Africa: The Adventures and Excursions

No organized tour is complete without inclusions and add-ons, extra activities to make it memorable. The game drives I talked about in my last post were incredible included activities that made for an amazing African experience. But seeing the wildlife was only a piece of our adventure. Some of these extras were nature-lover excursions and some were adrenaline-junky thrills, and all were highly enjoyable.

The first camping night we spent at a winery, where, naturally, there was a wine tasting we all joined (and began to form our group bond). With seven different varieties on offer, we both learned how tasty South African wine is, and how funny we all were. We tried to obey the rule of only filling our glasses to a specific line as we passed around the bottle, but that can be tricky, especially the more bottles that circulate. I began my appreciation of Chenin Blanc that night.

We crossed the Orange River from South Africa into Namibia and stayed on it's banks for a night. The next morning, six of us went for a canoe ride down a few miles of the river, with guides to help row and point out birds and monkeys in the trees. They told us we probably wouldn't encounter any crocodiles in this stretch of river, and encouraged us to get out and swim, which we did. The water was fairly warm yet refreshing, the bottom a mix of rocks and sand.
The guides told us we should look for diamonds along the bottom, but I'm still not sure if they were just teasing. I somehow kept splashing myself when I brought the paddle up to switch sides, more so than anyone else. I was soaked before going for a swim. It's a good thing I had one of the guides in my boat since my technique seems to need work.

From there we drove to Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world. We spent the evening walking around the rim to see the views, and then having sundowner wine while watching for the rocks to change color as the sun set.
It was especially windy that evening, so we were struggling to keep our hats from blowing away as we walked around, and then trying to keep our plastic cups from spilling or getting lost as we drank our wine. The easiest strategy was to keep the cups filled, and somehow our bottles were quickly emptied.



Our wonderful cook made us a big pot of popcorn, which was much more difficult to keep from flying away. We placed a large rock on top of the pot, and very carefully took handfuls, maybe able to eat half of them. The birds were well fed that night. While having such fun, we nearly missed the moment the sun set!

One of the highlights of the trip came in the Namib Desert, were we woke up in the dark and drove out to Dune 45 to hike to the top and watch the sun come up. Hiking up sand dunes is one of the most physically difficult things to do, as you slip back a little with every step you take, making it a Sisyphean task, but we endured. The top of the dune is about 170 meters high (around 560 feet). As we climbed, we watched the sky slowly lighten, clouds reflecting the golden light below. From the top of the dune, saw the bright orb of the sun peak out from behind other dunes and announce the day.

From there, we went on to Sossuvlei, switched into 4x4 vehicles, and had the option to either hike up Big Daddy dune or walk the salt flats. Six of us chose to take on Big Daddy, despite having just learned how hard scaling sand dunes is. I'd like to say we lived up to our Intrepid reputation and climbed the 325 meters to the top. The truth is, with the sun beating down and the sand slipping under our feet, two of us (me included) only made it to an early plateau before deciding to run down the steep side. Just 1 of our group made it all the way to the top. Either way, the scenery out there was gorgeous, red-orange sands contrasting perfectly with the blue sky, twisted trees that had tried and failed to flourish in the desert, the stark contrast of light and shadow on the sides of the dunes.

We stayed a few days in Swakomund, a city on the coast of Namibia. There are a lot of activities available nearby, from sandboarding to sky diving and beyond. The two that I signed up for were quad biking through the dunes and sandboarding.
Quad biking was first, and the majority of our group went along. This may have been more people than should be taken out in a single group, but we tended to stick together. We had a guide on the lead bike and a guide in the rear, with 10 of us in between, of varying skill levels. It didn't take me long to learn that like most things, the faster you go, the more fun it is, including up and down hills. It's not necessarily easy to go fast when you are in the middle of a long single file line of bikes, but I took my opportunities when they came.

Sandboarding is snowboarding on sand dunes. Five of us signed up for boarding, and two more for what's basically sand sledding. Of the boarders, two were experienced snowboarders, and just had to figure out the differences with friction and probably other aspects I don't know enough about to comment on. I was in the group of newbies (I ski, which is not a transferable skill), who had to learn about waxing the boards and how to stand up once strapped in. So standing, weight toward my toes, I tried to go just a little ways, then fell forward onto my knees as the easiest way to slow down. The instructors told me I should really try going more than a few meters, so I got up and actually did okay for a little while before feeling like I was losing control and falling down again. That's pretty much how I went down the dune the first two times, and then had to hike back up the dune carrying the board between runs (the hardest part). After the second run, we all tried the sand sledding. They had big pieces of plywood that we lay down on, head first on our stomachs, aimed down hill, and flew down as fast as we could (there was someone at the bottom with a radar gun marking our speed). It's incredibly fun. Back at the top of the dune, I had one final run to do on my board. The instructor suggested I try some turns, and I thought, why not? He explained to me a little about shifting your weight back and forth, and in theory, it made sense. So I started down and tried to turn, and wiped out fantastically, sand down my shirt and coating my suntan-lotioned arms. Okay, no big deal, I got myself back up and headed downhill, feeling good, and since it was the last run, I gave turning one more try. This time I fully flipped myself, rolled down most of the rest of the dune, I had sand everywhere, my mouth, my ears, inside my clothes, in my hair, everywhere, and what's more, it kind of hurt. I had a bad crick in my neck for just about the whole rest of the trip (but at least I didn't get it from laying on the couch watching Netflix at a bad angle all day). Thankfully, we had a pretty good shower where we were staying, to wash most of the sand away. It's hard to get all the sand off when you've thoroughly rolled yourself in it.

As for the two who had experience, they did better than us newbies, but had some pretty terrific wipe outs as well, one that was deemed the most impressive of the day.

We made a brief stop at a seal colony on the shores of Cape Cross. Tens of thousands of fur seals call Cape Cross home, and we visited just a month after most of the babies are born. While they are fun to watch and the babies are adorable, the fishy smell is somewhat overwhelming, not something you soon forget (in part because it clings to your hair and clothes).

Outside of Grootfontein, we visited the San bushmen. The San are the oldest ethnic group in Namibia, and also occupy parts of South Africa and Botswana. They have adopted modern ways now, but for visitors, they show the old ways of their people, donning traditional outfits and showing how they would make fire, hunt with bow and arrow, and use indigenous plant life for medicine, food, or to poison their arrows.
The woman performed a traditional dance, and we bought jewelry they had made from natural materials. The people were all very kind and welcoming, inviting us to take pictures and join in their dancing. Later at our camp, some of the men tried to use the technique we'd learned to start a fire, but the most they got was a tendril of smoke.

Victoria Falls, the last stop of the tour, had the most activities to offer, particularly of the heart-pumping, adrenaline-rushing kind. On the day we arrived, we booked our chosen activities and then toured the falls.
Victoria Falls is unquestionably amazing, its breadth and power stunning to behold. I could only take pictures for part of the walk because the mists coming off the falls are so heavy, it's like rain, and I didn't want to get my camera wet. I made the brilliant decision to ignore all the advice I'd heard about rain coats and ponchos, and go along with tour leader Patrick's (likely joke) assertion that the mist would feel refreshing after a hot day's drive. So I was completely soaked.

Not that those with raincoats looked much more dry by the time we reached the far end of the path. 

Now I didn't personally take the helicopter ride to see the falls from above, but I'm including a shot from someone who did (thanks Sally!), because it better captures just how massive they are than can be seen from the ground.

As to the heart-pounding activities, I chose white water rafting (with category 4 and 5 rapids -these are very large) and the gorge swing. A couple of others did the bungee jump off the bridge that spans the Zambezi river near the falls.
We were visiting in the wet season, so the water was higher than at other times of the year, and this determines which of the rapids (out of 23 total) are on the route. But first, we had to climb the steep way down to the river and the starting point. Just before we reached the bottom, one of our group twisted her ankle. The tour guys did the best they could to wrap it (with instruction from the patient, who happened to be a nurse), and helped her into the raft, since she would be sitting, and it made as much sense as trying to get back to the top at that end.

With that early drama on hold for the moment, we were packed into our rafts (one of our group was added to a different raft that had an uneven number of people), and learned what terms the guides' used for different situations, and how to react. Our boat had some trouble rowing in rhythm together from the start. Also a little confusion with right and left. That may have contributed to us flipping over on the second rapid we hit (a cat. 4).

 I've watched the video, so I know a wave hit us at just the right angle to send us over. I got separated from the raft and had to swim back to them. That was easy compared to the woman who got trapped underneath and for a few panicked moments couldn't find her way to an air pocket. I'm very grateful that wasn't me, but the poor woman was pretty shaken up when we finally flipped the raft and got back in.

Fortunately we didn't flip again, we got that out of the way early. Only one raft with us did not flip at all, the one with our separated group member. There was plenty of splashing all around though, and part of the way down the river, I took up counting off to keep us all rowing together, which did seem to help. 

When we made it past the last rapid and landed the raft on shore, the problem of our injured group member resurfaced. The climb back up to the truck was even steeper than the climb down had been, 275 meters (about 3 football fields) up a cliff, with makeshift ladders in places consisting of branches tied together. Eight young men strapped our friend tightly to a spine board and managed to carry her the whole way up (she kept her face covered, not needing to see how this happened, but is aware she was sometimes turned sideways and sometimes vertical).

While we were rafting, two of our group were bungee jumping from the bridge pictured below, and love the experience.

A little further down river from the bridge was the spot where zip lining and gorge swinging launch. I watched a few other people jump before going myself, and was glad to get a sense of it first. Even so, standing on the platform above the roaring Zambezi River, I was terrified.

My harnesses were all attached, and a man was unhooking the anchor cord, telling me to jump. I wavered on the edge above an imminent 70 meter free fall, thinking the man was crazy, or I was for signing up for this.

I thought, 'No, push me,' but I don't think any words came out as I inched closer to the edge, and with a breath, jumped.

I tried to scream, but I had no air in my lungs as I plummeted down. Friends watching nearby said I kicked my legs the whole time like I was trying to climb back up through the air (I don't really remember). Finally, I reached the bottom of the cord and swung out across the water, now able to shout and laugh. This is what they mean by death-defying. After swinging for a minute, they reeled me back up, like a fish, my heart still pounding.

Intrepid kept me busy, and loving every minute of it. I recommend this tour and this company to anyone who wants to see what the world has to offer, but doesn't want to do it alone. I could go on and on about my amazing group and how much they contributed to the trip being so enjoyable, but it was also how well the tour was set up, the incredible places we visited, and the friendly and efficient crew.

In the next installment, I'll talk more about going solo in Cape Town.

Overland Africa: The Wildlife

When thinking of a trip to Africa, most people think of all of the amazing animals you can see that live nowhere else (in the wild). I certainly did, and anytime I talked to someone back home, they wanted to know what animals I'd seen. 
Warning: this will be a long one, lots of animal encounters to mention.

The first week of my trip, from Cape Town up to Swakopmund, I saw very few animals. Usually, we would be driving along, I'd been half asleep or deep in conversation or daydreaming, and our tour leader, Patrick, would say to look out the window, zebra or oryx or springbok. All 13 of us would press our faces to the windows on whichever side of the truck the animals were and stare eagerly...and then stare harder, scanning the horizon, trying to find where the animals were. It was usually off in the distance, and their camouflage abilities were impressive.

In Sossusvlei, Namibia, where we hiked up Dune 45 for sunrise and 6 of us hiked Big Daddy dune, we got a little closer to some oryx. They were wandering around by the parking lot, looking for shade. I took a lot of pictures of my first real encounter with an African animal (the squirrels at our camp grounds didn't count).

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Upon entering Etosha Park in our truck with the huge windows on the sides, which we opened all of (these drives were extremely windy), we saw some zebras, close enough to actually identify them. Zebras and springbok, how cool! And then over behind some trees, giraffe! We all took tons of pictures, and then drove on to our camp ground, near a watering hole. Patrick told us about the Big 5, the animals that if you are hunting them, they are more likely to kill you first. Lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo. The first 4 of these can be found at Etosha. But if you are curious about the deadliest creature in Africa, that would be the mosquito. 

We had a little time between lunch and our afternoon game drive, so a couple of us went over to the closest watering hole and watched whole dazzles of zebra (actual term) in and around the water. The sound they make is like a car alarm, not at all what you would expect, and made us laugh every time. We'd been told how amazing the watering hole could be after dark, so we were excited to come back that night to watch.

On the afternoon game drive, we saw many more zebras and springbok, a few more giraffe, and then at one of the watering holes, the first of our Big 5, a black rhino. Black rhinos are critically endangered, so seeing one is a rare treat. Naturally, there were also zebras and springboks around that watering hole, but keeping their distance. There's a funny thing that happens, and it doesn't take very long, where you get bored of zebras and springboks (and later on, impala as well). They are all over the game parks in southern Africa, and after a short while, you don't stop the truck anymore to see them, unless there is a large herd of springbok crossing the road and you have to stop (this happened a few times). Once when we stopped for a dazzle of zebras right next to the road, we found some of them were more excited about having an audience than we were of being one. 

We drove on, watching as a storm gathered on the horizon, unsure if it would hit us or not. After a little while, someone called out, "elephant!" This was required a little squinting again, but there in the tall grass was a very old, very ashen elephant. Male elephants often live alone, while females and calves travel in herds, so we were pretty sure this was a bull, and the second of our Big 5.

As we headed back toward camp, the wind picking up and the dark clouds approaching, everyone was on lookout duty, calling out if they saw any animals we should stop for. Right near the entrance to the camp grounds, lying a little ways off the road, was a cheetah. She (we think) was leisurely watching some further off springbok, her paws muddy, maybe from a recent trip to a watering hole. She wasn't too bothered by us, actually posed pretty nicely for us. Not one of the Big 5, but an add on in what is sometimes called the Big 7 (along with Wild Dogs, rare now and not often seen).

At camp we all washed up, and made it over to the nearby watering hole to see an incredible sunset. 

Back by the truck as we were eating dinner, we kept hearing animal sounds and seeing other people rush by saying there were lions. Everyone tried to eat quickly, wash dishes, and flap them so we could get back over to see what was going on. Despite our rush, it was pretty dark when we returned to the watering hole. This one, for viewing, has a floodlight that stays on at one end all night, and there is a strict rule about being totally quiet, so as not to scare away the animals. You can imagine how well a big group of people does at staying totally quiet. Right when we got there, a group of elephants was in the water, but they didn't stick around for very long.

For a while, I thought we were doing okay, some shuffling around as people switched spots, some whispers, the usual. Despite this, there were no animals to see. Little by little, spectators went off to bed, much of our group included. A few of us remained, and we found better seats to wait it out, with some wine to keep us alert. Somehow, we started to get louder in our conversations (I contend it was because nothing was happening, there was nothing to see). At some point, a park official came to ask us to keep it down or take the party to the bar. We all felt scolded like the teacher caught us goofing off in the back of the class, and became totally silent for about 5 minutes. When still no animals showed up, we gave up and went to our tents. A couple of us got up just before dawn to see if that's when the animals come, but a lone jackal is all we got. Jackals are pretty cute though, I wanted to adopt one and take it home.

We had another game drive around Etosha that day and saw many more zebras, springboks, and giraffes. A little ways past a tower of giraffe (actual term), someone said there was a lion. Lions were number 1 on my list of animals I wanted to see, so I was psyched. But it turned out this was another case of faraway animals that camouflage very well. There were at least 2 lionesses on the prowl around 200 yards away. I wasn't satisfied. 

Besides our lions, we saw wildebeest, and we began to learn the differences between the kinds of antelopes in the area. The ubiquitous springbok with their white bellies, impala, kudu with their very impressive curving horns, hartebeest whose horns can look like a heart from a certain angle, and klipspringer the cute mini-deer.

Wildebeest

Springbok

Kudu

Impala

 OKAVANGO DELTA

After Etosha, soon we were in the Okavango Delta, where we left our truck behind and were poled in mekoro through rivers out to an island to spend the night. That evening, we climbed back into the mekoro and poled over to the hippo pool. On the way there, I was hoping there would be something to see, worried I would miss them. No need to worry, there were many hippos, a bloat of hippos (actual term). We all pulled up together at what was deemed a safe distance. Then some of the hippos came closer to investigate. They bared their teeth (only used in defense and fighting, not needed for eating grass) and splashed around, showing their dominance. None of us needed convincing; we have seen videos of hippos killing crocodiles, lions, anything that comes at them. Setting up our tents that afternoon with enough space between them in case hippos came walking through at night was frightening enough.

Up close (through my zoom lens), they look pretty funny though, with their whiskers and bug eyes. Sometimes they look more like Muppets than real animals.

No hippos did walk through out camp ground (that I know of), even though the fire was not kept burning all night (the way we'd been told it would be). We got back into the mekoro with all of our stuff and moved on to our next camp ground in the Delta, which was fancy for us, with more permanent tents erected, big enough for cots with sheets and quilts. My tent-mate and I went to bed that night and almost immediately got back up, because we could hear noises outside, rooting around and splashing. We went out and looked down toward the river, trying to make out where the elephants were (we'd been told they were in the area), but only thought we saw a moving shadow between the trees. So we went back to bed in the tent with the screen windows letting in lots of light from the full moon overhead. We woke up to crashing through the trees right by our tent around 2am. We both sat up and looked at each other and looked outside as this huge dark figure came into view right outside our window, legs almost as tall as the tent, tusks, a trunk, all silhouetted by the moonlight. The elephant stopped for a moment, negotiating its way between the tents, and then continued on up the hill, tearing at nearby trees. This was my closest encounter with a large animal on the trip, and it was incredible. (I don't have pictures from that night, but here's another elephant in the trees).

CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

In Botswana, we also drove to Chobe Park, which is on the banks of the Chobe River that divides Botswana and Namibia for part of their border. Driving into the park area, we were immediately greeted by a herd of elephants (actual term 😕). Since we'd only seen isolated elephants up until this point, so many at once was really exciting. They were on both sides of the road, and then crossed the road, elephants everywhere we looked. 

The lodge where we set up camp was really swanky (not the part where our tents were pitched, but the main building and spa and pool). We had seen velvet monkeys (aka blue ball monkeys, accurately named), warthogs, and mongeese wandering around the grounds all day, even into the bar, so we knew we were in the midst of the park. We'd also been warned about snakes, to use our headlamps and stomp loudly when walking around at night. 
Excited to have free WiFi, many of us spent time in the bar area after dinner on our devices, headlamps handy for the walk back to camp. As I scrolled through Instagram, a huge black thing came crawling up and over my knee. I jumped up, shaking my legs to get it off and shrieking. My friends were alarmed, trying to figure out what was going on, and some of the staff came over to see what the fuss was about. One of them laughed and said it was just a big cricket, and then they all laughed. I did too, but in a shaky way, because while a cricket is harmless, it was the size of my fist (not exaggerating) and scared the hell out of me. I was jumpy the rest of the night, much to the amusement of my friends. (The chameleon below is much cuter).

For our game drive the next day, we left our truck behind and loaded into 2 large jeep-like vehicles with open sides. Our safari guide asked what we were interested in seeing, and I immediately replied, "Lions." We also said leopards, buffalo, more cheetahs, but number 1 was lions. We drove into the park, started to go one way, then something came through on the driver's walkie-talkie, and he turned to go another way. All of a sudden, there was a lioness laying on the side of the road, just relaxing. We pulled up and I was on the right side about 3 yards from her. She was magnificent, her eyes tawny and sharp, her ears alert, listening, and while she seemed relaxed, she could pounce at any moment. I was captivated, taking pictures and watching her. When she made eye contact with me, it was incredibly intimidating, I struck a submissive pose, head bowed, eyes down, darting up to look at her. Someone behind me noticed and laughed. 

Our one jeep was the only vehicle there for 5 minutes or so, until word spread and others pulled up. She got uneasy or bored and walked away down the road once more people disturbed her morning. 

With our request met so easily, we thought this will be an epic game drive. Actually it just peaked early, and for the rest of the ride we saw a happy meal of impala (not an actual term, but they are known as the McDonalds of the bush -fast food), far away hippos, vultures, a jackal, a whole business of mongeese (actual term) which included tiny babies, and ground hornbills (which sound like they are laying a base track for some club music). 

That afternoon/evening, we took a booze cruise down the Chobe River. Between glasses of wine, we saw hippos out of the water, most with little white birds accompanying them. And finally another of our Big 5, a buffalo. There were some lazy looking crocodiles and a breed of waterbuck most recognizable for the white circle on their rear ends (known to us as toilet seat bums). There were also sightings of semi-inebriated and fun loving Intrepid travelers in the wild.

 VICTORIA FALLS and CAPE TOWN

On the rest of my trip, I was in cities, with less (but still some) wild animals. The most prevalent were baboons. Anything you may have heard about them is true: they will steal anything they can right off of you, they can be violent, they are not cute and just posing for you. When I passed them walking down the road in Vic Falls, I crossed to the other side (it's like that). In Cape Town, when I went down to the Cape of Good Hope, we were warned on the bus that they will steal your food and you likely would see them attack someone. We were also warned about birds that would take your food, and no one paid much attention. While wandering around there, watching people get close to take pictures, I saw one baboon grab a girl's hair and pull hard. 
I got food from the takeaway place beside the restaurant and was eating in the designated "baboon safe" area, but had a bird I can't identify swoop in for part of my sandwich. I was doing a decent job of fending them off, but one distracted me by attacking someone else nearby and another took the opportunity to grab a bite, I felt its claws on my hand. 

What I haven't mentioned yet are the Cape Penguins. Down at Boulders Beach, you can see a waddle of penguins (actual term) on the beach, sunning themselves. Having a special affection for penguins, from my many years of service at a certain publishing company, I had to see them, and was not disappointed. 

I'm sure there are more animals I saw here and there that I've left off, but this is a pretty good summary. There are just so many more to see, and I'm still not satisfied in my Lion quest, I want big maned male lions, I want cubs. Mufasa Mufasa Mufasa! Plus my Big 5 is still incomplete without a leopard. Africa is a huge and beautiful place, and I can't wait to go back. But for now, thanks for reading!

Next time, the excursions and activities. Spoiler: I ate sand, and I thought I might die (but I didn't, it's okay mom and dad!).