New city, new job, new school, new house, new puppy, and so on.  And, as you have probably guessed, we are not still in Nepal but are actually in Nashville! Hopefully we will update the blog some time soon with our last few countries from the trip (Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Japan).

Until then, we leave you with two pictures of the newest member of the family, Taft:

The day we brought him home.

Playing in his new backyard.

Our first night in the small town of Pokhara, Nepal Jen and I had a nice little dinner by the lake with a lemon meringue pie to top it off.  We wanted to see a little more of the new town, so we started exploring and quickly noticed the gorgeous sunset that was beginning to take place.  So, we quickly hurried off the main drag and towards the lake where we figured we could get the best view.  We certainly were not disappointed by the sight of the sun dipping below the horizon beyond Nepal’s second largest lake and amongst the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range.  It was one of the best sunsets we have seen during our travels.  As usual, the pictures just do not do it justice.

The next day we were up early, excruciatingly early in fact, 4:00 AM.  We were picked up by a driver that we had arranged the previous day and taken to the bottom of Sarangkot, a local 1,600m foothill known for its’ amazing views.  We slowly began our trek up to the top, our bodies waking up more and more with each step that were illuminated by our head lamps.  After a good while of climbing, we finally reached the summit where an Army base had been built.  The door to the lookout tower was locked but a Chinese man came up ten minutes after us and began banging on it.  Eventually a soldier came to the door and let us early morning trekkers inside.  Upon entering the fort, we climbed to the top of a tower and were able to witness the sun rise over the Himalayan mountain range.

It was a cloudy morning, so it didn’t provide the best views and most importantly the tall peaks were hidden a lot of the time.  However, it was still a great experience to watch the new day begin (and already have done soo much exercise).  Plus, once we hiked all the way down and got back to our hotel, I just happened to turn on the TV to the Mavericks game.  We then spent the next couple of hours watching the Mavs beat the crap out of the Heat!  It was a great day so far and only 9:00 in the morning, so of course we proceeded to take a long nap.

Hope you enjoy the photos,
Steven

This is a monkey’s tail…

This is inspiration…

This is a canvas…

This is an inspired monkey tail…

This is the death of it all…

Hong Kong Skyline seen from the top

We did not have too long to explore Hong Kong, just a mere four days and three nights, so we had to squeeze in as much as we could.  The only problem was that this was also the first time we have been jet lagged on our trip.  Every night in Hong Kong, we could not go to sleep until 5 or 6 am so then we would sleep until about 11 or 12 which really did not help our limited time frame!  Luckily, everyone in Hong Kong seemed to stay out pretty late so that made it much easier to see more.  We would do touristy things until midnight and not even realize it was that late.

After our first morning of sleeping in, we decided we should head over to the Peak Tram to take it to the top of Hong Kong Island to see the views.  What we did not expect was a huge line to get to the top.  And it was extremely hot and humid out!  So we waited in line for about an hour and a half, dripping sweat, and finally got on the tram for the ride to the top.  The tram was built over a hundred years ago by the British and is obviously used very frequently by locals and tourists.  At the top of the mountain we were finally rewarded for our wait with great views of Hong Kong’s amazing skyline.

Unfortunately, like most of the time we were in HK, the sky was pretty smoggy, and we were really hoping for a clear day but never got one while we were there.  We stayed at the top to watch the sunset and see all of the buildings light up.  While up there enjoying our time and the night, it kept getting more and more crowded.  We couldn’t figure out what was going on and then we realized that it was a Friday night and apparently it is pretty happening up there on the weekend.  After waiting in a huge line to get back to the bottom, we took the Star Ferry back from Hong Kong Island to the Kowloon side where we were staying.

View from the Star Ferry

The Star Ferry is an awesome mode of transportation.  It is really cheap and fast and you get to ride a boat while checking out the impressive skyline!  We took the ferry back and forth several times from the Kowloon side (the mainland) to Hong Kong Island and enjoyed the views every time.

The next day we decided to wander around the Kowloon side of Hong Kong.  Our first stop was the Avenue of the Stars.  Yes, you read that right, it is just like ours in Hollywood but with a bunch of Chinese actors and actresses.  We walked all the way through and I think we knew only two of the names – Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.  But it was interesting to see and I particularly enjoyed the ones that had “Chinese name, American name” such as “Ti Lung, Tommy” and the ones like “Sir Run Run Shaw” that just sounded special.  I searched everywhere for a Jennifer but never found one… I was pretty disappointed.

At that point we were pretty hot so we decided to check out the Hong Kong Museum of Art which was nice, air conditioned, and just around the corner.  There were a variety of exhibits from old Chinese blue and white pottery to very modern short films.  It was very interesting and we were glad we went for a couple of hours.

That night was our last night in Hong Kong and we got to see the demonstration in Victoria Park for Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989.  You can read more about that from Steven here.

We stayed in two nice little hostels while in Hong Kong.  This is because we had to change rooms for our last night since the city was so crowded for the demonstration.  Both places were in the Chung King Mansion and had tiny little rooms, but the location was good so we didn’t mind too much.  By the way, when I say little, I mean the room was about 6’ x 6’ and the bathroom combined toilet, sink, and shower in a 2’ x 3’ space.  Chung King Mansion is this huge building with a market on the first floor and has a bunch of hostels and restaurants above it.  The building is separated into 8 different sections with their own set of elevators.  One elevator is for even floors and one is for odd floors.  It was a crazy system and the elevators were so slow and small, that huge lines would form for each lift throughout the building.    

We had some amazing food while we were in Hong Kong.  Our first meal we chose by getting off of the main road and finding a restaurant that was crowded with locals, and it turned out to be a respectable place that served these great noodle bowls.  So good in fact, that we had to go back there for another meal before the demonstrations.  Another place we ate was a recommendation from the nice little man at our second hostel and it was just down the street but we never would have found it without him.  It was a great restaurant and very local (we were the only tourists there and the place was packed).  We had some great dim sum which was a first for Steven. 

But Steven’s favorite treat while we were in Hong Kong were the Slurpees.  Hong Kong has 7-11s everywhere and therefor Steven was able to have numerous coke Slurpees during our stay.  For those of you that don’t know this about Steven, he has somewhat of an obsession with coke Slurpees.  So much so that he often drove around to different 7-11s in Dallas if the coke Slurpee was not working or the right consistency.  I think the record number of different 7-11s we ventured to was five (thank you Randy and Morgan for joining us on that little adventure)!

Overall, Hong Kong was fun and a great little intro to Asia.  The only weird thing was that last time I was there I shopped a ton and this time we didn’t shop at all due to a lack of room in our bags!  Luckily, Josh is meeting us in Thailand so maybe I can shop there and send stuff home with him!

Jen

P.S.  I know we cannot technically call Hong Kong a country (such as we do in the title) but we did it anyway…

Tank Man

After an initial failed attempt to take control of the city, resulting in an embarrassing setback, nothing would stop the government.  The military, armed with tanks, automatic weapons, and field ammunition began to push their way through the streets of Beijing until they eventually converged on Tiananmen Square.  All the way, they left a bloody trail of innocent civilians who had tried earnestly to keep the militia out of their city and continue their rally for reform.  Upon arrival to the square, the primary, iron-clad order to the soldiers was to have it cleared by morning – they did just that.  Forcibly removing and gunning down more civilians along with rolling over many of them with tanks in the dark of night.

By the time the morning mist began to clear, all that was left were remnants of destruction from a night of terror accompanied by columns of tanks and throngs of soldiers positioned in the square.  That next day evolved into even more bloody massacres of innocent civilians including aid workers, doctors, and parents trying to help those injured.  Although I was just five at the time and too young to know what was happening, one notable figure from my school books will be seared in my memory forever.  He is now simply known as “tank man” and was an individual that stood in front of an advancing column of metal giants.  He was most likely a common man moving about his day that was just sick and tired of all that he had seen.  Tank man would speak for the thousands that had been silenced the previous day, inspire millions across his country, and have a significant impact, not only on Chinese citizens, but on individuals fighting against communism throughout Eastern Europe at the time.

Hong Kong Protests Article

Now, over two decades after the massacre, Jen and I found ourselves in a small hostel in the middle of Hong Kong engaging in a broken conversation with two students from Beijing.  They had arrived shortly before us and were filled with excitement and anticipation.  They had spent the day traveling from the Chinese capital to Hong Kong, to participate in a ceremony that would commemorate what happened so long ago in their country – when they were just three and four years old.  Jen and I had no clue it was the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown but were immediately intrigued and knew we wanted to participate.

The crowds in the street

We checked into our room and began running Google searches that would give us more information on the demonstration (Google in China is a whole different conversation to be had).  We quickly found an AP article about the event including the time, location, and that over 100,000 people were expected to attend.  This further solidified the fact that we had to attend.  Hong Kong, being a part of China yet under different rule, would still allow such an event to take place on its’ soil, hence why so many traveled to the island to commemorate the day.  On the mainland there is absolutely no way such a happening would be permitted, let alone in Tiananmen Square where it is now immensely difficult to even take a video camera.

So, we eventually made our way out of where we were staying, grabbed a great local meal, and took the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island.  Once across, we began the walk to get to the park where the vigil was to take place.  Along the way, we started to question the news reports and whether or not so many people would actually show up.  We did not see really anybody on the ferry or in the streets.  In fact, as we walked further we began to question if it was happening at all or perhaps we got something wrong, there simply were not many people around.  Then, slowly we began to hear it.  Chinese being chanted over loudspeakers.  Small groups singing to the side.  Individuals asking for donations to the cause.  Before we knew it, we were walking down the middle of the street completely immersed in a sea of thousands out to commemorate what happened so long ago.

Following the flow of traffic we eventually made it to the park and were given a couple of candles to light in remembrance of the victims.  We joined thousands sitting on the lawn of this park, with the tall buildings of the Hong Kong skyline surrounding us, and listened to the speakers invigorate the crowd, the singers evoke emotions, and the leaders begin thunderous chants.  Of course it was all in Chinese, so unfortunately mostly lost on Jen and me, except for the emotion that came forth in everyone’s voices was ever present.  It was a beautiful thing to see the sea of candles out to do something that we often take for granted in America.

The program for the night

Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, the crowds orderly dispersed into the streets and back to their homes, hotels, and wherever the night took them.  Jen and I made our way back to the port, took the ferry back across the water, and settled in for the night recanting all that we had seen in the past few hours.  At one time we were very unhappy to have to be changing hotels and moving all of our stuff but it allowed us to find out about something that we would have never known.  Instead of reading about it in the papers the next day, we were able to attend a moving demonstration for reform and peace first-hand and witness these Chinese pioneers.

No wonder we had such a hard time finding a place to stay in Hong Kong.  So many people wanted to travel from afar to this small island city to join in with thousands to commemorate the atrocities that happened twenty-two years ago.  As we all know now, urban China is now prospering economically by leaps and bounds.  The leadership made significant reforms to economic policies by doing such things as establishing special economic zones and allowing foreign investment after 1989.  While many people are still suffering, there is now a burgeoning middle class and striking economic growth, yet still no political reform and rampant issues with human rights.  Hopefully one day Chinese citizens will be able to enjoy such things as an independent press, open internet, and free speech.  As President Bush would say, they will get a taste of freedom and want more of it.

Now, I will leave you with this year’s statement from the U.S. Department of State:

Message on the Twenty-Second Anniversary of Tiananmen Square

Friday will mark twenty-two years since the violent suppression of protests in and around Tiananmen Square on June 3-4, 1989. The United States joins others in the international community in urging China to release all those still serving sentences for participating in the peaceful protests. We ask the Chinese government to provide the fullest possible public accounting of those killed, detained or missing, and to cease the ongoing harassment of those who participated in the demonstrations and the families of the victims.

We encourage China to protect the universal human rights of all its citizens, including those who peacefully express political views. We also renew our call for the release of all those detained, forcibly disappeared, or placed under house arrest in recent months as China has taken actions that are inconsistent with universally recognized rights. As Secretary Clinton has said, “when China lives up to [its] obligations of respecting and protecting universal human rights, it will not only benefit more than one billion people, it will also benefit the long-term peace, stability, and prosperity of China.”

Let Freedom Ring,
Steven

The future of freedom

Sunset at the game reserve

After we finished our safari, we drove back to Johannesburg to catch a flight down to Cape Town.  Our first day in the new city was spent exploring and spending time on their pier which reminded us a lot of San Francisco.  Everything was so nice and it didn’t feel like the Africa that we had seen in Tanzania. 

A lot of that day was spent at the Two Oceans Aquarium.  We arrived just in time to watch the predator feeding which was fun to witness.  They dropped food from the top of the aquarium and all of the fish would race around to try and get their portion.  The tank also had sharks and large turtles in it, but they get fed differently and on select days, so unfortunately we missed that.  We spent the rest of the time wandering around the entire aquarium where they had everything from penguins and frogs to seahorses and stingrays.

Steven also got a chance to shoot this pretty neat, short clip of one of the aquariums.  It was mesmerizing with all of the movement:

One afternoon, we drove around the coast a little ways to see the pretty views and check out some of the beaches.  They were very nice-looking beaches and we stopped to do a little shopping and eat a good meal just across the road from the sand.

The next morning we were headed out to Arabella to spend our last few days in South Africa there.  We took the scenic route to get there and although it took longer, we got to see even more of the coastline – it was a beautiful drive.  We also stopped at Simon’s Town where a colony of penguins lives.  Apparently, they are normally in the water and you can swim with them but the water was too cold for even the penguins!  We watched them edge out onto the rocks but they would never get in.  Mike and Brad saw them get too close and get knocked into the water by a big wave – Steven and I were behind them and missed it!  It was fun to see them all walking and hoping around and then covering the new born babies.

Another sight on our way out to Arabella were the Cape Flats.  This is an area that, in the 1950′s, became home to individuals the apartheid government deemed non-white.  Race based legislation forced these non-white people out of the city into government built townships.  Today, the area is still very poverty sticken, with high unemployment, high crime, and so on.  A crazy sight to see intertwined within the beautiful city of Cape Town.

Something that Steven and Brad always had their hearts set on was shark cage diving.  Basically, you go out in a boat and they throw some chum (blood and ground up fish guts) in the water to attract the sharks and then everyone on the boat takes turns getting into a cage that is attached to the side of the boat.  Then the crew puts a large fish on a line and gets the sharks to come in close so that you can “swim” with the sharks.  Sadly, they were not able to go because there were 8 meter swells the whole time we were there.

So instead, the guys all played a round of golf at Arabella.  The golf looked questionable due to the rain (which seems to be following us everywhere) but it held off long enough for them to play for a while.  It was a beautiful course and they all really enjoyed getting out and hitting a few balls.

We ate some great food while we were in South Africa.  My favorite was probably at Makweti, but we had tons of good food in Cape Town and Hermanus too.  One restaurant we ate at in Cape Town was called 95 Karoom.  It was recommended by our hotel and turned out to be excellent.  We stopped at a place on a drive outside of Cape Town and got big seafood platters that had many things for us to try – all of it was good.  One morning we wandered into a restaurant on Long Street – I can’t remember the name of it – and had brunch.  The sandwich I ordered was great and Steven is still talking about the drink that he got which was frozen lemonade with blended in mint.  In Hermanus, several people recommended we go to the new pier for dinner at Harbour Rock.  It had great views of the waves crashing in and really good food (fresh sushi!) plus a great fireplace that we sat next to.

We loved South Africa and I think it may now be one of our favorite countries – up there with Jordan.  Steven still wants to go shark cage diving so I’m sure we will be back there one day, plus, there is still a lot that I want to see!

Jen

Checking out the wine at Bouchard Finlayson

After spending several days in Cape Town, we headed out to the wine country of South Africa and stayed at a beautiful place called Arabella.  It was an awesome hotel on a gorgeous golf course with amazing views.  The resort is located near a town called Hermanus which is famous for whale watching – unfortunately we were a little bit too early in the season for whales. 

Arabella was also very close to a wine area called the Hemel and Arde Valley.  It is not the most famous wine area in South Africa, but since it was so close we decided we should visit some of its’ wineries.  We originally planned to do a kayak and wine tour but rain and high winds kept us from doing that so we ended up driving to visit three vineyards.

Inside Creation Winery

The first one was called Creation and it had a great atmosphere!  We tried quite a few of their wines while sitting next to the fire place and watching the rain come down outside.  The woman who worked there was extremely nice and gave us a ton of information about the vineyard and about South African wines in general.  After spending quite a bit of our afternoon there, we decided we should move on before everything closed.

Our next vineyard for the day was Newton Johnson which was just down the street.  We were the only ones there and it was a pretty quick tasting.  We liked their wines but all agreed that Creation was better.  Actually, we had initially tried to go to the place across the street, which we heard was fantastic, but it was already closed for the day.

Lastly, our final vineyard for the day was Bouchard Finlayson, whose wines were great.  The vineyard was beautiful, with much more of a country setting, and we got to meet the owner and his funny puppy which was a plus.  The dog was beyond energetic and kept trying to jump and bite the lights on the ceiling.  No lie, the owner was essentially Sean Connery, accent and all.  We bought an extra bottle of wine from this place and took it to dinner with us that night at a fantastic seafood restaurant right on the water.

Overall, we really enjoyed the Hemel and Arde Valley and it was perfect for the leisurely day of wine tasting, constrained by rain, that we were looking for.  However, we were still hoping to make it to Stellenbosch, the most famous wine region in South Africa, before we departed the country.   

Raining but still great views

The next morning was still a bit rainy but it let up enough for the boys to play a round of golf.  After showers, purchasing a set of Kudu horns, and getting checked out of our hotel, we headed to Stellenbosch.  We knew we didn’t have a ton of time before we needed to get to the airport for our flights, so we figured we would have lunch at one vineyard and then would maybe make it to one more if we had time.

The first destination and lunch was at a vineyard called Guardian Peak.  It was a little different experience than a typical tasting – you would order a meal and they would pair a glass of wine with the food.  So there was no actual tasting, just one glass of wine.  The food was great and we all enjoyed the wine.  Plus, we each ordered something different so we still got a good sampling of a few of their wines.

Ernie Els Winery

Luckily we finished at Guardian Peak with enough time to stop by another spot.  This time we chose Ernie Ells Winery which was nearby, and yes, it is the famous golfer’s personal winery.  They displayed numerous photographs of “The Big Easy” playing various courses, along with quite a few of the trophies he has won over the years.  It was the nicest of all the vineyards we went to and very beautiful inside and out with a peaceful atmosphere.  They only produced red wines which was perfect for me since I am allergic to white!  We had a tasting of several of their wines and they were all delicious – definitely one to look for in the States.    

The wine country was yet another highlight of our trip and I don’t think any of us would mind going back!  Actually, I really hope we get to one day because there are still so many more to visit.

C’est la guerre (as Grama always used to say),
Jen 

Our first major hurdle in starting our trek was to actually find the path that you take to the top.  What should have been a ten minute drive to the trailhead took over an hour and allowed us to see all different parts of the city.  Generally, we would figure out that we were going in the wrong direction when the mountain was getting smaller and smaller behind.  Then we would turn around and try again.  Not even Brad working the car’s GPS would help us.  Eventually we found where we were supposed to be and parked the car.

One thing about South Africa is that there is always a parking tout no matter where you go.  These are less fortunate individuals that have decided the best way to make money is by watching people’s cars for money.  Additionally, they also save open spots for you, help you pull or back in, or even help you navigate parallel parking.  If they didn’t get to you in enough time to help, they at least give you a thumbs up to let you know you did a good job.  Essentially you have to give them a few Rand (South African currency) just so they don’t mess up your car.  I never subscribed to giving them anything but I think they always found a sucker within my other travel companions.  All of that to say, there was one tout when we parked our car at the national park.  At the end of the day, Brad paid him with a few Rand and a bottle of mustard – he then asked my dad for more money.

The group on top of Table Mountain

After setting off on the trail, we got about 25 steps up the mountain and seriously considered if it was a good idea.  Looking to the trail ahead, it would be a pretty rough and steep climb for two hours.  We knew there was a cable car not far from where we were and I think the thought of just taking it up crossed all of our minds.  However, we decided to persevere and keep climbing.  Jen and I are getting used to climbing quite a few mountains from the Monastery at Petra to Machu Picchu and more. Luckily, in the end, this mountain did not rank as one of the harder ones we have climbed on the trip.

The views of Cape Town were great and the weather was nice for the hike up.  Actually, the weather was a tad warm at first, but then we reached the shaded part, closer to the top, it became much cooler.  The trail was very well marked and very well maintained.  We did encounter other hikers but not too many.  Some had even decided to take their small children along, which was a mistake.  One guy had to carry his son on his shoulders the entire way down and one man and his son took forever to get out of our way because they would stop in the middle of the path.

Going back to the car

Once we had made it all the way up, we stopped for a great little picnic and well deserved rest and relaxation.  We had gone to the grocery store to pick up some sandwich items and a bottle of wine.  The wine was consumed through our empty plastic water bottles and there was a great dessert that Brad bought, except that he only got three of them for the four of us.

The views were spectacular.  Like many other place we have visited, the pictures do not do it justice.  On one side of the mountain was the sprawling city of Cape Town, farther south east was where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans come together, and just past that you could see the African cape extend out into the oceans.  I figured it was an opportune time to snap some jumping pictures, which Jen captured and we also got quite a few photos of the sun beginning to go down.

Sun setting behind Lion's Head

After a good while of exploring the table, we decided to save our knees some pain and take the cable car down to the bottom.  From there it was just a 20 minute hike back to the car.  Along the way, we got to see a vending machine for soccer balls and some great views of Lion’s Head, the peak beside Table Mountain.  Upon returning to the car, Brad determined it was in good condition and paid our tout and we were off.

Next up were drinks at a very eclectic restaurant named Bombay Bicycle Club on Kloof Street and eventually a splendid dinner.  So brought to an end another day of exploring the great outdoors.

Go outside today,
Steven

If you click and enlarge the picture, they are much, much better….

Male lion lying in wait

Jen and I got into Johannesburg early one morning after an interesting flight from Dar es Salaam.  My dad and brother, who were meeting us in South Africa, would not be in until the next morning.  So, we went to a great little bed and breakfast type place and spent all day and night there.  Literally we did pretty much nothing except for rest, watch movies, watch the travel channel, and make a great meal from scratch.  In fact, we had the entire place to ourselves because the owner was gone for the night to a wedding.

Keep close to mom

The next morning we met my dad and brother at the airport and hopped into a rental car.  I really feel for my dad on this one, because not only did he have to drive on the opposite side of the road but it was also a manual transmission with the stick on the left side instead of the right.  Thankfully, he did just fine and we drove about three hours north towards Botswana, to an area called Welgevonden Private Game Reserve.  When we got to the reserve, we were met at the front gate by Jacques, one of the guides, who drove us back into the property and to Makweti Safari Lodge.

The lodge was incredible.  Not only did we see numerous animals during the 30 minutes’ drive to get there but they also have a watering hole right outside one of the buildings that had zebras and warthogs sitting around enjoying the day.  Another building, where we ate all of our meals, had a great back deck that overlooked a valley of the reserve.  Inside there was a cozy fireplace, large bar, nice fish pond, and big dining table.  Our room, however, was the best.  You had to take a swinging bridge to get to it that crossed a creek that had dussie (a small animal) running around everywhere.  The front deck overlooked the water hole I already talked about, and then we had another deck with table and chairs that overlooked the bridge.  The bed was large and immensely comfortable, we had a personal fireplace, a cast iron clawfoot tub, plus indoor AND outdoor showers.  They did all of our laundry for free and put hot water bottles in our bed so they would be warm when we got in.

Here come the babies

The food was succulent.  There was a visiting chef who was there to work with the in-house cooks on ways to improve dishes.  His name was Francois and Jen absolutely loved him.  He was overly nice and shared a few recipes with her, which she adored.  His tomato soup was the best soup I have ever had in my life – I know, soup doesn’t sound that hard/great but it was fantastic (Jen got the recipe).  We continued our streak of eating unusual items on the trip with impala meat and ostrich meatballs.  There was so much food all the time that I think I gained about ten pounds in the four days we were there.  I really cannot say enough about how good the food was.  Additionally, eating on the deck outside, at the huge dining table, and in an outdoor boma just enhanced the experience and added to the fond memories.

Pumba!

Staff at Makweti were another huge plus.  Our fearless leader Tavus was the best around.  I told him when we arrived that I really wanted to see a cheetah, and for three days he hunted for them with all his might – finally we were all rewarded on our last drive with an amazing sighting.  Tavus was incredible knowledgeable and well-traveled around Africa and was simply terrific.  Jacques and Marieza were also a joy to be around and provided great insight to South African game and wonderful meal conversations.  The others were all very polite and did a fantastic job as well.  There were not many other guests during our time.  Makweti only has 5 rooms, two of which we occupied.  The first night/day it was only the four of us.  The next day, three individual couple came, all enjoying their honeymoons.  One pair form Cape Town, whom gave us many tips on where to eat and what to do, one couple from Amsterdam who were very cheerful, and one set of Italians that didn’t say very much.  All of them livened up meal time – especially after the wine came.

To give you a brief glimpse of our schedule:  we would had an early wakeup call and all meet in the lodge for coffee and muffins.  Then off on a long morning game drive that was typically pretty cold but luckily they gave us plenty of blankets, more hot water bottles, and stopped for hot tea/chocolate/coffee.  After the drive was a massive breakfast on the back patio.  Then it was either time to relax and sit around or change to go on a walking safari.  Next it was lunchtime back at the lodge, plus a little break, and off on the afternoon/evening game drive.  During this last drive, we would stop for sundowners where they would set up a table in the middle of the bush for alcoholic drinks and snacks.  Then it was another hour of spotlighting animals at night and finally back to the lodge for dinner and conversation until bedtime.

Lioness catching up with her cubs

Now, for the really interesting part, the animals.  You have already seen some of the pictures in this post but we saw just tons of them. How about I just give you a quick list of some?  Ok:  elephants, zebras, lions (and cubs), cheetahs (and cubs), giraffes, rhinos, warthogs, antelope, kudu, impala, wildebeest, owls, waterbuck, alligator, jackal, and baboon.  All were amazing to see in a natural environment and with no one else around besides us in our Jeep or on foot.

We had a couple of interesting experiences with elephants and the first was a big male that we came upon early during one game drive.  We had stopped our car on the road and were watching him and he slowly got closer and closer to us.  He was paying close attention to us while shaking his head and dumping dirt all over his body.  Eventually he was about three feet from the car and flapping his ears and starting to act like he was going to charge.  As he walked closer to the hood, Tavus slammed on the dashboard causing the elephant to freeze, give us a confused look, and slowly back away into the bush.  Not going to lie, it was somewhat frightening because he was probably about six tons to our about one ton in weight.

Walking Safari in South Africa

Another evening, right at sunset, we came into a large clearing full of animals and spotted a large male elephant with his pack of women.  Tavus read which way they were moving, drove the car into the bush, and put it in park.  Sure enough, several minutes later, all of the girls appeared with their baby elephants through the brush.  There were about nine in all that came right next to Jeep and just taking their time eating, checking us out, and going on their way.  Eventually the male came as well and we followed him for quite some time.

That same evening we decided to have our sundowners in the car since we had come up upon so many great sightings and we wanted to stay mobile and it wasn’t safe to get out.  We spent a good while sitting back watching the elephants pass, watching impala play fight in a field, rhino grazing nearby, and a wildebeest just sitting around.  It was so cool to watch nature all around and have a cold beer at the same time (the girls, Jen and Brad, had wine).

South African Night

Spotlighting at night was really hit or miss.  We would tend to see a lot of zebra, impala, etc. but not much else.  However, the first night we did come across a rhino lying in the middle of the road that refused to move as well as two elephant getting a late night snack.  This was also the time when we got to see a few owls and other birds.  Plus, one night when we were out driving around, a huge male lion made his way into our camp.  We never got to see him there, which was probably both bad and good at the same time.

The last animals I will really talk in-depth about are the best:  the big cats.  It was a pretty common occurrence to see lion prints around and we followed them quite a bit.  However, we never really saw any until finally one day we happened upon several lionesses with their three cubs walking through the bush.  They were a little far away from us but still very neat to see going by and the little cubs keeping up with their moms.  A short time after that we were driving along and spotted a large male standing in a field far away.  By the time we got closer to his position, he was lying down enjoying the day.  That is why you see him so hidden in the pictures.  Tavus would make a noise that he said indicated an injured/dying animal and you would see the lion whip his head around trying to figure out what was going on.

Cheetah cub taking a break and not afraid

On our last day at Makweti and on our last game drive we finally came across what I had been wanting to see the most, the cheetahs.  When we pulled up Tavus started pumping his fist in victory over the find.  Right in front of us, in the road, were three cheetah cubs and their mom taking a short break from hunting.  We stayed with them for about 10 or 15 minutes as they walked down the road and into the brush.  The cubs would become very interested and check out the car and go from one side of the road to the other.  The mom generally stayed pretty far ahead and kept looking into the bush for their next meal.  It was absolutely incredible to see!  Truly topped off a great safari and added yet another wonderful memory to a very memorable trip.

Cheetahs are quick

On our way out of the reserve we saw even more animals, including a bunch of baboons.  It was a great way to go out and also very sad.  From there it was a three hour drive back to Johannesburg for an evening flight to Cape Town.  We have already decided, the next safari will be in Botswana, where Tavus said was his favorite place to go.  Jess and Ryan, you need to go to Makweti… 

Out of the jungle,
Steven

Almost forgot to include this video that Jen took….

…and our elephant friend

Our AMAZING hosts Erin and Laura

As was said in a previous post, we were introduced to Erin through one of Steven’s old co-workers.  We did not know her at all but before we arrived, she gave us recommendations on places to stay and invited us to Young Life club our first day there.  Once we got in town and were hanging out, she introduced us to her roommate, Laura.  They were fantastic – they taught us the Swahili words we needed to know, gave us suggestions of things to do while we were in Tanzania, and even let us stay with them when we came back from Zanzibar!  They are awesome girls who love God and love Africa and were so fun to hang out with.  Thank you Erin and Laura!!!!

Riding in a bajaji - our main mode of tranportation

Steven already told you about Young Life club in Dar but I also just wanted to say how amazing it was to see club here and to see these awesome leaders pouring into kids. 

On Sunday, Erin invited us to go to church with her while we were in the city.  The service was in the outdoor gym at the school where Erin and Laura teach and the congregation consisted of a mix of locals and expats.  It was extremely hot and sweaty but Erin pointed out a guy in front of us that was wearing a scarf because it was “cool season” in Tanzania.  It was so good to be in an actual church and worshipping with other people.  Normally we just watch Frontline DC online, and usually it is absurdly late at night/really early in the morning and I tend to fall asleep.    

Masai on the beach in Zanzibar

Swahili was such a fun language to learn a few words in!  Plus, it was funny to hear words that sounded familiar because they were from the Lion King, such as “rafiki” which means friend.  Yes, we also had Lion King songs in our head constantly while we were in Tanzania.  One of my favorite words we learned was “mzungu” which basically means white person.  I know that is a weird thing for me to like but somehow it was cute when all the little kids would run up to you yelling mzungu!  Also, it was always easy to tell when someone was talking about you because they would use the word and there were very few other mzungus around.

Tanzanians waiting for the dalla dalla

You know food is always my favorite part of everywhere we go, so I have to share some of the restaurants we went to with you.  After Young Life club, Erin and Laura took us to a restaurant called Mediterraneo.  It is this awesome restaurant that is part of a hotel right on the water.  We all had pizza which was really good, the beer was so cold it had frozen chunks, and the restaraunt had a great atmosphere – including crabs fighting on the beach which Steven was constantly distracted by.  Another place we went was called T Square which was completely local Tanzanian food.  We had beef mishkaki (basically a kebap) and ugali which is a cornmeal ball that you dip into sauce.  It was all so delicious!  We craved mishkaki from that point on.  After coming back from Zanzibar, Erin and Laura took us to another one of their favorite restaurants – Addis in Dar.  They serve Ethiopian food which Steven and I had never had but we both really liked it!  Then, our last night before heading to the airport we went to dinner with Erin and Laura and their friends Ben and Mary who we had previously met at YoungLife.  I don’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was nice and secluded and a good last Tanzanian meal.  A perfect chance to hang out with all of them one last time!

Bajaji passing by

While in Dar es Salaam, our main mode of transportation was a Bajaj – another thing Erin and Laura taught how to effectively use.  Bajaj’s are basically three wheel golf carts that go much faster.  You definitely have to barter for the price of the ride however that was part of the fun.  Half of the time they would break down or Steven would have to get out and help push up a steep hill.  Even still, we loved riding around in bajajis!

We spent a lot of our time in Zanzibar which you can read more about here.  And I’ll just share another picture with you so you can see how pretty it was!

The beach in Zanzibar

On our last day, our flight was not until 2:00 AM.  So, while Erin and Laura were at school, we decided to take a day trip to Bagamoyo which is about an hour north of Dar.  We hopped into a dalla dalla, which is a semi-organized bus system in which they pack out small vans with as many people as they can fit.  The dalla dalla took us the entire way to the town where Steven and I got off and just started walking around.  We definitely stuck out as the only mzungus in town and had a ton of kids run up to us.  Eventually we had a good lunch and made our way, via Bajaji, to  the Holy Ghost Catholic Mission Museum.

Cross on the beach in Bagamoyo

The museum, although not the best, was filled with artifacts and background regarding the history of the town.  We did find some errors here and there, and a few places where information presented on one side of the room did not correlate with something we would find on the other side.  Regardless, it was still interesting but just taken with a grain of salt.

Anyway, to give you a little background about the town of Bagamoyo, it has a long history dealing with the ivory and slave trades out of Africa. The city’s location made it a great jumping off point for Zanzibar and for transporting slaves all throughout Southeast Asia, India, and up into the Middle East.  It was the original capital of German East Africa and one of the most important trading ports in East Africa.  After David Livingstone, the famous explorer that wrote many articles on the atrocities of slavery, died in Rhodesia, he was brought through Bagamoyo and laid in the tower of an old church.  Today that tower is called Livingstone Tower in his honor and his body now rests in Westminister Abbey.  Obviously the town and its’ history were very impactful on the both of us.  For good reason, the city is now being considered to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Like most other countries, we loved our time in Tanzania and want to go back some day.  Maybe to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, go on a safari in the Serengeti, or on a mission trip – but definitely to go back to Zanzibar!

Jen