May 10, 2016

We all got up at o dark o'clock for our early morning game drive.  For the next 3 hours we looked for all the animals who were getting up to start their day. 

We then returned to the lodge for breakfast. We were all packed up and headed to Hoedspruit for our flight to Johannesburg.

 When we arrived we met up with our Johannesburg guide,  Lindsey Khan.

We went on a tour of Soweto, South Africa's most prominent township.  It is a place of tremendous contrasts.  It is the richest township in SA, but this is also contrasted by some of the desperate poverty. The government is replacing some of the shacks small brick homes.  However, some of the people did not want to move because they would have to pay to live there. We visited the memorial that was built to honor the youth who had died in the struggle for freedom.

We had dinner at the Tribes Restaurant.

We checked into our hotel, the D'oreale Grande at Emperors palace Casino.  There is plenty to do here and a lot of entertainment.

May 9

We all got up at o dark o'clock for our morning game drive.  For the next 3 hours we looked for all the animals who were getting up to start their day.  There was an elephant who took a real liking to Sylvia.

We then returned to the lodge for breakfast. Some of us went on a trip to The Endanger  Species Center and learned about the cheetahs that will be reestablished into the wild.

After high tea we headed for the evening game drive

and then returned to the lodge for dinner. We stayed out on the game drive after dark and it was amazing how our tracker, Digo,  could find animals with the use of a spotlight.  He even found a chameleon sitting in a tree.

May 8, 2016

Today we say goodbye to Cape Town and to Ian our guide and Charles our driver.  After breakfast we head to the Cape Town Airport for our flight to Hoedspruit.

We arrive in Hoedspruit and meet up with our guide,  Alicia  and were transferred to the Kapama Private Game Reserve.

We arrived in time for our first game drive.  This is where we start our contest of "Can You Find?"  Let's see who sees the most animals, reptiles and birds.

Kapama Private Game Reserve is home to over 40 different mammal species.  We had sightings of the Big Five - elephant, lions, leopards, buffalo and rhinoceros.  There are approximately 350 bird species and a myriad of  smaller species can also be seen here in their natural environment.

We had the opportunity to see several giraffe, impala, and a jackal came to visit when we stopped for a snack and a jackal when we stopped for a snack and a drink

 I have posted pictures on facebook since I can't get them to upload here.  Check out the facebook page for Wings Eagles CT.

We had a time to clean up and head for dinner in the lodge.

May 7, 2016

It seems the internet is sketchy so I will have to add pics when I get home.

After a hardy breakfast this morning we all  headed up to the top of Table  Mountain.  Unfortunately we could not go to the top because of gale force winds. 

The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately 2 miles from side to side, edged by impressive cliffs. The flat top of the mountain is often covered by orographic clouds, formed when a south-easterly wind is directed up the mountain's slopes into colder air, where the moisture condenses to form the so-called "table cloth" of clouds.  Legend attributes this phenomenon to the smoking contest between the Devil and a local pirate called Van Hunks.  When the table cloth is seen, it symbolizes the contest.

Our next stop was Cape Peninsula and a Seal Island Cruise to see all the seals.  This is also a great feeding ground for great white sharks and we learned about the different warnning flags that fly when they are spotted.  Unfortunately the cruise was canceled due to high winds. 

Seal Island is a small land mass located 3.5 miles off the northern beaches of False Bay.  The island is so named because of the great number of Cape fur seals that occupy it.  It is 5 acres in area and home to approsimately 64,000 cape fur seals.

We visited the Penguin Colony.  African penguins grow to 24-28 inches tall and weigh between 4.9-7.7 lbs.  They have a black stripe and black spots on the chest, the pattern of spots being unique for every penguin, like human fingerprints.  Their distinctive black and white coloring is a vital form of camouflage called countershading - white for underwater predators looking upwards and black for predators looking down onto the dark water.  These penguins have the nickname of "jackass penguin" which comes from the loud noises they make that sounds like a donkey. 

We stopped at the Cape of Good for a photo op and almost got blown away.    We rode up to the top of Cape Pointe in a funicular and we thought we were going to loose a few with the winds.  Boulder has nothing on this area and the winds they get.  We were told this is highly irregular for this time of year. 

Our last stop for the day was the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.  Kirstenbosch is a famous botanical garden nestled at the eastern foot of Table Mountain.  The garden is one of nine National Botanical Gardens covering five of South Africa's six different habitats.  It was founded in 1913 to preserve the country's unique flora.  Kirstenbosch places a strong emphasis on the cultivation of indigenous plants.

After dinner we had to pack so we could leave at o dark o clock to catch our flight to Hoedspuit.

May 6, 2016

After a hardy breakfast this morning we all loaded up for our tour of the Cape Town sites.   We noticed the multi colored houses. This was started when there were no address to identify the houses.

Our next stop was at the museum where they had an exhibit explaining that all human life started in Africa.  Riiiiight!!! 

Next stop was Boschendal Winery where we did a little wine tasting A picnic lunch     and a second winery tour .  Dinner was in a very nice restaurant down by the waterfront. Good night for now - I can't wait to hit the pillows.

May 5, 2016

We arrived in Paris at 8:30AM and had little time to walk around the airport and grab something to eat and/or drink.  In Paris we met up with our ninth traveler, Chris Daniel.  After a 2 hour layover we board our plane for the 11+ hr flight to Cape Town, South Africa.

Tired and weary we landed at 9:30 PM and met our Capt Town Guide, Ian Reinder.  He gathered us up, loaded us up in the van and headed to the Portswood Hotel.  We are all more than ready for a shower and a bed.  I hope we don't have to get up toooooo early!

May 4, 2016

Eight of us gathered at DIA to board our Delta flight to Detroit Michigan.

  After a 1 1/2 hr layover we were on our overnight flight to Paris.  We will sleep if we can.