It’s a green drive down to Durban. The highway down from Hluhluey follows rolling hills.
The Green Hills of Africa
Durban is a modern port and home to many Indo-South Africans. We sample a local specialty – bunny chow.
City by the sea
We visit the KwaMuhle Museum. This building was once the headquarters of the City’s Native Administration Department. It’s now a mini-Apartheid Museum.
Mural at the KwaMuhle Museum.
Downtown Durban has many Victorian buildings.
And lots of markets.
Small market
A Durban landmark is Moses Mabhida Stadium, built for the soccer World Cup in 2010.
On a sunny Sunday, we go to uShaka Beach.
Next stop up the road is Umkomaas. This is a main town for diving on the Aliwal Shoal.
Beach at Umkomaas
We use the services of the Aliwal Dive Centre. Our first night, we’re invited by the dive crew to join them for a braai.
The dive crew at Aliwal Dive Centre
I sign up for two dives. The first is a shark dive.
What would it take to persuade you to get into this water?
A bucket of sardines attracts the sharks.
The sharks, I’m happy to say, completely ignore you.
Cages are for sissies
To be honest, this breed of shark is not known for its ferociousness, like some sharks.
Among its delights is (what feels like) a death-defying suspension bridge.
Sight or Insight of the Day
We have lunch at the Oribi Gorge Hotel. On our way to the start of the hiking trail is a grassy field that contains half a dozen pigs.
I stand by the fence. One trots over. I pet him through the wire and he immediately sinks into a trance and tumbles on his side, eyes closed in bliss. A second pig rushes up – same thing happens. A thirds waits his turn to feel my magic touch.
Like Tofo, it’s a famous diving spot. With the same heavy surf that makes launching dive boats a challenge.
The peak season is past. A few weeks ago, this would be heaving with people.
We are fortunate to have a vacant lifeguard platform to use as a sun shelter all day.
The beach is nearly deserted.
Thousands of crabs run into and out of the tide.
We visit the Imfolozi side of Hluhluwe–Imfolozi park.
First thing we see are three elephants socializing by the river.
A pair of young impala tussle in the road.
We stop at a game hide in front of a waterhole.
The waterhole in question. Nothing turns up, possibly because it’s the hottest part of the day.
We are rewarded at the end of the day with the sight of five white rhinos.
No Chinese around, we hope
This little rhino is nursing. It must be anatomically awkward to nurse a creature with a horn at the end of its snout.
We depart from our campsite and say goodbye to Cori and Godfrey, our hosts. And their six dogs: four Great Danes and two Jack Russells.
It would be difficult to fit even one of these dogs into Nelson.
And so it’s back on the road to Durban.
Sight or Insight of the Day
I mention in an earlier entry that I’m seeking a FRELIMO t-shirt.
I found one.
‘ Unidade, Crítica, Unidade ‘
More precisely, Maria found it. She negotiated for it virtually off the back of a Mozambican man. It’s authentic, with holes and stains. Just what I was looking for.
We can’t seem to tear ourselves away from the beach. While in the neighbourhood of Tofo, we spend four nights at Barra Beach.
Roughing it
We camp in our tent, a stone’s throw from the beach.
Barra Beach
We decide to return to Travessia Lodge because it’s so idyllic.
Looking NorthLooking SouthMaria and Teekay
We spend three glorious days here doing absolutely nothing.
It’s a full moon while we’re here.
Full moon over Travessia
We return to Tofo to go on a snorkeling safari to see some whale sharks. We actually see some! We get to swim within a few meters of them.
We are so impressed with the Liquid Dive experience that I take a ‘Discover SCUBA Diving’ course. Stu (from the UK) is my first instructor.
Newbie in the pool
After learning some basics in the pool, we depart for a first open water dive.
Getting a boat out to sea against the surf here is a challenge.
Team effort
I enjoy it so much, we decide to stay on so I can get my PADI certification.
Meanwhile, Maria goes out for a snorkeling trip to see some seahorses.
Typical Tofo scenery
It’s a long walk to the water.
Joe, Hannah, and Alberto
Along the way, they spot a flock of flamingos.
The locals harvest shellfish at low tide.
Kids, too.
Oyster catcher
It’s a pleasure staying here for the time it takes to do this PADI course. We stay in the on-site accommodation.
Plenty of time for the beach, plus yoga sessions, plus exercise, plus….
Training is almost complete. This is Naomi (from the UK), my diving guru, and Chris (from the Netherlands), who is qualifying for his Divemaster certification.
Checking the kit
This is a shot after Maria gets everyone to wave for the camera.
Tori, Chris, Naomi, and Denis
And eventually, the day arrives that I become a PADI-certified open water diver.
The Life AquaticUnderwater photos courtesy of Tori
Finally, we must leave the Liquid resort. It’s kind of sad – this place has the same family/community atmosphere we experienced at Zane’s in Sumatra.
In a world with so much disharmonious crap in it – we’re looking at you, Donald Trump – it’s rare to stumble onto a haven of niceness.
May such places thrive and grow. Bye-Bye, Liquid. <sniff>
Sight or Insight of the Day – Happy Birthday, Maria
One of the main reasons we return to Travessia is to celebrate Maria’s birthday. Which we do.
Maria’s birthday coffee, with flowers and small gifts.
In the evening, Adel makes Maria a delicious chocolate cake.
After an enjoyable, low-stress Christmas at Travessia, we travel north to Vilanculos.
Because we left it until quite late to book accommodation – especially considering that Mozambique is a prime destination for South Africans over their Christmas/school holidays – we take what is available.
We spend three days at the perfectly-fine Casa Cabana Beach hotel.
Praia de Vilanculos
When our three days are over, we must move to the Bahia Mar Resort, just up the beach.
Bahia Mar
We snag the very last room. It’s kind of expensive. At first we thought this is because it’s New Year’s Eve.
Turns out it’s really because it’s the snazziest room they have – the ‘presidential suite’ or something. Which is probably why it is still unbooked.
We have our own private pool, with jacuzzi.
The bathroom is about three times the size of the average Japanese hotel room. You can take a shower while looking out over the ocean.
On New Year’s Day, we drive the nearly-deserted N1 road south on our way to Tofo Beach.
We drive through Inhambane on our way to Tofo. It has many colonial Portuguese-style buildings. These are rare in post-Independence Mozambique, at least from what we see so far.
We are booked for three nights in a place on the beach. However, as we approach town, there is complete and utter gridlock as people pour into Tofo for a giant January First festa.
‘…Vamos na Praia’
We make alternate arrangements and return next day.
Besides tourism, fishing is probably the most common livelihood.
‘… and when the net was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. ‘ – Matthew 13:48
We eat a lot of seafood while we’re on the coast. In Vilanculos, we gorge on enormous Mozambique prawns. Cooked in our ensuite kitchen.
Tofo has a large craft market.
What I’m really looking for is a FRELIMO t-shirt. FRELIMO is the natural party of government here.
Another specialty of the country are these brightly-coloured textiles called capulanas.
I try to remain inconspicuous as a policeman hovers nearby.
Sight or Insight of the Day
After the exotic Travessia Lodge and the deluxe Bahia Mar Resort, it’s a pleasant change to be in our simple grass hut on the beach in Tofo.
“The simple life is an authentic life.” – Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls
OK, enough is enough. It’s January 02, 2020 already!
After a long dry spell of no internet availability, we once more strive to catch up. We’re going to throw together a few photos and commentary until we get to more promising WiFi territory.
We spend a wonderful nine days in Kruger Park. Because it’s so fully booked at this time of year, we end up spending time in many different camps in different accommodations, including camping…
Camping in Berg en Dal
…as well as more sophisticated digs.
At Crocodile River Camp
We see many animals and take many photos, but we’ll just show a few highlights.
Elephant crossingEndangered ground hornbillsA leopard kill up a treeCheetah
Eventually, we head for the Mozambique border.
We broil in our car for 8 hours as we crawl the last six kilometers to the border.
In Mozambique, like many places, most people walk.
If you don’t walk, you have to squish into severely overloaded pickup trucks.
Goats ride on the roof. We see this more than once.
This is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. If you ever win the lottery, book a flight to Mozambique and stay here for a week. Or three.
There are only five cabins. Besides the staff and our hosts Ben and Adel, our fellow guests are a pair of friendly couples from Capetown and Jo’burg and a lovely family (also from Johannesburg) and their delightful daughters.
There are friendly dogs on site. This is Essie, who keeps me company while I give the hammock a workout.
And this is Teekay getting the treatment from Maria, Ben, and Adel.
We spend a wonderful Christmas here before heading north for Vilanculos.
Sight or Insight of the Day – We Are Scatterlings of Africa
When we were in Johannesburg, I was sad to learn that musician Johnny Clegg died recently (July, 2019).
Johnny and friend – photo courtesy of People Bo Kay
His crossover style in the early eighties on such work as ‘Scatterlings‘ gave the world a vision of South Africa beyond tear gas and unrest. I still belt out a slightly off-key version as we drive across the African landscape.
It turns out you cannot buy a car if you are a casual visitor to South Africa. So we do a long-term rental instead. We pick up a minuscule vehicle called a ‘Datsun Go‘.
We name him Nelson, in honour of Mr. Mandela. Our first stop is Kruger National Park, where we hope to pass some time before spending Christmas in Mozambique.
Final resting place of Tenzing Norgay, first man (with Edmund Hillary) to climb Mount Everest
Then it’s back to the guest house.
Our guest house is very relaxing. It’s a few kilometers down a precipitous winding road from Darjeeling town.
When it’s clear, we can see Kanchenjunga from our property.
Kanchenjunga is the world’s third-highest mountain
At Siliguri Airport, Dagmar arranges the delivery of 20 kilograms of tea she has purchased. This almost fills the freebie duffel bags we got in Nepal.
Did we mention that Dagmar really likes tea?
From Siliguri, we fly back to Delhi. We spend a night in the appalling Aerocity area near the airport. We leave early in the morning for the Jim Corbett National Park.
Road in Jim Corbett NP
We stay at Jim’s Jungle Retreat. Despite the folksy-sounding name, this is a beautiful and luxurious resort.
It’s chilly in the morning
We don’t see any tigers. Nevertheless, we go on a few pleasant drives in the park. We see this eagle of some kind.
And an elephant cavorting in the river.
Some park staff use domesticated elephants for work in the reserve.
We wait patiently by a dry riverbed in hope of a tiger sighting.
Finally, we head for home.
Last sunset in India
A fitting end to this entry. The next day, we take a seven-hour drive back to New Delhi. At the airport, we go our separate ways. Pete and Dagmar fly back to Canada direct. We fly to Johannesburg, via Addis Ababa.
Sight or Insight of the Day
After nearly six months in the area, we can’t say we’re sorry to be leaving India.
In most places we travel, the majority of people quietly go about their normal lives, whatever that might be. Some people stand out for being unusually kind or helpful, and these stand out in our memory.
In India, as usual, the majority of people quietly go about their normal lives. Some people stand out for being unusually kind or helpful, and these stand out in our memory. But many people here make it their business to cheat, mislead, or otherwise annoy or threaten us.
Besides, the universal dilapidation and general un-cleaness everywhere is dispiriting, as is the infuriating, grotesque inefficiency in getting the simplest tasks done. It’s definitely time to move on.
(Of course, this doesn’t mean we won’t be back one day!)
Our time in Nepal comes to an end. It’s been a good trip.
Leavin’ on a jet plane…
We arrive at Delhi airport and wait for our friend Dagmar to arrive on a flight from Canada. We accompany her on a Tea and Tigers itinerary.
Our passports are nearly full. We arrange to pick up new ones at the Canadian embassy here.
This plaque at the embassy has had the union jack on our coat of arms vandalized. No doubt due to the pathological hatred of the British inculcated by the modern Indian state.
Next day, we fly to Jaipur. From there, we hire a car and driver to take us to Sawai Madhopur.
Rajastani woman selling fruit
Our goal is Ranthambore National Park. We’re here to see tigers.
Tigers are rare in India these days, and getting rarer.
The scenery in the park is nice.
Nice henna
This rufous treepie is not afraid of a little human interaction.
Dendrocitta vagabunda
I sit next to a toddler who keeps clutching at my arm with his clammy little mitts.
Smiling outside, cringing inside
We cross paths with other tour vehicles.
Even without spotting a tiger, it’s a pleasant drive through the park.
Crocodile
We go on another excursion early the next morning.
Pete and Dagmar sit up front
The open touring buses can be quite crowded.
The sun finally warms things up a bit. It’s a far cry from the 45-degree Celsius temperatures that we experienced when we first got here.
Sunrise over Ranthambore
You have to be very lucky to see a tiger here. We catch a brief glimpse of one, which creates a lot of excitement. But not as much as this event a few days ago.
Paw print in the dust
There are herds of spotted deer everywhere.
Tiger chow
And langurs. One enterprising langur raids a woman’s purse for a snack bar.
Then it’s back to town.
Sawai Madhopur streets
Next, we fly to Siliguri – via Delhi – on our way to Darjeeling.
Electric tuk-tuk
Before driving to Darjeeling, Pete, Dagmar, and Maria visit the Salugara monastery.
There are many Tibetan refugees in India.
Giant prayer wheel
On the list is a Krishna temple. Also known as Sri Sri Radha Madhav Sundar Mandir, one of the biggest Krishna centres in the North-Eastern region of India.
It’s run by ISKON, which apparently is still a thing.
Faithful readers – a minor tragedy has occurred: our laptop has given up the ghost!
‘… And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!‘ – Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2
Yes, our MS Surface Pro 4 that has up to now performed yeoman service for chronicling our random rambles was turned off and was never able to be turned on again. Desperate Google searches came up zilch, successful-solutions-wise.
This is sad in itself, but the late, lamented MS Surface Pro 4 ALSO contained all of our photos and many important documents.
It may take a few days before we are up to speed.
We are now back in New Delhi – again! – where we purchase a brand new MS Surface Pro 6. We plan to send our non-functioning unit back to Canada with our friends – maybe its SS disc drive can be salvaged. We live in hope.