Cape Town. 31/1/13

Walked my feet off yesterday (but not TM as covered in cloud), and today went to Robben Island, where of course Nelson Mandela (and associates) spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. Saw his cell - half the space located to each of the guard dogs.

You will be delighted to know that this will probably be the last of the blogs as the length of Africa has been "done" and I suppose this is now just a "holiday in SA" (if you see what I mean) - but will of course try to respond to any possible emails when wifi permits.
Now we are setting off to our final group farewell meal (hefty steaks are promised) this evening, before we all go our separate ways and the Cairo Four start on the Garden Route tomorrow.

Hope you have enjoyed any bits that you may have read.

See you in about a month - approximately.

Bryan

Day 118 - Cape Town 29/1/13

Our final day - Cairo seems so long ago now. As perhaps my final shot, I could not resist one across the valley - not a bad view through the window of a shower cubicle.

So it was on to journey's end. You are supposed to be able to see Table Mountain from nearly 100km away, but all we could see was haze. The real thing had to wait until we were nearly in Cape Town itself, when we were able to wriggle our toes in the white sand on the far side of the bay, admiring the glorious turquoise colour of the sea. Not a bad end to nearly four months of experiences that I never, ever, thought I would ever have.

Dashing out for our first meal in what looks like a very attractive city

Day 117- Klavers Vineyard 28/1/13

A leisurely start to the day, but it still did not take us long to cross the river and enter South Africa - an easy process on both sides. (Having been told months ago that we would not be able to cross virtually any border in Africa without showing our yellow fever certificates, no one has ever asked for them. Either £60 wasted or good insurance against what seems to be a rather nasty disease).

We camped for the night at a vineyard, where the owner gave us a wine tasting session, which I have to say we all rather enjoyed, followed by an excellent dinner - and then a beautiful golden moon rose over the valley. Not a bad end to the day at all, as we all gathered round with our feet cooling in the swimming pool before bedtime.

Day 116- Noordoewer 27/1/13

Another visit to the canyon, this time to see it in full light of day, rather than that of the setting sun. Fortunately, day hikes are strictly prohibited and you have to do a full five days and 90km or nothing, so we were all "forced" just to look and admire rather than tackle physically. The Cairo Four (Ian, Karina, Rose and me) had our photograph taken here before we start off together to do the Garden Route in South Africa.

So we eventually left the Al-Ais national park, with just a few ostriches and klipspringers to watch us pass by but then four mountain zebras (different stripes to their lowland cousins) to add a final line to our list of "have seens".


And then it was on to the Orange River, a long verdant line amongst the seeming total aridity of the surrounding desert, which forms the border with South Africa. There are vineyards here on the northern, Namibian side but the temporary workers accommodation for harvest time looked absolutely basic.

Our campsite here was up to the usual beautiful high standard - which was more than could be said for the performance by Liverpool FCC being shown live in the bar.

This was our final night in Namibia, so we celebrated with a bbq - great steaks.

Day 114- Bethanie 25/1/13

A dark early start to the day, as we had a pre dawn appointment with Dune 45 - the "star" of the Namib desert. Standing 170m and composed of 5million year old sand blown here from the Kalahari desert, no. 45 is just one of many that are form a range of red and orange far from the sea. Barefoot, we duly arrived at the summit well in time for the sunrise, only to find on our return that a miriad of biting /stinging ants had invaded our sandal area. Back to the truck for an excellent bacon and eggs breakfast, we found that a host of bees had invaded our washing area - as we are all still alive, these were presumably not the dreaded African killer bees.

Then it was on to Soussusviei, where the range of sand dunes have so totally blocked the river that once flowed into the Atlantic that the acacia trees that lived here hundreds of years ago have been desiccated to the point where they have stood desolate for centuries in a sea of stone (mudstone?). The dunes here certainly create some really great shapes. Then a walk down and along the Sesriem canyon - very dry and hot. The solar panel at the campsite was giving a temperature between 42 and 49 deg C - hot!

A mini plague of hornets seemed to have invaded the ablutions block at our new campsite, but fortunately no stings.

Day 115- Hobas / FRC 26/1/13

Day started well with lots of birthday kisses from a bevvy of attractive females, and then a chorus of "hb2u" before we could leave. Perhaps surprisingly, mine has been the first birthday (or at least the first admitted one) in the four months since leaving Cairo.

Our first visit was to the "Giant's Playground" near Keetmanshoop - where large dolorite boulders have been scattered and piled, sometimes rather precariously, one on top of the other, sometimes in columns, in an area of some 80,000 sq.km.

We had to visit a nearby animal sanctuary so that Karina could see a cheater (she has been desperate to see one for weeks since missing our one only sighting in the Serengeti) and managed to see two lazing under trees.

Our final visit was to the Quiver Tree Forest", so called because the San people used the branches to make quivers for their bows. Most unusual trees, some well over 100 years old.

Upon arrival at camp, we had an "English high tea" - i.e. chocolate gateau with coffee icing masquerading as birthday cake, with lashings of hot tea, and plates with folded paper napkins and forks under the shade of of giant acacia trees. First cake in four months.

Then it was off again, now to Fish River Canyon - eclipsed in size and grandeur only by the Grand Canyon itself. It really is quite stupendous and photos will never do it justice - when I have seen pictures before, I thought they were actually of the G C itself, as the geology seems so very similar. Difficult to find a better ending for a birthday.

At least, I thought that was the end but after dinner (pasta and chicken breast in case you ask), another birthday cake was carried in, ablaze with a host of candles - the "won't blow out" variety to everyone's amusement. A speech was demanded and, sort of, given by a surprised, embarrassed and almost overwhelmed me.

Not a bad day.

Day 113- Sesriem 24/1/13

A final goodbye to Swakopmund (which, being translated, means the anus of the s----y river) - a town that seems so different to anywhere else we have visited in Africa - as we start to move further south through the Namib-Naukluft national park (which is half as big again as Belgium). Namib is the desert and Naukluft the mountain range. Namib is considered to be the oldest desert in the world.

The landscape is pretty dry and desolate, with just the very occasional animal - a small group of ostriches, a single oryx and then a small herd of springboks, literally springing as they went. We passed the tropic of Capricorn so now we are no longer officially in the tropics, but we didn't notice any drop in temperature.

Lunch was at Solitaire, with an excellent "German" bakery so most of us felt forced to taste a variety of what they had on offer.

Arrived at camp in the middle of a mini sandstorm - we had to put stones in the tent or else it would have taken off.

Day 112- Swakopmund 23/1/13

A leisurely morning walking around this town - doesn't really seem "African" at all, some of us even think it looks rather like the Midwest of the USA (now, not in the days of cowboys and Indians). Very wide streets, with low level buildings, almost all of which look smart. There are still a number of the old ones from the German colonial days, and obviously a large number of German speakers here - for example a German newspaper, and many of the signs are in German, as well as English plus Afrikaans from the days when it "belonged" to South Africa.

Gerald (our guide yesterday) was "white", born to German parents who came here in the early 50s, and was really quite glowing about the town and indeed the country: "everything works here", and there are big plans for industry, but of course adverse knock on effects for the environment so big decisions to be made. Everyone seems to look prosperous, with shops ranging from good quality to downright expensive.

I am writing this having returned (wait for it) from an afternoon's quad biking out on the dunes. Yes, that really is me in the photo, just to prove it. I can assure you it took quite a lot of heart searching to summon up the courage, but at least I can say that I have done it.

Other photos are to give a feel of Swakopmund as well as our "The Prisoner" bungalows.

Looks as if it is springbok on the menu tonight, then we move south tomorrow.

Day 111- Swakopmund 22/1/13

A really great day driving around the Dorab national park and "the valleys of the moon". Our guide really knew his stuff and told us many things about local botany, insects, geology, politics etc - I just wish that I could remember what he said! The scenery really is desolate, and one would think there is nothing at all to be seen, until Gerald showed us what to look for - from the underground spider's web to the welwitschia plant. This latter was the highlight of botanist Steve's holiday, and the other four of us were also fascinated. It seems that no one still understands how it lives / survives - a recent study has shown that the textbooks are all wrong, but still did not explain how it functions in this waterless world.

The desolate desert is being used increasingly for "apocalypse" type films, the latest being "Mad Max 4" (which of course I have not seen). In fact our bungalows were used as the film set for the recent remake of "The Prisoner" (I gave up after the first episode).

Oryx steak for dinner - absolutely delicious.

Day 110- Swakopmund 21/1/13

Up early to see the sunrise, and then on to Cape Cross to see a colony of some 100,000 fur (or eared) seals - what a smell! You wanted to stop breathing as soon as we got out of the truck, but very impressive to see, particularly as the females give birth in Dec/Jan so many pups to be seen. The kind of thing you watch on tv documentaries, so quite an experience to be within a couple of feet of them with just a low barrier between us.

Then we drove south along the "skeleton coast". Not sure if the name comes from the many wrecks over the years (caused by the currents and the very frequent thick fogs) or of the bones of the sailors who, if they did manage to swim ashore, found a land without food or water for many miles. We had our picnic lunch by one such recent wreck - but no sailors' bones! Gave my feet a wash in the Atlantic on this very desolate part of the African coastline. This may be Africa but this part of the world is known for how cold it is, and we now know what this means!

On further down the Atlantic coast to Swakopmund for three nights. This is very much an "activity" town - sky diving, paragliding, sand boarding down the dunes etc etc. I have chickened out of most, going on a botany tour and a (hopefully gentle) one hour of quad biking. We shall see what happens.

Absolutely delicious sea food platter for dinner, very elegantly served in one of the many local restaurants.

Day 109- Spitzkoppe 20/1/13

Another A to B day, arriving late afternoon at Spitzkoppe - one of Namibia's highest peaks that rises out of the desert plain to nearly 6000'. Not terribly high but called "the Matterhorn of southern Africa" due to the difficulty in scaling its peak. We of course did not try to do so, but did some local walking and climbed another lower peak to watch a reasonable (but not brilliant) sunrise, with the landscape taking on different hues of orange and red.

After dinner, we sat back just to look at the heavens as the stars passed by overhead - with no electric light visible in any direction over the wide plain, it was as if we were seeing them as did the ancients. Definitely no St Albans sodium glare!

Day -108 Okaukuejo 19/1/13

In spite of all the thunder and lightning, there was not much rain at all, so a nice dry breakfast for us all, followed by an early morning game drive for which we were rewarded with a view of a leopard as it slinked back into the bush. Also could see many many thousands of pink flamingoes on the lake, as well as the grand total of three kori bustards (the world's largest flighted bird?), and a leopard tortoise crossing the road in front of us.

On to Halali camp site for lunch, where again there were superb facilities - so good I (almost) took a shot of the inside of the ablutions block! Excellent viewing point at their water hole - the rock structure is a series of layers of dark grey and reddish brown, about fifty layers for each metre depth - and many moringa trees which Steve our botanist says are unique in evolutionary terms.

Then on to our third campsite at Okaukuejo for yet more really great facilities, well designed attractive bungalows etc. Claire says everything looks very South African, so presumably a lot of rands are being invested here (and, we are told, throughout Namibia).

Unfortunately, although we had seen many animals, we were still two short of the Dragoman record for lions and then, just after 18.30, three at the side of the road. And a couple more, plus two more rhinos, at the illuminated water hole that evening so we all felt decidedly pleased with ourselves, even though we could not in all honesty claim any of the actual credit for this record of 83. Another sunset view from the stone tower. A lone jackal patrolled the bar during the evening, and we were told to leave nothing outside the tents or else the jackals would help themselves (there is no barrier of any kind to keep the animals away).

Day 107- Numatoni 18/1/13no

Today's blog starts late yesterday evening. A few of us where looking at a decidedly duff film on Carl 's laptop, with thunder crashing ever closer around us - never mind, all our tents were fully secure. However, the "experienced" Cairo Four were to discover this was not the case for them - something about flaps not being zipped down.

The result was two tents whose insides and contents were, shall I say, somewhat damp - including of course the mattresses - so the four of us slept stretched out in the truck. In fact, we all slept remarkably well, so not in fact a bad introduction to "communal living" when we get to South Africa?

Not sure if the rain slashed down all night, but certainly heard it hard on the metal roof for some time, and by morning the campsite was something of a quagmire - time to move on.

So a drive across country to the Etosha National Park (bigger than Wales) with a grand entrance that certainly puts the Peak District to shame! The Namutoni camp site is based on an old 1890s German fort with excellent facilities, including a proper (hand washing) laundry which was well used by most of us! Also some very seemingly luxurious chalets, which we did not use! We went on a game drive in the afternoon adding oryx, red hartebeest, springboks and a lone black backed jackal to add to our list of "have seens".

Sunset from the beautifully built hide alongside the campsite water hole promised to be quite superb, but ended up by being blocked out by a large cloud. However, after sunset the clouds really put on a spectacular display - many photos taken. Unfortunately, most of us were so tired after dinner that we had an early night and completely forgot to go back to see what was happening at the (by then illuminated) water hole. Yet more crashing thunder, with storms again on both sides of us.

Day 106- ????? 17/1/13

A really interesting day, as we visited the nearby village of the San people. (The San were the first people to colonise southern Africa, before they were forced into an ever smaller area by first the Bantu and then the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Germans etc). We tend to know them as "bushmen" - they look completely different to the Bantu peoples, in stature, skin colour and facial features.

They showed us first how to make fire using "firesticks" and soon had a good blaze going within 2-3 minutes - fortunately, no one suggested that we should try our hand at this. Then it was off to walk through the bush, being shown all the various uses for different shrubs and trees - perhaps the most amazing was the far down root of an inconspicuous plant that provides lots of water (although I suspect not to be consumed unless you were really dying of thirst). I was so impressed that I bought an imitation San bow and arrow (not full size!). Whether it arrives back home in one piece is debatable, and it will no doubt look like "tourist tat" on my wall, but I wanted a physical memory of the day.

The journey back was a race between our truck and a massive cloud of increasing size and blackness, as to who would get back to camp first. We had two minutes to get the tent flaps down and lunch into the truck before the heavens truly opened - we are certainly seeing what is meant by a tropical downpour (or should I say deluge), they are becoming more frequent!

Day 105- ????? 16/1/13

No idea where we are, except at "Roy's Camp", somewhere in northern Namibia. This was basically a travelling day, getting from A to B, stopping at Rundu for lunch. This is on the frontier with Angola but my great idea of adding another country to my list by just hopping over the border was soon scuppered when I found out that a visa was necessary.

The earth all around here seems to be nothing but sand - of various colours, ranging from dirty grey to near white, and the rich golden yellow beloved by brochures for British seaside resorts.

Camp is very rustic, in an upmarket way, with thatched roofs, sculptures in wood and metal, swimming pool by the bar etc.

Day 104- Divendu 15/1/13

Woke up to find a long trail of hippo footprints right through our camp but it takes more than that to frighten we overlanders! So it was back into our marokos for our final cruise, and back to the mainland, where we retraced our steps back into Namibia, where we shall be spending the next couple of weeks. There were lots of birds (I thought mainly carmine beeeaters, but Maj says lilac breasted rollers) on the electricity wires along the road for many miles and then suddenly none and then they were back as we got closer to the border.

We were scheduled to have a river trip to see the local "falls" but as it turned out that these are "only rapids" and we have so recently seen the real thing at VF (to say nothing of the $20 charge), we all ended up chilling out etc with wifi etc.

Day 103- Umbuvu 14/1/13

Another cruise by marokos, this time to Umbuvu - a tented camp, with made up divan beds ready for us, and so comfortable! What luxury - not that we have not slept really well on our sleeping mats etc.

What followed should have been a foot safari but, as this is now the wet season, almost all the wildlife has moved to other areas so it became more of a nature ramble, under the eye of the occasional fish eagle high up on a tree. Yes, still interesting but incredibly hot under a baking sky!

Day 101- Divendu 12/1/13

Joined by a family of scampering mongoose for breakfast (but not trying to take our food). Then it was time to leave Botswana as the only road to our next destination in this country is actually through Namibia, so crossed the border near "four countries point" where all of our luggage was searched, although not in really great detail. Reason is that they are trying to catch poachers (particularly for rhino horn - the numbers being killed are quite horrific). However, difficult to see how they can be successful in combatting the trade since, when they opened up a 40' trailer, it was stuffed with several trillion boxes - how do you check every one? Then drove along the Namibian pan handle. We were back to mainly straw hut houses, but again the first supermarket we visited was very modern in layout and contents.

Drove through the Mahango / Bwawabta (?) game park where we added kudo, and sable and roan antelope to our list

Camped for the night on the bank of the Okavango river, the third longest in Africa.

Day 100- Kisane 11/1/13

Another early start as we entered the park (many times larger in size than London) at six am to see a wide variety of animals, adding steenbok to our list, with a family of lions finishing off the carcass of an eland just by us, while the white backed vultures waited expectantly. Park is incredibly rich and green, totally different from Serengeti etc, but this is the wet season so perhaps to be expected.

In the afternoon, it was time for a game cruise, rather than drive, on the Chobe river (which is the border between Botswana and Namibia) - hundred or more hippos gently grazing on the banks. There was a time when we were ecstatic at the sight of a hippo - now we are rather blasé at the sight of them.

Day 99- Kisane 10/1/13

Seven have left us but five have joined - a young Aussie couple, a Swiss girl and two "mature" ladies from Sweden (described - but not in their hearing - as "Bryan's eye candy").

A leisurely start to the day, and then approx 50 miles to the border. Very laid back quick stamp at Zim side, and then just a short walk and we were in Botswana.

It is immediately obvious that there is certainly more money in Botswana than Zim - many of the houses at the side of the road seem of better quality, and our smart local supermarket would not be out of place in western Europe. They even have our wheelie bins and similar refuse trucks. It seems that, after independence, Botswana discovered diamonds, gold etc and is now the only country in Africa with no debt.

We are staying for two nights at the four star, very impressive, Chobe Safari Lodge (which perhaps is where Liz and Graham will have stayed) at the very edge of the Chobe National Park, and ate our evening meal with the sound of trumpeting elephants in the background. Bad news is that there was a plague of nasty black bugs that seemed to just drop out of the night and get everywhere (eg down your back, inside your shirt).

Day 102- Okavango Delta 13/1/13

Back into Botswana and a short ferry ride - decidedly difficult to get our truck onto the pontoon but it got there in the end, with the help of a few nearby rocks.

Then we drove for several hours along a road that can best be described as a non made up mud track, until we arrived in the heart of the Okavango delta (the river starts its journey in Angola and ends with its waters dividing into a multitude of different streams, before it "disappears" into the sands of the desert - the start of the Kalahari).

The Okavango is the world's largest inland delta at something like ten times the size of London and to reach our campsite we transhipped, with luggage, cooking equipment etc into a mini fleet of marokos (canoes that were originally made out of an ebony tree, but now made from fibreglass). These are "driven" by a local with a long pole so in fact rather similar in principle to punting. Lonely Planet describes this as gliding along in peace and serenity, which is exactly how it is - and at quite a high speed, through endless channels between masses of hippograss and towering papyrus.

We camped and ate our meal under great amarula trees (where the drink comes from), but not before we had gone out again in our marokos for a sunset cruise. This soon changed into a "thunder and lightning" cruise as we seemed to be sandwiched between two sets of black storm clouds (no sun of course) with great flashes of fork and sheet lightning and massive cracks of thunder that went on for ages - fantastic!

Day 98- V/Falls 9/1/13

Woke up this morning to find that I have a black eye, presumably from our rafting experiences yesterday.

Decided that it was about time that I took a proper look at the Falls from ground level. They may not be the tallest or have the greatest volume of water but at over a mile wide they are really stupendous. I can see why Livingstone had of course to name them after the Queen. There is nowhere on the ground from where you can see the whole effect (so thank goodness for yesterday's chopper ride) but with 16 different viewing points you do certainly get the full picture (except I suppose for the spray - with little wind, it just hung in the air, making us very wet!). The water is currently in transition from low to high flow rate so in some three months time there will be even more water thundering over the edge.

Then it was on to the Bridge which joins Zambia and Zim across the gorge. It was the opening of the rail line and this bridge which really put VF on the tourist map, and saw the opening of the Victoria Falls Hotel. The temptation to have high tea here was too good to be missed, so five of us sat on the terrace, with the superb view across to the Bridge and the huge cloud of spray ("the smoke that thunders") that rises up for every moment of the day. I honestly cannot think of a more beautiful hotel, with its perfect setting, and elegant Edwardian architecture and gardens. I am using their wifi which seems to be reasonably stable, so will try to include a few shots to try and show what I mean. We are told that wild animals including elephants and buffaloes sometimes walk the streets of the town at night, and this afternoon we are being treated to warthogs feeding across from me as Jitka and Jane work at their computers.

Ian, Karina, Rose and I (the Cairo Four) spent the evening finalising some of the details for our tour around the Garden Route etc in South Africa, making maximum use of the VFH internet - fortunately, our high tea filled us up so well we have not felt like any dinner, so plenty of time!

Day 97 V/Falls 8/1/13

A date to remember. Deciding not to chicken out at this late stage, seven of us set off at 06.30 for the Zambesi and before any rafting could start, a long walk / scramble down into the bottom of the gorge (or should I say canyon?). This is somewhere that has not yet heard of Health and Safety.

We donned our helmets and life jackets, grabbed a paddle each and climbed in to our inflatable raft, with our "captain". A bit of practising and then we were off. The cliffs of the gorge soared above us, while the water below us was between 30-50m deep - quite awe inspiring.

There were 16(?) rapids of varying horror. We got through the Washing Machine, and then Terminator 1 with Oblivion still to be negotiated, but then came up against Terminator 2. Suddenly, the whole raft was tipped upside down, with all of us cascading into the maelstrom. I could of course go on about this for hours (and probably will when I arrive back home) but suffice it to say that we were rescued by another raft, but that I was hauled out stark naked from the waist down. I have given up trying to include photos in these blogs, but shall try to send just a couple to show us in our raft and then "somewhere", with the raft upturned - just to give you a flavour, but I guarantee that nothing, nothing, can get across how I / we felt. Horrifying as it might have been before we were rescued, our "flipping" (correct technical term, as used by we experts) was the icing on an unbelievable cake.

Then, some two hours and 20k after we set off, we were climbing back up for lunch. All of us (and certainly including me) were ecstatic that we had decided to take the plunge (and then literally!). Jitka (who has done six bungee jumps and is probably in her twenties) said that she was "so proud of me, being so old" - perhaps the best compliment I have ever had in my life!

Then, just to add yet more icing, we took a helicopter ride over the Falls themselves. What a view! (I was given the front seat by the pilot, so even better).

Impala and warthog steaks for dinner.

Day 96- Victoria Falls 7/1/13

Or of course simply "Vic Falls" to all seasoned travellers, such as ourselves.

Started the day with a pre dawn safari to catch the animals as early as possible. Again, not many "new" ones but added the "southern" giraffe to our list, as well as an extremely rare pack of four "wild dogs", now officially called "painted dogs".

The highlight of the drive was that our ancient land rover broke down. We had to be rescued by another but as there was no tow rope, we had to resort to cutting a couple of seat belts and tying them together. These then broke at various times, and then the towing land rover got so stuck in the mud that we all (except those taking photographs!) had to push hard to get it going again. We all greatly enjoyed the whole experience!

Next stop was an all too short visit to the local painted dog conservation area, with which we were all most impressed - not just with the work they are doing for these rare animals, but also with the impressive building in which the whole concern is housed. Quite possibly the best such that I have seen anywhere.

And then on to the town of VF, and a visit to the "adventure zone" to decide which "activities" we were going to do. Since before I left home, I had been trying to decide if I should do white water rafting on the Zambesi - perhaps they have a "baby slopes" equivalent for the likes of me ???? No such luck, it was all or nothing so was I going to be (for me) unbelievably brave or a wimp? In the end, I grasped the nettle and prayed I would not disgrace myself too many times by falling in.

Our evening meal was at the Victoria Falls Hotel, which surely has to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and the buffet meal there was just magnificent - and when we, after several visits to the "meat / salad" area, started on the "dessert island"......

Day 95- Hwange 6/1/13

Guess what - woke up to yet more grey overcast skies. Weather has been so wet that none of our laundry had dried (tumbler driers do not seen to be known here) so our truck is full of wet clothes. Not much we could do about it, as we travel on to Hwange national park, formerly a royal hunting grounds, and now the largest national park in Zim but fortunately we were able to hang everything up in our chalet accommodation.

After lunch we went out on our first game drive here. Weather at least dry, so we did not have to wind down the roll up windows of our ancient Land Rovers. Unfortunately, did not see any "new" animals, but spotted another five lions, so now up to 72 as we chase the target of 80. There are, however, many attractive birds - the names of most of which I cannot of course remember. Two that stand out in my mind, however, were the carmine beeeater and the "hammerhead" (so unique that it has its own genus) which seems to have a most unusual nest.

After dinner, we went for a night drive to pick up wildlife in our roving searchlights, and then on to the Hwange Safari Lodge where they there is a large watering hole, scanned by searchlights, where many animals come to drink. We were all looking forward to this but - although an extremely upmarket hotel - mains electricity had been cut off so were using their own generators. Hence no searchlights but at least an opportunity for a few drinks in opulent surroundings.

Day 94 - Bulawayo 5/01/13

Yet another brilliant day, but not until after another massive storm during the night. We had seen the lightning in the distance for several hours before going to bed, but in the middle of the night the rain really hit us - we are told 40mm. Claire swears she felt the ground shaking with each thunder clap.

The day "dawned" with heavy drizzle and glowering grey clouds, so our expectations were not high but Ian, the chap who spoke to us yesterday evening, took us out in his truck - and what a day. We were basically in the Matapos national park, (yet another world heritage site, with geological formations that none of us had ever seen before). In the morning we visited a cave where there are paintings from some 30,000 years ago (or more) from the San people - now usually referred to as "bushmen" and basically restricted to the Kalahari desert. These were of the animals who lived here at that time, and are instantly recognisable even after the passing of so many millennia. Yes, we have all seen such things on tv, but to be there standing right in front of them was quite awesome. This was made even more so by Ian, who is not just passionate but extremely knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects - we all said to each other that we could have listened to him for hours, and far longer - on any subject.

After lunch (including a cold potato salad to die for), it was off to "World View", which is where Cecil Rhodes is buried - and what a site. A stone hill, topped by a number of massive circular boulders of various sizes, has his plain grave and is surrounded in the semi distance by a 360 deg mountain range. Sorry, this is the best description I can give and in no way gets across the sheer spectacular setting. We were quite blown away by it - fortunately not literally.

To finish off the day, we did a "foot safari" - tracking, following and observing white rhino. I think this is the kind of thing that people pay a fortune to do in the Kruger national park in South Africa - none of us could really believe that we were actually doing it.

Although the rain did eventually die away, the clouds were omnipresent but, on the journey home, there was only one topic of conversation - what a truly great day it had been. As I have seemingly said a thousand times on this holiday "I can't believe I am actually doing / seeing this" and today was three such on one day. No complaints.

Day 93 - Bulawayo. 4/1/13

Drove across country to Bulawayo this morning, with a stop en route to look at a local craft market. I have to admit to being very impressed by some of the stone sculpture, particularly the modern style pieces. If I had sufficient space and no weight restriction, I could well have bought enough to start my own garden sculpture park.

Cannot stay that Bulawayo impressed us but managed to find an Internet cafe at last (for all of $1) to try and catch up on blogs.

Had an excellent talk this evening by local ranger (?) in advance of tomorrow's day excursion (with some rather harrowing facts and figures about rhino poaching). Even nicer evening meal than usual - pasta carbonara followed by a rich dark chocolate and mint mousse.

Day 92 Norma Jean's 03/01/13

The rain did eventually end, but the ground was decidedly squelchy underfoot (so certainly no complaints at our having upgraded last night), and the swimming pool seemed to have gained quite a few inches in depth.

By lunchtime we had arrived at our next campsite, and the dark threatening clouds eventually cleared, which was decidedly good news as the afternoon was devoted to a full guided tour of Great Zimbabwe. Am not sure we all understood everything that we were told but at least we did not think (like the first Europeans who came here in the late 1800s) that - of course - this could not have been built by native Africans, the logical conclusion being that it "must" have been the site of King Solomon's mines. Now it is a World Heritage Site, and has if course given its name to the entire country.

Day 91 - Bolder Creek. 02/01/13

The same countryside seems to go on forever, but suddenly we were crossing the Zambezi and into Zimbabwe. This is a OSBP (one stop border post to us ignorant travellers) in a large, almost impressive, building opened only a couple of years ago. That was the good news, the bad being that everything is slow due to totally manual systems. On entry to Zambia, passport control was computerised, with our photographs being taken whereas here all details are written down by hand - does anyone ever check them? On the other side of the room were their Zimbabwean opposite numbers where you first line up to pay $55 for the visa, with everything recorded by hand (with carbon paper) and then on to a second counter where the visas are issued, again manually. Still, we were all in and out in about an hour, so no complaints.

Then on to Harare for a couple of hours to get the feel of the place. Outskirts, with district names like "Avondale" and "Greencroft" looked decidedly English - south African born Claire says more like "white, English South Africa". Centre again very European, similar to Lusaka. The clouds were becoming blacker and blacker as we headed for the campsite - by the time we arrived, there was a unanimous decision that we should upgrade to superior accommodation before the heavens really opened, which they soon did! We are beginning to understand the real meaning of a tropical downpour.

Day 90. Lusaka 01/01/13

What a way to start the New Year - we woke up to hot BACON sandwiches! Then it was on the road through more of the same scenery - to an outsider, it looks as if a lot of the land is ideal for agriculture (long green grass and abundant shrubs and trees) but is left to nature. Our leader says that Zambia can now largely feed itself, due to the arrival of farmers who have been forced to leave Zimbabwe. Unlike in Malawi, where many of the signs are in local language (although Latin script), Zambia seems to have virtually everything in English with exception of names.

As usual, there is a large number of churches (quite a few kingdom halls for the J.Ws along the road) - you can certainly see why it is said that Christianity is far stronger now in Africa than in Europe. Seventh Day Adventists also seem to be very strong.

Drove through Lusaka and visited a shopping mall for provisions etc. Citylooks almost as if it is a European one - long good quality dual carriageway on approach, rather impressive university campus, and modern buildings (not by any means all high rise) etc. Rest of the country may seem second world, or even third, but the capital seems to be making a bid for first world status.

Camped on the outskirts in the grounds of a farmhouse with their own herds of zebra and impala wandering around, and elegantly thatched shower blocks marked "Bruce" and "Sheila" which presumably shows the numbers of Aussies that pass through on this route.

It seems that Malawi and Zambia are simply countries that need up be "passed through" on one's way to southern Africa proper, with little tourist industry of their own.

Day 89 Chipata. 31/12/12

Time to end our brief stay in Malawi so we drove along the edge of the lake for an hour or so, and then through a national game park - but no sign of a single animal, not even a baboon. A hassle free border crossing at Chipata, and then we were into Zambia. Quite soon it became apparent that this is a richer country than its neighbour - houses for example just look "better". Countryside again looks luxurious but goes on for ever, with just the occasional small house or village. Whether it was this or the heat, most of us took the opportunity for a snooze.

There must have been at least six overlanding trucks at the campsite, all settling down for New Year's Eve around a giant bonfire in a huge brazier. Not surprisingly, most stayed up until the appointed hour but it was an early start at 06.00 so not many waited long after that

Day 88 Kande 30/12/12

We are here for a "chilling out" two days, so a few of us went for a walk in the morning to the local village, where a couple of locals told me that LFC were playing QPR and Everton taking on Chelsea later that day - interesting that English football is followed so strongly out here, not just on tv but local teenagers knowing the fixtures for that day. (We had seen Arsenal 7 - Newcastle 3 yesterday evening).

In the afternoon, five of us went horse riding. - guess who was the only novice! (I exclude my couple of hours on an old nag at the Pyramids, and one day in the west of Ireland about 50 years ago). I don't think I did too badly - my "minder" said that, by the end, my posture was "perfect" but something tells me that he was flattering to deceive? Anyway, at least I did not fall off, in fact even managed the occasional trot. We finished (at least I thought we had finished) by walking the horses through the surf at the lake edge - me very nonchalantly holding the reins with just one hand.

Then, at the end, they unsaddled the horses and went back into the water with us riding bare back (!). The experience did not end there as my minder took us out quite deep so that Josh (my horse) was swimming with me on top of him, and at one stage leaning against his neck. Phewwwww - can't think of a better description.

Then, to cap it all, the team would 3-0 at QPR.

Not a bad day - and I didn't even had any aches and pains

PS. I was do taken aback by the finale to the horse riding that I did not take off my watch - so am now searching for watch number 6 since leaving Heathrow.

Day 87 Kande. 29/12/12

Climbed up and away from the lake, as we made our way up to the highlands, as we cross from the Eastern to the Western Great Rift Valley. Again very verdant etc, but seems to be all small holdings and small huts. Perhaps not subsistence farming but looked decidedly inefficient from a western perspective. Back on the lake shore for our lunch and new campsite - again, very sandy shore with volley ball etc (not for me, of course), hammocks for lazing in etc.

Day 86 Chitimba 28/12/13

Crossed over into Malawi at the Kaporo / Songwe border - all done within an hour. No more fingerprinting, but both sides taking our photographs. Through the town of Karonga (a major centre of the slave trade up until the late 1800s) to our campsite on the edge of Lake Malawi - the third largest of Africa's great lakes. Mieke says it is so big it is the same size as Holland. Beautiful sandy shore

Day 85 - Iringa. 27/12/12

Early start in the pitch black to avoid the apparently infamous Dar rush hour, and then the start of our long progress westwards across to Malawi. Drove through some beautiful scenery, with verdant plains and luxuriously green mountains, and through the Makumi (?) national park (at the foot of the Uluguru range). Totally different to all the others we have seen as it is far more forested, with much longer, greener grass. The usual variety of wild animals, but no lions so we are stuck on our total so far of 67, compared to a record for this route (Nairobi to Cape Town) of 80 - which we of course are determined to beat. Unfortunately no new species to add to our "have seen" list. Lunch in the "baobab valley" - we are told they can live for some 2500 years.


Camping in an excellent site in the grounds of an old farmhouse,with hot water for the showers provided by external wood stove - tomorrow the border.

Day 84 - Dar 26/12/12

It may well be Boxing Day for others, but we are on the move again. Back almost to normal (people now telling me how awful I had looked, death warmed up, fifteen years older etc) and able to see how luxuriously green this island is. Back to Zanzibar town (although no time for me to see all that I missed just a couple of days ago), and on to Kilimanjaro II for the return to Dar and our previous campsite on the shore of the Indian Ocean - my last sight of this until the end of Jan, or even Feb.

Day 83- Zanzibar 25/12/12

Managed to stir myself for breakfast, and see the beauty of where we are staying. Beautiful seemingly endless white sands, with lots of thatched shade umbrellas (correct description?) and glorious warm water in different shades of turquoise. Even I, someone who would pay a lot of money not to lie on a tropical beach, am really impressed. I wonder just how much a holiday here would cost! The "Cairo Four" plus Erin had a most enjoyable Xmas lunch in the beach restaurant - chicken stir fry. Karina gave me the most amazing Xmas present of a "replacement" pack of weetabix, an African magazine and a piggy bank with assorted coins inside so I have plenty of options for my next trip.

In the evening, we all went to another restaurant along the beach and had an excellent meal - although I am not sure that gnocchi and seafood in garlic, finished off with an Irish coffee, is a local Zanzibar dish.



Managed to stir myself for breakfast, and see the beauty of where we are staying. Beautiful seemingly endless white sands, with lots of thatched shade umbrellas (correct description?) and glorious warm water in different shades of Turquoise. Even I, someone who would pay a lot of money not to lie on a tropical beach, am really impressed. I wonder just how much a holiday here would cost! The "Cairo Four" plus Erin had a most enjoyable Xmas lunch in the beach restaurant - chicken stir fry. Karina gave me the most amazing Xmas present of Weetabix, an African magazine and a piggy bank with assorted coins inside so I have plenty of options for my next trip.

In the evening, we all went to another restaurant along the beach and had an excellent meal - although I am not sure that gnocchi and seafood in garlic, finished off with an Irish coffee, is a local Zanzibar dish.

Day 82 - Zanzibar 24/12/12

A drive up to the northern coast of the island, where we are staying in a "bungalow beach resort", but muggins still retreating to bed in our rather swish accommodation.

Day 81 - Zanzibar. 23/12/12

Day 81- Zanzibar 23/12/12

Took the "Pride of Tanzania" catamaran from Dar port (with four security checks including luggage being scanned), and a rather interesting trip as I had decided to be up top to have the maximum fresh air, only to see darkening rain clouds advancing speedily. Before we knew what had happened, we were in the middle of a tropical storm, with slashing rain pounding us as we tried desperately for shelter. Fortunately cleared by the time of our arrival in Zanzibar, but another storm started just as we got to our attractive, traditional arab hotel - the sound on the roof was deafening.

After late breakfast, everyone piled into a minibus for a tour of a local spice farm, but by this stage I had to be brought back and spent the next 20+ hours largely asleep in bed, so missed all the info about spices etc, as well as the walking tour of the old stone town, old slave market etc which I suspect I would have found really interesting!

Day 80- Dar Es Salaam

Up in the pitch black for a long journey to the coast, but well worth the price as the mountain peak was absolutely clear, and we could see all of the snow covered slopes right up to the summit itself. Camera shutters would have been working overtime, if had not been for the buildings, electricity pylons, trees etc in the way!

Lunch was in the Tanzanian equivalent of a motorway services, which was where I realised that I was not well - unusual for me not to eat food! Dar - as we locals of course call it - is reportedly not worth visiting, so we drove straight through (except for battling through the horrendous rush hour traffic)

Camped on the very edge of the Indian ocean - still had nothing to eat, but at least the sound of the surf on the beach did not keep me awake!

Day 79 - Marangu 21/12/12

Started the day with a guided tour around the village of Mto Wa Mbu by the local Community Project. Several hours, all very interesting indeed, culminating with a lunch (twelve different items) cooked by the local women.

Then on to Moshi (?) with a great number of "flamboyant flame trees" lining the roads - most impressive. For quite a lot of the journey, we were travelling within sight of Kilimanjaro - or would have been if it had not been covered in cloud, but did manage to have a few glimpses of the snow covered upper slopes. Camped in the grounds of an old colonial hotel, from where most ascents of the mountain begin. (Jane has made the climb, but at an absolute minimum length of five days and 17,000+ feet as the tallest mountain in Africa, we shall not be following her example).