Thursday, April 8, 2004 – Again, the coffee tray arrived at 6 AM. We went up for breakfast and then left on a game drive. We discovered that we would be leaving for Selinda Camp earlier than we thought. We did go out on a game drive and then returned in time to get our bags and go to the airstrip. Ewan was the pilot again and we loaded up and flew off to Selinda camp.

Selinda is not a Ker & Downey camp. Another safari company that has an agreement with Ker & Downey owns it. It is run in very much the same way, however. It was interesting to see how the terrain changed from the very wet land around Kanana to the much drier land around Selinda. We were met at the airstrip by Bibi, who will be our guide while we are here. He is a young man who has been a guide about two years. He was harder to understand but we caught on eventually. He was so enthusiastic and excited so it was fun to be with him.

When we got back to the camp, the managers, Mark and Chantelle, were waiting for us. Chantelle had brunch ready. It was very nice and we ate and then retired to our rooms for a rest. Again we have Tent #1. We got settled in our tent. It is different in that the bath is open air. It takes an adjustment in thinking. Ron was concerned because he said that there was an area where animals could come in. They didn’t, of course. Jim got his own tent again which was nice for them. It is only for one night since the camp is filling up on Friday. There is a family from Britain coming in as well as a nine year old girl and her father.

After a rest, we went to the lounge for tea and then left on a game drive. We saw elephants and giraffe and zebras and baboons. There seem to be lots of baboons here.

We stopped and had Sundowners and then went back to camp. Drinks were served in the fire ring and then dinner was served in the dining room, which is above the lounge. There is a family here from Belgium. The man, Conrad, is a Dermatologist and is attending a medical meeting in Johannesburg. They have gone on a safari before. I was very impressed with the boys. They have exceptionally good manners and the whole family is warm and fun to be with. Conrad gives Ron a run for his money in the energy department. We had a wide-ranging group discussion, which ranged from politics to medicine and everything in-between. Conrad has an opinion about everything but he is charming and easy to be with. At sunset, there is an electric fence that is erected around the camp. It is to keep the elephants out. Sometimes the older elephants push the little ones under it but it apparently does a fairly good job. Mark and Chantelle also said that the hippos come up and eat the grass on the front lawn. The schedule here is a little different from the other camps. The guests are awakened at 5:30, breakfast is at 6:30 around the fire ring and the first game drive is at 6:30. Friday, April 9, 2004 – Bibi came and awakened us at 5:30. We quickly dressed and went out to breakfast. A table was set with cereals, fruit and breads as well as juice and coffee or tea. We sat around the fire and were ready to go at 6:30. Bibi said that last year was his first year as a guide. He was thrilled to have shown his first group the Big Five. The big five are the animals that are hunted: elephant, leopard, buffalo, lion and rhino.

As we were driving Bibi was looking for tracks. I saw a lion beside the road ahead and tried to get Bibi’s attention. He finally saw the lion and thereafter teased me about spotting it before he did. There was a group of six young lions under a tree nearby. Bibi drove up quite close to the group. They were part of the Selinda Pride. Apparently sometimes, when a pride gets very large, a group of young lion splits off and begins another pride. There were seven young lions: two males and five females. We were warned not to make any big movements. They apparently don’t notice people if they are in the vehicle. They become part of the land Rover. These young lions were resting, grooming and sleeping. They were like a bunch of kittens all tumbled together in a pile only they were very big kittens.

Suddenly a troupe of baboons came over a rise, chattering and making noises. The lions stood up as one and stared at the baboons. There was shrieking and chattering as the baboons turned tail and ran. We drove on and Bibi became very excited when he saw some African Wild Dogs. They are extremely rare and endangered. We found a den of about 16 dogs. They were sleeping under group of shrubs. We were able to get quite close and watch them for a long time.

We returned to Selinda camp to have brunch about 10:30 or so. We then rested and had tea about 3:30. The new people arrived in the afternoon. The little nine-year-old is named Anna. She is a precocious little girl. She lives with her mother in London and her father lives in Massachusetts. He had given her the trip as a Christmas gift. There was a British family also. They had two teenage boys. On our afternoon drive we saw a herd of about 20 elephants. There was a baby about a month old and the elephants were very concerned about it. They would surround it and then hurried off as quickly as elephants can. Sometimes one will see an elephant with one tusk broken off. That happens when the elephant uses his tusks to dig up roots. They can get along without a tusk but if they get a toothache, they die since they have to eat about 16 or 18 hours a day. They eat the bark off of trees and that will kill the tree. They are responsible to most of the dead trees around. We saw some very close on the road as well. We drove past the airstrip and saw a large group of wildebeests. These herds like to stay in an open space so that the predators can’t creep up on them. We had Sundowners close to a hippo pool where we watched the hippos watching us. Bibi used his spotlight as we drove back to the camp, looking for animals in the dark.

I suggested that Jim ask Conrad about the outbreak on his hands. Conrad seems to be open to helping people. His wife told a story about practicing her golf swing in the house. One of the boys was standing nearby and she nearly took his nose off. Conrad showed the neat little scar under his nose. Mrs. Conrad said that the swing was perfect, however. They are so entertaining and fun to be with. Jim did ask Conrad about it and Conrad, of course, immediately diagnosed it as a reaction to sun and gave him some strong cortisone pills. When I thanked him for looking at Jim’s hands, he said that he didn’t think her was here by accident. He needed to be here. He also gave us a recommendation to a good restaurant in Cape Town. We had a lovely dinner together. Chantelle had prepared it and had hand printed a menu for each of us. On the front it said, “Happy Easter.” Inside the menu was listed: Butternut Soup ~ Roast lemon & herb beef served with Rice, roasted potato, Carrots & succotash Snow peas ~ Caramel pudding With Vanilla custard It was lovely and we appreciated the effort and care she had taken for such a large group. We went and sat around the fire ring and looked at the stars. We looked for the belt of Orion and how to find due south. The stars are arranged differently than we are used to seeing them in the Northern hemisphere and, without any ambient light, they seem unusually bright. Ron told Chantelle that his aunt really wanted to sleep in, in the morning and that we would drive at about 8. What a guy. Saturday, April 10, 2004 - Even though we weren’t leaving until later, I was up early and had a nice chat with Chantelle. She was raised on a farm about six hours away from here. She was home-schooled and studied with Cambridge material by mail. Her two sisters are studying via email. There are no boys in the family so she worked with her father as well. She has been doing the cooking since the regular cook has malaria and has been gone about a month. The staff here is smaller than at Shinde or Kanana. She has only been here about six months. Mark and his fiancée were the managers before but Mark’s fiancée had children and she decided that she needed to be with them and went back to them. Mark was quite broken up but Chantelle said that he is gradually healing. After the boys got up and ready, we left on our last game drive. We saw the Selinda Pride of lions again. They looked as though they had melted there in the road. They were all so sleepy and were lying on top of one another. It was wonderful to see them. They absolutely ignored us.

We had been teasing Bibi about finding us a leopard. On the way back to the camp, we saw a tortoise - - a leopard tortoise, so we congratulated him on finding the next best thing.

We got back to camp and prepared to leave for the airstrip. Ewan was our pilot again and we had a smooth trip back to Maun. It took nearly an hour. When we got to Maun, we went through immigration and found Sheila, the Ker & Downey rep waiting for us. She retrieved Ron and Jim’s bags and then herded us through the lines to catch our next flight. When we got to Johannesburg, we went through immigration and took off for the domestic terminal. We had to laugh at Jim. A porter grabbed the cart with the bags but Jim hung on and didn’t let him get it away from him. It was a little hike to get to the domestic terminal but when we got there we went to the waiting area while Ron did a little shopping. He is irrepressible. We had an uneventful flight to Cape Town and were met by the driver who took us to the Commodore Hotel. We were remarkably unimpressed by the desk personnel. We had requested non-smoking rooms but Jim and Ron had smoking rooms. I think that Jim and Ron traded. Usually one expects them to make a change but it didn’t happen. We went to our rooms and settled down for the night. Jim and Ron went to Den Anker for dinner, I think. It was nice not to think about getting up at 6 AM. Sunday, April 11, 2004 – Easter Sunday at the tip of Africa! – We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the hotel dining room. The reception desk leaves something to be desired but the people in the dining room are lovely. There was a huge spread of food and there were chefs cooking eggs or omelets or pancakes or whatever one would want. Jim and Ron soon joined us and we enjoyed breakfast together. I have really enjoyed getting to know Jim. He is a very thoughtful guy. Ron said that he had read the Easter story on his Clie this morning. I will have to see about getting the Bible into my Clie. We met our driver, Cyril, at nine or shortly thereafter and set out for a tour of the city. He told us that ten years ago he wouldn’t have even been able to step foot in the hotel since he is what is called colored. He has been driving these tours for about two years. Today we are doing the Cape Point Tour. First Cyril drove us to Table Mountain, the huge outcropping that looms over the city. We took the funicular up to the top and looked at the views, which were spectacular. We saw a couple getting ready to rappel down the side of the mountain. Not my cup of tea. We even found some fun things in the gift shop. When we got down we set out for the Cape of Good Hope. Just the sound of it sends shivers down my spine. The tip of Africa! There were lots of people there and they were all taking their picture at the sign, so we did too! I surreptitiously picked up a little stone for Alice. That is all she wanted to have - - a rock. After we took a few pictures and looked out at the ocean, we got back in the car and headed toward Cape Point. There were so many cars that we voted 3 to one to skip it. Ron really wanted to go but we decided that it would just take too long. Cyril said that they (whoever they are) have recently decided that the change from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean is a little farther along. Cyril, however, said that one can see the difference in the color, right at the tip of the coast. It is rather exciting to think about seeing the Indian Ocean. I have now seen the China Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and now the Indian Ocean. Well, maybe I saw it when I was in Singapore. I think Ron really wanted to dip his toes in the Indian Ocean but Cyril has an agenda and we went on. We stopped at the Marlin restaurant. Apparently the drivers have an arrangement with the restaurants they take clients to. They get their meal comped while the clients eat an expensive meal. We ate outside with a lovely view of the Indian Ocean. It does sort of feel like the guides in Venice that take you to the stores where Murano glass is sold and they get a cut. The meal was good, however. We did stop at the area where one can see the penguins. It was rather like going to the Zoo. We were on a walkway, and could see the penguins waddling around and nestling down in various places. Years ago I used to think that all penguins lived in the Antarctic on the ice and snow but there are many kinds of penguins and some need much warmer weather. These were not the stark black and white kind but they had spots on them. It was interesting to see them. We returned to the hotel about five. Jim and Ron had gone to Den Anker, the restaurant that Conrad had recommended the night before and it was very good so we decided to go again. We waited a little while and then were seated. Our server was very slow but we were having such a good time that it didn’t really matter. We had such a big lunch that Mark and I were happy and satisfied with some wonderful fish soup and bread. Conrad was right - - this is a good restaurant. The company was superior and the conversation was stimulating. Ron is in his shopping mode so it is fun to stroll the streets with him and look at all the stuff available. The waterfront area feels like a resort full of shoppers and diners. There is a jazz festival going on and music fills the air. There is also going to be a Dragon Boat Race. They are small craft rowed by a crew. It is fun and colorful. We strolled back to the hotel and so to bed, ready for another day of sightseeing tomorrow. What a great time we are having. Monday, April 12, 2004 – We went down to breakfast and enjoyed the wonderful array of food. One could stoke up for the whole day! We were down in the lobby at nine to meet Cyril for our tour of the wine country. He said that he could give us a cultural tour in the morning and then go to the wine country in the afternoon. We thought that sounded like a good idea. First he drove us around the area known as District 6. District 6 was a mixed race community near downtown Cape Town that was destroyed by the government in 1982 for breaking the apartheid laws. There is nothing left of the old District 6 but a few churches and mosques; the houses were all bull-dozed and the residents forcibly moved to Cape Flats, now a crime-ridden neighborhood. Cyril told us that the residents were often not notified when the houses would be torn down so they frequently lost everything they had. After we drove through District 6, we drove to the District 6 museum. It is housed in an old church. One can still see the stained glass windows. There were a number of exhibits. I thought the ones of people’s remembrances were especially moving. When we left the museum, Cyril drove us to the area where the district 6 people now live. During the time of apartheid people were classified according to what color they were: white, black, and colored (any darker skinned people). There may have been sub-headings as well such as Asian, Indian or Malay. We drove into the area and stopped at what Cyril called the smallest bed and breakfast in Cape Town. It was in a shanty and run by Miss Vickie. Miss Vickie had a prepared speech that started again whenever any new people came into her house. She warned against giving the children anything. She said that she took care of them but did not want them to beg. We then stopped at a community center where the people of the area have a garden and sell vegetables and herbs as well as handicrafts. Today is a holiday so there weren’t too many people there. Jim bought a sand painting of a giraffe or a zebra. The young man who was the artist was very enthusiastic and eager. He dyes the sand and then, using glue, paints with the sand. When it is dried it is very attractive. We then drove toward the wine country area. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant that Cyril wasn’t familiar with but which was very nice. Cyril said that the place he usually stops at was fully booked so he tried several others and finally stopped here. I had to laugh at Ron. He kept saying that pizza sounded good to him and he would have just wanted to eat and get on with it. We finally stopped at a winery where Jim and Ron tasted some wines. Cyril took the Golden Oldies over to where there was a cheetah exhibit. After seeing the cheetahs in the wild it was a little depressing to see these cheetahs in cages. They had been born in captivity and raised by hand so people were allowed to go in and see them close up and personal - - for a fee. The purpose of the organization is to raise awareness about the endangered status of the cheetahs. When Jim and Ron came out, we drove on to the next winery. The valley has lovely mountains around and it is very pretty. We stopped and Jim and Ron tasted some wines, while we relaxed. The third winery was so pretty. There were nice tables out on the lawn and a woman came out with several wines, one after another while Jim and Ron tasted. They said that the wines weren’t very good but the surroundings were lovely. It seemed like a long drive back to the hotel. I guess we are experiencing “the end of the trip” syndrome where we have done everything we wanted to do and now are eager to be off. We freshened up a bit and then went out to find something to eat. Ron is so funny. He would be good at speed dating. He is like a humming bird darting off from one thing to another. He has his eye on one or two things that he would like to take home with him. We checked out a couple of places and ended up at Den Anker again. The maitre De remembered us and after sitting at the bar for a short while found us a place. Jim had Springbok, I think and Mark and I had soup. It was very good and all that we needed after such a full day. We all went back to the hotel to prepare to go home tomorrow. Tuesday-Wednesday, April 13/14, 2004 – We had gotten permission to check out at 11 and leave our bags with the Concierge. We packed and went down to breakfast. Again we had a very nice breakfast. Ron and Jim were already there. Ron was eager to get shopping done so after we left our bags, we shopped and walked along the waterfront. What a fun place. Jim bought us lemonade and we sat and watched a singing group and Ron checked on redeeming his VAT tax but decided that it wasn’t worth it. He bought an item that he had his eye on. We walked back to the hotel and used the facilities, retrieved our bags and were picked up for the drive back to the airport at about 1:30. We went through security, which was quite stringent. They went through every bag and zipper as we checked them. Our seat assignments were in row 74 of a 75-row plane. Before we got on the plane, I was randomly selected for another search. Meanwhile Jim, Ron and Mark are having a jolly time with Michele from Houston. She is also on this plane. Apparently every seat was taken. There was a young mother traveling with a little one (probably 14 months old) and a little boy. She said that she was hoping to have the seat next to her free but as it turned out, she had to hold the baby all the way - - all 21 hours, after Johannesburg. There was a very interesting man behind us. He had been cheated out of his business, evidently, had to declare bankruptcy and somehow went to the US. He joined a combining crew and starting in Oklahoma, he worked the harvest until he got to Montana. He worked for a couple near Great Falls and they more or less adopted him. He works for them (Uncle Dave and Aunt Virginia) during the summer and then goes back to South Africa during the cold weather. He has a wife and children and is hoping to make enough money to reunite the family soon. Jim and Ron sat on the other end of the row so they missed the fun of a bunch of soccer or Rugby or something players. They all had bleached very, very blond hair. I don’t think they were all old enough to drink but drink they did - - a lot. The changed into shorts and finally slept. They did get a little obnoxious at times. This time the interactive monitor at each seat was working so we watched “Something’s Got to Give” and some other stuff and played Shanghai. We stopped at Sol Island, off the coast of Africa for refueling. This seemed to be a very long flight. We got fed a couple of times but I slept almost not at all. When we got to Atlanta, we went through immigration and then collected our bags. As we got our bags a man came up and asked if we recognized him. He said he was the twin’s father from our flight over. I asked how the twins were doing and he said they slept through the first night and were just fine. The mother and her mother were coming in about two weeks. What a nice man. We went through customs easily since we didn’t buy much. They did want to examine our shoes since we had been on a safari. They sprayed something on the bottom of our shoes; I suppose to see if we had seeds or something. It seemed very CSI. We went out and found the shuttle to the Sheraton Hotel. The room was ready for us so we went up and took a long nap. My body clock is really fouled up. We woke after a couple of hours and went across the street to Ruby’s and had supper. I think Mark was hungry for a hamburger. He ordered a double. We went back to the hotel and got ready for bed and the last leg home. Thursday, April 15, 2004 – We woke very early and got ready to catch the 4:30 shuttle. Our plane leaves at 6:35. We were surprised when we went down and the desk told us that the shuttle didn’t leave until 4:45. It was OK. There weren’t lines and we quickly checked in and then waited until the plane started loading. Mark brought something to eat so he snacked and we people watched. We left for Denver and were again surprised by the food we got. We had hot cinnamon and raisin bagels with cream cheese. Very nice. We had about an hour in Denver and we were off again. Our seatmate this time was a very nice young woman who was coming to Anaheim to a dental convention. I think she sells dental instruments. She says that it is hard now to travel because all she carries are sharp instruments. She always has to check them and sometimes they don’t arrive when they should. She was fascinated by the idea of our trip. She has a girlfriend in London but hasn’t gone to see her. I encouraged her to go, saying that visiting someone who lives there is ideal. So much fun. She has scads of miles so she should be able to go with no problem. She said that she checked to see if she had enough to go to London from Denver. They told her that she had enough miles for three round trips to China, so go! We collected our bags (we had checked them) and went out to the shuttle. Our driver was there for us. He took about 6 people to hotels close to the convention center and then took us home. We opened our door a little before noon. Miss Callie was extremely happy to see us. We unpacked and I started washing. Everything had to be done and it was good to get it all done. I also started to go through the mail and the email messages. That is a time consuming job. Alice had gotten us some milk so Mark didn’t have to go right out and shop. It is good to be home.