I friggin LOVE Africa!

First of all i have to give myself a HUGE slap on the wrist! I'm not sure how i managed it but i forgot to blog about one of my FAVOURITE places in all of Africa! this was the Great Zimbabwe ruins in Zimbabwe (if you couldn't guess) it was the first place we visited when we got to Zim we stayed in the campsite inside the gates of the ruins but as we arrived late in the afternoon we didn't go to the ruins until the next day....we only spent just over 2 hours there but ideally i would have loved to stay all day we had a great guide (Phillip who asked me to be his second wife ...he offered LP 20 cattle...and a cellphone for me!) the time just flew by as he told us all the history and we walked around taking in the stunning views from the hilltop enclosure and marvelling at the 5m thick walls in the great enclosure 5m thick and way way high all built without the use of any mortar!....and then we went to Antelope park

well let me catch you up what we have been doing since...on Sunday 5th December we left Antelope park we were going to have a city stop off in Bulawayo to get to the post office,Internet etc but as it was Sunday the place was shut down just loads of peeps in their church clothes so we continued on our journey to Motobos national park we only spent one day there i wish we could have spent more as its way up there on the list of favourite places we arrived in the afternoon and went on a bush walk with the campsites main man Brown he showed us heaps of bushman paintings dating back 1000 years and pointed out all the spoor (poo and footprints) of various animals we saw a bunch of klipspringer bound across the road and then headed back to camp just as the skies let rip and the rain pissed down on us that night was so dark as the campsite was on day 7 of a power cut there wasn't even a moon or stars in the sky annoyingly this was also the night my torch ran out of battery's whoops!....

on the Monday we headed off with 2 local guides in 4x4s they were experts in the area and the park we spent the morning travelling to different caves filled with bushman (san) paintings and heard loads of information and tales about this absolutly incredible race. next stop was a local village where we met the chief poundo (named for the pound coin) an 80 year old guy with such spirit! he was dancing all over the show and even thought he didn't speak a word of English he told us all about himself and his family and asked after all of us (through our guide as translater) then his kids and grand kids did some traditional dancing for us and sung us songs Zimbabwe defiantly hasn't the warmest most welcoming people we have met so far! in the afternoon we tracked Rhino in the national park we saw one bull on his own with a horn over 75cm long! we got up ridiculously close to him and sat in the grass and watched while he went about life...in the park we also saw klipspringer,giraffes,steenbok and a ton of birds including black eagles snake eagles and a giant eagle owl...we then tracked some more rhino finding 4 in a clearing again we walked up close and were within metres luckily one of the guys looked behind us just in time to see a massive bull rhino strolling towards us no sooner had we moved when he charged towards the others running right across where we had been sitting!....

Tuesday we said a sad goodbye to Zim as we crossed the border into Botswana where apart from finding a post office Internet (and Nandos haha) we haven't yet done anything tomorrow we head into the Okavango Delta in canoes....

(sorry in advance for spelling/grammer mistakes!)

So i have soooo much to tell you and im sorry if i miss things out but i have left my journal somewhere so am doing this if the top of my head and due to lack of internet i have an extreme amount of days to catch you all up on!....well here goes....so we spent 7 nights in Mozmbique one in Maputo the capital city where the most exciting thing to happen was a friggin awesome lody (ice-cream)... we spent an afternoon lunching and interneting then went out for a meal altogether where i hiccuped whilst taking my doxy causing it to explode in my throat which lead to several days of a burnt throat and a foul taste in my mouth...

next morning we took a walk down to the market and marvelled at all the piles of fruit,veg,seafood and randomly budgies....that afternoon we drove to Tofo where we spent three lovely days sunning ourselves on a beautiful soft sandy beach every morning we were up by about 6am as the sun is instantly hot as soon as it rises and failure to get out of tents leads to slow cooked peeps haha!... the first day we headed out to sea on a small rigg and went snorkling with whale sharks i saw two and was within arms reach of a huge 5metre beauty! i did however get quite seasick so the whale sharks got my brekkie along with their usual plankton!...

the next day we chilled all day either on the beach or in the pool returning to the water everytime we came close to being dry the heat was so intense!...i lied it was 3 nights there not days so the third morning we were on the road again heading up the coast to Vilancouls (hope thats spelt right) where we spent 2 more nights as soon as we arrived hot and sticky from the road we jumped into the pool which overlooks the most goregous sea!...

the next day we hoped into a local boat (no seasickness this time) and headed across to one of the islands we used the moter going there and the sails comming back the trip each way took about an hour and a half once on the island we set off on a walk which we thought would take 30 mins only we misheard and it actually took and 1.5 hours it was a cool walk though we saw heaps of crabs and a whole flock of flamingos which were white until they lifted thier wings, underneath was brigh bright pink! when we got back to the boat a lovely lunch awaited of chargrilled red snapper rice colslaw crab and fresh fruits just what we needed! after lunch we snorkelled the reef for a few hours and saw so many amazing fish and corals then it was back to the mainland as the weather was changing and raining was comming close....that night we had an array of seafood (which LP actually tried...didnt like but tried) we have now had oysters,mussels,clams,crab,prawns and of course fish!...

next day we got up and drove all day and camped in a place we named bug city due to the intense volume of bugs amongst which were blister beatles and we are now travelling with 3 guys with blistered butts from sitting on them! that was also where we spent our 5 year anniversary so there wasnt much celebrating mostly hiding from bugs!...

next day we drove the 50 remaining miles to the Zimbabwe border where we crossed slowly but surely into our 4th country! we are now at Antelope park which specilises in rehiblitating lions although they also have other animals elephants antelopes (funnily enough) and other game zebra and giraffes.

yesterday the skies let rip so half a day we sheltered in the resturant making use of the free tea then when it cleared in the afternoon we set off to do 'elephant training' where we got to feed the elephants get on their backs watch them play football etc then we hoped on for a 60min safari atop Africas huge beast! we saw zebra and a tortoise and thats all the rains chase all the animals (giraffe included i really wanted to see one!) to the other side of the park for shelter but the ride was amazing they are such gentle intelligent beings!

then this morning we awoke at 5.30am to head out walking with the lions we went out with 3 juviniles one male two females the male is a bit of a loner so headed off on his own but the females were lovely rubbing up against us and letting us pat and cuddle them they are so lovely! when we left the male was stll awol and was later found by the river eating fish! tomorrow we leave Antelope park for another game reserve where we will hopefully see black rhino!......

Mozambique baby!

Today we have arrived in mozambique after 4 days in Szaziland ive found i quite like border crossings despite how long they can take from SA to Swaziland was easy as pie get out of truck walk in get stamped out of SA get back on truck drive into limbo get out of truck get stamped into Swaziland and Bobs your uncle! today Mozambique was just as easy but took alot longer there were forms to fill in and photos to be taken and money to be paid i look like a bit of a Dorcus Lane with a funny sideways half smile (we were not allowed to smile this made me desperatly want to smile!) also i moved a little so the top of my head got cut off haha!...

So what did we do in swaziland (this is the super quick run through i have 14 minutes left and counting and sorry to anyone on fb i havnt answered it wouldnt load i wasted 4 minutes on it arghhhh next internet i will reply) first day we spent roaming craft markets where i got some friggin choice African print pants which with my new sewing skills (and some help from Jeanne i made into wicked awesome cutoffs with a drawstring)...i did however split the crotch doing some Swazi dancing they are al mended now and i have also half told you about the Swazi dancers we went to wacth! we spent 1 night in Mlilwane national park where you can go on walikning Safaris we went out with a guide in the afternoon and learnt all there is to know about dung and then the next morning on our lonesomes following the "hippo" trail which actually took us rather to close to some crocidiles arggghhh!but it was fun! the next two days we spent in the Shewele (hope i spelt that right) mountains staying at a comminity project the orphan school there Ayibuyembeleko orphan school is sponsered by Truro college small world huh! we visited the school and a comminty project and also went to one of the homesteads for some locally brewed beer and had an awesome game of football against the locals we had 11 players they had 7 it was a draw yeah baby i kicked the ball twice! me and LP both played bare feet so have sore toesies! he also cut his head open heading the ball with sunglasses on and b roke his sunglasses which was sad times! i have to go now before i die of nervousness that my time runs out! peace!....

We jumped the worlds highest bungee...need i say more...

Of course i friggin need to say more cuz theres so much to tell! so let me put some dates in here so you know where i am and i know where i am and it saves confusion on both ends cuz lets face it I've confused myself already with this rambling...so its a Thursday the 11th of November and we leave Knysna (from where i last blogged) we left camp around 8am and let me tell you was i in a foul mood or what? (pretty much because later that morning i was planning on flinging myself off the worlds highest single span concrete bridge also home to the Guinness world record holding highest bungee) at about 9.30am we pulled into Bloukrans bridge where we paid, were weighed, harnessed and had a quick safety briefing before walking out to the middle of the bridge on a "bridge walk" for those of you not mental enough to have ever done this its basically a metal meshy cage bolted onto the underside of the bridge so yes you can see straight down into the gorge (where the river runs a muddy reddish brown...as the guide says from all those crapping their pants) when we got to the jumping platform we were told our jumping order LP was second i was third so he saw me as he was being hoisted back up and i watched him on the screen i jumped like a retard... it basically looked like i was trying to climb back up whilst jumping but LP jumped like a bungee ballerina so graceful sailing through the air...the bungee is 216m with a 4 second free fall and a 3 second pendulum swing then a minute to be winched back up (a full 60 seconds of major wedgie time)...we have a huge number of photos as proof as well as certificates...I'm so proud of us...and i was the only girl so even prouder of me!.... that afternoon we arrived at Tsitsikamma national park for one night it was friggin windy and rainy and in the campsite we saw a massive baboon apart from that we chillaxed....

12th November we arrived into Addo Elephant park where we set up camp,checked out the watering hole for a few hours (saw some Kudu in the far away distance) that afternoon we did a game drive as the day cooled down saw heaps of elephants (funnily enough) including several teeny tiny babies they are so friggin cute the curl their little trunks round the mamma's back legs as the walk and a juvy mock charged our truck which was quite exciting...the park hands out checklists so i was in my element checking off animals while LP took photos we also saw black backed Jackals meercats,yellow mongoose kudu and some pumbas...next day we did two more drives one at the crack of dawn and one late afternoon we checked off buffalo,a boomslang snake,osterich zebra eland red hartebeeste and a dung beetle ....

14th November we spent almost all day driving when we arrived at Chintsa ready to set up camp and get some food only to get well and truely stuck in the mud! we spent about 4 hours in total getting covered in mud (some alot more covered then others...i put up tents and carried bags up and down for peeps) that night we had to leave the truck stranded in the very churned up road to await being pulled out the next day (by a 4x4 pulling a tractor pulling the truck all in all it got out but it took a broken bull bar 1 broken chain a broken cord thing and some broken strappy things) that night was a big one getting back to camp after 4am with not everyone making it into tents and several waking up with drunken related injuries....(not me i was sober to tell all the tales mwaaaahahahah)....

15th November we spent the morning in camp with most peeps nursing their heads then after lunch we headed for a very quick spot of beaching the wind was roaring so after a quick swim and a spot of hole digging we retreated to the pool which we didn't swim in we played a fierce few hours of volleyball and played with Bella the dog (who adopted us and spent all evening the night and next morning trailing us around even sleeping away from home cuz she loved me so much!)...

16th November spent a good 12 hours trucking along the coast...nothing to report there....

17th November arrived in St Lucia where we will be staying at another national park on the look out for leopard and white rhino we have just had some delightfilled Wimpys and are feeling stuffed....(ruining my concentration is the Jesus music playing here in the Internet cafe and the fact that the e key sticks every time i push it!)...off to Swaziland on Friday....LOVING IT!....

Catch up on our first week on the road...

(please excuse any spelling errors i am speed typing...and lazy..)

hello my little lovelies! we have now been on the road a week and are loving it! its so scorching here most days but night times are quite cool we are realising that perhaps we don't have as much practical gear as we should...but hey...

Since i last wrote we have been up to quite a lot! our first day on the road we spent ducking in and out of wineries in Stellenbosch along the garden route I mostly wandered around the lovely grounds LP did sample some but un-surprisingly was not much of a fan...we got to visit a cheetah sanctuary that had Cheetahs captured rather then destroyed after eating livestock its a breeding programme as well so lots of cubs so cute! also theres little kittens all over the show they wont let me cuddle them though!that night we set up camp and sat looking up at the ...clouds...when the stars are out they are so bright!...

next day we headed into Stellenbosch town its a uni town so lots of students we wandered round for a while then headed to the edge of town where there is a nature reserve there we saw loads of birds and three tortoises and a heap of lizards...

the next day it was back on the road first stop was Betty's bay and a penguin colony they were everywhere! so cute waddling around like drunk old men.. my favourite is when they run really fast then fall over we spent a good while just laughing at (with?) them!then it was back on track to Hermanus "the worlds best land based whale watching"only all we saw was the water from a blowhole...we did see two chameleons and i got to hold one! also we have seen Dassies everywhere including babies at the penguin colony they are so friggin cute i cant catch one though despite numerous efforts!...that night we were bush camping complete with poo pit but was so lovely having a tent in the middle of nowhere we walked up a big hill and sat and watched the sunset the colours were amazing...

next day we roasted as we walked over the dunes onto the beach and a long slog into town we saw whales along the way which was lovely! when we got to town cold drinks were a necessity after which we headed back to the water where i swam in my knickers and bra it was so hot the water was coldish but crystal clear and there were fish all over the show...that night back at camp we saw our first snake yay! it was long long long a mole snake we have been told!...

next day we rolled out of camp and were on the road about 3 hours till we reached the southern most tip of Africa Cape Alguhas it was sooooo ridiculously windy there so we didn't spend to much time by the beach instead heading to the campsite and pitching up i got quite bad hay fever so retired to the tent... whilst LP went to watch Cricket in the bar...

Next day our first long day in the truck about 7 hours total not much other then being in the truck we did however see our first elephant and Baboons and i sampled oysters for the first time raw with Tabasco i actually quite liked them...

today we saw some sweet bids at camp they were lorries (unsure of spelling here) and also a mother and baby bush buck right behind our tent! the wildlife here is amazement everyday we see something new it blows my mind today we are having a town day Internet, money changing, postcards then this arvo we are off to play golf...in our jandals...

You did what???? (is what you will be saying when you read this)

Today is day 2 in cape town and we headed back to the waterfront where we got the ferry over to Robben island which is where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison its a really moving place and the guide is a former political prisoner...

Yesterday was day 2 in Cape town and we decided to head up table mountain in the cable car for those of you who don't know what table mountain looks like google it and then imagine it in real life its friggin huge so much bigger than i was expecting! so up we went its nothing like Christchurch's little gondola in fact it makes that look like the kiddies ride at a fair! so up we went with the idea of looking what the trail down was like and if it wasn't to rough we would walk it and if it was we would stop being tight and cough up another R90 when we got to McClears beacon we decided to wing it and head down we spent some of the time walking and the other time climbing or sliding down on our bums it was probably the hardest thing iv ever done...oh and did i mention we did it in jandals...

We are in Africa!!

So this morning i finally got to accomplish a childhood dream setting foot on African soil and even better i don't have to leave for almost half a year I'm so excited i could wet my pants! Our first day has been a good one after arriving in Cape town this morning we got to the hotel checked in showered dressed and what have you then set out adventuring we didn't have much of a plan just to wander...we ended up at the Victoria and Albert waterfront where we spent the afternoon taking in the scenery eating ice-cream watching a slightly strange Italian movie being filmed and riding on a boat around the bay with a comedian as a guide it was very interesting and lovely to get some breeze we even saw seals! on the way home however i stubbed my toe so bad i left a small puddle of blood on the pavement and a large puddle of blood in my jandal ironically our very comprehensive first aid kit was sitting in our hotel room whoops! apart from that slight mishap it has been a lovely day bring on more Africa!...