Dec 27, 2018 - Dec 27

Well it is hard to believe we only have 6 sleeps left until we head back to Edmonton. I apologize immensely for not blogging until now. There has virtually been very little time to blog as you have all been accustomed to in the past. I promise to do a really thorough account with photos when we return. I will obviously be very busy since it is hard to pack in everything we have done but I have taken excellent notes every day which will help. We managed to see the big 5, the ugly 5, the baby 5, and the mini 5. The saddest thing we saw was a...

Dec 17, 2018 - Dec 17 - free time - Robben Island and Table Mountain cable ride

Today's Itinerary Enjoy a day of leisure and choose from a variety of optional activities including a visit to Table Mountain or a Stellenbosch wine tour. There is something for everyone in Cape Town. Visit Table Mountain, walk the V&A Waterfront or embark on a wine tour in and around Stellenbosch. For the adventurous, opt to go skydiving, abseiling, or, if you're really brave, cage diving for a close encounter with a great white shark. Wander through the city centre, which has some of the oldest buildings and gardens in South Africa....

Dec 16, 2018 - Dec 16 - Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape town, Cape Point and Boulder's Beach

Today's itinerary: Visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden with an expert guide on a tour exclusively designed for our group the garden has been named one of the top gardens in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine. Continue on to explore vibrant Cape Town and Cape Point, with a visit to the penguins at Boulders Beach. It's gonna be a big day! ... Just some small details abut South Africa: it has 9 provinces, 11 official languages, became a republic in 1961 and has a population of 57.7 million. Malay quarters: After...

Dec 15, 2018 - Hermanus wine country and then to Cape town

Today is our last day with Maggie, Chris and Philip. We made arrangement with Philip to try to meet him at Daphne's final resting place at Kirstenbosch gardens tomorrow. This may seem like a sheer coincidence the gardens were part of our tour tomorrow and Philip came to visit us. I really think it was fate that made this happen. Mom was very happy she could visit the place where Daphne's ashes were spread. In the morning, Maggie took us up into the wine country for a short visit. We stopped at a winery called the Creation. Wine tasting...

Dec 14, 2018 - Dec 14 - Hermanus to Cape Agulhas

We had a great sleep and may be getting back on track with daily routines. Maggie had rusk for breakfast and we loved them! Rusk originated in the late 1600s and is a traditional Afrikaner breakfast snack or meal. It is pretty much biscotti and is a way of preserving bread especially when travelling long distances without refrigeration. I consulted Google and rusk is a worldwide phenomena called many things depending on where you are. We visited over breakfast making plans to go to the Cape. I should mention it is very normal to have an...

Dec 13, 2018 - Dec 13 off to Hermanuspietersfontein

On Dec 13th we enjoyed breakfast around 8 am. Did I mention the breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express was amazing? We rested a bit and then packed up since our prearranged shuttle would be arriving around 11 to take us to Hermanus. Our shuttle did arrive eventually and 45 minutes late. Apparently the traffic into Cape town is insane largely because it was the very beginning of the summer holidays for school age kids. This of course delayed our shuttle which turned into 2 cars and 2 drivers since they could not rent a trailer (all the...

Dec 12, 2018 - Dec 12 in Cape town adapting to the time zone and temperature

Well we are finally at our hotel in Capetown having breakfast and drinking lattes. We have just chatted with Maggie, mom's friend from way back who lives 90 minutes away in Hermanus (Vermont). We will be traveling tomorrow by shuttle to visit her and Chris (her hubby) for 2 days. There will be 2 Chris' then,,, we will have to call one Christine or Christopher maybe??? At 630 our little Josie was up rooting around in her luggage a lot. She was looking for her hairspray which I found in the bathroom. Haha! Any of you that have mom's in their...

Dec 10, 2018 - Dec 10 to 11 in transit and arrival to Cape town

On Dec 10th 8 am we left Edmonton for Cape town on Delta 2247. We went through Minneapolis-St Paul then Paris and arrived in Cape town at 1010 pm Dec 11th. Our total flying time was pretty much 23 hours. Cape town is 9 hours ahead. The journey to a South Africa is loooonnng. We got up at 345 am Dec 10, caught our flight 2 hour 57 minute flight to Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, mom and I enjoyed a beverage each to the tune of 45 Canadian. Rather insane but well worth the entertainment since we ordered mom a double screwdriver. When I ever...

Oct 7, 2018 - Bon's Travels - Near JoBerg Airport

Text from Bonnie: "Just arrived at Dove’s Nest after a Long day it seems. This is a real splurge ... thought about doing JoBerg Backpackers and had actually sorta decided “well why not try it” until the bus drove into the city a different way than before - longer - and that did it ...All I ever need to see of JoBerg! Haha! Walked thru the street market to the train station again, had a helper - who of course wanted, and I’m sure Needed! - Baksheesh as before, arriving just about 5. Got ticket, Track 8 or 11. Went to 11, proceeded to wait...

Oct 5, 2018 - Bon's Travels

"It’s beautiful here, but very cold - it snowed the day/night before I got here. Melted off, but still until only warm enough - with all the clothes on I have - when the sun is high. Not sure I’ll stay tonight after all - may go to Maseru -main town & lower - tonight and then? Should have good wifi there - it’s Very iffy here!"

Sep 27, 2018 - Bon's Travels

Cape Town...Cathy tours garden coast...Bon to Cape of Good Hope/Point tour and Alghulas on day trips. Then both Cathy and Bon go to Cape Aguhless, see some whales then inland through miles and miles of gorgeous flat and rolling farmland and the highest pass in S. Africa. Took a train to Simonstown to see pelicans...fun to watch!

Sep 8, 2018 - Kapama Karula (update #2)

Last night (Friday) was our last 4pm/evening game drive at Kapama (private game reserve in norther South Africa). As always another awesome drive and experience! We decided to first check look got some elephants and we did..a about 10 around a water hole. First, we had one give us a few warning behaviors (flapping ears and low trunk) and then be moved pretty quickly towards us so we backed up and he went on to a new tree to eat on. Then a smaller one/youth, got agitated and did some trumpeting. He still wasn’t happy and came right at our...