Trip in Southern Africa Jul/Aug 2010
on Susan Somers (Namibia), 24/Aug/2010 17:44, 34 days ago
After some farewells in Okahandja on the 8th of July I headed into Windhoek and caught the Intercape bus (16 hours!)to Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi strip of far eastern Namibia to start my 5 week trip in Southern Africa. After a few days in Katima, staying with other VSOers and watching the world cup final with some eagar (but ultimately disappointed) Dutch volunteers, I crossed the border into Zambia and caught the local bus from Sesheke to Livingstone. For 2 days I relaxed, ate, slept and read books at Jbackpackers and generally got used to the idea of being on holiday! I also did the touristy thing by taking a microlite flight over Victoria Falls. I’d visited the falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia side on previous trips and got the obligatory photos but and a flight over the falls (kinda scary - like flying in a chair with wings and a tiny motor) was a fantastic way to get a real sense of the size and remarkable beauty of the Falls.After relaxing, it was time to head into Zimbabwe and join my tour group. I spent a day in the town of Vic Falls (trying to avoid being harassed by touts) before heading off to Hwange National Park . The roads here seem a bit better than Zambia so that you’d almost think Zimbabwe was quite developed and stable. The fact that the US dollar is the official currency and the lack supplies in the many shops tells a different tale. Our camp site in Hwange NP seemed nicely remote and we spent a few days on safaris as well as visiting a sanctuary for the endangered African wild dogs (also known as painted dogs) Then we headed to Bulawayo, and on to Antelope park (near Gweru) a private and rather up-market game reserve. We had the opportunity to take photos while walking with lions and riding elephants which was nice but the conservation spiel that they’d tried to sell to us had a distinctly false ring to me.The end of our time in Zimbabwe was spent at the Great Zimbabwe Monument, a UNESCO world heritage site, which gives the country is name (it means‘large stone houses’) It was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe about 600 – 800 years ago, and is evidence of an advanced civilisation in Africa long before Europeans came (and denied for a long time by the former white Rhodesian government). I found that it was astonishingly like an ironage ring fort that you might see in the West of Ireland.We crossed into South Africa and spent a night at the Tshipise hot springs which were over-run by South African campers (who tend to take camping very seriously and bring everything including the kitchen sink and a satellite dish!) We then spent a few days in Kruger (camping in Berg-en-Dal) but having been on so many safari in different parts of Africa at that stage, and having already seem the‘Big Five’ - some of them several times - I was difficult to impress. Kruger had lots of animals but was missing some of the ‘in the wild’ feeling you get in other places. Our final stop of the trip before ending in Pretoria, was to take in some of the spectacular scenery around Graskop andPilgrims Rest. We saw the breathtaking Blyde River Canyon, ‘Bourke’s Luck Pot Holes’, the ‘Three Rondals’ and the aptly named ‘Worlds End’.As the tour finished and the group went their separate ways I continued on to Maputo in Mozambique (after another long Intercape bus journey and expensive time at the border) The sudden and complete change in climate was unreal; only a few hundred miles west and the chilly nights and cool days changed to hot days a balmy nights. I spent less than 12 hours in Maputo (but had time to fit in some delicious fresh seafood) before I took the shuttle bus north to Tofo beach. I spend several days there diving (with whale sharks, turtles and manta Rays) enjoying the empty white beaches and eating (yet more) sea food. It really reminded me of parts of South East Asia and overall I found Mozambique to be very relaxed and relaxing.Manzini in Swaziland was next on my itinerary (after another day in Maputo where I got to see a bit more of the city) but it didn’t really stand out for me, so I continued on back into South Africa. I got a ticket for the ‘Baz bus’ (a hop-on-hop-off backpacker’s bus) and started my costal trip in St. Lucia, a cute seaside town. South Africa seems so developed after the past few week (maybe even months?) but so are the prices (although not quite European prices!) I went on a day trip to Cape Vidal , a UNESCO protected site for its 8 inter-linking ecosystems. It was pretty cool to drive through the iSimangaliso Wetlands drinking beer and spotting hippos and rhinos before stopping for a braai on the beach and going snorkelling in the Indian ocean.Next stop was Durban, which despite its reputation for crime seemed to be a relaxed, pleasant city right on the beach. It was also my first chance in a while to avail of city luxuries (like Mug&Bean chocolate cake and a trip to the cinema!) I barley spent anytime in Port Elizabeth before continuing on to Jeffrey’s Bay (or J’Bay) a famous surfing town with yet more gorgeous beaches and an extremely chilled atmosphere.Then it was on to Storm’s River, where I did a bit of hiking in the Tsitsikamma National Park, and then Pletternberg Bay and Mossel Bay, where the weather took a turn for the worse. I’d heard about horrible winter weather in south Africa but this was my first experience of it. I’d had a few cold nights but for two days I had weather that made me think I was in Ireland in February; bitter winds and freezing rain. It meant my planned shark cage diving trip couldn’t go ahead but I amused myself by getting a pedicure, going to the cinema and by hiring a car for a day and visiting monkey and bird sanctuaries.By the time I reached Stellenbosch the weather was back to‘normal’ (lovely and sunny in the day and cool at night) and perfect for a wine tour - I could hardly not being in the famous wine lands of South Africa! However, not a connoisseur at the best of times, I could hardly tell Chardonnay from Sauvignon Blanc by the end of the day as we had five or six wine ‘tastes’ in each place, but I wasn’t complaining!My trip ended in Cape Town, my favourite city in Africa. I visited Robben Island (so recently the prison that held Nelson Mandela and the leaders of the anti-apartheid struggle but is now a monument to peace and yet another UNESCO heritage site) I did a city bus tour and took the cable car up Table Mountain (for amazing views of the city) I also got to do some shopping and have lunch in the very posh Camps Bay.Before I knew it I was back in Windhoek for (yet another!) weekend. There were lots of goodbyes to said; I met up with the other volunteers who were also about to leave and we had a farewell picnic in the parliament park. I was also invited to luch by my former colleague Alina (who presented my with a traditional Ovambo dress) So now, even though my year is officially and completely over, it still just doesn’t seem real yet!