On our 20 anniversary we invited 50 of our closest friends for dinner at a restaurant. On, this, our 30th anniversary we invited ourselves on an exotic trip to Africa. Since we can't have you - our friends - with us, we will both toast to your health.
We combined a safari and a beach resort in Kenya with a little urban life and wine tour in Cape Town, South Africa.
On our first stop, Nairobi, we spent a night at the Stanley Hotel built in 1904 but nicely updated. The second floor of this hotel encompasses a Victorian bar of heavy dark wood that Hemmingway use to frequent when he was in Africa and, until a few years ago, it doubled for the Nairobi stock market. Nine days were spent flying on small aircraft between 3 different camps. It was delightfully uncomplicated air travel - no ticket desk, no bag check line, no security line, no x-ray machine, no gates, well, actually no airport, just one airstrip, nothing else. You sip your morning coffee until the plane would radio the camp that they were on the way, then the camp people would jeep you to the airstrip. The plane would fly in, taxi to a stop in front of you, you'd hand your bags to the guy throwing them into the hold, walk around to the passenger side, climb in and take off.
At Amboseli Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro loomed large and when the sky partially cleared it's peak appeared to be floating high in the mist. We flew over the legendary Great Rift Valley and landed on the Serengeti Plain where the Masai Mara people lived.
The first trickles of the mass migration of the wildebeasts and zebras were approaching. The Savannah's grasses, as far as our jeep traveled and the eye could see, was thigh deep, blowing in the breeze, waiting for the onslaught of a 500,000 animals. Our guide told us in a few weeks the grasses would be all gone. Zebras were prancing, nervously smelling the waters edge before plunging in mass to ford the crocodile infested stream. Suddenly a lunge and a snap from a previously unseen croc sent the whole herd back up the banks in a stampede of hooves, barking in their fright. We stood in our jeep mouths agape for a few few seconds before exhaling as we 'woood' the sight. A lion was sighted on the opposite bank, lurking in the grasses. Those poor zebras didn't stand a chance.
We stayed at a rustic but stunning lodge at Amboseli and camped in tents in the Sumburu and Masai Mara parks.
Bob and I have back-packed and camped but never on this level. I really can't call it camping. A tent designed by interior decorators, with a four-poster bed, running water, shower, flushing toilet, and a personal attendant who comes and wakes you for the dawn safari run with a teapot of hot coffee or coco and biscuits on a linen covered tray, is not camping. Full breakfast was served later as well as lunch and dinner either as an extensive buffet or gourmet menu.
Mombasa and the Kenyan coast came next. The time share we stayed in on the coast just north of Mombasa was a bit worn but had a large comfortable picturesque balcony and good place to read. When we weren't there, we went deep sea fishing, checked the sights around Mombasa, and snorkeled around the reefs. The people with their hands out are there but not as bad as in Cairo. Poverty can be very disconcerting.
Cape Town, South Africa was quite a change. Hooked up with a great guide that we hired for the week. He arranged our week for us with just what we wanted to see, added suggestions with our likes in mind and drove us around. Saw Robbins Island - the Alcratraz of Cape Town - where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 20 years. There are a lot of upscale restaurants in
Cape Town - great food. The waterfront area is quite touristy and entertaining. The tramway to the top of Table mountain was closed for repairs for just the week we were there but Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens gracing the mountains eastern slopes was beautiful. I discovered flora I'd never seen before - odd looking stuff. Since it was winter (in July) I was glad I brought my P-Jacket. No swimming on the nude beach for me. The weather did not stop the surfers that were out in numbers. in fact, the winter bluster enhanced the breakers to the surfers delight. Desmond, our driver also took us by some shanty towns - he called it opportunistic housing. I must remember that more politically correct phrase. He also told us about the interesting low cost housing works going on. But the inundation of refugees from so many neighboring countries does stress the economics. We also saw neighborhoods like the Malay Quarter on the rebound. The hillside, attached, terraced homes were all being fixed up and painted, a perfusion of bright colors. Cute. The high end of the market had houses hanging off the steep slopes of the mountain side with outstanding views of the ocean and Cape Town below but with driveways I could never manage. A short drive from Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope was stunning. Hiking along the cliff paths proved a knee wobbling experience. The jackass penguins, whales, vineyards, cute old Dutch towns, the diamond and tanzanite markets, art museums showing local African art and of course lots of restaurants with great ambience and food were just a few of our sights/activities.
Thanks Bob, for a great time. Cherrie
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