South Africa, November 2006
Nick's first time back to his home on the southern tip of Africa and Lauren's first visit to this melting pot of beauty, beasts, and brutal crime. Luckily we didn't see any of the latter, so maybe that part is not as bad as we expected it to be before we got on the plane. Either way, we both had a fantastic time.
For the first five days, we stayed in a beach villa against the cliffs of Lion's Head Mountain. It overlooks Clifton Beach, one of South Africa's most premier and poshest beaches. The views were spectacular, but those steps to the street where our car was parked almost killed us. And we're both fit. And dodging the crazy drivers on the winding two-lane road that led to the rest of Cape Town was quite an experience.
We took a cable car up Table Mountain, tasted wine in Stellenbosch, and petted the cheetahs at Moyo, a cheetah preserve and authentic "African Exprience" venue which served a glorious buffet of truly South African delicacies while zulu dancers and singers moved between our tables to serenade us and perform tribal dances. Got to visit my mom and my sis whom I hadn't seen in 8 years. It got a little emotional at times, especially when it got closer to the time to go.
From Cape Town, we flew to George, and then drove to Knysna where we stayed in a cute cabin on the lake/river mouth that fed into the ocean behind us. The next day it was off to Botlierskop, a private game reserve close to Mossel Bay. There, we rode an elephant, took a helicopter flip to see game and sharks (about 20 in the space of 3 minutes) right off the Mossel Bay shore. We went on two game drives where we got very lucky and saw most of the reserve's animals up close and personal. I popped the Big Q in a luxury tent in the bush (Botlierskop) after eating ostrich and crocodile steaks and pickled quail eggs. Must have been those quail eggs that made me do it... :) Thankfully, she accepted and made me a very happy (relieved?) man.
The next day we took an unplanned drive to Oudtshoorn, SA's ostrich farm conglomerate. We watched a jockeyed ostrich race and I got to ride an one myself. (An ostrich, not a jockey.) Fell off the latter and Lauren got it on video. (Africa's Funniest Home Videos?)
From there, we flew to Johannesburg, from where we drove to my uncle's massive game farm with my dad and stepmom. Two days there gave us more safari excursions where we saw all six species of antelope, as well as the zebras, wildebeest, and worthogs that roam there. Lauren had a rough time in the back of the Pajero as my dad insisted on taking us down to the river (where we saw nothing!) down a rocky slope that does not qualify for a road. At least her day was made when she got to run on the treadmill in my aunt's private mini-gym that overlooks the plains where much of the game trek through when returning from the watering and feeding facilities (aka the "Wimpy," named after the Wimpy fast food restaurant chain in South Africa).
We got to visit and hang out with my friends for a day or so just before making the 18-hour flight back to the States, so after eleven adventure-filled days, our fantastic vacation was complete.
Below are a selection of the best of the 1,000 or so pictures we took. Click on them to open a bigger version:
Villa Clifton (the white building in the middle with the pointy grey roof)
Our transportation in Cape Town--my sister's diesel SsangYong
The view of Clifton Beach from our villa
The same view, but after an overnight storm
The Victorian bath in our villa (who's that laying on the bed in the mirror?)
Up Table Mountain via cable car
The view from the top of Table Mountain (Lion's Head on the left)
Camps Bay (next to Clifton Beach) from Table Mountain
The same view 20 minutes later when the clouds enshrouded Table Mountain
Lauren hanging over Table Mountain (Cape Town below)
Living on the edge!
Don't lose your balance! It's a long way down!
Cape Town, Cape Town harbor, and Bloubergstrand on the far shore
Lovebirds on TM
Cable car station and miniscule cars below Table Mountain
Mountains to the right of Table Mountain
Sun breaking through clouds (view from villa deck)
Mr. Sun about to sign off for the day
On the rocks at Camps bay
Side of Table Mountain from Camps Bay (note the cable car station on the top)
Camps Bay beach
Hottie posin' on the rocks
Hottie with Lion's Head in the background
Surfer in the pipe at Clifton's 1st Beach
Beach and ocean view from Camps Bay
On Clifton's 1st beach
Kite boarder with Table Mountain in the background (view from Bloubergstrand)
Cape Town lights up Table Mountain at sunset
Lauren riding shotgun (ok, CANNON) at the entrance to the Castle of Good Hope
Being silly at the Castle
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
Blues guitarist playing a home-made oil can guitar at the Waterfront
At the V & A Waterfront
Cape Town has Morton's!
Sipping cocktails while watching the sun set over Camps Bay
Wine tasting with the fandamily
Get a room!!!
Wine and chocolate tasting in Stellenbosch
A beautiful flower... and a rose :)
Petting kitty at Spier/Moyo
Outside the Moyo tented restaurant
Aaaw!!
Our waterfront cabin at Under Milk Wood resort in Knysna
Cabin kitchen
Zebra skins at the entrance to Botlierskop restaurant and reception
Drinking Appletiser and snacking on biltong on the Botlierskop main deck
Transportation to our tents
Alert the game warden! There's a wild animal on the loose in our tent!!
Marble bathtub in the tent... this is where I first proposed... on my knees in an empty bath!
My baby in front of our tent
Before getting into the helicopter
The Botlierskop restaurant and reception complex from the helicopter
Lions from up above... here, kitty-kitty!
The Mossel Bay coastline
One of about 20 sharks we saw in the space of about 3 minutes, swimming just beyond the surf along the Mossel Bay coastline
Grand view of the Botlierskop game reserve
Mossel Bay from the 'copter
A small squatter kamp outside Mossel Bay
Going on a game drive
Waterbuck (I think... or maybe Eland)
Herd of Blue Wildebeest
Rhino on the horizon
A rare sight--I think they were posing for us.
Prehistoric grazing
Zebra... or is it a donkey in pajamas?
Tsotsi making eyes at us
Sam grazing
Yes, that's exactly what you think it is. Apparently it weighs up to 100 pounds or more!
Bontebok
Getting ready to tangle!
Someone sat on some freshly painted toilet seats! :)
The only live kill we witnessed--a Blue Crane having lizard for lunch!
Nick and Arne, our guide
Monkeying around
Giraffe silhouttes on the hilltop
Sheer grace
Shhh! I'm listening for signals from outer space!!
Red impala and rare black impala
Moo!
A Protea ready to bloom (out of season)
The Botlierskop owner's thatch-roof palace
Lions chasing the Botlierskop vehicle
What are you looking at?
The King keeps a watchful eye
Going for an elephant ride
Sam stops for a snack
Smile! You're on an elephant!
Ostriches in Oudtshoorn
Lauren feeding baby ostriches
Overturned truck holding up traffic on the last turn in the Outeniqua mountain pass. We almost missed our flight from George to Johannesburg because of it.
Fueling up before going on another game drive on my Uncle's farm
Herd of Eland
Waterbuck
Bambi in Africa
This picture was not Photoshopped, I swear!
Window on the world
There is nothing like an African sunset
Curiosity killed the kudu
Skin of the python that was killed in the barn next to the house where we slept
Going quad biking on the farm
Hello?
Another gorgeous sunset
Nick, Dad and Uncle Willie
Cutie by the campfire
Leaving the farm
Nick and Albert
For the first five days, we stayed in a beach villa against the cliffs of Lion's Head Mountain. It overlooks Clifton Beach, one of South Africa's most premier and poshest beaches. The views were spectacular, but those steps to the street where our car was parked almost killed us. And we're both fit. And dodging the crazy drivers on the winding two-lane road that led to the rest of Cape Town was quite an experience.
We took a cable car up Table Mountain, tasted wine in Stellenbosch, and petted the cheetahs at Moyo, a cheetah preserve and authentic "African Exprience" venue which served a glorious buffet of truly South African delicacies while zulu dancers and singers moved between our tables to serenade us and perform tribal dances. Got to visit my mom and my sis whom I hadn't seen in 8 years. It got a little emotional at times, especially when it got closer to the time to go.
From Cape Town, we flew to George, and then drove to Knysna where we stayed in a cute cabin on the lake/river mouth that fed into the ocean behind us. The next day it was off to Botlierskop, a private game reserve close to Mossel Bay. There, we rode an elephant, took a helicopter flip to see game and sharks (about 20 in the space of 3 minutes) right off the Mossel Bay shore. We went on two game drives where we got very lucky and saw most of the reserve's animals up close and personal. I popped the Big Q in a luxury tent in the bush (Botlierskop) after eating ostrich and crocodile steaks and pickled quail eggs. Must have been those quail eggs that made me do it... :) Thankfully, she accepted and made me a very happy (relieved?) man.
The next day we took an unplanned drive to Oudtshoorn, SA's ostrich farm conglomerate. We watched a jockeyed ostrich race and I got to ride an one myself. (An ostrich, not a jockey.) Fell off the latter and Lauren got it on video. (Africa's Funniest Home Videos?)
From there, we flew to Johannesburg, from where we drove to my uncle's massive game farm with my dad and stepmom. Two days there gave us more safari excursions where we saw all six species of antelope, as well as the zebras, wildebeest, and worthogs that roam there. Lauren had a rough time in the back of the Pajero as my dad insisted on taking us down to the river (where we saw nothing!) down a rocky slope that does not qualify for a road. At least her day was made when she got to run on the treadmill in my aunt's private mini-gym that overlooks the plains where much of the game trek through when returning from the watering and feeding facilities (aka the "Wimpy," named after the Wimpy fast food restaurant chain in South Africa).
We got to visit and hang out with my friends for a day or so just before making the 18-hour flight back to the States, so after eleven adventure-filled days, our fantastic vacation was complete.
Below are a selection of the best of the 1,000 or so pictures we took. Click on them to open a bigger version:
Villa Clifton (the white building in the middle with the pointy grey roof)
Our transportation in Cape Town--my sister's diesel SsangYong
The view of Clifton Beach from our villa
The same view, but after an overnight storm
The Victorian bath in our villa (who's that laying on the bed in the mirror?)
Up Table Mountain via cable car
The view from the top of Table Mountain (Lion's Head on the left)
Camps Bay (next to Clifton Beach) from Table Mountain
The same view 20 minutes later when the clouds enshrouded Table Mountain
Lauren hanging over Table Mountain (Cape Town below)
Living on the edge!
Don't lose your balance! It's a long way down!
Cape Town, Cape Town harbor, and Bloubergstrand on the far shore
Lovebirds on TM
Cable car station and miniscule cars below Table Mountain
Mountains to the right of Table Mountain
Sun breaking through clouds (view from villa deck)
Mr. Sun about to sign off for the day
On the rocks at Camps bay
Side of Table Mountain from Camps Bay (note the cable car station on the top)
Camps Bay beach
Hottie posin' on the rocks
Hottie with Lion's Head in the background
Surfer in the pipe at Clifton's 1st Beach
Beach and ocean view from Camps Bay
On Clifton's 1st beach
Kite boarder with Table Mountain in the background (view from Bloubergstrand)
Cape Town lights up Table Mountain at sunset
Lauren riding shotgun (ok, CANNON) at the entrance to the Castle of Good Hope
Being silly at the Castle
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
Blues guitarist playing a home-made oil can guitar at the Waterfront
At the V & A Waterfront
Cape Town has Morton's!
Sipping cocktails while watching the sun set over Camps Bay
Wine tasting with the fandamily
Get a room!!!
Wine and chocolate tasting in Stellenbosch
A beautiful flower... and a rose :)
Petting kitty at Spier/Moyo
Outside the Moyo tented restaurant
Aaaw!!
Our waterfront cabin at Under Milk Wood resort in Knysna
Cabin kitchen
Zebra skins at the entrance to Botlierskop restaurant and reception
Drinking Appletiser and snacking on biltong on the Botlierskop main deck
Transportation to our tents
Alert the game warden! There's a wild animal on the loose in our tent!!
Marble bathtub in the tent... this is where I first proposed... on my knees in an empty bath!
My baby in front of our tent
Before getting into the helicopter
The Botlierskop restaurant and reception complex from the helicopter
Lions from up above... here, kitty-kitty!
The Mossel Bay coastline
One of about 20 sharks we saw in the space of about 3 minutes, swimming just beyond the surf along the Mossel Bay coastline
Grand view of the Botlierskop game reserve
Mossel Bay from the 'copter
A small squatter kamp outside Mossel Bay
Going on a game drive
Waterbuck (I think... or maybe Eland)
Herd of Blue Wildebeest
Rhino on the horizon
A rare sight--I think they were posing for us.
Prehistoric grazing
Zebra... or is it a donkey in pajamas?
Tsotsi making eyes at us
Sam grazing
Yes, that's exactly what you think it is. Apparently it weighs up to 100 pounds or more!
Bontebok
Getting ready to tangle!
Someone sat on some freshly painted toilet seats! :)
The only live kill we witnessed--a Blue Crane having lizard for lunch!
Nick and Arne, our guide
Monkeying around
Giraffe silhouttes on the hilltop
Sheer grace
Shhh! I'm listening for signals from outer space!!
Red impala and rare black impala
Moo!
A Protea ready to bloom (out of season)
The Botlierskop owner's thatch-roof palace
Lions chasing the Botlierskop vehicle
What are you looking at?
The King keeps a watchful eye
Going for an elephant ride
Sam stops for a snack
Smile! You're on an elephant!
Ostriches in Oudtshoorn
Lauren feeding baby ostriches
Overturned truck holding up traffic on the last turn in the Outeniqua mountain pass. We almost missed our flight from George to Johannesburg because of it.
Fueling up before going on another game drive on my Uncle's farm
Herd of Eland
Waterbuck
Bambi in Africa
This picture was not Photoshopped, I swear!
Window on the world
There is nothing like an African sunset
Curiosity killed the kudu
Skin of the python that was killed in the barn next to the house where we slept
Going quad biking on the farm
Hello?
Another gorgeous sunset
Nick, Dad and Uncle Willie
Cutie by the campfire
Leaving the farm
Nick and Albert
posted by lover_buoy @ 7:47 AM
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