all budget minded!) Tomorrow we are planning to visit a huge Saturday open-air market midday, and then hike up Lion's Head, another rocky formation which rises above Cape Town.

I'm also going to try to be braver about taking pictures of some of the South Africans, so I can share them tomorrow.

Hope everyone in Connecticut is enjoying the snow!

Day 2 in Cape Town

Alas, this blog was inoperative for a day; Google shut down my email and blog because of "suspicious activity;" and has asked for my phone number to send a text to for verification purposes. I don't know the correct phone number for South Africa; I typed in what I thought it was, but it didn't "take."  I finally got my account back today - I'm happy Google is so security conscious, but I wish there had been a way for me to simply warn them ahead of time! Oh, well, glad to be back in bidness! Yesterday was a WONDERFUL day in South Africa, though; since it was to be very hot, we decided to tour the southern part of the Cape by air-conditioned auto. We drove down to the Cape of Good Hope via Simon's Town, that is, via the Eastern side of the pennisula. Along the way, we stopped to see the African Penguins (also known as the "Jackass Penguins" because of their braying!). They have a very small roosting area, contained along the southern coast of South Africa. Fortunately, there has been a movement to bring the population back from an endangered level; we saw many numbered plastic "burrows" individual people had purchased to provide a safe burrow for the penguins.  And... they are sooo cute!  At this preserve, we also learned about the "fynbos" floral kingdom, one of the world's 6 distinct kingdoms(fynbos being the smallest). Most of the plants are evergreen, hard-leaved or needled plants, but the flowers are beautiful - some tubular, some like pincushions. One of the plants we was is "sour fig"; looks a lot like an "ice plant," with a large yellow flower; a woman on the trail explained to me that the fruits of this plant are gathered and sold in the Cape Town farmers' markets, and that a sour jam is made from the fruit as well.  A view of the Cape of Good Hope, viewed from Cape Point  We proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, the southwesternmost point in Africa, and its craggy sister, Cape Point (Dias Point). You can walk or take a funicular up to the top of Cape Point (we walked!), and can walk out on the point almost to the end. It was so windy I had to hold onto my hat, but it was incredibly beautiful; we were up high, an; all around were the craggy peaks of South Africa jutting out into the Indian Ocean, and the ocean itself was an aquamarine color; black cormorants resting on the far rocks. The drive home took us on the Chapman Peak drive, which is on the Western (Atlantic) side; we wound around yet more cliffs; a narrow road with many pulloffs for magnificent views; it ends at Hout Bay, 20 minutes from Cape Town. On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store and bought veggies, rice, and meat for a stir-fry, as well as wine (soooo cheap here!). After a pleasant meal, we lounged in the back, enjoying the balmy breezes on the patio in back of the hostel. We have high hopes for the temperature today ( it was 84 yestoday; every day this week the temperature is supposed to drop a little); our fifth member, Monika, from Switzerland, arrives today. We plan to go into the city itself and ride the gondola up Table Mountain.

Day 1 in Cape Town

The 11-hour flight from Germany was a bit grueling (good food, Lufthansa, but we were a bit squished!). When we arrived at the Cape Town airport, I was detained at the passport check because I did not have a printed copy of my return flight information. (note, this did NOT happen to my friends!) I had to sit on a bench while they called the airlines... the worst part of this was that they took my passport with them (rule #1: never let your passport out of sight!). This made me nervous - my friends had already disappeared, and the official had casually put my passport in his pocket! It was finally resolved, and I rejoined my friends at baggage claim.

There was another American waiting on the detention bench with me who was being detained because he didn't have a FULL page left in his passport for their 2 stamps! They refused to use a half page, even though the two stamps would fit. Apparently in South Africa, Beaurocracy is King!  They finally agreed to do it; no reason given, but he finally got on his way.

We are staying at 33 Backpackers Hostel (see link below), which is a funky place in the "Observatory" section of the city (there is an ancient Observatory nearby). There are loads of bars, clubs, funky shops, etc in the neighborhood; it's close to the University of Cape Town. We spent most of the afternoon walking around, trying to get our phones to work, getting money from the machines, and just seeing the neighborhood. (saw a couple of GREAT shops we spotted which we'll need to return to!)


A toast to Cape Town! (Barb, Larry, Ken, Karyn)

One of the women in Reception at the hostel recommended we go to a bar nearby which has 1/2 price drinks from 5 to 6; we went there, each had a Volcano (1/2 pina colada, 1/2 daquiri), and ended up staying for supper.  The food was Jamaican in influence; I had a "burger" which was jerk chicken, a huge slice of camembert, and cranberry sauce. Great!

We're going to bed fairly early; we're all jet-lagged, but I'm happy to be here; Cape Town is a mishmash of styles and wealth; we saw shanties on the drive from the airport, and our neighborhood is quite a mix. The architecture in this neighborhood is interesting; I'll take some pictures tomorrow to upload.

We don't have concrete plans for tomorrow yet; it was HOT today (97!), so it will depend on the temperature tomorrow. Yikes! I had thought it would only be in the 80's! What a shock!

Greetings from Germany!

I have spent the day in Germany - we landed at 9:30 AM German time (that´s 2:30 Connecticut time!) to a snow-covered scene. I spent some time trying to get my phone to work, but realized that my battery was depleted and I had no German connector. Sigh - can´t cover alll these bases! I went to an Internet kiosk (GRR..some of the keys are in different spts - hard to type!)

 

I was hoping to meet up with my friends from New Jersey, but I had been required to go OUT through customs, claim my bagat the Continental counter, then recheck in, and dropping my bag at the Lufthansa counter. At that point I was told there was no way I could go  find my friends (wouldn´t be able to get close to them).

 

I sent them an email, and waited an hour, then spotted a USO lounge, where they graciously agreed to charge up my phone for me...yay, USO! What a wonderful organization!  I put on my leggings under my travelin´pants (30 degrees out, not really dressed for northern weather!) and caught the train for Mainz.

 

I had done only a tiny bit of research on Mainz - I thought it was a quaint little town on the Rhine, but it´s actually a bustling small city, 25 mins from the airport. I love to go in old churches, and had my sights set on 2: the cathedral, and the much smaller St. stephens, where there are Chagall windows. I could not find a tourist office, so I set off in the direction of what I perceived to be the old town. Needless to say, I got turned around several times, but I did manage to make it to the cathedral (the "Dom", which is a magnificent structure (no Engglish information available, so didn´t learn much about it). The best part, thouggh, was that it commanded the old part of town, which was typical old German architecture.

 

I wandered around, looked in the shops, took some pictures (can´t upload one at thisi kiosk), and, as it grew colder and darker, made my way back to the train station. Suffice it to say that the route back was not a direct one! I would stop and ask directions, but nobody spoke much English, each person did manage to get me at least part of the way there!

 

I  bought some fish & chips from a kiosk (wieners looked waaay too suspicious, with waaay too much suspicious sauce). I´m now at the airport, where I have met up  with my friends Ken & Karyn. We´re going to get a German beer, and settle in waiting for our 11  PM flight to Cape Town - an 11 hour flight! With all of my exercise today, I should be able to get some decent sleep on thaat plane!

 

Thinking of you all tonight, and thankful for the kindness of the strangers who helped me today.

The Adventure Begins Tomorrow!

I'm getting excited - almost packed; tough to fit everything into one large/one small backpack!

I'm hoping the blogging will work - not sure what the Internet access will be in South Africa, but hoping to post often. There are a few links at the bottom, which will stay there, so you can read a little about each spot that has a link.

BTW, South Africa is 7 hours AHEAD of Connecticut, so subtract 7 hours from each to see what the corresponding time in Connecticut is...

Here's my itinerary:

January 3 - 5: Flights to Cape Town, South Africa (yikes, 33 hours total!)
Jan 3 Dep Newark 7:25 PM , 14-hour layover in Frankfurt, Arr Cape Town Jan 5 10:55 AM

January 5-10:   Tour/hike in Cape Town and surrounds
Accommodation: 33 South Boutique Backpackers

January 11-14:   Drive to Franschhoek, South Africa (wine country)
Accommodation: Erica Guest House

January 14: Flight to Johannesburg  Dep Cape Town 11:55 AM Arr Johannesburg 1:55 PM

January 15 – 22: Camp begins in residence, (learn music repertoire)
Accommodation: D'nyala Nature Reserve (about 175 miles NE of Pretoria)

January 23 – Feb 5: Touring/performing in towns and villages, mostly in the Northeast quadrant of South Africa. 

Homestays:
January 22-23 in Polokwane
January 24 in Haenertsburgh
January 25-27 in Polokwane
January 29 in Pretoria
January 30-31 in Soweto
February 1 in MIddleburg
February 2 in Nelspruit

Feb 6 - 7:  Fly home (26 hours)
Feb 6: Dep Johannesburg 7:50 PM, 6 hour layover in Frankfurt,  Arr Newark Feb 7  2:00 PM