Amazing Africa

Our time on this amazing continent is coming to an end. For both David and I the time spent here has been the highlight of our trip so far. I’m a bit surprised by this. We’ve always been in awe of the history and beauty of Europe, but Africa is so very different from anything we’ve ever experienced – wild and new. Once I got over the initial fear of the mosquitoes and the size and abundance of the spiders and insects (there are beetles here that sound like helicopters and are almost as big) I relaxed and began to appreciate this strange and beautiful landscape.

If we had to choose what in particular we loved about our African experience we’d agree on the safari days in both Botswana at Chobe National Park and in South Africa at Karongwe Game Reserve (pics below). Our time in Cape Town was also magical. Cape Town is a truly beautiful city.

Wow it is hot! Hot hot hot. 38-40 degrees! We are pale Canadians and not designed for this extreme heat. And the mosquitos! We were glad we took the travel clinic’s advise and took our anti malaria meds. Try getting 3 kids who never take pills to take 3 a day for 12 days. That was fun. Despite sleeping with mosquito netting around the beds and using copious amounts of bug spray we’d all wake up each morning with multiple bites of unknown origin. I guess we are a tasty bunch.

Still no washer and dryer so it was back to laundry by hand and hanging it to dry in the back yard of our “hut” in Zimbabwe. This was an experience… from the sign right out back that read “beware of crocodiles,” to a stare down with 2 wart hogs as I hung clothes, to finding a decent sized frog as I folded, and watching a group of monkeys run around right beside me worrying they were going to steal our shirts. Only in Africa!

Our trip began in Zimbabwe, 5 nights in the town of Victoria Falls. Our first excursion took us to the falls and despite being exceptionally dry this year, with limited volume of water, it was still awe inspiring. No wonder it is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World!

Our lodge in Zimbabwe was phenomenal, complete with a view of a watering hole from the pool and restaurant. Our first evening we were treated to a herd of elephants (even babies!) coming for their evening drink and honestly one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen.

We also took the boys on a visit to a traditional tribal village. Talk about eye opening. These people live entirely off the land as subsistence farmers. They have no power or water, and they receive no government support. They own the land, but are responsible for everything without support. Each tribe of 200 or so subsections has a tribal leader, and there is one chief for many, many tribal leaders. 60% of the country is living this way – off the land. The economy is a bartering system trading chickens for clothes or materials. The nearest well is 3 kms away and they make the trek there 4 times a day during the dry season, getting up at 4am to avoid the heat in the morning. Only recently do they have this “nearby” well thanks to UNICEF. Before the bore well a 12 km walk to the closest river was in order. There are no modern medicines and no phones. They rely on drums to communicate to neighbours. Needless to say our boys were shocked by the lack of PS4s and iPads and we hope somewhat humbled to see just how we are truly fortunate or spoiled.

On our third day in Africa we took a trip to Botswana and the Chobe River and Chobe National Park. Our first encounter ever with wild safari animals outside of the zoo. Extraordinary! The river boat and Jeep tours allowed us to get up close to crocodiles and hippos, herds of elephants, buffalo and impala, many with babies due to the time of year.

Chobe National Park Safari, Botswana

Next we spent 5 nights in Cape Town. One word… gorgeous! Table mountain, Camps Bay and The 12 Apostles (we liked it so much we went twice) and a day trip to The Cape of Good Hope and Boulder’s Beach to see the African penguins. The city itself felt very clean, safe and modern. The people were absolutely wonderful; friendly and helpful. We spent an afternoon at the Sea Point Pavilion olympic sized swimming pool followed by a walk back to our apartment along the Promenade. We also explored the waterfront and had a delicious lunch at the V&A street food market. We had taught the boys about Nelson Mandela and apartheid at Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol when we visited in August (there was an exhibition there titled “From Prisoner to President”). We followed this up with a visit to District 6 Museum and statues of and monuments to Nelson Mandela while in Cape Town.

African Penguins at Boulder’s Bay

Our final stop in Africa was Hoedspruit and the Karongwe Game Reserve. We booked 3 nights at the Kuname Lodge and we will forever remember our time spent here. A beautiful lodge straight out of a magazine. 6 game rides that allowed us to see more elephants, tons of zebras, 3 leopards, 3 cheetahs, bush pigs, wart hogs, many giraffes, countless monkeys, hippos, rhinos, a pride of young lions and one very lazy male lion.

So exciting (and a bit surreal) to see them in their natural habitats. Our guides were fantastic and respectful of the animals and their environment. It was an amazing experience!

Sadly all good things must come to an end. Africa it has been a remarkable 2 weeks that has opened our eyes to so much. We hope to be lucky enough to be back some day!

With love,

The Travelling Babins

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow” – Anita Desai