Where in the World is Waldo

Some of you may have been asking what ever happened to the blog posts. Simple explanation really. I forgot my power cord for my laptop in a hotel somewhere between the Masa Mari and the Serengeti and eventually my battery died. Low and behold, I discovered that tech stores in the Masa Mari and Serengeti are few and far in between.

Our last week was spent in Cape Town and touring the wine regions in the area. Yup we did all the major points and then some. There was the Hop On Hop Off Bus which took us to the infamous Robyn Island, famous for the prison which incarcerated Nelson Mandela. Then there was Cable Mountain with it's breathtaking panoramic views,  Kristenbosch Botanical Gardens and Camps Bay with a stroll on the beach along with the customary toe dipping to test the water temperatures as well as the V & A Waterfront tourist mecca.

We embarked on our self drive tour with a stop to see the penguins at Boulder Beach and a trip to Cape Point, the southern most point on the African continent. With stops at Stellenbosch, Franshoeck and McGregor, the wine region scenery is just too spectacular to describe. Fortunately there is the Wine Train to help in the discovery of the most spectacular wineries which also manages to keep the drinking drivers off the road. Too much wine , too much dining and too many animated and entertaining conversations. Some shopping sprinkled in for good taste and it was a perfect recipe to finish off the final week.

The weather has held up wonderfully but what else would you expect in South Africa. Don't let anyone tell you any different but SA is very affordable and we were amazed at the first class service, menus and accommodations available at more than reasonable prices. If SA was not so far away it would definitely be an interesting place to consider hanging up a shingle.

All for now. Jambo until next time!!

The Road from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro

The road is long, it is bumpy and it is straight. But is interesting, it is scenic and it is iconic. Once again we are treated to many wildlife sightings. A leopard standing on a flat rock with a complete profile from head to tail, a migrating herd of thousands of Wildebeest galloping across the road and the ever present lions, lying in wait of an injured zebra or gazelle. We are leaving the uninhabited portion of the park and entering the region where the Maasi herd their goats and cattle and continue to live a difficult life where the average life expectancy is a mere 45 years of age. Poorly clothed children look for handouts of food and money while tending the flocks but we are not encouraged to reward them even if it is for a picture. It would be a Mecca for punk rockers. There are more piercings, hallowed out ears and kinky haircuts and jewellery than one would find in any downtown western setting. The adults are more colorfully dressed and their array of decorative jewelry, dangling from their necks and ears is an attempt to get tourists to stop and engage. We do not.

The road leads to the Olduvai Gorge where the earliest skulls and bone fragments know to mankind were discovered in the early 1920s. They date back millions of years ago when paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leaky documented the earliest of human evolution.

Ngoronogoro Crater is the 6^th largest caldera in the world and the view from our lodge is absolutely spectacular. It is a self contained ecological feast of wildlife, birds and fauna. There is no need for any of the inhabitants to leave as Mother Nature’s buffet supplies year round a plenty for all. It has been damp and the going gets sloppy but not before witnessing the birth of a 5 minute old Wildebeest and the subsequent scavengers of the Jackal and Hyena. Water foul are aplenty and their constant ducking of their bills into the water for fish is an entertaining way to pass a few minutes. The female lion is in heat and the male wastes no time in performing his duty every 30 minutes and has been seen to offer his affections up to 300 times before the impregnation is complete.

Our 14 day safari is drawing to a close and it is time to say our goodbyes to Adam our driver and guide. He has been exceptional and we all agree his constant commentary and leading us in silly songs has been a wonderful conclusion to the second stage of touring Tanzania.

We have flown from Arusha back to Nairobi and it’s onto Cape Town, South Africa for some wine tasting and self drive touring. Jambo from Nairobi