Yesterday was a very exciting one. We left the Hilton after breakfast and made our way to the Executive Terminal at the Cape Town airport for a 1:00 execujet flight to Tswalu in the Southern Kalahari. On arrival we were met by our guide, Cameron and tracker, Ben and escorted to the most amazing lodge we have ever seen right in the middle of the Kalahari with desert and incredible wildlife at our doorstep.

After settling in to our heavenly guest room, we left at 5pm for an evening safari and found ourselves tracking and photographing all manner of wildlife and native birds. What a treat! Ben is amazing – very quiet and competent, pointing out game from long distances away. Cameron (who is likely in his late 20s) is incredibly educated and knowledgeable about everything in the park. Being a guide, sometimes called a ranger inolves a great deal of study and many certifications. He answers our many questions very effectively and with good grace. He tells us that some of his guests are not that interested, and because he loves it so much, finds that hard to imagine. He is grateful that we are so interested.

The highlight of the evening was a sighting of a pride of 11 lions – 3 generations – whom we tracked at close range for 45 minutes. We watched them from only 2-3 metres away. Absolutely fascinating – especially the fact that they were only mildly curious about us.

This game reserve is owned and heavily funded by the Oppenheimer family – of DeBeers fame – and they are conservationists with great interest in the ecological balance of this reserve. The reserve has been taken back from farming and cattle ranches about 16 years ago and is being restored to its natural state. Restoration involves the careful balancing of different wildlife, game, trees, flowers, people…the lodge only holds 18 people at any one time and no more than 2 vehicles can be out viewing a group of animals at any one time. We are very impressed – and ever hopeful for a positive future – by all the staff and family’s commitment to restoration, provision of good jobs for Africans of all racial groups, and sustainability.

We’ve met some fun people here. We travelled in on the plane from Cape Town with Fatima and Rolf who are from Munich. We had lots of fun with them and enjoyed dinner last night together in the open air.

This morning we were awakened at 5am with a knock on our door and were ready for our drive at 530. We watched about a dozen giraffe for 20 mins, then spent time in a habituated Meerkat colony. The staff at Tswalu have been working for 4 years with 2 groups of a dozen Meerkats to get them used to people being around their home. As a result we could stand and watch them as they woke in the morning, stretched, tidied up and renovated their condo, and prepared to leave a babysitter with 4 little ones for the day while they went out hunting. They return at sundown presumably bringing food back for the babysitter!

From there we tracked a mother black rhino and her baby – Cameron tells us they are severely threatened with only an estimated 800 left in the world. Because of certain plant life here in the park they are doing well here. Apparently they will not release the count in the park to avoid telling the world they are here and risking poachers wanting to come here.

Yesterday we arrived at the Cape Town airport without a booked hotel having changed from original plans to fly to Port Elizabeth when weather prevented us. The city is busy with a large mining conference but we were able to find a nice room online at the Hilton Hotel in the city centre. Great breakfasts and a bonus that it has a super sea salt outdoor pool which we have found delightful at the end of a hot day sightseeing. Weather is very warm – over 30 degrees and the sun is very strong on our pale Canadian winter skin. No complaints though – especially thinking of you braving the icy cold at home.

Yesterday (Saturday) we enjoyed a city tour which took us around the main downtown areas as well as up Table Mountain with its iconic views of the city, the harbor and the oceans, and through the beach communities – like Camps Bay – which stretch along the seashore at the foot of the Twelve Apostles. The beach area reminds me of Kitsilano in Vancouver. The city is as stunning as its reputation. Like all vibrant cities in the world it has it’s gritty areas as well – as we found out one night walking out to dinner on Long St – and it has a large shanty town with very small tin-roofed huts which must be unbearably hot in summer and cold in winter.

Today we had a very interesting trip to Robben Island. We’re so glad we read Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom and reread Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country before coming. Being aware of recent history and political events has made it much easier to understand many things and to appreciate where the country is at socially and where it intends to go. Mandela is honored everywhere for his courage, heart, vision and tenacity. He is a hero and a role model to the black population as one of their own who brought the world to South Africa. To whites he is a man who is much admired as a Nobel peace prize winner – one of 4 South Africans to do so (also Bishop Tutu, de Klerk and Albert Luthuli).

This country is a haven for all Africans. We hear reports that people stream across the border trying to get to a better life. And for those who know these things, they can have documents indicating their new citizenship overnight – a big problem for a country that wants to provide jobs, good health care and education to all its people. Apparently income taxes are only collected from a small part of the population either because the rest don’t earn enough or because they don’t know how to fill out the forms and have never had to do it??? – we need to understand this better……

We are also told this is the murder and rape capital of the world. Blacks have told us they know where people are from by their appearance and they will keep people out to protect their jobs. That said, tourists are very well treated. It is said that one tourist can create up to 10 jobs. People understand that jobs are what is needed to decrease poverty and open up opportunity. Working blacks are everywhere: In the restaurants, hotels, taxis, ticket booths for sightseeing, as well as driving the tour buses and boats and guiding tours on Robben Island (many political prisoner are now the guides) and some are the guests and tourists as well and of course they are the journalists, politicians and governors of this country and largely making a good job of it.

Today which is Monday Feb 6 we fly to Tswalu Game Reserve in the Kalahari. We have lots more observations and pictures to share and will do so as we can.

We spent last night in the Fairmont Zimbali on the Indian Ocean after a frustrating day spent in the Durban King Shaka airport waiting for flight to Port Elizabeth. Too bad we couldn’t enjoy it because it looked beautiful. We arrived after dark at 8 pm and had to leave at 6am; however we were very glad to have a warm and safe bed to sleep in. Durban looks to be a beautiful place and we would have liked to have more time there -everyone at the airport was very helpful – but once it gets dark it’s nice to be settled in somewhere familiar.

This morning early we flew into Cape Town on South African Airlines and what a site from the plane coming in!

We woke early and had a delicious continental breakfast on the porch at Makakatana, said our goodbyes and took to the N2 to Durban International for a flight at 130 to Port Elizabeth on the south shore.

The small staff at the lodge provided an excellent example of effective teamwork. Everyone did her or his designated job as well as supporting others and jumping in to do what needed doing. There didn’t seem to be any tension between whites who were rangers and office staff and several Zulu women who were kitchen, meal service and housekeeping. The camaraderie and respectful joking among them was good to watch even though we knew as guests we might not be allowed to see tensions that were under the surface.

The trip south by car is beautiful – everything very green and lush, acres and acres of planted eucalyptus trees and sugar cane, lots of pretty little Zulu villages with their round thatch-roofed huts reserved for the ancestors, and many cows – some grazing too close to the highway! The roads are very good and lots of people are employed repairing the roads and building new lanes, cleaning the roadsides, picking up any garbage. Everything is very clean. Speed limit is 120 km/hr and everyone moves fast, lots of trucks and “taxis” that the blacks cram into – 16 seater vans that stop on the side of the road to take people to work or shopping or whatever. They look stifling hot but seem to work in this evolving economy with 25pc and more unemployment rates depending on the area. Tourism is down considerably with recession in Europe and USA and people are feeling it.

Bad luck with weather in Port Elizabeth and we’re still here at 630pm waiting in the airport for a flight out which does not look promising but they don’t want to cancel yet.. Apparently all flights from Joberg to PE have been canceled so it’s just a matter of time for us to be cancelled as well…. We’ve just changed our flight to an early one tomorrow to Cape Town. SAA was very accommodating. There is a Fairmont Hotel nearby so we will head there overnight.

Interesting story when gasing up the rental car at a Shell station on the highway (BTW the rest stops are the same as ours in Canada with gas, food and drink, cash machines and the like). There was a power outage at the station on our side of the highway so several red shirted employees with the Shell logo directed us to drive into the culvert under the highway to the other side where the power was working in that Shell station.

Getting gas here is a pleasure. Many uniformed employees, both men and women, are at the ready to pump your gas, wash your windows and check under the hood if you wish. They are very grateful for a 20 rand tip (about 2.50) which goes to help feed the extended family.

We are sorry to be leaving Zululand behind. From what we have seen they are a kind and gentle people who are struggling to make it in a rapidly changing world. HIV Aids and unemployment are huge challenges. The men seem to have trouble staying with the family. Many women are supporting their extended families on their own. Two days ago we took a very early morning game drive. On the way we saw dozens and dozens of kids of all ages walking along the highways to school, very neatly dressed in clean uniforms despite the fact that living conditions are very rough. It was 630am! We are told that kids walk very long distances (even 10 kms in some cases) and sadly teachers are in very short supply and poorly paid so the kids might get to school and no teacher is there.

We’re at Makakatana Bay Lodge in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park near Lake St Lucia in Kwa Zulu Natal province for one more night. Today we took a pontoon boat tour on the estuary of Lake St Lucia and saw many dozens of hippos resting in the water. As we motored gently by, they would lift their heads to look at us, snort a lot to say: dont come too close; and then submerge themselves again. We have many exciting pictures of the hippos as well as great shots of fish eagles sitting regally in the trees or taking flight to get away from the boat. Our captain was a very respectful and knowledgeable guide who kept away from anything that would be unduly frightened. Our lodge is very wild, elephants come at night to forage, 3 water buffalo spend their time grazing in the front yard, monkeys live in the trees out side the porch where we eat breakfast and race across the rooves at night, and a wharthog family come several times every day to drink from the pond.
This was our third tour in this UNESCO World Heritage reserve. As we drove in the first day we were thrilled to see giraffe and zebra grazing beside the dirt roads. We spent the first evening on a drive with a wonderful young and very knowledgeable guide named Riley who sat with us for an hour watching a bull elephant alone in the setting sun and very close to our truck. Needless to say we have some great photos but no way yet to upload without wifi which we hope will be available tomorrow sometime. We have been using the computers in the lodges to keep our messages going out and the photos are downloaded onto the ipad. Next time we will bring a cell phone and learn how to use it to tether – right, Kirk?
I am continuously blown away by the complex adaptive systems that we are learning about every day here – complexity being a subject I am very interested in!
We leave here tomorrow after breakfast and drive 3 hours to the Durban airport to return our rental car and catch a flight to Port Elizabeth. From there we pick up another car and drive to Cape Town along the famous Garden Route.

Hi Everyone, we’re at Makakatana Bay Lodge in the northern part of Kwa Zulu Natal on the banks on Lake Lucia near Swaziland. Having some wonderful viewings of giraffe, water buffalo, zebra, rhino, and more with a fantastic guide. Very limited broadband here and no way to upload our terrific pictures. We leave here on Friday (it is now Wednesday dinner time here) and drive back to Durban airport, fly to Port Elizabeth and drive to Cape Town. Hope to find better internet in the south to start sharing more information and pictures. Having a wonderful trip and meeting many interesting people with lots of insight in to this wondefully complex country.

Today is Monday here and after another very fine breakfast….luckily we don’t eat lunch because breakfast and dinner are extensive and inspired gourmet – we took another hike up the mountains and lots of pictures. We were seen by a jackal who followed at a distance for a little bit then scurried away to find his/her tribe. Probably another sentry watching out as the eland did yeasterday. We haven’t seen the baboons yet and maybe won’t but did see what was likely their scat at the gateway from the farm out to the foothills of the mountain. This valley is full of beautiful farms and lots of cattle. It looks like a place that sheep would love but we’re told there is not enough rain to replace the grasses the sheep pull out by the roots. The predatory wildlife has all been hunted out a couple of generations ago.

In a few minutes we are heading to the Giants Castle where there are 3000 year-old rock wall paintings. Its about an hour away by car.

Tomorrow we leave early to drive up the coast to the Makakatana Bay Lodge where a 330pm game drive awaits us.

As a point of interest we are meeting many Europeans who come here for a couple of months because the flights are easy – about 10 hours and only an hour time change…..a little like Canadian snow birds going to Florida, Arizona or California.

This will be a short post today. We are on a very old computer and could be booted out at any time….no wifi here to use the ipad. And maybe that’s a good thing as we had the most awesome hike today. Up 2200 metres on the Highmoor in uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site – some of it by car then a 3 hour hike in and out – unbelievable sites and views. We will try to get some pictures up as soon as we have wifi again. We are staying at the Cleopatra Mountain Lodge in the foothills of Cleopatra Mountain – so named because there is a profile naturally carved out of the rock face that soldiers many years back in the Boer Wars thought looked like Cleopatra – or so the story goes.

The Lodge is famed for its food and for its hundreds of types of birds – many nesting on the property. There are two tribes of baboons in the mountains just north of here. They stay away but can be sighted from the lodge. We were watched over by an eland while hiking on the moor. We could see his/her profile at the top of the hill.

It is wonderfully relaxing. We are still not sleeping really well with the 7 hour time change – waking for 3-4 hours in the night and then sleeping very well in early morning – so relaxing is very good – as is physical exercise. We have a rental car from Durban airport where we flew into yesterday from Joberg, and then drove up into the mountains. Gord did wonderfully well with left hand steering and on the “wrong” side of the road.

We had a fantastic day today. After a very good sleep and a wonderful breakfast overlooking the city of Johannesburg we headed out on a tour of Soweto, starting with the Apartheid Museum and ending with the Hector Pieterson Museum. In between we visited Mandela’s home, which is now a museum, and we had a local lunch with our guide. There is so much to tell that we will do it in stages today and tomorrow so please check back on this post as we put it together. It’s almost dinner time so we will publish it as we add information.

We left the hotel with Ben, our excellent tour guide at 1030am and returned at 5pm. We were concerned that much of what we would see would be very hard to take in. Ben started the tour by saying “I am going to show you the good, the not so good and the ugly.” And he did – all while answering our many questions with honesty, humour, grace and pride. He has many good reasons to be proud, he has lived in Soweto all his life – he tells us he is 40 and the youngest child of 4. His mother is 75; his father left when he was 6. Their household also consists of his two nephews, 21 and 17 (as their uncle he has resposibilities to see they are raised well) and his own 2 children on weekends. He is a very conscientious and kind man. We know this by the respectful and kind way he treats the many people – both old and young – that we come in contact with over the course of the day. He tell us he has just finished paying the bride price (dowry) for his second wife. He is proud to tell us she is a teacher. We are sorry to learn that his mother has just been diagnosed with TB. Happily she is being well cared for in a local hospital. He tells us that healthcare Is provided for all South African citizens.

A little about Soweto: It stands for SOuth WEst TOwnship and is about 30 minutes from our hotel. The population is estimated to be about 3.5 million but no one really knows how many people actually live there. Apparently the government did a census count last year, the results have not been released yet. Both Archbishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela lived there for many years. In fact Desmond Tutu still has a house which his son keeps for him and he stays there when he is in Johannesburg. The restaurant where we were invited to have an excellent local buffet lunch was beside his house.

Arrived safe and sound at the beautiful Westcliff. This city is full of so much history we don’t know where to start. A little sleep will help tremendously. More later.

Here are first impressions: The Joburg airport was beautiful, new and shiny clean and Customs very efficient. Hundreds of people arrived with us. In fact our plane alone held 526 people! We were through Customs – all African staff – in no time and a car and driver from the hotel were waiting for us outside the gates. Thirty minute ride to our hotel. The city looks clean and prosperous, at least the part we see. Our driver, Lazarus is very well turned out in khaki pants and light blue Oxford cloth shirt. He tells us the population is about 16 million. We know from other sources that 80pc of the country’s population is African. This is the term that Mandela uses for blacks. He also refers to Coloureds, Indians and Whites.

We passed numerous road crews repairing the roads or working on the sides. Another remarkable feature was the huge display of many different kinds of trees. Unfortunately we missed the famous Jacaranda which blooms purple in September. There are thousands in Joburg. It must be quite a sight.

Our hotel is a beautiful old classic built on the hillside in Rosebank, which looks like a very upscale part of the city. You can see the European influence in the architecture and the amenities – reminds me a little of the British influence in Hong Kong. There’s a Polo bar for instance, staffed by very smart-looking Africans but looking very much like a British Club.

Tomorrow we will arrange a tour of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum.