Day 5 - Off to Namibia

We woke up before the sun this morning and were forced to get ready in darkness as the house had no power, we later found out that it was because you actually have to go to the stotre and buy power credits in Cape town and They had run out of thier credits. It's like pay as you go electricity! We made it to the airport is perfect time and pretty much walked right onjto the plane after returning the car and booking another rental for when we got back to cape town. The flight over South Africa and Namibia had some nice scenery and we since we had had window seats (never again) we were able to enjoy it. The flight to Windhoek was 2 hours and we arrived no problem. It was funny to see a gun check counter in the airport right after we got through customs. Our pick up for the rental truck was waiting with a name sign so after picking up our GPS and Jeff buying some biltong (dried meat) of Oryx,Kudu, andSpringbok, we were off to Windhoek to pick up the truck.

Once I get home I will post a picture of the truck we drove and slept in for our time in Namibia. It was a pick-up truck that had been modified to be a camper with the tents unfolding on the roof of the truck. It was a great truck.

After picking up the truck, we went to a nearby mall to get some food and supplies...we first stopped at a german restaurant for lunch which took longer then we thought and set us back a bit. The menu consisted of more sprinbok, and the unfortunately named Lange Weiner. Then getting groceries and money took longer than we thought which set us back even further. It was 2:30 by the time we left Windhoek for the drive to Waterberg National Park, about 300km away. This wouldn't have been a concern except we needed to make it there before sunset when the gates to the park closed. It was a race against the sun and when were about 10km away form the park we started making plans as to where we would sleep on the side of the road and if we would set up the tents...we were actually freaking out, altough some showed it more then others. In the end we made it before they closed the gates and we set uop our tents in the dark. We didn't feel like cooking so we went to find the restaurant. We wandered down to reception but there was no restaurant there, however a man polishing rifles told us to walk up the hill about 10 min and we would find. As we walked down a pitch black road in the middle of an African NAtional Park, we pondered how it may not have been the smartest thing to listen to the guy polishing rifles when he tells you to walk somewhere in the dark. Eventually we found the restaurant and started our camping trip meal plan by roughing it with a meal of Crocodile steak, Game steak, and Pork chops...A really good meal in a really nice restaurant...Maybe camping won't be so bad.

At dinner the park to9ur guides came over to say hello and managed to book a morning safari for the 5:30am next day. It working out perfectly. The stars here are unbelievable. None of us have seen anything like it. No light pollution at all. It's amazing

We are Alive

We are back in Cape Town after 11 days camping in Namibia where we were camping and had no access to email...the pone night we went into a city internet in the whole city was down. We will update on the 11 days of camping soon.

Day 4 - Langa Township Tour

Note. we posted photos from Table mountain hike and abseiling in day 2----

Andrew - This is going to be a quick entry as it is 1 am and we are getting up at 5 am to go to the airport for Namibia tomorrow- Today started off slowly as we only got up around and decided to go down to the Waterfront and catch the ferry to Robben Island. Robben Island is the prison where Nelson Mandela was a prisoner and is on an island off the coast of Cape Town. When we got to the ferry ticket booth there was a sign saying the ferry was sold out for the day so we had to change our plans. We did not account for the fact that it was Easter Monday. We went to the tourist office and booked a township tour for the Afternoon. We then had a quick lunch in the harbour (pic below}and went back to Jes' place for pick up.

The townships in Cape town are a holdover from the Apartheid era where the blacks and coloureds (mixed races) were moved into communities based on the colour of thier skin. Langa is the oldest township in Cape Town. The tour operator named Mandla lived in the Townships and uses the tours to raise awareness and support the community. The 3 hours tour .took us through the township, into some of the houses, and into a local she'baan, or pub. It was a a pretty amazing tour. We bought vegtables in the townships to bring to the houses we were visiting and had brought some of the pencils and pens we brought over for the kids.

Lois - We have been living the life of the rich here in capetown. We are living in a mansion on the hills, drinking fine wines and going to the trendiest restaurants and bars in the city. In this city little money will get you far and whereever you venture, you are treated like royality. This is great but this does not allow us the experience of getting a feel for the culture of the local people. Our visit to the township today was a great way for us to mingle with local people and hear of their struggles through history. The people we meet today welcomed us with open arms and greeted us very kindly. The cilderen were adorable and the smiles on their facess will forever be in my memory. Although the people of Langa have very little material wealth they are amoung the happiest people I have ever met. There strong sense of community is something we should all aspire to. The most amazing molments we experienced today could not be captured on film but we wil, share with you our storeis when we return. You will see in the picture below that we had the chance to experience a local beer which is brewed by the people of Langa. The beer is made of sugar gum, mealie meal, wheat, spices...and many other ingredients I will not even venture to name. We drank it out of a giant paint canister in a local taverne (wood boards with a tin roof basically). The canister was passed around the bar for all to share.

Jeff - Went out to Camps Bay for dinner at Blues. Really nice spot overlooking the ocean and the usual suspect dishes could be seen around the table including ostrich, springbok and calamari. I had a huge plate of fresh seafood which I won't soon forget. On the way home Jes took us by the way we'll have to head tomorrow to get the airport. This will be the first time navigating ourselves in Cape Town and let's just hope we arrive in Namibia safe...if at all.

Day 3 - Shark Cage Diving

Andrew - We got the wake up call 40 minutes early when the van came to collect us for the diving. Since we had gone to bed at 3:30 the night before we definitely weren't ready and scrambled to get our stuff together. At about 3 minutes to 9 we got in the van, and after a couple of hotel picks ups, and were on our way to Gansbaai to the site of the shark diving. It was about a two hour drive from Cape town and although the scenery was beautiful, we all slept through most of the drive. We arrived at the shark dive office, which was really a house near the harbour and had a light lunch and instruction on what to expect for the day. We were all a little tired and Lois offered around the gravol to fight sea sickness. Jeff, Jes and Martin took it but Lois, Jess and I did not. I have never been sea sick in my life and figured I could do without it (this would prove to be a fatal error).





We loaded into the boat with 14 other people and went off to Dyer island. This is the worlds largest population of great whites sharks and is where about 70% of all shark documentaries are fillmed. It was about a 20 min ride out to the island and I started to feel rough about 15 miutes into it. We dropped anchor at our location and sat waiting for the sharting. It was pretty wavy and pretty soon I knew I was going to be sick. I now have the honour of being the first person to be sick on this trip. In total I threw up 6 times and felt terrible the whole trip...I felt so sick I could not even manage to get a wet suit on to dive...I spent most of the day throwing up over the side of the ship...the pictures of the sharks look very nice though!





Jess - Fortunately, unlike Andrew, I did not get sea sick and loved spending the day out on the water. Although a little aprehensive at first, I was pretty excited about what I was about to do. It took a little while for the staff to bait the sharks, but they eventually started coming around our boat so the first cage of divers went down. I was part of the second group to go. As I climbed into the cage in the 15degree water I kept repeating the instructions that the staff had given us over and over again in my head - feet on the red bar, hands on the lid - otherwise, the sharks could mistake them for the bait. The 5 of us sat in the cage waiting for the staff to give us the cue to dive down. As I waited anxiously, I heard them yell "down! down!" so I took a deep breath and dove down. I looked around as carefully but didn't see anything. The next dive was much more successfull. As soon as I dove down, I could see the shark swimming towards me. It was at that moment that I realized the bait was about 3 inches from my face, so as the shark approached I got the greatest view that I could have ever imagined. In total, we saw 7 sharks. One of which was nearly 4 metres long, which is apparently very rare. I enjoyed the diving so much that I dove in 2 of the 3 cages. All in all, it was an amazing and unforgettable day for me! An incredible experience considering the great white shart could be extinct in as little as 15 years.





Lois-I puked 6 times, went in the cage...saw great whites heading straight for me....was feeling so terrible that I was hoping they would eat me. I even had a bloody leg from my adventure the day before but they weren`t biting and chomping me to death. Got out of the cage and spent the rest of the trip on the side of the boat throwing up with Andrew for the entire group to witness. Andrew and I now have a new claim to fame...we puked 6 times, over 7 sharks. I recommend this trip to anyone with a death wish taht would love to be covered in rotten fish bait and tuna blood....I almost threw myself off the side of the boat in order to be eaten by sharks over experiencing such severe sea sickness!!!!





Jeff- I had a fantastic day! A bit surprising considering the amount of drink I consumed last night but I think I may owe it down to a magic little pill called Gravol (sidenote: Andrew nor Lois took this pill even though it was Lois that brought them). The trip started off a little slow with no sharks in sight for first hour and a half but then the sharks must have felt like showing off because seven of them got curious and came to show off for us. Truly they are as beautiful as they are vicious creatures as they came for the bait from all sorts angles giving us full view of everything they are capable of. So although Andrew spent the day looking like Casper the ghost and Lois shared her breakfast with half the sea life in the Atlantic, I'm pleased to say I had a great day and recommend it to anyone who is thinking of coming this way.





Got home around 9 pm, orderedd pizza and went to bed...quiet night after a long day.

Day 2 - Table Mountain

Jeff - Woke up early to get on the hiking trail to the top of Table Mountain (huge mountain overlooking Cape Town, 1000 meters high). Immediately began to regret the vodka screwdrivers we had last night playing crazy eights but soldiered on, had a quick breakfast and packed a camera, a few energy bars and plenty of water for the walk. Think it will be a challenge but I'm sure we're all up for it.

Jess - Key learning #1 from the trip: I am not a hiker. As we started the climb, I quickly realized that I had not thought this through whatsoever and became pretty worried about what I was in for. As we got higher and higher up the mountain, my ears continually popped while I was gasping for air in search of the shadiest resting spots. I could hear in the distance Andrew, Jeff & Lois yelling encouraging comments to me while all I could think of was how much I hated them for this part of the trip. Ok, some slight exaggeration. When we finally got to the top (roughly an hour and a half later) I was pretty grateful for having done the hike since it was probably one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen.

Lois -This hike was amazing!!! With every twist and turn we were rewarded with views that I have only previously dreamed of. The african vegitation as well as the hopes of seeing wildlife captured my imagination andencouraged us to persist. As we neared the top we were extremely lucky to see a mountain goat (goat boy) delicately perched on a cliffs edge. The mountian goat climbed out on a very narrow edge with unbelievable balance and camlness.

The view at the top of the mountain was indescribably beautiful. We were extremly lucky to have a clearday which allowed a fanatstic view of the whitesand beaches, distant mountains, and city skyline. We could not have asked for better weather (25 degrees and sunny with clear skies). The serenty was overwhelming and shortlived. The feelings we were about to encountour would be those of fear, awe, concentration and adhrealine. Jeff, Jess, Andrew and I were about to be lowered off of a cliff face 1000M above ground convinced we would nbot live to tell the tale. Our lives were entirely dependent on a thin piece if rope connecting our tiny bodies to the top of the cliff face. This activity is called abseiling. Jeff and I were first up and it wasn't long before we had many on lookers form above calling out hings like "are you guys &%¤#¤ crazy???". We were secretly wondering the same thing ourselves. Jeff (now pale as a ghost) turns to the organizer and asks "Have you guys done this before?" this was met with "hahah are you crazy we would never do this". This was not quite the reassurance he was looking for so he promised that if he were to survive the activity then he would marry her. She wasted no time in hooking us up to the cord and forcing up to slowly walk our way back and down the mountain slowly. We hung off the side of the cliff a put our trust in the system. half way down the cliff we gained the courage to turn around and appreciate the view that could only be earned by doing something this stupid. This is by far one of the best experiences I have ever had and I manged ot come out of it with just a scraped leg. this is suprising given that as we watched Andrew and Jess come down later we notice dthat the "saftey guard was fast alseep with no one attending to the ropes. hahaha some times you just have to laugh it off.

Jeff - Once all four of us had our feet squarely back on the ground it was time to make the short hike back up. We set off with the simple instructions of "stay to the left" and soon passed a sign meant for decenders of the moutain stating 'NOT AN EASY WAY DOWN'. We hoped it wasn't necessarily true for heading the other way and began questioning whether we should have read the fine print on the waiver form more closely. It turned out the hike up was more exhilerating than the orginal. With no set path we had to manuver ourselves over rocks and make decisions about which direction to take. Other than the scenery from the other side of Table Mountain the entertainment came when I passed a stick while climbing up one section. Knowing that Lois was right behind me and her fear of 'snake attacks!' I casually threw the stick behind me yelling "snake" causing Lois to panic and nearly pushing Jess (who was behind her) off the mountain side. Luckily Jess had more wit about her and held her ground, I apologized through my laughter and promised never to do it again. We made it back up safely and met up with Jes and Martin to take the 360 revolving cable car back down.

Andrew - That night after a nap that lasted to long (i.e. we woke up 8 min before the cap arrived, we went out to a really cool restaurant called beluga in the city centre and then to a couple other bars in Cape Town. We had a table in the wine loft which was pretty cool. Jeff and I had osterich for the first time and it was delicious. We had too much wine with dinners, unecessary mojitos, and more beer then we needed, but had a great night out. At the third and final bar they played Bryan Adams 5 minutes after we got there which set the tone for the night. It was good times. We left the last bar a 3am, not the smartest idea considering we had book sharked cage diving pick up at 9 am the next morning.

Arrival in Cape Town

Lois - Met Jeff in Amsterdam at 6:30 am for our connecting flight to Capetown. Regardless of the hour he had taken advantage KLM's complimentary drinks and was sporting an admirable collage of red wine and vodka orange tyedye.

Jeff - The flight to Cape Town was great with each of us having personal tvs to get us through the long trip. Who knew that the most entertainment would come right at the beginning of the flight when I noticed Lois' sleeping apparatus, it was an eye mask (as many use on planes) however this one was made to look like monkey eyes with a big yellow crown on top. The rest of us quickly gathered and our snickering led to Lois being awoken by a large group of passengers pointing and laughing at her...if only we took a picture.


Andrew - Upon arriving we got the first surprise of the trip. I hadnt prepared myself to drive on the left...and have the driver side reverse. With a standard car this is not so easy. Between the reverse side of the road, shifting gears with my opposite hand, and driving on hilly,winding roads and almost 24 hours of travel it is a miracle we made it to Jes' house. In our first 10 minutes we did 2 things we probably should not. A. In a empty parking garage I said fairly loundly "Jes, you need cash? we all have tons of cash on us." then when we left theparking we were trying to find Jes' car we pulled over to the side of the road and put our hazards on...I am pretty sure you are not supposed to do that. Either way we made to here safely and I have only hit 2 curbs in the day of driving. Speaking of Jes's house...this could be the nicest place any of us have ever stayed in. It is a 3 bedroom 5 bathrooms house in Camps Bay...it is halfway up table mountain and looks up the mountain and the ocean...See some of the pics to see where we are staying...its awesome...It is 50m from an entrance to the table mountain national park.










Jess - I would like to refer to this part as the best part of the trip, but considering it's only day 1, I'm sure there will be quite a few more highlights. We drove 45mins out of Cape Town today to Boulders Beach, where we went swimming with penguins, yep, penguins! Did we say sharks in the first blog post? We meant penguins. (No just kidding, shark cage diving is Sunday's activity!)Anyone who knows me will know how big of a deal this was for me! The water was freezing, but having the penguins surrounding us quickly made up for it. Check out the pictures and the awesome underwater video Andrew took.

Jeff - After a quick pizza lunch and a stop at the grocery store we headed home for a sunset hike up to the base of Table Mountain. It was gorgeous to the naked eye however Lois is convinced her photo's make it look better than it actually was (this is when I became convinced that Lois was a compulsive liar). We can't wait to make the trip back tomorrow and see the view from the summit.




Day 2 has a lot to live up to...Africa is awesome so far...


Jeff Word of the day - Dramastic

One Day Before Departure

Last day in Ottawa - It is snowing. (Currently 22 degrees and sunny in Cape Town)

We leave tomorrow for Cape Town and I think everything is falling into place. Lois has made most of the logistical arrangements (I do enough of them for work) and they seem pretty solid. We have most of our accomodation booked, we've rented the 4x4 we will be driving in Namibia, and we are set for Cape Town as well. All that is left to do is get on the plane...and wrap up whatever we can at work. Contrary to my usual habits, I am actually fully packed earlier than the night before the trip so tonight can be spent relaxing and doing my taxes rather then scrambling to find a more t-shirts...

Here's an overview of the trip so you know what to watch for on this blog.

Day 1 - Cape Town: Beaches and exploring. It is supposed to be 27 and sunny there...better than the snow currently coming down outside
Day 2 - Shark Cage Diving - Watch for videos and pictures (I have an underwater camera)
Day 3, 4 - More stuff around cape town. Hike Table mountain, Robben Island, Abseiling
Day 5, 6 - Fly to Windhoek Namibia and drive to Waterberg National Park. This will be our first night of Camping
Day 7,8,9 - Safari ini Etosha National park, Namibias largest
Day 10, 11 - Drive south to the desert, stopping in Damaralan and Swakopmund
Day 12, 13, - I'm pretty sure I have lost track of the days here, btu we'll be hitting the Namib desert to explore the worlds largest sand dunes. Then head back to Cape Town
We finish the trip in Cape Town and Fly home on April 25. This should be an awesome trip...Here are some worlds of wisdom from Jeff and Lois' coworkers

- "Remember, when being chased by a Lion you don't have to out run the lion, just the slowest person in the group"

- " You know what they call tents over there right? Saran wrap."

Note to Mrs. Bromley: these are just Jokes, please do not worry about your daughter.