You're Probably Wondering Where I've Been
The online service I use for blogging changed their software and I had a terrible time trying to figure it out. They advertised that the switch from "old" to "new" would be a snap. NOT!! At first my password did not work, then once the password decided to work I could not make postings. I left the whole thing alone for awhile and on a whim tried it again today. Voila! Back in business. Anyway, the last time I posted was late last year and we were planning a trip to South Africa. So, picking up where I left off...
Sunday Outing in Kigali
One Sunday we took a day trip to Akagera National Game Park located about two hours east of Kigali near the Tanzania border. We left at six in the morning and were back home before three. Unlike a zoo, this park houses animals in their natural habitats. Visitors drive thru the park along with a guide and view the animals from their vehicles. Fortunately we have a Rwandese park guide who spoke English fluently and shared interesting information about the animals and birds in the park.
Some of the animals we saw were giraffes, water buck, velvet monkey, buffalo, antelope, hippos and baboons. The park is also home to elephants, lions and leopards although we did not see any. Several hundred species of birds call Akagera home including eagles, doves, weaver birds and many more. Our guide, James explained the fascinating behavior of one species of bird – I don’t remember its name. Anyway, if a piece of red fabric or paper finds its way to this birds nest it thinks the material is fire. In trying to extinguish what it thinks is fire, this bird will fly back and forth from its nest to the nearest water source until it dies from exhaustion. It was a nice outing and we took lots of pictures which I will attempt to post here or at Kodak gallery.
Trip to South Africa
We took our winter vacation to South Africa. We were supposed to fly from Kigali to Johannesburg and then on to George. In true African form, the first flight left Kigali late thus arriving late in Johannesburg. At Johannesburg airport we discovered the airlines had lost our luggage. Of course the first thing the airline employee at the South Africa Airways counter said was that it was not their fault and that they would not put us up at a hotel. Refusing to take our word that the plane had indeed left Kigali late, he had to call someone and confirm the time the plane landed. It really was late, he discovered. Anyway, they did pay for our hotel and meals on the first night and got us on a morning flight the next day. All was not lost because it was quite a nice hotel with outstanding food. My luggage arrived the day after we arrived and Ken’s came the following day.
The next day we made it to George where we rented a car and drove to Mossel Bay. We stayed at The Point Hotel which is steps away from the Indian Ocean with its incredible views. We chose The Point based on a Travel Show we saw on television. We learned a valuable lesson. A five-star hotel in Africa does not equal five stars in the States. The hotel really is right on the ocean and our room had a private balcony with a view of the water. Other than that, I would say everything else about the hotel was just adequate – nothing special. Breakfast buffet was included in the cost of the room so we ate there every morning. It was decent enough and saved us the cost and trouble of going out looking for food every morning. They also served a dinner buffet but it looked pretty bad.
Side note – I called room service and ordered a margarita and they sent me a screwdriver. Perhaps the bartender just made a mistake but I suspect he didn’t know how to make a margarita and so just made the drink he was familiar with.
Mossel Bay is a seaside town located on the southern Cape coast.We spent the days doing what tourists do - browsing shops, eating out, walking at the sea and driving around. The rental car made the trip much more pleasant. Without a car in Mossel Bay, you're pretty much confined to an area that you can cover in one day with some time to spare. The food was pretty ordinary until we discovered an "African Inspired" restaurant called Jazzbury's within walking distance of our hotel. Their signature dish is Ostritch and I had the barbequed wings - outstanding. We also had a traditional dish called Boboti. Read more about Mossel Bay at www.visitmosselbay.co.za.
Our hotel was right on the sea and very close to that was a campground where locals go camping. I would have taken pictures but it probably would have been rude. The campers come in RVs and bring tents. Seems pretty normal, right? Well the campground is really a huge parking lot so the whole thing looks like an enormous tailgate party. Campers are surrounded by a chainlink fence and the space between one family and the next is no more than a few feet. I guess this is how South Africans do camping.
Birds of Eden Bird Sancuary
We visited the Birds of Eden Bird Sanctuary located in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. It was about an hour drive from the hotel. It is the largest single free flight Aviary in the world and took 4 and a half years to construct. There are approximately 1,800 birds comprising over 100 different species. The birds were beautiful and many had color combinations we'd never seen before. Many of them would allow us to get very close and seemed not to even notice us. You can find more information about the aviary at www.birdsofeden.co.za.
We also visited a monkey sanctuary. They rescue monkies from the wild and provide safe haven for them.
House Update
Remember the gardener who was doing such a good job? That's right, he's history - we let him go yesterday. He was just not getting the job done and was always taking days off. He had to go to the hospital, his sister had to go to the hospital, he had "man" problems, he had to go and pray, there was too much rain...you name it! So now we are without a gardener. We might be better off doing the thing ourselves. Ken has a lead on a person who purports to be a gardener and is supposed to meet with him sometime soon. Frankly, I would not put the smart money on it.
Surprisingly, we have not had a power outage in several weeks. I think someone made a mistake and did his job. Water shortages remain a problem and of course are worse when there is no rain. That toilet in the second bathroom still does not work and we have given up hope of getting it fixed since we do have another one. The roof still leaks and the Internet service is unreliable.
Lost in Translation
I was trying to explain to our driver what snow feels like. It seemed so simple at the start of the conversation but imagine searching for words to describe snow to a man who has never left Central Africa. He has seen pictures of snow but all I could come up with is wet and cold. Cold to him is when the temperature drops to abouy 65 degrees. He wanted to know if we have to wear coats in the house and I told him we have heaters. Again, I tried to explain that heat warms the house but I got the distinct impression that he was imagining a bon fire in the middle of the house. In the end we both laughed and left one another alone to private thoughts about one another's cultures.
Good Reads
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow we Will be Killed With Our Families, by Philip Gourevitch
Mandela The Authorised Biography, by Anthony Sampson
Tribute to Excellence (South African magazine), www.tributemag.co.za
