Homeward Bound!

As much as I love to travel, at the end of a trip I am always ready to be home.

Five weeks is a long time to be away from our people and our home. I am SO ready to be there!

We have had an incredible adventure. We have revisited some of our favorite places, found some new favorites and met a lot of really great people along the way.

Yesterday was our last full day in Amsterdam. We went to the Central Station to reserve seats on the train to Frankfurt this afternoon.

The big news at Central Station - Starbucks has now opened! Previously, the only one I was aware of in Holland was at the airport. When we arrived, this one was under construction. While Bob waited in line, I got coffee and a beautiful Amsterdam coffee city mug - different than the one I already have at home!

We did a little shopping, not finding several things on our list but picking up a few things here and there.

We stopped at Sara's for a snack and to say good-bye.

Back home I put everything I could come up with in a big pot and cooked it for dinner. Kind of a chicken, vegetable soup/stew. It turned out pretty well actually. Allen joined us for our last evening here.

I am not looking forward to lugging all the suitcases around when we leave this afternoon. But, if heavy bags are my biggest problem, I'm doing OK!

After this trip though, it's back to strictly carry on!

Rain, Rain and Now....Sunshine!

By late Friday morning the showers had slowed down. This was perfect as we had not thought of leaving the apartment until about that time.

With umbrellas in hand, we headed down the Haarlemmerdijk in search of food. We found a small, dark pub with a menu posted that we could 'somewhat' translate and went inside. The resulting order was 2 fairly good sandwiches (Bob and Brian) and a nice Greek salad (Jessie). The only misunderstanding was when we thought the soup of the day was a mozzarella, bacon soup. Instead it was a MUSTARD based soup. I liked it. Jessie, not a fan of mustard was happy she had also ordered a salad.

From the pub we stopped at a cheese store for snacks to take home. A couple of apple tarts and a brownie sustained us as we continued our walk.

The Red Light District during the day was our next destination. We stopped along the way at some souvenir shops and continued to walk.

By early evening Brian and Jessie were ready to head out on their own. We walked them to the Leidseplein. There is a temporary outdoor ice skating rink in the area. Music was playing in all directions. Christmas lights are hanging brightly. There are stands selling waffles and poffertjes. We knew they had found a place to have fun! Assured that they could make their way back to the apartment either on foot or by taxi, we left them for the evening.

Heading back to the apartment in light rain, I opted for the couch with a book and a blanket. I think I read the same page 15 times before I decided to give up!

Their last day with us arrived so quickly!

We headed to the local Farmer's Market in the morning. We picked out some cheese, some bread and some salami to go with our brunch. A quick stop at the grocery store for the rest of our ingredients and we headed home to cook. Jessie and I put together a nice brunch in record time! Allen joined us for the afternoon. Bruce and Eelco stopped by for awhile too.

All too soon it was time to walk to the Central Station for their 6:30 train to Frankfurt. With threats of rain but nothing actually coming down, we headed to the station.

We are watching the stand by list as I type this, and are glad to report they are comfortably seated in row 1. Of course, the sun has been shining all morning. There are no clouds anywhere in sight!

Time for us to do a few last minute things in Amsterdam and get ready to wrap up this amazing chapter!

I Tire(d)!

The title of this post references a comedian we saw in California last summer. He was the warm up act for Jay Leno. If you've heard our story regarding this night, you'll get it. If not, probably best left unsaid, at least on this blog.

After sending Brian and Jessie to bed at 7:30 on Wednesday evening they reappeared 16 hours later ready to go! And go we did.....for 9 hours through sunshine, rain, clouds and even a rainbow, well into the night.

First stop for our visitors was the Anne Frank Huis. As we started out it was raining and there was virtually no line. We sent them on their way. We were there just 6 months ago so did not feel the need to accompany them.

While they were in the museum we picked up a newspaper and a deck of cards for our evening entertainment. From the museum we headed to Sara's Pancake House for a late breakfast, early lunch (by now it was 2:00!).

We walked through the Dam Square, down Kalverstraat, down Spui Straat. We stopped here and there to visit 'junkaterias' for treasures. We wandered through the Mundt Tower and over to the floating flower market. The Christmas lights are still being hung. On this dark, cloudy day they were shining brightly above the shopping streets. On our list for the day were vlaamse frites but when we got there nobody was hungry. Maybe today. We walked through the Begijnhof and then stopped for 'happy hour'.

The cafe we opted for served Grolsch beer.

Ordering his second beer Brian tried to order Amstel. The waiter said 'Grolsch'. Brian said 'Amstel' and the waiter pointed to the Grolsch sign. (The old Saturday Night Live 'No Coke, Pepsi' came to mind). He had another Grolsch.

His last choice was to point to the table next to us and 'have one of what he's having'.

It was nice to sit in the glass enclosed area looking out onto the street scene while visiting with two of our favorite people in the world!

Moving on we walked up Spui Street in search of food. We stopped at several locations perusing menus before choosing Caprese Italiano. The entire meal - start to finish was wonderful.

Good company, good food, good times!

Finishing dinner we headed toward the Red Light District. We stopped along the way looking for more treasures and even found a few must have items. The Red Light District did not live up to its reputation. Both Brian and Jessie were surprised that it seemed so 'tame'.

We got back 'home' around 10:00 p.m.

Normally bedtime for the parents and when the party starts for the kids. We pretended not to be middle aged and learned how to play the card game Low Life. A self admitted absolute moron at cards, I enjoyed the company way more than the game. We wrapped it up about 3:15 this morning. The last time I was up that late was the night before their wedding!

The sun is shining this morning, clouds looming on the horizon. Not sure what is on the agenda -know it will be a fun day! But..... I TIRE(D)!!!!

Brian and Jessie!

The weather has started to turn cooler. Rain is consistently in the forecast. We go to the market between rain drops and on outings between showers.

Yesterday we got lucky. Heavy rain in the morning. A brief interruption in rain allowed me to head to the market.

Another round of fairly heavy showers and then the clouds parted and then sun came out. We headed to the Central Station to pick up Brian and Jessie.

The train from Frankfurt arrived on spoor 8b as posted and there they were!

Since the weather was nice and they had thought to change clothes in Frankfurt we walked to the apartment. A nap on the 3 hour train ride gave them a little energy. With umbrellas in hand we went in search of food and drink!

We took the long way around, walking through Magna Plaza, to the Dam Square and then eventually along the canals to the Leidseplein. Food and a couple of drinks revived them long enough to walk back home.

A quick stop upstairs at 'their' apartment to change clothes resulted in the key being locked in their room. Just when they thought they could go to bed.....they had to wait until Allen arrived to unlock their door. Fortunately it wasn't a long wait and we sent them on their way.

It is raining this morning. Have not seen or heard from our visitors as of yet so not sure what adventures we will have today! We are just glad they are here with us!

Gratis Sneeuwwitje Figuurtje bij elke €15

Last year, Albert Heijn (the local grocery store) had a giveaway of Smurf cadeaus (gifts) 'with purchase'. The Smurfs currently reside on a shelf in my office.

This year, much to my amusement it is Snow White and Friends - collect all 15!

I was happily making my way through the collection when a virtual treasure chest of Snow White gifts was bestowed upon me!

Bruce and Eelco (apartment owners) had gone 'big' grocery shopping. Very unusual here as most people shop daily or several times a week for food.

When Bruce (who had brought us homemade chocolate chip cookies...yum!) saw my collection he said, 'be right back'.

He was down the stairs and quickly back up with a BIG handful of packets for me to open.

I'm slowly opening the new additions to the collection. Might even post a picture soon for admiration.

In other news......no news!

As I mentioned previously, it has been very quiet since we returned from South Africa. Visits to the local street markets and some short walks. That's it!

All that should change tomorrow with the arrival of Brian and Jessie!

Just Counting The Days!

I am trying to keep the magic that was South Africa forefront in my mind. Sadly, my mind is becoming cluttered with other things and it is starting to slip away!

There were so many things we saw and did in Africa. And so many things left undone. We seemed to touch briefly on a variety of places once we got to Cape Town. We were unable to give it enough time. It is an incredibly diverse country with much to offer. I feel so fortunate that we were able to go - I hope we have the opportunity to return.

Back 'home' in Amsterdam we have enjoyed visiting our favorite places. Cafe de Prins where we can sit outside along the canal, have lunch and people watch.

We look across at the Anne Frank Huis and comment on the line for the day.

The local market is giving away Snow White and the Seven Dwarf toys this year (last year it was Smurfs as Sean and Ryan know!). I've amused myself by collecting them when I grocery shop.

We wander to the book store for Bob's must read International Herald Tribune.

The clerk recognizes us when we walk in.

The Westerpark has a beautiful display of fall foliage. We were told it is pretty rare. Normally there is a lot of rain in September, the leaves turn brown and fall off. The leaves are very pretty this year.

Sara's Pancake House is a stop we make at least once a week. Sara was incredibly stressed this week handling the entire place alone. (5 employees all out sick) She still found time to ask how our trip to South Africa went. We told her we would be back next week, as always, but this time with visitors. We know she will greet them as warmly as she does us every time we are there.

Today with rain threatening we walked to Spui Street so I could go to Waterstone's and buy books. In the window of the American Bookstore - Americana artifacts including 'Big Boy' from 'Bob's Big Boy'!

There was an artists' market where the book market is normally held on Thursdays. Christmas decorations are being hung. The contrast between the shining lights of the decorations, the fall leaves on the brick walkways and the dark skies was very pretty.

And as we start a new week, tomorrow we will say 'the day after tomorrow - Brian and Jessie arrive.' We are thrilled beyond belief that they have chosen to spend their precious vacation days with us. We are counting the days and can hardly wait to see them and show them around this city that we've come to love so much.

As great as the past four weeks have been, I think we are both starting to think about winding it up. Home is calling. We miss our people, our house, our life at home. When it is time to pack up and head back, as always, we will be ready for home!

Out of Africa

We had planned to go to Robben Island on Sunday, our last day in Cape Town. The hotel arranged for tickets two days prior for the 11:00 ferry for the popular tour of the former political prison. After breakfast, we drove down to the wharf and dutifully stood in line for about 30 minutes waiting for the 11:00 ferry. Finally we were ready to board. The ticket taker pointed out that our tickets were for the 9:00 ferry and to please step aside. So much for Robben Island.
Rather than lose our last day in Cape Town, we decided to go to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. We programmed TomTom and off we went. We ended up at a mall on the opposite side of the city from Kirstenbosch.

After reprogramming TomTom, we ended up at the gardens with a couple of hours to spare before we needed to go back to the hotel and head for the airport.

The gardens were very nice, alhough between spring and summer and therefore not in their prime. The gardens were full of families having picnics and parties on a windy and cool afternoon.


We packed up, made a short detour for some pix of clouds boiling over the top of Table Mountain and were off to the airport.

20 hours later we would arrive back in Amsterdam.

South Africa is a beautiful and remarkable country. We didn't scratch the surface of all there is to do in Cape Town and surrounds and could have easily sent another couple of weeks there.

On to the next chapter.

Pix from the 5 days we spent in Cape Town can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/sets/72157622668439928/

To The End of The World!

Today we drove to the end of the world (well, maybe the end of Africa) and visited The Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. We started out early and headed toward Camp Bay.

A quick stop for a photo op and to admire the incredible water and we were off again. The weather was very nice - California at the beach weather. The sun was out for a good part of the morning and then dropped behind some fog. Either way, the views for the day were stunning. The rock formations as we drove up into the mountains were incredible.

At one point the road was carved into the mountain side, almost like a tunnel with one side open . We drove across Chapman's Peak - a newly opened road through a National Park. Wild flowers are blooming - dark pink geraniums, orange nasturtium, yuccas with tall pink flowers, white daisies. Always the stunning views of the sheer cliffs, the waves crashing and the blue green water nearby.

Our next stop was Simon's Town. It is a quaint beach side town. A walk was in order - down to the water to get my feet wet. The sand is powder white in some areas, the water cold.

We picked up some bread, water and hummus for a picnic later on at the beach. There was an open air market so of course I had to browse. Several vendors told us we were their first customer. They would give us an extra discount. How could I resist? We are now seriously strapped for room in our bags.

After Simon's Town we headed for the Penguin Colony. It is in a National Park as well and the walkways run parallel to the water. The clear blue water, slight breeze in the air and penguins everywhere made us feel pretty lucky to be here today. We had a better view of penguins today than we did at Betty's Bay - but only because the wind was blowing so hard the day we were there. Today, everything was perfect. Along the trail we met some women from Houston and a couple from Norway. He stopped to admire Bob's camera and discuss the lens with him.

From Penguin Colony we headed to Cape Point. Lots of people driving, hiking and biking on this late spring day. The roads and parking lots were fairly busy all day.

Rounding the corner of the peninsula we headed to Cape of Good Hope, the farthest SW point of the continent. Again, lots of tourists but we found a spot to park overlooking the ocean on one side of us.

There were baboon warning signs everywhere. We've seen the videos online of baboons in South Africa opening car doors, taking purses and flinging their contents everywhere.

We managed to get close to several but were very cautious. After 6 hours on the road, we opted for the freeway back rather than the beach road. A very nice day - to the end of the world!

Headed to Robben Island in the morning, maybe a little more shopping. All too soon our South African adventure is coming to a close.

Pan African and New Friends

We spent about 4 hours at the Pan African Market on Friday. It is a large three story building filled with vendors in individual stalls. About a 20 minute walk from where we are staying into a fairly busy area. The weather was clear and cool for our walk. Very California like.

The architecture and wrought iron accents on buildings reminded us of New Orleans. The city is also a bit like San Fransisco with it's hills and morning fog.


At the market, everyone had the best price to offer and a bargain to show us. In most places we were their 1st customers of the day and therefore got an extra discount. Same line as in Jo'burg.


More important than the treasures we bought (I did have to do my part for the local economy) was the interaction with the people. I cannot begin to describe the kindness of the people we have encountered here. They have an amazing warmth, friendliness and curiosity about us.


To most of the people we have spoken with, America is the place they want to go. We have heard Alaska (as Bob heard 7 years ago), Chicago (because she saw it on TV) and Hollywood (to see the stars).

One of the vendors yesterday (Janice) asked if she could have our email address. Then she asked if she could keep my pencil. Of course I gave it to her and dug out several more pens and pencils for her. She was so excited and said she would share them with her friends.


Patrick, her co-worker had a fairly long, deep conversation with Bob. He told him that life is hard in Cape Town. There is a lot of discrimination for people not from South Africa. He is originally from a village in Cameroun. His parents do not read and he is teaching himself to read. He told Bob several times what a nice man he was and thanked him for talking to him. And yes, for the skeptical among you, this was AFTER our purchases.

We had to find an ATM (yes, I had more to buy) and a woman in a shop directed us to a building. There are several ATM's inside this shopping center with a guard watching them. When we told her we just walk up to an ATM that is outside at home, she seemed quite surprised. 'That is not safe' is what she told us. When the ATM machine we went to wouldn't work, the guard directed us to another one downstairs. Down two elevators and turn right (although he pointed left). Then he said, 'Come' and walked us down to take us to the right spot.


Spent a couple of hours late yesterday afternoon just hanging out. Bob worked on pictures, I spent a few quality hours with my book.


Dinner was again at the Italian restaurant up the street. The waiter we had previously recognized us. 'A glass of sauvignon, a glass of chardonnay and a bottle of sparkling water?' was his opener. Yes, he remembered from earlier in the week. He too stood by the table after we were finished and talked to us for awhile. He said there are such high hopes for World Cup in 2010. If South Africa does well, it will help them so much. If they do not live up to expectations they will not have the opportunity to be on the world stage again for a long time.


Back to our B and B and in for the night fairly early.


FYI....Pix from Day 3 (of 5) at Mala Mala have been uploaded to Flickr. They can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/sets/72157622650064238/

Safari picture update

I've uploaded pictures from day 1 and day 2 of our safari to Flickr.

Day 1 pix can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/sets/72157622519611251/

Day 2 pix can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/sets/72157622645933780/

3 more days of safari pix and then Capetown. It's gonna be awhile.

To the Top of the Mountain and Down to the Vineyard!

We are trying to act like grown ups and move on from our Mala Mala experience. Afterall, this is Cape Town, one of the premiere cities of the world! There just aren't any giraffes, elephants, wild dogs......I even miss the ever present impala....OK, moving ON!!!!

This morning we had a wonderful breakfast on the patio. The wind has stopped and the weather is warm. Summer temperatures are kicking in. Interestingly we anticipated Mala Mala (Oh, did I just make another reference to it?) to be very hot and Cape Town to be much more temperate. Turns out it was the opposite.

We are staying in the shadow of the famous Table Mountain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain , a huge plateau greater than 3000ft high overlooking the city. A cable car originally made in 1929 takes to the top of the mountain, a National Park. When the wind is blowing hard, the access via cable car shuts down. Yesterday the cable cars were not running. Knowing we would be facing a fairly long wait today, we decided we needed to go. Between ticket lines and the cable car line it took about 2 hours before we made it to the top.

It was very smoggy looking down but still an incredibly beautiful view.

This picture from the top of Table Mountain shows downtown Capetown with the 2010 World Cup Stadium near the bay, Robben Island (Mandela's prison home) in the distance and the waterfront to the right.

We wandered around the rocks that form the surface for a couple of hours before taking a cable car back down.

Stellenbosch, an area about an hour east of us is one of the wine producing regions. We headed that direction late this afternoon. After making our way to the information area we chose Neethlingshof Vineyards.

The vineyard's grounds are beautiful. A long driveway lined with trees takes you to a group of buildings. There are beautiful flower gardens with lots of roses blooming. We were able to taste 5 of their white wines. A couple of them were very good. Even better, they have a U.S. distributor so we may find some of their wines at home.

We opted for dinner at the vineyard, then set the GPS for 'home' and headed back.

It was a good day, a very busy day and a lot of fun. But I didn't see any hippos, rhinos, elephants.......oh my!

Shell Shocked in Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon. We were picked up by a pre -arranged driver. He drove us to the B and B that will be home for the next 5 days. From the quiet solitude of Mala Mala where we didn't open a newspaper, turn on a TV, see a car or put a wallet into our bag to the big city!

There are 5.5 million people in Cape Town and it is an incredibly busy city. Along with the rest of South Africa they are preparing for World Cup soccer next year. We were warned that roads might be under construction and there would be traffic.

The B and B is a very old house with a common living area, gardens and a breakfast room. We were exhausted after dinner last night and did not stay awake long.

No morning drive for us, just a nice breakfast downstairs.

We decided our first adventure would be a drive along the coast.

We stopped at Betty's Bay to see the penguins.

They were all over and we watched them for quite awhile. Unfortunately it is incredibly windy here. The wind made it difficult to even stand!

After leaving the penguins we made our way to Hermanus, a small coastal town. The whales are migrating and we were told they would be all over this small area. Because of the high winds we saw white caps everywhere.....but couldn't tell if they were whales or white caps. Bob thought he saw one but we really couldn't tell.

We drove back to Cape Town, with with help from our GPS. The drivers are extremely courteous and the roads are very good and well maintained. An Italian restaurant up the street was our choice for dinner.

Last But Not Least!

At 6:15 Tuesday morning we headed into the bushveld for our final drive. At this point, I was so tired it was hard to stay awake! I quickly came to life when we had our first sighting of impala.

From there we heard baboons barking and followed them to see why they were so active. Instead of being threatened, Donald figured we had encountered one who was lost and trying to find its troop. A crested barbet bird, nyala and guinea fowl were found next. Of course the impala were everywhere.

As we were driving down a road, Bob and I redeemed ourselves by finding a giraffe in the distance.
Finally, the Kilian's have proven they could find a giraffe! Or maybe Donald was being kind and letting us 'find' it. The giraffe was a young male and we stayed with him for quite awhile. He grazed nearby and then moved on to another area, crossing right in front of us.

Amazing long eyelashes and an incredible grace! The giraffe was just gorgeous.

Next we found zebra - a stallion and 5 or 6 females grazing in the field. The stallion stood back on watch as the females grazed. They are beautiful animals to see up close.

The wild dogs were still in the area and we made our way to see them. They had apparently eaten something recently and were resting. They were laying on the ground looking.....like dogs!

Vultures were close by finishing up the rest of the meal left behind by the dog. They are pretty ugly birds but somehow not as bad on the ground as they seem up in trees.

Sadly our time for driving was up. It was time for the 'last breakfast'.

Back at Mala Mala, there was a small white monkey who entertained us (taunted us?) while we ate our last breakfast.

Reluctantly we left to pack and get ready to leave.

Too many good-byes - how could you possibly feel like you've shared a lifetime with these people in 4 days?

Our young ranger, Ryan who made such an impact on us. At 22 years old, he has a bucket list and shared it with us. He was professional, courteous, knowledgeable and so much fun to be around.

Our ranger Donald who flawlessly added us to his truck and guided us through the bush. His knowledge and commentary were educational and amusing.

Michael, the Goodwill Ambassador (bar tender, etc.) of Mala Mala. Michael greeted us along with one of the camp managers after each ride. He always had a scented wet wash cloth for a quick wash up.

Either Leana and Etienne, the married couple who are the camp managers met us after each ride. They always asked how the ride went and what animals we saw. And they were truly interested......although we knew the radio was being monitored by them the whole time we were gone. Of course they knew what we had seen!

While we were packing there was word that the plane had arrived earlier than scheduled. Good byes and email addresses were exchanged and Donald drove us to the air strip.

We were the last to board the 9 passenger plane headed for Nelspruit airport and then on to Cape Town.

We had left the magic behind but I think I cried for the entire 15 minutes on the plane. It was by far one of the most indescribable experiences I have ever had in my life. It was not travelling to a place to visit. It was so much more than that. I know the pictures will be amazing but I will never be able to describe the experience to anyone who has not been.

To add a bit to that last paragraph. When I was in South Africa 7 years ago and went on my 1st safari, I came home raving about it. The pictures were nice. I had seen things and animals in a setting that I had never seen before. However, it was not something that I could describe and do it justice. Jill said the same after their East African safari.....you can't describe it.  Pictures provide good memories and brief snapshots into what we have seen, but only capture a very small part of the safari. One can only fully appreciate it when one has experienced it. Nancy is now of the same mind set. Sorry, but we cannot describe it actually. It's a mystical, fascinating, humbling, religious experience. As we said on our last New Zealand trip. We're OOA. Out of adjectives.

Bellisima Elefante!

We were joined for our afternoon drive by a couple from Parma, Italy on their honeymoon. They were very excited to see the elephants. How do we tell these 'newbies' that the elephants are but a small part of everything they will encounter? Guess they will figure it out without is!

We found baboons with small babies and of course several groups of impala.

We had what Donald described as his best spotting of hippos. More than seeing just ears and a snout sticking out of the water, they were walking in the river reeds in the reeds on some sand.

As we moved closer to them another truck from Mala Mala also made its way down. Unfortunately the other truck quickly got stuck in the sand. The 6 passengers sat tight(one NEVER stands up or gets out of the Land Rover) as Donald and their driver worked together to pull them out. Again, we were struck by the professionalism, the friendship, the camaraderie that the rangers all share.

Leaving the hippos we turned a corner and right in front of us was a leopard. He is called Bicycle Crossing leopard. So named because as the workers at Mala Mala ride their bikes across the bridge to work they have often encountered this leopard.

While we had our sundowners there was word of a lioness nearby. We drove over to find her. There were impala very close to her and she went back and forth between being interested and just hanging out like a big 'ole cat. We watched her scratch her paws against a tree, groom herself and give a true lion roar calling the other lioness. When she did not get a response from the other lion she showed a bit of interest in the impala. Eventually she (and we) gave up and went back for dinner.

We were late getting back to camp so 2 showers and 20 minutes later we walked into the bar. Dinner was held in the boma with a nice fire and the weather was perfect for it. We ended the night in the bar with the Lia and Gabrielle (the Italian honeymooners) and our ranger Donald.

As we walked back to our khaya it struck us that we had one more drive left before we'd have to leave. Not a nice thought....

PS...now that we are in Capetown, there may be enough bandwidth to start uploading some pix. I took about 400 per day at Mala Mala.  Hopefully some of those came out. I'll add the Flickr link to future posts as I upload pix.

No Elephants on the Bridge!

After 4 or so hours of sleep, we were the first truck out this morning at about 6:15. We saw nyala, kudu and of course the ever present impala just outside the gates. There were two beautiful woodpeckers on a nearby tree.

The first truck unlocks the gate to the property and gates at either end of a bridge. The bridge was built as a way to get into the bush when the river is too high. We asked why there are gates at either end of the bridge. Well of course.......to keep the elephants off of it! The bridge will hold a maximum of 9 tons. An elephant parade could cause some big damage in a hurry!

As the first truck out, Ryan was relying on animal tracks to lead us to animals. His abilities paid off when we came across a pride of lions lounging in an open area. There were 7 females and 1 young male. They are part of a pride called the Styx Pride. There was evidence they had eaten recently as their stomachs were full. They were breathing heavily which we were told increases their metabolism to digest their food. They watched us for a bit and then one by one put their heads down. As another truck approached, most of them popped up again to check out the new arrivals. What a great start to the morning!

The excitement continued. On our way to a possible leopard sighting we came upon a 'dazzle' of zebras. There were 6 of them in an open area. Zebra are gassy, bloated animals (yes, add your own adjectives here) and their bottoms are always bloated. One zebra to another 'does my butt look big in these stripes?' The zebras are gorgeous animals and we stayed for quite awhile admiring them. Moving on we found more impala and a large herd of Cape Buffalo. We parked within the herd to watch them for awhile before heading back to breakfast.

We had company in the form of 3 monkeys on our patio yesterday. One brave enough to come up to the sliding door and look inside! The other two hung out on the railing behind him. We also watched 5 elephants on the property line. They started at the main house & gradually worked their way down toward our room. There was also a giraffe who made his way down the property line. We (somehow) did not see him! How do you see a monkey and miss a giraffe?

The afternoon was a bit cooler with threats of rain when we started out for our drive. We were joined by two Americans who had arrived a few hours earlier. A Bateleur eagle was one of the first spotting's by our guide. Almost immediately, mongoose ran across the path.

And then we found the elephants! We found ourselves almost surrounded by elephants. There were all ages and sizes of elephants - babies who were estimated to be a few months old, some young ones and older much larger ones. One of the younger ones was trying to keep up with his mom so he could nurse. Every so often he would get a drink. When he brought his trunk down you would see where it was wet from the milk. For about a half hour we sat and observed, followed them as they moved and were just mesmerized by their movements. Elephants all around us - amazing!

Reluctantly we left the elephants and almost immediately ran across 3 giraffes. They were very skittish but we were able to see them trotting off. Monkeys in the trees were the next spotting and then 2 more giraffes. These were very calm giraffes who looked over at us inquisitively and then went on eating. They (like a lot of animals we have seen) had birds all over their bodies....up and down their manes, sometimes hanging on to their stomachs and in their ears. The birds are beneficial (and sometimes annoying) as they eat parasites on the animals. Sometimes you just see them shake their heads and a small bird comes out of their ear! As we watched the giraffes we also saw warthogs and kudu wandering around.

Next we found 2 male lions who were sound asleep. They seemed absolutely oblivious to our presence. We have been told that they are incredibly astute and absolutely aware of our presence. If there was a an abnormal movement or sound they would be on alert. These two just slept. One of them on his back like a big house cat!

Our 'sundowners' were against a cloudy, darkening sky. We were joined by Sally, Caroline and Donald for drinks. At Ryan's suggestion I took him up on hot chocolate with Amarula. It was an excellent idea and will be appearing at winter dinners when we return home! As we were having our drinks, there were lions roaring in the background. Again, those males calling the females asking when their dinner would be ready! At our guides suggestion, we did not stay long. There were lions nearby!

On our way to view the lions, Ryan spotted a bright (almost neon) chameleon hanging on to a tree. He stopped and took him off the tree to show us, even offering for us to hold him. Hmmm...I think NOT!

Off to see the lions. This was a fairly large pride of lions - males, females and cubs all lounging. When we arrived a lioness was sleeping on top of a large rock. Some of them started moving around although eventually they all seemed to settle down to sleep while we watched.

At about the time we would normally be making our way back for dinner there was another sighting. Lions were stalking impala nearby. We made our way to the area. It's hard to describe the feeling of being in the bush when it is so dark outside. Last night it was very dark with a cloud cover and no stars. It was also very quiet and still. We passed the group of impala and saw the lions moving. We saw two males and a female. There were a couple of trucks in the area. The rangers kept their lights out and were very still and quiet. They want to let nature take its course and not interfere. To my right as we came across the open area was a male lion. Maybe 3-5 feet away from the truck. When they are sleeping they look fairly small and thin. This one was puffed up because he was up and moving..... stalking. He looked HUGE! We were told later that the impala got away. We did not get to see the ending. Let's just say the only rude animals we've encountered are American humans. In this case, one of the passengers in our truck was tired and wanted to go back. Not that I wanted to see a killing but c'mon when do you ever have this opportunity. Anyway, back to camp we went.

Dinner was with our new friends Sally and Caroline and rangers Donald and Ryan. It was a fun evening followed by another late evening as we made our way to the bar to chat.

Every time I think I have seen 'the most amazing thing' there is something else around the corner. This place is truly magical and one of the most unique experiences of my life.

Monday will hopefully not have any interrupted drives. We ditched the rude couple after our drive.

Morning at Mala Mala

Up and out by 6:15 this morning with Donald as our guide. In the truck this morning, Caroline and Sally out for their last ride before moving on to their next destination. This morning was one of the coldest drives and I was happy there were blankets and extra jackets in the car. We have been so fortunate that we have not had rain on any of the drives.


Right outside the gate were elephants. Not as many as yesterday but probably 12-15 of them eating and moving around. One of them was pushing at a small tree trying to knock it down. We have seen many trees knocked down in the bush. The rangers tell us the destruction is mainly from the elephants. They are too lazy to reach up for the branches. They simply knock down the tree!

We saw a kudu eating at an acacia tree. The acacia tree has thorns. Donald told us the tree can sense when the animals are stripping it too much and it is threatened. It will release a bitter tannin taste in its leaves. Then the animals will not eat it and it will have a chance to regenerate.


There are less than 200 wild dogs in South Africa. There is a pack of 11 that has been living on Mala Mala property. This morning we were lucky enough to encounter 8 of them. We followed them for about 20 minutes as they made their way across the bush and then to the river for a drink.


Leaving the dogs, we saw a Cape buffalo with a rhino standing next to it. Donald told us it is not unusual for rhino to travel with the buffalo. The rhino turned and walked off with the buffalo not too far behind. Moving on we encountered 6 more rhino. Some were older and laying down. A younger one, around 6 years old kept making a small whining noise. Donald said he was calling his mother. Another one was rubbing her nose on a big rock directly under her face. When I mentioned noticing large rocks in the middle of the pathways some mornings, Donald told us the rhino like to move the rocks around. Next up - soccer! Rhino vs. elephants!


We found 2 ostriches with babies in an open area. We were so busy watching the ostriches we paid very little attention to the wildebeest right next to the truck! Behind us we heard a screeching and saw a jackal. Three warthogs were amusing to watch as they dug with their snouts for grass roots. They bend their front legs so that it looks like they are on their knees while they root around. They even walk forward a few steps while on bended front legs.


Back for breakfast on the deck and to say good bye to Sally and Caroline.

McDonald's at Mala Mala?

The Impala are called the fast food of the animal world for a couple of reasons. They have a big 'M' like the McDonald's logo on their butts, they are the first to eat (actually easily caught and eaten) and you find them on every corner! Until two days ago, I had never seen an impala with tires. Now I find myself saying 'Oh it's just an impala!'


As I sit here trying to recapture yesterday, everything is running together in my mind. The animals are surreal and the drives have all been incredible. Beyond that is the sense of being in a different world. There are no airplane sounds, no cars. The sounds are the different birds singing or chirping, the baboons chattering while they are playing. Or the sound of nothing. I don't know that I would want to live in this world all the time but it certainly is a wonderful place to visit.


Saturday our wake up call came at 5:30. By 6:15 we'd had some coffee and we were on our way. Ryan pointed out several variety of birds along the way; helmeted guinea fowl, a lesser spotted eagle, a variety of Kingfisher and a saddlebill stork among others.

The first animal we found was the leopard perched on a river bank. This was followed by a herd of Cape Buffalo.



A new animal for us when we rounded a corner and came upon three zebras drinking. They were gorgeous. Ryan tried to trip us up by telling us that the females are black with white stripes and the males are white with black stripes. Yes he said, some tourists fall for that and ask serious questions related to the stripes. He did tell us that each set of stripes on a zebra is unique to that one zebra. Like our fingerprints.


We found kudu and of course more impala and duiker (looks like a small deer). A nyala was spotted eating. At some water we saw a crocodile reclining in some reeds. Didn't get to see a lot of him....fine with me! In an open area, more impala, a warthog (so ugly they are almost cute) and then a giraffe!



What a magnificent animal. So tall, so graceful. Just oblivious to us as she ate. Did you know that a giraffe must remain standing all the time? If they lay down, their blood pressure elevates to the point that they faint! An enemy of the giraffe is the lion. They approach from the back, knock them down at the knees and then kill them. Luckily we have not encountered a kill.


The rangers are very skilled at keeping each other informed when they find animals. I think my original impression of the animals was that we would see them from a distance. I also thought with trucks approaching they would run off. As I mentioned previously, they don't seem to care about us. The rangers wear headsets and speak very softly into hand held microphones directing each other to the animals. When one finds something, he sometimes asks (we've been told) for the other groups to hold off a few minutes before approaching.



That was how we came upon the leopard. They are just gorgeous and any chance we have to 'ooh and aah' over them, we love. The highlight of the morning was when we found a leopard on top of a giant (wait until you see the pictures for this one!) termite hill! She was just hanging out waiting for us to come take more pictures. We obliged!


After the morning drive, a leisurely breakfast on the deck overseeing the property. Monkeys, steenbok and various birds are easily spotted from here. A retreat to our room to download pictures, relax for awhile and then.....more food at lunchtime! At lunchtime a leopard was spotted from the deck. After lunch, a little more leisure time before the afternoon drive.


We headed out about 3:30, Ryan having procured our order for 'sundowners'. Having seen 4 of the big 5 we were searching for rhino! For the first 2-1/2 hours we literally saw nothing. It is hard to believe elephants, giraffes and even lions can be out of sight. It is awesome to see the animals but interestingly NOT seeing them makes this all very real. It isn't staged, it is the real bush and sometimes the animals oblige....other times they are busy! Eventually we spotted a wildebeest and them some blacked back jackal. We spent some time looking for their den and pups, said to be in the area. Never found them. Even the sunset which had been magnificent the night before failed to impress. The sun just dropped behind some clouds ad that was it! We stopped for our 'sundowner'..... gin and tonic in the bush on a table set with a checkered table cloth and snacks! Again, that slightly surreal feeling took over for me. Happy hour in the brush with impala around us!


Getting back in the truck, the whispers on the radio picked up and just after dark we saw the 2 male lions we had encountered the day before. They were just hanging out for everyone to admire them. As we watched, they rolled over, stood up and wandered close to some of the trucks and then they roared! We were told they were calling the lioness who was off hunting (apparently the women do the shopping and cooking in the lion world too!). The roars were not extremely loud but they made their point!



After the lions we found a leopard and were able to follow him for quite awhile. He was marking his territory and quite active moving around the bush.



Our last stop for the night was the big one! Rhinos were spotted on the air strip! We headed over and there were 4 incredibly large rhinos just hanging out for us to look at! Or maybe they were the non revs who didn't make the weight restricted flight earlier in the day! It was very dark so pictures were limited. Hopefully we will get another chance to see them.



Back at camp, we showered and dressed for dinner. After gathering in the bar, we moved to the buma for dinner. The buma is a large area encircled by reeds that act as the walls. There was a fire in the firepit and the weather was perfect for being outside. As always, the staff was incredibly gracious. Some of them entertained with some songs after dinner. We ended the evening in the bar with some of the staff and Sally and Caroline who have been with us since we left Jo'burg. Sally is from Atlanta, Caroline from Jacksonville. Bedtime was shortly after midnight with a 5:30 wake up call this morning!

Welcome to Mala Mala

Our brief flight to Mala Mala was delayed yesterday by a couple of hours. There were only 6 of us on the 30 seat airplane. One of the engines wasn't starting. Off the plane, bus back to the terminal. It was around lunchtime so we ventured upstairs and got sandwiches to wait the estimated hour and forty minutes.
As I was trying to read the last few pages of my book (Cross Country by James Patterson.....highly recommend it) Bob nudged me. An urgent announcement (we had heard these urgent announcements all morning) requesting 'Mr. and Mrs. Kilian return to the gate for immediate departure to Mala Mala.' As we were walking back, we saw two of the other passengers and told them the flight was ready to go. They had not heard the announcement and were just sitting down in a restaurant with their lunches. Back to the plane & we were off!

I'm not sure how to describe the feeling of finally being here. It's like Disneyland, Christmas, my birthday.....all rolled up into one big ball of anticipation. And of course, because it's me, when I saw Mala Mala written on the air strip I did get a little teary!

We landed and were greeted by staff members. Four of the six of us were headed to Rattray's Mala Mala. Ryan, our 'host' for the stay took our bags and we were off to the 'camp', about a 10 minute ride from the airstrip. Several staff members, one with cool wash cloths greeted us when we pulled into the main area. After being shown the facilities, we declined lunch and headed to our room to settle in. We had about an hour before the first drive. I thought I'd take advantage of the pool by our room. The air was very warm (the summer has just started here and they are easing into the heat....a couple of warm days and then some cooler ones with rain). The water was very cold! I opted to sit on the patio and watch the scenery around me. I was immediately rewarded - two elephants in the distance! We got involved with elephant watching and before we knew it, it was time for our first drive.

We met Ryan and headed out. We are his only guests until tomorrow so we have had his undivided attention. Ryan is probably in his late twenties. His family is of German descent, in South Africa for about 4 generations. His family owns and runs a dairy farm. That farm will be his destiny after he does some travelling. He said he would like to work here about 3 more years and then work at a ski resort in Colorado for a year or so. By the way, there are apparently a lot of southerners who visit. He does a pretty great job of imitating a southern accent! As in 'When do y'all think we're gonna see the tigers?' Uh....this is Africa, there aren't any tigers here, they are in Asia.

The rangers all wear headsets and keep in touch with each other. When one spots an animal, several trucks make their way to the area to see it. The Land Rover is open with bench seating. It can apparently go anywhere and over anything. We've gone through sand, partially up a termite hill, through water and we have crushed small trees that were in our path.

Within a few minutes of starting out, mongoose ran in front of us and then.... we saw the elephants! Ryan maneuvered the truck so that they were all around us. Did you know that the adult elephants do not ever lay down? They are so large that if they lay down their lungs will be crushed. Instead they lift or cross one leg over the other to give it a rest. They eat constantly -
consuming about 500 pounds of vegetation a day.

We saw Nyala, a kind of antelope (never heard of them before last night I don't think) and then the baboons! Lots of baboons.....a big one who was in charge, lots of babies jumping around. Did you know that the baboon and the leopard are enemies? A baboon can take down a leopard. The baboon is more afraid of the leopard than the lion because a leopard can climb a tree. The lion cannot. We saw more elephants....this group included a baby who thought it might like to get playful until the mother discouraged it!

The sunset last night was an incredible red with white clouds trimmed in pink. As we watched the sunset, Ryan drove us quickly to another area where lions were spotted. Two males, two females - just laying right in front of us in a sandy area off the river. They were gorgeous. To one side of us was a group of elephants. All slightly surreal!
As it got darker, the drivers would shine a spotlight on an animal so we could see it better in the dark. One of the male lions heard another lion off in a distance and he was off to defend his territory. We followed in hot pursuit. The animals are very used to the trucks and the noise of the people. You can talk, ask questions, take pictures. They tune it all out. We are not on their radar.

By far, my favorite sight of the first drive was the leopard. It was dark when we drove up to an area where she was laying down and eating a bird called a Francolin. It's a fairly small bird that looks similar to a quail. We could hear the crunching (she eats the whole thing but was 'spitting' out feathers when she could) of small bones....not my favorite. But whatcha gonna do (OK, not look maybe!!!)....it's the circle of life!
We watched the leopard for quite awhile. All of the sudden she jumped up and ran. A hyena came into the thicket. A hyena, by Ryan's description is opportunistic in nature. They wait and watch and then take the prey that the other animals have worked so hard to catch. And the hyena was significantly larger than the leopard and could have taken her down.
And that was the first drive!

Back to camp where we were greeted by the very loud sounds of toads, frogs and crickets around a water feature at the front of the property and a bush baby on top of the roof!
A quick change of rooms (the air conditioning was not working in the first room and this is AFRICA for goodness sakes...YES, we need our air conditioning!) and even quicker showers.
Then off to meet the rest of the guests for dinner. We arrived at the end of happy hour & then were escorted by Ryan and Etiene (a former guide, I think he works more in an administrative role now) to a candle light dinner on the terrace. By about 10:30 I was ready for bed. A quick golf cart ride back to our room and I was in bed very soon after. Could not even stay awake to see the pictures Bob was editing.

By the way - We won't be posting pictures from here. Will get them uploaded to Flickr from Cape Town or AMS and advise when they are there. I took 140 on last night's drive and 180 on this morning's drive. All of course are not worth viewing, but there a few good ones.

Gelato in Johannesburg

Good evening from Johannesburg, South Africa!

The last two days have been busy and a lot of fun! Left our apartment in Amsterdam about 9:00 a.m. yesterday. Because we were carrying rather large, heavy bags, we opted for the bus to the Central Station. Once we arrived at Central Station there was a brief wait in line to buy a train ticket to the airport and we were on our way.

At the airport we checked in for our flight and nervously checked our bags all the way through to Johannesburg.

The one hour flight to Heathrow was uneventful. As it was Business Class, they served almost a full meal in 45 minutes. One of the items on the plate was roasted chick peas. I told Bob to pretend they were 'pre-hummus' and eat them. It just didn't work for him! We ignored most of the meal as we were meeting Mike and Vanessa for lunch upon arrival.

Terminal 5 at Heathrow, newly opened within the last year for British Airways is an amazing place. It does not feel like you are at Heathrow by any stretch of the imagination. In some ways I missed the Heathrow we knew.

Mike and Vanessa live fairly close to the airport so lunch was at a place close to their house. After, we were able to spend a few hours at their house catching up. We had not been there for 9 years. Mike has done an amazing amount of renovation and remodelling. We loved seeing all the changes. As always, we picked up where we last left off in our conversations as good friends do. The topics roamed between politics, economics, health care reform, retirement, jobs, kids....you name it. Good times, good friends!

The flight to Jo'burg left at 7:00 pm. We were back at Heathrow in time to sit for awhile in the BA business class club for awhile before boarding. The 10 hour flight, with seats facing to the rear of the airplane, went very quickly and we both felt like we got a little bit of sleep. The service and crew were excellent and made for a very enjoyable flight.

We landed about 6:15 this morning, a few minutes early. Both of our bags got here - yeah and we were met by a pre-arranged driver who took us to our hotel. The room wasn't quite ready but there was a lounge area with newspapers and  internet access available to pass the time.

I think it may have been Brian, who mentioned that South Africa was hosting the World Cup in 2010. Everywhere you look there are billboard reminders, countdowns till day1 for what must the biggest event here since Mandela.

The foliage in Johannesburg took me be surprise. The trees and plants reminded me very much of Southern California. There are palm trees, bottle brush, row and rows of jacaranda trees and multiple colors of bougainvillea everywhere. Very pretty. Not surprisingly, the people are incredibly gracious and friendly.

After a brief nap and showers, we headed out.

We are staying in a area called Sandton, the Beverly Hills and financial centre of Jo'Burg. Sandton City  is an all inclusive area with a mall, restaurants and hotels all together. As this city can be dangerous, it is apparently the preferred area to stay. It is also the area Bob knows as he stayed here for 3 months when he worked here 7 years ago. We had a light lunch in the area and then took a cab to the Rosebank Mall. Another area nearby that Bob had been to while he was working here. The mall has typical shops and restaurants but also a very nice African Arts and Crafts area. We spent a little time in there, talking to the local stall owners, buying a few trinkets and enjoying the atmosphere. Every vendor trying to entice Bob into his stall called him 'Papa' (I wasn't Papa 7 yrs ago, aging gracelessly I imagine). They all had the best deal for him and  the most unique items(almost as unique as the adjacent stall). Dinner was at a restaurant by our hotel. Afterward, chocolate gelato from a stand inside the mall. It was wonderful!

Tomorrow is when the next adventure begins! We are being picked up shortly after 9:00 am and heading to the airport. Our first game drive will be the tomorrow evening. Very exciting!

The link to pics is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/collections/72157622432557149/

Enchanting Edam

We keep thinking we have seen it all, done it all - in and around Amsterdam. And then we found the enchanting village of Edam.

Edam (yes, as in the cheese and to pronounce it correctly, it is Ay-dahm) is in the province of Noord-Holland. It is about a 15 minute bus ride from the Central Station, if you are on the fast bus. If you are on a bus that stops every 45 seconds or so, it takes a bit longer. Not a problem, the countryside is beautiful to admire.

Although it is fall and temperatures remain in the 50's during the day, the wind is mild and the sun has been shining for most of the last week. The leaves are beginning to change and the remnants of beautiful summer gardens were still apparent as we took a leisurely walk through the village. In addition to the gardens, there were many windows dressed with plants and small objects. We peeked into open curtains for a look at the daily lives of the locals. (Actually Nancy is the voyeur, I didn't peek)

Edam's claim to fame is, of course their cheese. This small village does not appear to cater to tourists or play up the cheese angle. There are cheese stores, a cheese museum and the cheese market. We wandered into the store but did not bother with the museum.

On the recommendation of the tourist center we went to De Fortuna

http://www.fortuna-edam.nl/ for a late, leisurely lunch. We sat by a window, next to a canal. While we were enjoying our lunch there was a brief rain shower. A guy came down the street to raise the drawbridges to let a large boat pass.

A walk around the town took us to Groete Kerk (Big Church). We wandered the grounds, through the cemetery. Some of the headstones dated back 100 years.

The bus on the way back to the Central Station was the SnelDienst (fast route) and did not make many stops. We were back 'home' by about 7:00 pm. Allen, the apartment manager and a South African native stopped by for some last minute travel advice for Cape Town and a visit.

Tomorrow morning, the day that I've been waiting 7 years for finally arrives! We head to South Africa! A brief (7 hour) stop in London, lunch with Uncle Mikey and Auntie V and then we are off!

If we do not post often while we are gone, it is for lack of time and bandwidth. I'm sure we will have a lot to say when we return!

A brief aside....thought I was being so smart this morning making my oatmeal (havermout). I read the directions 250ml - water or melk, add 6 eetlepels (tablespoons) of havermout. So far, so good. It cooked, it looked like oatmeal. I added some brown sugar to the top but wait....that wasn't brown sugar, it was uncooked rice. Nope, didn't misread, just grabbed the wrong package. MMMMM.....crunchy rice on top of my hot cereal. Good thing the Senseo coffee machine & I are getting along well!

As always - pictures are posted at this link -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14356799@N06/collections/72157622432557149